Monday morning I attempted to pack the Yaris to set off on tour. It’s a game of tetris.

-          Two guitars (Barnie – the Maton – a workhorse of a guitar, and Ann Marie – for the peeps interested in checkin’ out the new handmade guitar)

-          Keyboard

-          2 speakers

-          Stands for keyboard, mic, speakers

-          Power mixer

-          Leads, mic, harmonicas and all that

-          3 boxes full of merchandise: teashirts, albums and albums and albums

-          Portable PA

-          Small trolley

-          Merch pinboard to look super profesh for the big showcase gigs!

-          Sleeping bag (never know where you’ll end up)

-          3 packets of rice crackers (to fill me up so I don’t require too many travelling lollies)

-          Suitcase with a month worth of clothes

-          and me….

I’m all for the Yaris! It’s small on the outside, big on the inside. I packed that li’l go go mobile!

I set out for the long drive from Melbourne to Sydney yesterday

10 hours drive.

860km

Car play list: music by Norah Jones, Rebecca Ferguson, Sean Carey, and Liz Stringer.

$114 petrol.
$25 on junk food…. woops……

Made it safe.

No other note-worthy events.

I arrived at my parents place at midnight. They live in Ryde in Sydney. I’ll be staying with them in the house I grew up in for the next few nights. It’s good to be home for a few days, but no sooner will I have to pack up my mess into my suitcase and then into my Yaris, and hit the road again.

The tasks for earlier today:

Last minute plug on facebook!

FIX PIANO!!!!

BROKEN KEYBOARD:

Just days ago I broke another key on my stage piano. AHH BUM! Wear and tear, there’s always something that needs repairing every now and then. I’m down to 86 keys out of 88. I could get away with it till I broke the A key in the very middle the other day…. use that one all the time! Bum!

It’s a YAMAHA CP 33 Stage Piano.

I’ve broken one before these two and had it repaired by a chap called Howard in Sydney.

Howard went to a huge effort to get my piano fixed TODAY, JUST in time for the BASEMENT gig.

And bam, done! Legend. I could have just been playing geetar for that gig!

Fixing piano…. $240 (Plus two of my albums to show my appreciation for him squeezing me in at such short notice! Fantastic!)

LIZOTTES (DEE WHY) THREATENS TO CANCEL GIG:

It’s at this stage in the day that I get an email from Lizottes saying they only have 4 bookings for Wednesday night’s gig and will have to cancel the event if numbers don’t pick up.

I’m not QUITE sure what to do.

Tonight at the Basement (Circular Quay – Sydney), tomorrow Lizottes (Dee Why – Sydney). I have been promoting Lizottes for the past few months through my mailing list, on my website, and through facebook.  The venue also does their bit. I was called at late notice to do the gig at the Basement with only a week or so to get the word out and make something of the evening. I told the Basement organiser that I didn’t want to spread my audiences too thin cos I had a gig at Lizottes on the following evening. But I was assured that the two venues are far enough apart that the fan base should be different.

I could SENSE a buzz around the Basement gig, via facebook, texts from friends, my dad had a bunch of tix printed out on the table at home. I knew SOMEBODY would be there. But I haven’t had that buzz around the Dee Why gig.

Why?

Dee Why?

What makes people go to one over the other?

Same ticket price.

Same vibe.

Different location in Sydney. 20km apart.

How could I be plugging Lizottes for months? And it not amount to much at all?

What if I’d just done Lizottes and not the Basement? Would people have still come to Lizottes?

What were the other 2 artists on the bill doing? Any promotion? The same as me? Where are there friends?

4 bookings. I understand that the venue shouldn’t bother opening for 4 bookings, as the overheads would be far too costly to be worthwhile. It’s fair enough. A business decision.

But what about walk-ins? Do people plan on walking in that night?

Will anyone be there?

Have I ruined my reputation with Lizottes because I haven’t proved that I can bring a big enough fan base? Why would they book me again, even if I can put on a hell of a show? It’s no show if it’s a no-show.

Do I keep plugging facebook, pushing? Is it too late?

I don’t want to OVERSPAM people with Facebook statuses or they will be inclined to dis-fan me.

So the venue is waiting till 12pm tomorrow to see if there are any bookings.

How frustrating it would be for friends that turn up, who plan on walking in without booking, and see that the gig has been cancelled.

I will do everything in my power to do one last plug….

Or should I just let it go? Cancel the gig…?

I shall continue another blog soon for the fabulous BASEMENT ALBUM LAUNCH! What a hoot that was!

The acoustic album features 12 tracks, Jenny alone with her instrument, raw and most honest. It includes 10 passionate originals, and 2 of her most awe-inspiring covers: her award-winning Billie Jean and Damien Rice’s Cannonball.

Jenny released the album, April 15 at the Wesley Anne in Melbourne. She has now embarked on her East Coast Australian Tour, including stacks of dates in VIC, NSW, ACT, and QLD! New dates have been announced for Sydney, Ballina and Tamworth!

LITTLE TREASURES EAST COAST TOUR DATES:

MELBOURNE (VIC)

THE CHANDELIER ROOM (MOORABBIN) SATURDAY 5 MAY

SYDNEY (NSW)

THE BASEMENT (CIRCULAR QUAY) TUESDAY 8 MAY

MARS HILL CAFE (PARRAMATTA) FRIDAY 1 JUNE

THE SHACK (NARRABEEN) SATURDAY 2 JUNE

CENTRAL COAST (NSW)

WAGSTAFFE WHARF (WAGSTAFFE) FRIDAY 11 MAY

YAMBA (NSW)

YHA BACKPACKERS SATURDAY 12 MAY

GRAFTON (NSW)

NO. 1 DUKE ST RESTAURANT SUNDAY 13 MAY

NO. 1 DUKE ST RESTAURANT SUNDAY 27 MAY

BALLINA (NSW)

CAFE 29 FRIDAY 25 MAY

GATTON (QLD)

UQ GATTON WALKWAY MARKETS 10-2PM THURSDAY 17 MAY

SUNSHINE COAST (QLD)

SOLBAR (MAROOCHYDORE) THURSDAY 17 MAY

BRISBANE (QLD)

THE ROUND @ DOWSE BAR (PADDINGTON) WEDNESDAY 16 MAY

CHALK HOTEL (WOOLLOONGABBA) WEDNESDAY 23 MAY

GOLD COAST (QLD)

fRETfEST WORKSHOP & CONCERT @ THE OLD PAVILION BATHS (SOUTHPORT) SUNDAY 20 MAY

PALMY CAFE (PALM BEACH) TUESDAY 22 MAY

TAMWORTH (NSW)

POST OFFICE HOTEL SATURDAY 26 MAY

NEWCASTLE (NSW)

LIZOTTES (NEWCASTLE) WEDNESDAY 30 MAY

WOLLONGONG (NSW)

YOURS AND OWLS WEDNESDAY 20 JUNE

CANBERRA (ACT) and surrounds

LAKE GEORGE HOTEL (BUNGEDORE) (COVER GIG) FRIDAY 22 JUNE

FRONT GALLERY (CANBERRA) SATURDAY 23 JUNE

THE ARTIST’S SHED (QUEANBEYAN) SUNDAY 24 JUNE

KORUMBURRA (VIC)

MIDDLE KORUMBURRA HOTEL FRIDAY 4 MAY and FRIDAY 29 JUNE

ECHUCA (VIC)

SPEAKEASY WINEBAR SUNDAY 8 JULY

Little Treasures, the BRAND NEW Acoustic Album from Jenny Biddle. AVAILABLE NOW (Go to SHOP)

Little Treasures, the BRAND NEW Acoustic Album from Jenny Biddle. An hour of beautifully honest music, including:
1. Chasing Stars
2. Big Bad World
3. Enough
4. Across the Nullarbor
5. Somebody to Love
6. Cannonball (Damien Rice)
7. Don’t Mind
8. Comfort Zone
9. A Place in the Sky
10. Learn
11. Billie Jean (Michael Jackson)
12. Winter Sun

Recorded at Newmarket Studios, North Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Mastered by Don Bartley at Benchmark Studios, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Front cover artwork by Pamela Cunningham: pamelamckillop@y7mail.com
Album graphics by Katrina Leighton: www.kittytrine.com, email katrina_leighton@yahoo.com.au

Check out some pics below.

Available Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL

GO TO SHOP

I’m about to head on tour for the launch of my new acoustic album “Little Treasures”. I thought I’d get a blog happening about the tour, wins and losses, emotions (ew!), and stories for a li’l inside into what happens on the road as a travelling musician. Hopefully inspire some aspiring touring artists and take ya’ll with me while I’m away.

I leave tomorrow. I’ll be on the road in my little Yaris for a month, get back for a few weeks, then hit the road for another week. Driving all the way up to Brisbane and beyond, and back to Melbourne. It was going to be a solid two months on the road, including 3 weeks of recording in Sydney in the middle, but I decided to postpone recording to focus on the tour (what was I thinking starting ANOTHER new album before I’ve really launched this one! Keen pants or what???)

PLANNING:

I’ve been organising this tour for the last 5 months. It all starts with a seed: fRETfEST – a Brisbane-based team who supports songwriters met me at the Tamworth Country Music Festival two festivals ago (Tamworth: the melting pot for musicians & music lovers). fRETfEST offered me dates in Brisbane in May, to host a workshop and a series of concerts. I couldn’t say no. So I begun planning a tour based around my Brisbane dates. What goes up (north), must come down (south). So the jigsaw began up and down the coast.

Planning has included LOTS of phone calls, emails, building contacts, putting yourself out there, promoting, sending mailing list updates, social web interaction, website updates and so much more. The people I’ve met on my musical travels have significantly helped in planning  a tour: “Who do I know in Grafton….” “Ahh yes, Bob the Great and his Merry Men and Women”. I’ve also been putting feelers out on Facebook to see WHERE I should go, checking where CD sales and “fan mail” come from. I’ve never performed in Brisbane before so it will be exciting to have people requesting shows up there. Germany, I will get to… one day. But perhaps I shall start small and local.

It’s somewhat scary putting yourself out there to try and get gigs in new places. They don’t know who you are or what you do, from their perspective everyone wants a gig, they are running a business, and somehow you’ve got to find the line between sounding arrogant and being too modest. Some places were definitely harder than others. Places like Byron and Wollongong have a terrific live scene, they book so much further in advance, they’re packed out and I’d missed the boat in Byron, even 5 months in advance. I imagine it’s pretty competitive. It was hard to get a foot in. Other places like the Gold Coast, Canberra and surrounds couldn’t be happier to have you and go to extra efforts to promote and make you feel welcome.

It’s massive jigsaw to put together a tour. You kinda look at the map and start slotting places in, then firing off new emails/phone calls to try and fill in the gaps. For places like Tamworth, it’s not really on the way, and may not be financially worthwhile this time around, but I’m aching to get back there and play another gig to some great friends out that way, so I’m making a special detour. It’s important to make the effort….. or why should peeps make it for you?

TOUR DATES:

I’ve packed myself with dates, some concerts, cover gigs, house concerts, songwriters in the round evenings, markets, festivals, fundraisers, a workshop. Note: I’ve already done some of the Melbourne/VIC leg so I haven’t included those dates below – plus it’s hard to call that part of the “tour” when you live there and I drive down the road, play, and drive home again. But a fantastic start to the tour that was – I could do a whole other blog about how awesomely receptive and warm my Melbourne friends are. I love you!

TUESDAY 8 MAY @ THE BASEMENT (CIRCULAR QUAY – SYDNEY NSW)

WEDNESDAY 9 MAY @ LIZOTTES (DEE WHY – SYDNEY NSW)

FRIDAY 11 MAY @ WAGSTAFFE WHARF (WAGSTAFFE – CENTRAL COAST NSW)

SATURDAY 12 MAY @ YHA BACKPACKERS (YAMBA NSW)

SUNDAY 13 MAY @ NO. 1 DUKE ST RESTAURANT (GRAFTON NSW)

TUESDAY 15 MAY :: fRETfEST ESCALATE @ TEMPO HOTEL (FORTITUDE VALLEY, BRISBANE QLD)

WEDNESDAY 16 MAY :: THE ROUND @ DOWSE BAR (PADDINGTON, BRISBANE QLD)

THURSDAY 17 MAY @ UQ GATTON WALKWAY MARKETS 10-2PM (GATTON QLD)

THURSDAY 17 MAY @ SOLBAR (MAROOCHYDORE QLD)

FRIDAY 18 MAY :: HOUSE CONCERT (GOLD COAST, QLD)

SUNDAY 20 MAY @ fRETfEST WORKSHOP & CONCERT @ THE OLD PAVILION BATHS (SOUTHPORT – GOLD COAST QLD)

TUESDAY 22 MAY @ PALMY CAFE (PALM BEACH, GOLD COAST QLD)

WEDNESDAY 23 MAY @ CHALK HOTEL (WOOLLOONGABBA, BRISBANE QLD)

FRIDAY 25 MAY @ CAFE 29 (BALLINA NSW) Festival Fundraiser

SATURDAY 26 MAY @ POST OFFICE HOTEL (TAMWORTH NSW)

SUNDAY 27 MAY @ NO. 1 DUKE ST RESTAURANT (GRAFTON NSW)

WEDNESDAY 30 MAY @ LIZOTTES (NEWCASTLE)

FRIDAY 1 JUNE @ MARS HILL CAFE (PARRAMATTA – SYDNEY NSW)

SATURDAY 2 JUNE @ THE MANLY FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL (MANLY – SYDNEY NSW)

SATURDAY 2 JUNE @THE SHACK (NARRABEEN – SYDNEY NSW)

MONDAY 4 JUNE going SKY DIVING with Mum to celebrate my bucket list (here’s hoping I land safely to continue the rest of the tour)

Big gap in the tour at this point, where I will probably go home to be with my love for a few weeks, let my voice recover from too much sky-diving screaming, busk, do admin, perhaps some cover shows in Melbourne town.

WEDNESDAY 20 JUNE @ YOURS AND OWLS (WOLLONGONG, NSW)

FRIDAY 22 JUNE @ LAKE GEORGE HOTEL (BUNGEDORE NSW) Cover Gig

SATURDAY 23 JUNE @ FRONT GALLERY (CANBERRA ACT)

SUNDAY 24 JUNE THE ARTIST’S SHED (QUEANBEYAN ACT)

FRIDAY 29 JUNE MIDDLE KORUMBURRA HOTEL (KORUMBURRA VIC) Cover Gig

SUNDAY 8 JULY SPEAKEASY WINEBAR (ECHUCA VIC)

ACCOMMODATION:

Although the Yaris is a wonderful li’l cruiser, I’m going to avoid sleeping in it! I’m very grateful to have wonderful friends and family to let met stay with them, crash on couches and floors and in many cases beds. I’m crashing on some strangers couches. Hopefully they’re not axe murderers, but I guess they’ve gotta trust that I’m not one either….

Accommodation costs can really burn a hole in your wallet. I don’t like asking of others, but I have to eat my pride if I’m going to make this tour work financially. Thankfully I’ve met so many good people along the way, and have gorgeous family scattered around the coast.

ADVERTISING:

Advertising can be expensive. I put a bit of $$ into the Melbourne launch – an ad in beat and what not. But most of my advertising is through Facebook, Twitter, keeping my website nice and shiny and up to date, sonicbids, using a mailing list, and word of mouth. I also sent out 65 posters to over 16 a few weeks back. It’s hard to know what works, but at this stage Facebook is pretty hot stuff! Look at you guys, all Facebook saavy!

MERCH:

Little Treasures Album

Chest of Drawers Album

One Lonely Tree E

TeaShirts

Guitar picks (freebies, yeah!)

Business cards

FACEBOOK FANS:

Before the tour I have 1136 facebook fans. Let’s see if there’s any rise by the end of the tour….

MAILING LIST SUBSCRIBERS:

Pre-tour I have 133 peeps on the mailing list. I’ve just started a new mailing list recently, and am hoping to build this on tour. The beauty of MailChimp (online mailing list program) is that you can create separate lists for people in separate areas – eg. you can send emails to ONLY your QLD audience, and a separate one for your VIC audience. You can see how many people read it, how many don’t. Who clicks what? You can see what types of email subjects lines are more effective than others. It’s pretty sophisticated technology.

I’ve only really started pushing the mailing list in the last year. But it’s an important part of informing the right people. Facebook is awesome, but your notes and posts can get lost amidst the masses.

SUCCESS:

It depends what your definition of “success” is, doesn’t it? I am keen to evaluate my success after touring. But what is success?

Is success reaching new fans?

Is success seeing old fans return? Having loyal fans?

Is success increasing your facebook fan numbers?

Is success getting more people on the mailing list?

Is success selling albums?

Is success selling show tickets?

Number of bums on seats?

Is success playing as many gigs as you can in as many states as you can?

Is success playing a new venue? A new city? New territory?

Is success making a profit?

Or just breaking even?

Is there success in marketing and business endeavours?

Is success making someone cry? Touching someone, changing someone through music?

Is success playing the right notes?

Is success networking?

Making opportunities?

Being discovered?

Writing a song?

Writing a GREAT song?

Making the charts?

Making another piece of merch? Another album?

Is success based on the feedback you get from your audience in the moment?

Is success the amount of fanmail you receive?

Is success having a venue say YES they will have you?

Is success having a venue ask you back?

Is success getting into a festival?

Is success overcoming stage fear?

Is success captivating an audience?

Holding them captive?

Is success based on praise?

Is success about inspiring others?

What is success….?

Maybe that leads me to ask what my goals are. What ARE my goals?

My goal is to reach fans both old and new, connect with them, inspire and move people, be moved, and increase the exposure of my music across the country. My goal is to not only survive financially, but to build on the career that I’ve started, thrive, and create more, do more, give more, explore more. I’m excited by the challenge to achieve lots of these things that might define success. I’m excited to grow. I’m excited to learn, not only as a performer, but as a business woman (I am NOT a business woman…… but I’m working on it), as a tour planner, as a merch bitch, as a communicator, as a human with a soul and a love for writing it in song.

MISSING MELBOURNE:

And then there’s missing Melbourne.

I anticipate that I will miss Melbourne. 1 month away from home.

Then again, I have many “homes”. The exciting thing is that I get to see so many friends and family from all over the place. I look forward to that. I look forward to going to new places. But I have left people behind in my current city. It’s particularly hard for my beautiful partner. She married a musician afterall…..But it’s not terribly fun. A bittersweet tearing! We will cope! And my friends will (hopefully) be there when I return. And when I leave again. And return again. And leave again. Oh, the travelling musician!

I leave you with this rather lengthy blog and shall update you on my travels.

I plan on being transparent, letting you know numbers and figures, stories, emotions.

Let me know if there’s something specific you would like me to mention.

Thanks for making it this far!!

Wow, the making of Ann Marie is complete. I thought I’d whack up a quick video to let you know what she sounds like. In this video I’ve done a version of Lighthouse by the Waifs.

Made at Thomas Lloyd Guitars at Monstalvat (Eltham, VIC) with luthier Chris Wynne

April 2012

ONLY $20 for an hour of beautifully honest music!

See EAST COAST TOUR DATES below!

GO TO SHOP

After more than two years since the release of her first studio album Chest of Drawers, the brand new album Little Treasures is finally here!

This acoustic album features 12 tracks, Jenny alone with her instrument, raw and most honest. It includes 10 passionate originals, and 2 of her most awe-inspiring covers: her award-winning Billie Jean and Damien Rice’s Cannonball.

Little Treasures, the BRAND NEW Acoustic Album from Jenny Biddle. An hour of beautifully honest music, including:
1. Chasing Stars
2. Big Bad World
3. Enough
4. Across the Nullarbor
5. Somebody to Love
6. Cannonball (Damien Rice)
7. Don’t Mind
8. Comfort Zone
9. A Place in the Sky
10. Learn
11. Billie Jean (Michael Jackson)
12. Winter Sun

Recorded at Newmarket Studios, North Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Mastered by Don Bartley at Benchmark Studios, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Front cover artwork by Pamela Cunningham: pamelamckillop@y7mail.com
Album graphics by Katrina Leighton: www.kittytrine.com, email katrina_leighton@yahoo.com.au

LITTLE TREASURES EAST COAST TOUR DATES:

MELBOURNE (VIC)

THE CHANDELIER ROOM (MOORABBIN) SATURDAY 5 MAY

SYDNEY (NSW)

THE BASEMENT (CIRCULAR QUAY) TUESDAY 8 MAY

MARS HILL CAFE (PARRAMATTA) FRIDAY 1 JUNE

THE SHACK (NARRABEEN) SATURDAY 2 JUNE

CENTRAL COAST (NSW)

WAGSTAFFE WHARF (WAGSTAFFE) FRIDAY 11 MAY

YAMBA (NSW)

YHA BACKPACKERS SATURDAY 12 MAY

GRAFTON (NSW)

NO. 1 DUKE ST RESTAURANT SUNDAY 13 MAY

NO. 1 DUKE ST RESTAURANT SUNDAY 27 MAY

GATTON (QLD)

UQ GATTON WALKWAY MARKETS 10-2PM THURSDAY 17 MAY

SUNSHINE COAST (QLD)

SOLBAR (MAROOCHYDORE) THURSDAY 17 MAY

BRISBANE (QLD)

THE ROUND @ DOWSE BAR (PADDINGTON) WEDNESDAY 16 MAY

CHALK HOTEL (WOOLLOONGABBA) WEDNESDAY 23 MAY

GOLD COAST (QLD)

fRETfEST WORKSHOP & CONCERT @ THE OLD PAVILION BATHS (SOUTHPORT) SUNDAY 20 MAY

PALMY CAFE (PALM BEACH) TUESDAY 22 MAY

BALLINA (NSW)

CAFE 29 (BALLINA) FRIDAY 25 MAY

TAMWORTH (NSW)

POST OFFICE HOTEL SATURDAY 26 MAY

NEWCASTLE (NSW)

LIZOTTES (NEWCASTLE) WEDNESDAY 30 MAY

WOLLONGONG (NSW)

YOURS & OWLS WEDNESDAY 20 JUNE

CANBERRA (ACT) and surrounds

LAKE GEORGE HOTEL (BUNGEDORE) (COVER GIG) FRIDAY 22 JUNE

FRONT GALLERY (CANBERRA) SATURDAY 23 JUNE

ARTIST’S SHED (QUEANBEYAN) SUNDAY 24 JUNE

KORUMBURRA (VIC)

MIDDLE KORUMBURRA HOTEL FRIDAY 4 MAY & 29 JUNE

ECHUCA (VIC)

SPEAKEASY WINEBAR SUNDAY 8 JULY

The Limited Edition “Little Treasures TeaShirt” is AVAILABLE NOW, celebrating the launch of Little Treasures

Available sizes:

S         M        L        XL      XXL

GO TO SHOP

Sanding, sanding, and more sanding

The other kids in class warned me about the “all day sanding” day. Today was that day. My guitar is a point now, where I need to sand out all the markings, blemishes, lumps and bumps, and prepare the guitar to be oiled.

So I spent most of the day sanding. Sanding and sanding.

Much of the time I used 120 grit sandpaper to strip the lumps away without changing the shape of the guitar, or wearing through the sides of the guitar. I went over the entire body.

Wetting the dent

Ironing out dents:

Guitar making is a bit more domesticated than I realised – hair dryer, iron…  But the iron works like magic in getting out dents. I had knocked my soundboard here and there during the making process, and as Bunya is such soft wood, it’s left little dents in the soundboard. The way to get them out is to pour a bit of water around the area of the dent, place a piece of baking paper over it, then press a hot clothes iron over the top to dry it out. Magically, the dent is lifted as the wood expands.

Ironing out the creases........

Before.....

....After!

Filling in the gaps

Filling in the gaps:

I filled in some gaps to prepare the surface for the final sand. Although I have done this already, the gaps were slightly visible as the sawdust-glue-mix dried and shrunk.  So I created more sawdust paste (glue and saw dust) out of gidgee, and another out of sassafras, and another out of Queensland maple, and filled the gaps.

Sanding:

More sanding.

I worked my way through the sand paper gauges. I next used 180 grit paper, followed by 240. And with every new level you sand with, the guitar just gets smoother and smoother.

At 240 grit it’s time to sand the edges – this is to take the sharpness off the edges of the wood, especially the fret board.

Ironed, filled and sanded

A day of sanding….

It’s hard to feel like you’re getting very far when you’re just sanding and doing fine-detail work.

There will be more sanding tomorrow……..

DAY 25 – 12/4/2012 10am-5pm.

Made at Thomas Lloyd Guitars at Monstalvat (Eltham, VIC) with luthier Chris Wynne

Takamine bridge design

I brought my Takamine guitar along today to attempt to create a similar bridge design. My purpose to have a bridge like the Takamine, rather than the standard Maton style bridge that holds the strings in with removable pins, is because I don’t want to fiddle around with pins while changing strings at gigs. I’d like restringing to be as quick as possible, and I find it quicker on the Takamine than on the Maton. Last session I had to put my bridge creation on hold, as Chris wanted more than a photo to go by, as he’s not done a bridge design like this before.

Coincidentally there was a new student, Paul, in class today, who designed a bridge similar to that of the Takamine, and said it had ripped right off the body due to the tension of the strings. Thus, I needed to re-consider the engineering issues of my bridge design. My Takamine has been very a reliable guitar over the last 6 years, and I’ve had no drama with the bridge. The Takamine bridge has 4 screws, hidden under decorative marks, that hold the bridge on. Paul’s did not. Also, there seems to be a difference with the angle of the 6 string holes that thread through the bridge from the back and out & up the centre of the bridge. Paul drilled his holes upwards from the back of the bridge up to the middle part where it’s carved out. The angle put more tension on the back of the bridge, allowing it to eventually peel up and come off the soundboard after a year of playing. If I kept the 6 string holes perpendicular to the bridge/soundboard, like the Takamine, rather than angled, like Paul’s, there would be less tension on the back of the bridge. If you look at the Maton bridge, the pins are roughly in the centre of the bridge, evenly dispersing the tension from the strings from the centre of the bridge. This means there’s less chance of it peeling away from the soundboard.

There was quite a discussion in the workshop today about the engineering of bridges. We’re not sure why the Takamine designed the bridge the way it’s designed, but I’ve decided to follow it for its ease of string change. I may need to screw it in place to reduce its increased risk of coming off the body. Some might say this will “reduce the purity” of the guitar (haha), but if you remember, there’s a strip of masking tape and a truss rod down the centre of the neck, under the fretboard…..

My bridge design is quite similar to the Takamine, although I took some length off the bridge, and left some on the back to hide the ends of the strings a bit more. I’m told that you don’t want a large/heavy bridge as it constricts the movement of the soundboard, consequently inhibiting the projection of sound. I’m hoping reducing the length won’t make it weak under string tension.

Routing the bridge

Carving the bridge:

Part of the feature of the Takamine bridge is that the strings come through the back, and curve up through the centre of the bridge and over the nut. I needed to carve out the area for the strings to come out and up over the nut. I made it easier for myself, and rather than just carving into the gidgee bridge, I used the router to rout out the majority of the area, creating steps that I would later carve and sand smooth.

Building the bridge based on the Takamine bridge

There was still a lot of fiddling to get the area carved out and looking neat. I spent an hour filing and carving, sanding. Gidgee is a hard wood to work with, one of the hardest. The Takamine bridge is made from rosewood, which is much softer.

Drilling the string holes:

String holes

Last session I routed a slot for the strings to enter and hide in at the back of the bridge. After I’d carved out the centre part of the bridge today, I could then drill 6 holes for the strings to go through from the back to the centre. The distance between these holes is 10.8mm. This was determined by 55mm at 12^th fret, minus 1mm, = 54mm divided by 5 to get the string gaps. There was a lot of checking the bridge positioning with a special device, then checking with a ruler and making sure there was enough space for the top and bottom E strings to sit on the fretboard, once lining up with the bridge.

Basic bridge shape

Cut bridge shape

After drilling the holes, I cut bridge shape out, and rounded the edges on the belt sander. The shape of the bridge is slightly shorter in length (which hopefully doesn’t jeopardise the surface area for gluing and reduce the ability to hold the string tension), and longer at the back to hide more of the string ends.

Bridge position on the soundboard

Carving the wings of the bridge:

I carved out the wings of the bridge to get rid of some of the mass, as you don’t want the bridge to be too heavy. I chiselled then neatened it up on the drum sander.

The bridge is now looking like a bridge, and is a suitable weight.

Attaching the bridge to the soundboard:

Sanding the bridge to make it flush with the soundboard

Before attaching the bridge, I needed to make sure the bridge was flush with the soundboard. So I stuck a piece of sand paper to the soundboard and sanded the bridge over the area where it was going to be glued.

The bridge would be glued to the soundboard (and perhaps screwed later if needed). In order to glue the bridge, the exact positioning of the bridge was determined – the distance from the nut to the 12^th fret, then the 12^thfret to the saddle must be the same. I was horrified when Chris SCRATCHED the soundboard where the bridge would be glued. It felt like abusing the guitar….. scratching up the beautiful wood. I was told to do it to the bottom of the bridge, so I scratched it with a chisel, but accidentally stabbed through the centre of the bridge, where I must have carved it too thin……. AH!!!!!!

Chris (hence the man hands) scratching wood to make more surface area for gluing. Think he enjoys this part.... hence why he took over

This will be fine, not too much damage, and once glued, it will not pose an issue, visually or structurally. The scratching is to create friction to enhance the gripping area for the glue. Too small tacks were created by clipping off pieces of nails into the bridge, and this is to stop the bridge shifting when the clamps are applied.

Gluing the bridge to the soundboard

I glued and clamped on the bridge!
Getting close now!!!!

DAY 24 – 10/4/2012 10:30am-5pm.

Made at Thomas Lloyd Guitars at Monstalvat (Eltham, VIC) with luthier Chris Wynne