The New Workshop

Well its been a while since I wrote anything so I thought that I would post some pictures of the new workshop and all of its progress.

I started back in August on the reno work and here we are in October and I'm finished (well almost).

The workshop was an old dairy wash house that I extended into another part of the steading.
The work has been long and tough but well worth it!


This is it when I first got here.
The Pool table sadly had to good before any work could start, to easy to just push the free game button!






The first of a suprising amount of stone!



"Do you need a License for this thing?"


You definetly do for this!


All of the floor was reclaimed pine from a house near edinburgh and the inslulation all came out of a skip. It sickens me that we throw so much away, but then I did get a floor out of it!



Again all recyled insulation.

Tool Time! The Saw goes in!


Good bye to the wee workshop. Edinburgh was great but I can't say that I miss Saturday Matches!


More Chaos!

And for my favourite part, My wood burning stove - 0 to room temperature in 30 minute!!
I'm amazing at how well it heats the space at an ambient temperature.

Most things are in now and work has started on the all important guitars.





Thank you to every one who has helped to make my workshop possible.

Cheers,


Taran Guitars

Taran Tour - Tirga Beag

Here is the Tirga Beag that is going round the country to be play by the fine members of the Acoustic Life Forum.

She's made from Italian Spruce and Indian Rosewood. You can see more of how she was made on my other blog page.

Taran Tour 01

So after being in touch with you all the guitar which was most popular was the Tirga Beag my large OM model. (please visit my website www.taranguitars.co.uk for the spec)

I've decided to build her out of Indian Rosewood and Italian Spruce (red spruce), for the neck I'm thinking about using Madagascan or Honduras rosewood.

Here is the raw materials for the back, sides and front. Stefan Sobell was kind enough to sell me some Indian that he has had since May 03. 7 years in his workshop means that it is extremely well seasoned and sounds very similar to good quality Rio.

For detailing I haven't quite decided on it, there maybe some colour or just simple, elegant black and white, it will be of the usual Taran Style however.

Taran Guitars Road Trip 01

So I've decided to send one of my guitars on a road trip.

This is where I will document the build of the guitar amongst other things.

It's all very exciting and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Rory

Repair and Set- up Price List

Here is my 2011 repair and Set-up price list:

Set - Up £40 plus string cost any string type available
Fret dress + Set-up £70
New Nut in Bone £35
New intonated Saddle in Bone £30
Re-fret (including fret dress + set up) £170
Re-wire / Pick installation £40 plus parts
Neck Reset £180
Headstock breaks from £90 work must be seen first

For work that I have not listed please get in touch for a quote, I will often need to see the instrument before I can give an accurate quote on larger jobs.


Please note that the prices given maybe subject to change.

Many thanks

Rory Dowling

The New Taran Mhor

I've been getting alot of interest in this new guitar. The Taran Mhor was the First Guitar that I offered, but as my work is developing I want each model to keep up so I redesigned the Taran Mhor and here she is. Still an OM size guitar but with a new body shape and redesigned soundboard. I've used the basic bracing pattern on other guitars and am pleased with the results, I can't wait to get her back from Dave (the gloss boss) and see if the new design does everything I hope. Here are a few picture of her. The Back and sides are Madagascar Rosewood, with Swiss Alpine Spruce soundboard and a Brazilian Mahogany Neck and Brazilian rosewood bindings reclaimed from an old Billiard Q handles with single herringbone purflings.

Madagascan & Brazilian Tirga Beag

Here are few pictures of a Madagascan Rosewood Tirga Beag. The Headstock veneer and heel cap are reclaimed Brazilian Rosewood, beautiful stuff that just finishes this guitar nicely! The Soundboard is European Spruce with Indian Rosewood blinding and rippled Sycamore purfling.

A few words from the owner :

   'I'm really loving the guitar. The neck shape is great,
 sometimes I get cramp with bar chords but haven't with
 this guitar..
  It's also so loud! Everytime I compare with another
 guitar it blows them away, got my martin D15 back and
 that sounds so bad now!..I've relegated it to slide
 guitar.'

    Ally Brown