Acoustic steel string guitar
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Acoustic steel string guitar
I've never made one - did an Irish bouzouki and acoustic bass, electric guitars and basses, but never an acoustic guitar. I made the top plate a few years ago (douglas fir) and a four piece back (alder). I started on it again a few months ago with a neck (alder), fretboard and bridge (osage orange) and sides (alder), then got side-tracked again. This challenge will force me to complete it. I'm just making it up as I go along. I plan on no top bracing except the bridge and bridge plate, and a couple of adjustable struts from them to the heel block. I imagine it will sound terrible, so I'll make the back removable so I can fiddle with adding or changing bracing as needed. I expect it will be a disaster, but it will be fun, interesting, and a learning experience for me.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Mark Swanson
- Posts: 1991
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Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
Why don't you brace the top? It would be best if you followed a more conventional top bracing plan for your first, or you could be asking for troubles.
- Mark Swanson, guitarist, MIMForum Staff
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
Exactly. "Troubles" is how I learn. The guitar may not even be playable - that's OK - for me it's the journey, not the destination. Of course I can do that because I'm fortunate in that I don't depend on it for a living.Mark Swanson wrote: you could be asking for troubles.
I made the bouzouki with conventional (guitar) bracing, and the bass with slightly unconventional bracing. Now it's time for a wild hair.
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
Here are the materials I have on hand. The body outline I traced from a Mexican classical I have, though it's going to be a 14 fret steel string. I still had to modify it a bit to make it fit on the wood.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Peter Wilcox
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- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
I bound the sound hole on the other acoustics, so I figure it's time to try a rosette. I drilled some holes in my router base a la Cumpiano, then cut some circles into a piece of lacewood.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Peter Wilcox
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- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
I sliced them out on the band saw - I have 3 chances to screw up. I don't know if I'm going to inlay it whole, or cut it into sections with dark lines between, or add purfling rings. I'd like to be able to dye the lacewood, but then when I scraped or sanded it down I'd lose the color. I guess I'll experiment a bit. Any suggestions appreciated.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Mark Swanson
- Posts: 1991
- Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:11 am
- Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan USA
- Contact:
Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
If you want to get a clean inlay, cut the ring in one spot, you can place the cut under the fingerboard. The route your recess just a wee bit smaller, and squeeze the ring together at the cut. It'll pop right in and be snug.
- Mark Swanson, guitarist, MIMForum Staff
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
Thanks Mark! My recess is just a wee bit larger due to the spacing of the holes I drilled in the router base, but it works great anyway - just a larger gap under the fretboard.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Mark Swanson
- Posts: 1991
- Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2012 11:11 am
- Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan USA
- Contact:
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
I decided on the simplest possible rosette - a single circle of lacewood.
First, the recess.
Initially I made the grain in the same direction as the top.
Then I decided it would give more strength to the top (it needs all it can get without bracing) to go across the top grain. I still have to thin it down and glue it in.
First, the recess.
Initially I made the grain in the same direction as the top.
Then I decided it would give more strength to the top (it needs all it can get without bracing) to go across the top grain. I still have to thin it down and glue it in.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
The rosette, such as it is, done. The finish should bring out some contrast.
Now on to more interesting aspects of the build.Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
Progress this week. I glued on the head and tail blocks. One of my consistent problems with building, is doing things out of order, making subsequent steps more difficult. I should have drilled the head block for the bolts while I could get it in the drill press, and drilled the tenon before I started shaping the neck. Oh well, it turned out ok.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
Glued on the linings and glued the sides to the soundboard. The linear scorches are from my bending "pipe", made from ribbed dog food cans.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
Views from the top and the backside. The fretboard and bridge aren't finished - just laid on for looks. I extended the bridge plate laterally - the only planned brace along with the bridge - to try to prevent the fir top from splitting. I'll put some diamond patches along the center seam.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
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Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
If I may ask, what strings are you planning to use? Only they could influence the tension on the bridge, which may pull up the top behind the bridge.
- Peter Wilcox
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- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
12's, probably 80/20 bronze. I got 30 sets for $30 some years ago and still have some left. I could use silk and steel for lower tension if needed. I am going to have some struts from the bridge to try to avoid it tipping forward and doming the top toward the tail - that is the purpose of building this. We'll see.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
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Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
Struts should work, planned properly I think. I know I've used struts, or spars in mine. Being a bit of a cheapskate I went to a boot sale and bought a biggish pop up tent with carbon fibre poles for £4 , about $3.50. They work a treat in compression over short lengths. The six string I'm building has a strengthening strut running from neck block to tail block made from an old aluminium arrow. I look forward to seing more.
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Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
Peter Wilcox wrote:12's, probably 80/20 bronze.
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-Ruining perfectly good wood, one day at a time.
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
Just under 1/8" - probably more like 7/64 or 0.11.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it
- Peter Wilcox
- Posts: 1317
- Joined: Sun Jan 08, 2012 1:31 am
- Location: Northeastern California
Re: Acoustic steel string guitar
Oops - that's the side thickness. The back is 1/8", and the top is .135" +/- a few thousandths. I thought I'd make it a little thick to start with, since it won't be braced in the usual sense. I can sand it thinner, especially toward the edges, if necessary.Peter Wilcox wrote:Just under 1/8" - probably more like 7/64 or 0.11.
Maybe I can't fix it, but I can fix it so no one can fix it