Luthiers can be slow getting round to things in general and repairs in particular. There’s an apocryphal story (which could certainly apply to me) about a builder who does ‘repairs while you wait

……and wait……and wait……’

My first guitar bouzouki was designed for Andy Irvine in 1988 and he’s still playing it. It’s had a hard life. It suffered from air travel very early on, bouncing around in an unpadded case and suffering multiple soundboard cracks. Amazingly, with a little glue run in to close these up it’s not only survived the subsequent years of constant travelling and hard use, it’s also still sounding wonderful. But one side of the lower bout was seriously damaged some time ago and had been held together with gaffer tape for months (years?) and really needed attention.

Luthiers can be slow getting round to things in general and repairs in particular. There’s an apocryphal story (which could certainly apply to me) about a builder who does ‘repairs while you wait

……and wait……and wait……’

My first guitar bouzouki was designed for Andy Irvine in 1988 and he’s still playing it. It’s had a hard life. It suffered from air travel very early on, bouncing around in an unpadded case and suffering multiple soundboard cracks. Amazingly, with a little glue run in to close these up it’s not only survived the subsequent years of constant travelling and hard use, it’s also still sounding wonderful. But one side of the lower bout was seriously damaged some time ago and had been held together with gaffer tape for months (years?) and really needed attention.

Andy is always working, so he arranged to bring it on his way to starting his autumn German tour. I would have only 24 hours or so to fix it. So no wait….and wait……and wait……was possible.

Here it is with the gaffer tape removed. The soundboard is completely separated from the side for a distance of around six inches, and virtually shredded across a width of something over an inch. The herringbone inlay is also crushed and mangled.

After cleaning off the gaffer tape adhesive I cut out a section of the soundboard and herringbone, following a grain line. You can see the ends of two braces projecting; I added a supporting reinforcement between them which would also locate the new piece of soundboard. The rosewood binding was relatively undamaged, so I left it in place.


I cut a piece of similar spruce to fit the hole, also cutting the straight edge along a grain line. Here it is being clamped to the side lining, and in the next picture it is glued in place. The grain was a good match for the original soundboard, though I knew I wasn’t going to be able to match the colour and finish in the time available. In view of the characterful condition of the rest of the instrument, neither Andy nor I felt this would be a problem.

Because I was retaining the original binding I was unable to rout the ledge for the herringbone in the usual way. I cut a slot with scalpel and chisel, and cut and bent a length of herringbone to fit. Here it is glued in place, ready to be trimmed flush.

Not having time to ask David to spray it (this would involve several days drying time) I wiped several coats of shellac lacquer onto the new piece of spruce. This will seal it and protect it from grease and moisture, and while in no way matching the original finish, it tones down the whiteness of fresh wood.


Finally, here is Andy with his repaired instrument. Good as new, as is the guitar bouzouki.

My website now has a page on my six string arch-top guitar. My first guitars were arch-tops and though I don’t build many these days (one or two a year) I still find them fascinating instruments.

My most recent arch-top guitar is pictured right.

MS ‘D’ guitar finished

The Martin Simpson Signature model D guitar (see news item 11 July 2006) is finished and strung. Although this guitar has 14 frets to the body, the bridge is in the 12 position on the soundboard, giving it something of the 12 fret sound. It is deep and rich and clear with each note clearly defined; a sound which suits the low pitch and long scale really well.

Tailpiece problems

I now have problems getting my brass cittern, bouzouki and mandolin tailpieces made. If anyone can either make these for me or knows someone who can, I’d love to hear.
They’re made out of brass sheet (which I can supply if necessary); I take them flat as shown and shape them later.

You may have noticed minor changes to my website. The flat-top guitar menu has been simplified and now includes a page on the New World guitar, while information on some of the other guitars has been compacted onto one page. The Martin Simpson Signature model page now includes the Mark 2 version.

I’ve updated the summary page, which in fact still gives access to the more detailed information removed from the menu, such as individual pages on the 0E and parlour guitars.

I’ve also updated and added to the ‘Wood and materials’ page and put the ‘things they say’ into reverse chronological order so the latest quotes come first.

For various reasons I have four instruments under construction at the moment, four and five course citterns, a D version Martin Simpson model and another New World model (pictured right without neck).

The Martin Simpson D model involves changes to the standard MS body design. While the standard model has 14 frets to the body, the D version is in effect a 12 fret version with two extra frets added, to make it a 14 fret long scale guitar (see news item dated July 8 2004). So the bridge must be in the 12 fret position (closer to the tail) and the bracing is modified to suit this new bridge position.

New World guitar

I’ve made a minor change to the NW trim. The back and side purfling is now black/red/black (matching the soundboard purfling) instead of the previous red/white/red.

I’ve sold the two New World guitars shown in earlier news items. One of them went to Mark Kolnes of Idaho, USA. He sent me this email when he received it:
“Stefan Hello, the guitar arrived. It is stunning. I’ve only had a few strumms so far but it was enough to set me blood boiling. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
ps. thank you”

I’m planning to build up to six New World guitars in any one year.[/two_third_last]

Melamine lacquer, lemon oil, and oiling fingerboards

The Smith and Rogers melamine lacquer we have been using for many years has been discontinued because of changing legislation covering paints and lacquers. David is now using a new 2007 compliant lacquer and after a little while sorting out the different techniques required to apply it, is achieving excellent results.

However, after many years of using and recommending lemon oil to seal ebony fingerboards and bridges, we’ve found the new lacquer can be marked if lemon oil sits on it for any length of time. It’s necessary either to remove all traces of oil from lacquered surfaces or (more sensibly) use an alternative oil. There are several branded fingerboard oils on the market, and I shall be testing other commercial light oils.

It’s important to oil ebony fingerboards because ebony, being so non-oily in itself, can readily absorb water from the atmosphere. This will swell it, causing fret ends to contract into the side of the fingerboard. It can also change the set-up and action, because if the fingerboard expands more than the mahogany, it can curve the neck back.

Ideally the fingerboard should be oiled on a regular basis to prevent this.

I’ve just come across a photograph of my original cittern from 1973.

Cittern 2006

I recall it took me over three months to build, including removing the neck and fitting a steel re-inforced replacement.

The soundboard is yellow pine, the back and sides Indian rosewood, the neck is mahogany and the fingerboard ebony.

The idea of the heavily curved fingerboard was taken directly from my Portuguese guitarra, and the carved arched soundboard was inspired by my 1931 Martin arch-top C1. I still own these instruments.

I played this cittern around the British Folk clubs until retiring from public performance some years later.

Cittern 1973

Revised MS Signature model web page

The Martin Simpson Signature model page has been revised and now includes information on the Mk 2 model.

Sound Techniques are producing a series of DVDs featuring British guitarists. Their latest features Martin Simpson playing guitar and chatting one to one with Trevor Dann. As well as showcasing Martin’s playing and singing, it gives insights into his ideas on many aspects of music and instruments.

At the end is a ‘bonus’ in which he and I talk in my shop about my guitars and how they have developed, including the idea that his playing and my guitars have influenced one another.

It’s available from the Martin Simpson website www.martinsimpson.com, and I recommend it as enjoyable and informative.

The two New World guitars are now completed and strung.

Yellow Calton cases

In the mid 1990s I started selling guitars to Mr. Kakuta in Japan. The arrangements were made by his Japanese colleague in California who gave me the specification Mr. Kakuta wanted, including bright yellow cases with a green interior lining. This seemed such a bizarre choice that I queried it, but was told firmly these were the required colours.

Keith Calton made several of these cases for me. Visitors to his workshop could not fail to notice them and were unanimously horrified – how could anyone want cases this colour?

But by the time they left, some had changed their minds. No one could walk away with your guitar in a bright yellow case without being noticed. And once you acclimatised, the colour wasn’t so bad after all. And in direct sun the guitar inside would heat up less than in a dark case.

Some time after this Martin Simpson was touring Japan. He was accompanied on much of the tour by Mr. Kakuta himself, a charming and friendly man. Well into the tour Mr. Kakuta felt bold enough to ask Martin ‘why do we have to have yellow cases?’

Mr. Kakuta now takes his Sobell guitars in black cases. However, yellow cases have caught on. The standard MS Signature model case is now yellow with red interior (other colours available of course) as can be glimpsed in pictures of Martin’s new MS model in my news item of 28 December 2005.

Trimming the back binding on one of the last two cocobolo citterns.


The two New World guitars ready for their bridges. You can see the taped bridge area on the nearest, ready to be cut out and removed.

Bridge clamped and glue drying

Side bending

Fox side bending jig in use. The sides are partly bent by hand on a heated bender, placed in the Fox jig for 30 minutes plus cooling time, and finished off by hand on the heated bender.

This is an early Fox jig heated by light bulbs. Later versions use electrically heated blankets instead of bulbs, but I find the bulbs work fine.

Each instrument shape has its own dedicated former. The one shown is the Martin Simpson model former.

I understand some players are perturbed to find their new instrument has little bits that can be heard rattling around in the instrument when they shake it. These little shavings are in fact the sign of a hand made instrument. If there are none in the instrument when it is finished (having been vacced out previously), I usually drop in a pinch or two.

These are also available from Stew-Mac in three grades. I use the top quality, though since I don’t use abalone, I have to be careful to pick out any abalone fragments, as these would give the game away.