This Hobby is definitely not for everyone. It requires the Patience of a Saint sometimes. Every cut you make, every piece made by hand invites the ultimate screw-up. You can make a beautiful part, and glue it to something else, and realize it's off kilter a bit. Guess what ... the whole instrument is trash. You cut 20+ fret slots. Miss one by a hair ... trash! I'm amazed at how many points there are to screw up on these. Fortunately I've got lot's of patience. That doesn't mean I don't screw up!
Sometimes I toss the piece. Sometimes I can make a design change and make it work. One thing I won't do with this is patch it up and make it work. When you are selling something to someone you don't want stuff swept under the carpet.
Bloopers? I had one this week. This pic is a Three String Tuna Can resonator I've been working on. I was just finishing up a few things before glueing everything down and getting ready for final assembly. I finished up slotting the 3 string slots in the nut. Notice anything odd in the pic?
When I finished slotting the nut, I looked down and realized the cool tailpiece I had crafted by hand was for a 4 String Guitar. It has Brass inserts for the strings, and is cut perfectly to fit into a slot I cut in the Cigar Box. Fortunately I hadn't glued the tailpiece in yet (I've learned from experience!). So, you see a new tailpiece I started, and the original will find a new home in a 4 String Guitar in the future! Got Lucky.
Yes ... I do make mistakes ... don't we all?
