My Big Blonde & A Bear Claw Acoustic Guitar!

"Just a quick note to Thank you again for a Wonderful Experience and my Fabulous New Guitars!

"Big Blonde & My Bear Claw"

Every time I pick her up and play her it just blows me away. Not only is it very pretty it has a sound that goes straight to your toes.

Again it was an Adventure! Nothing is too much for you!

During this "make" I threw a number of curve balls at you and you hit all of them... Hurah!

Big Blonde is crafted from:

Top - Sitka Spruce
Bindings - Tasmanian Blackwood with Fiddleback
Inlays - Paua Abalone and Mother of Pearl
Back, sides, neck, bridge and fretboard - Flamed (quilted) Rock Maple
For the technical minded it is tuned 2½ tones down to B.

'Big Blonde' is Teaghlach Number 002. The guitar is based on the Gibson Jumbo style and has been setup as a 'Baritone'.

I ringraziamenti ancora e li vedeno in Umbria (Thanks again and see you in Umbria!)

Check out my website! Thomas Lloyd Guitars Student Blogs - Ian Mulgrew

Just click around and on the pics to move through the site... This website is meant to be on the humorous side in respect to the great fun that we had making our guitars with Chris!


Ian Mulgrew - Student (Twice) - 2006 /07

Timber and Wood Show - October 2007!

Stand No: 158
Come and See Us at The Show!

You could WIN Enrolment to Our Guitar Making Course!
Valued at $3,850 (New Price 2008)

At the Melbourne Exhibition Centre:

Fri 12th Oct 2007 - 10am - 5pm
Sat 13th Oct 2007 - 10am - 5pm
Sun 14th Oct 2007 - 10am - 5pm

We are offering ONE enrolment to our Guitar Making Course.... just come and see us.... fill out an entry form... and you'll be notified on the Monday when you WIN....

http://www.workingwithwood.com.au/melbourne/index.htm

Demonstrations will be held on Guitar Making Daily:

1st Demo (each day - Fri Sat Sun)

11.30am to 12.30 noon on "What Timbers to Select & Why? & Side Bending" (Apx 1hr)

2nd Demo (each day - Fri Sat Sun)

3.00pm to 4.00 pm on "How to Shape The Neck of a Guitar" (Apx 1hr)

Keep us in your diary and I look forward to seeing you there!

Thomas Lloyd Guitars Student BBQ Day's

40 Beautiful Australian Acoustic Guitars

The students & families have a great day. Lots of comparing and conversations on what timbers they selected and why, their experiences throughout the course, and most importantly how the guitar is sounding NOW!

Students had the opportunity to listen to some of the guitars being played. Each guitar giving its own individual tone and resonance, and the students actually getting to hear the difference, possibly the first time, between the timbers.

Thankyou to all the students & families who attend each year.

We have Thomas Lloyd Guitars Student Video Testimonial 

If you live locally you can always drop by our workshop!

Custom Made Vs Manufactured

Last month we had a Poll on our Blog.

Our question was what type of guitar do you play?

Results were:
Classical : 13
Dreadnought: 26
Bass: 1
Other (flamenco etc): 2
One I made at TLG School: 12

Our Blog site is exclusive to our email community and our students.

Over 700 people receive our updates!

Obviously not everyone will respond - but as you can see on average, there are more Dreadnought players out there than Classical!

Most of the students that come through the school make a Dreadnought.... or variations on the 000, 00, Martin, Bass and Dreadnought Styles.

Our course enrollments are about 80% Dreadnoughts & Variations and 20% Classicals.

The interest in the course this year has been tremendous! Even Maton Guitars are noticing how much demand there is for acoustic guitars.

China has started importing loads of Cheap end ($500 price range guitars) for beginners and kids interested in playing....

Most people when first buying a guitar are unaware of what they require:
Acoustic requirements
Timbers choices
Volume
Playability etc

A cheap guitar is a good start for basic cord practice but after a while you won't get a good ear for the sound of the cords, which eventually could be come a disability with your playing or you may form a lack of interest in your playing, as you are unable to get a great sound out of your guitar!

When purchasing a guitar you have either a choice of Manufactured or Custom Built.

Price range tends to be a priority in the purchase - which could inhibit your playing ability!

Manufactured Guitars are just that! Manufactured.

You and every other purchaser of that model will get the same, sound, resonance, volume and playability. (Due to the machines that make the guitars)
The manufactures have taken all the hard work out of knowing what you need supplied quite simply in each model and price range.

There are some Excellent manufactured guitars on the market - Martin, Gibson, Taylor, Maton etc...

Custom Built Guitars are just that! Custom Built.

Your purchase of a custom built guitar will be at a different end of the price range. You will receive a better varied sound to the guitar type you order, the soundboard and bracing pattern will be suited according to you requirements of sound, volume and resonance.

Even if a maker has 3 guitars made from the same timbers - They Will All Sound Different!

Each piece of timber is being hand sanded, hand selected, & maybe not even be from the same tree. A maker will produce what he/she feels is the best that they can extract from the timbers to help you find a guitar that matches your playability and requirements.

You can purchase direct from a maker or from Retail Stores.

Each maker has a certain style in which they make: hence Custom Built!

Many variables occur during custom building a guitar.

At Thomas Lloyd Guitars - "The School of Acoustic Guitar Making" you get to :

Select from various timbers that we have already hand selected from timber yards as High Grade timbers
Choose your guitar shape you wish to make
Match your requirements for playing with timber choices
Design, shape and finish your guitar the way you want
Sand the top to the thickness that you require for greater resonance
Hand sign or even design your own personal label for your guitar!

Note:

You may not be a player or even know what you want in a guitar.

That's what we are there for!

We will guide you to making a great sounding guitar that you will call your Own!

There may be 3 students all using the same timber as a soundboard but they will all sound
slightly different depending on the way YOU have made your guitar and of course the tree!

The choice to make a custom built guitar is not about price.... its about the Experience of a Lifetime in handcrafting your own instrument...

The one great joy of running the school is watching the faces on my students when they take their first strum, the other great joy is sharing this experience with YOU!

Students - Classical "Sassy"

One of my students Brian Dyskin posted his Classical Guitar Making experience on "Project Guitar" - (USA) Forum.

He shows step by step pics of custom building his Blackheart Sassafrass Classical at Thomas Lloyd Guitars.

Brian also used Alpine Spruce for the Soundboard.

Note: There are 2 pages to the Forum thread.

http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=26213)


Enjoy!