This Months (March 2008) issue of "The Australian Woodworker" DVD Review: Master Class in Acoustic Guitar Making (using Australian timbers) The first thing that should be said here is that this is no ordinary DVD. At first glance, the slip-on sleeve appears to contain cases for three DVDs, but opening the first two cases reveals that they each contain, not one, but four DVDs, while the third case contains a further two — a total of 10 in all. The first impression is therefore one of size. But just a few moments into the first disc, the impression changes to one of awe at the immense amount of work that has gone into this presentation. Later, we were to learn that it took the better part of a month to professionally video the instructional sequences and over four more months to edit the material into its final form. Now, after reviewing all of the DVDs, those early impressions of size and awe have been replaced by an appreciation of the remarkable amount of detail they contain, the smoothness and clarity of the presentation and the quiet assurance of the presenter.  Several weeks of workshop instruction have been condensed into about 12 hours of video on the first 8 DVDs. The movement through the various stages of construction is intense but never appears to be hurried and the accompanying "Luthiers Acoustic Guitar Making Handbook" serves to provide the additional study material called up by the video. As its name indicates, this is a Master Class in the art and craft of custom building an acoustic guitar. For those who may not be familiar with the work of author/presenter Christopher Wynne, he is a resident artist at Montsalvat. This, the oldest of Australia’s artist’s colonies, is located in a group of historic buildings some 25kms from the Melbourne CBD. Originally trained in classical guitar, Christopher Wynne was a professional musician and teacher before embarking on the construction of these instruments. During the past 18 years, he has established and developed a workshop at Montsalvat where he not only makes acoustic guitars, but also conducts courses in acoustic guitar making. This DVD set is the latest outcome of this development. A Complete Course The following abridged contents list for the first 8 DVDs demonstrates the breadth of topics that are covered in comprehensive detail: Preparing and Gluing the Back, Gluing,Back Braces, Gluing Tail and Neck Blocks, Fitting the Back, Side Strips, Centre Strips, Splicing the Neck, Gluing the Headstock Veneer, Preparing the Soundboard and Rosette Channels, Inlaying and Gluing Rosette, Cutting out Soundhole and Trimming Soundboard,Preparing and Gluing the X Brace, Gluing Tone Arm and Finger Braces, Gluing Upper Face Brace, Making and Gluing the Bridge Plate, Marking out the Neck Shape, Routing the Truss Rod Channel, Preparing Headstock and Shaping the Neck, Fitting the Soundboard, Marking and Cutting Out the Fretboard Shape, Setting up the Dovetailing, Dovetailing the Body, Dovetailing the Neck, Cutting out Headstock Shape, Installing Truss Rod, Gluing on Fretboard, Shaping the Neck, Fretting, Making the Bridge, Tone Tapping and Final Sand, Oiling the Guitar and Polishing the Guitar. Disc 9 is labelled ‘How to Make your Own Jigs’. It contains details on how to make a guitar body mould jig and a bracing dish jig for accurate brace shaping. Then it shows alternative hand skills and techniques for hand planing the sides of the guitar to the precise measurements, marking out and cutting the Fretboard, and bending the sides by hand with a hot pipe. The side bending demonstrated in the construction DVDs is done on a jig which is covered by drawings published in the last few pages of the Luthier’s Handbook (which is supplied with the DVD set). The hot pipe used in the DVD is a workshop tool commonly used by Luthiers and available commercially for about $AUD 200. The one in the DVD was purchased from Stewart MacDonald Luthiers in USA about five years ago and converted to Australian voltage requirements, but they are also available from Luthier Suppliers in Australia. The tool is listed in the front of the resource manual of the Luthiers Handbook under Electrical Power Tools. The DVDs contain very detailed instructions for using the hot pipe -information that is difficult to obtain elsewhere. Before commenting on the tenth disc, it is necessary to mention a secondary but nevertheless integral feature of this series — underlying the whole instructional presentation is the use of Australian timbers. Over the past few decades, dozens of Australian Luthiers have made instruments that are now used by high profile performers all over the world. At first there was a tentative use of Australian timbers. Now, most of the instruments made in Australia are either wholly or principally constructed from native species. Species such as King Billy Pine, Bunya Pine and Tasmanian Blackwood are also well known among luthiers and musicians in the USA, for example. Among the contents of the tenth disc is an informal interview with a major Tasmanian supplier of Australian tone woods to the musical instrument making industry, both in Australia and overseas. Those who are interested in learning where this wood comes from and the care with which it is selected, will enjoy this brief excursion into the world of specialist timber supply. The quantities of wood consumed by the industry, even world wide, is very small, but the selection criteria are exacting. Other sessions on this disc include interviews with a wood scientist and a well known luthier as well as guitar performances at Montsalvat. The Economics Retailers sometimes refer to ‘sticker shock’ — the startled look that sweeps across the potential buyer’s face when their eyes catch the price tag. The average price of most DVDs is under a hundred dollars, but as was said at the beginning, this is no ordinary DVD. The introductory price of the series is $497 and it may need a cold, hard look at the comparative economics to bring this into context. Firstly, this is a course in guitar making intended to provide all the instruction and instructional material necessary to allow you to complete your own custom made guitar. The cost of a full time course covering the same subjects would be several thousand dollars plus whatever transport and accommodation costs you might incur. In addition, the course offers you a FAQ/Support website through which you can contact the author for any reasonable additional help, should you encounter difficulties. As Christopher Wynne points out right at the beginning of the first disc of this series, it is not necessary to have a lot of woodworking tools. Nor is it necessary to have an extensive knowledge of woodworking since most of the techniques required are taught — as they apply within the confines of guitar making — during the course. Nevertheless, making a guitar is a serious commitment. For those who wish to make this commitment, the Master Class in Acoustic Guitar Making offers two principal benefits. The first is to allow you to proceed at your own pace. The second and probably more important is to help ensure your success. ______________________________ For more details on this DVD set, look under the Products tab on this website or call Chris Wynne on  03 9431 2790 A Master Class in Acoustic Guitar Making Using Australian Timbers DVD, 10 discs, 770mins total, NTSC, Zone-free Produced by Thomas Lloyd Guitars Our copy from Thomas Lloyd Guitars, Montsalvat, PO Box 1162, Research VIC 3095, Australia. R.R.P. $247 (plus postage & packaging). New price as of 08.08.08 This magazine is available in most newsagents around Australia This is the entire manuscript from March 2008 of "Australian Woodworker Magazine' Copyright 2008.