Small body acoustic

[DarwinStrings]

It is about time I started a thread on a acoustic guitar so here is the beginings, although it will be a while before I finish it I'll jusy keep draging up the thread and adding. This is one of three acoustics I have on the go at the moment. It is a very small body as you can see by the comparison pic with the Telecaster.

Pic 1. Top left. Thining the part of the side that will be the cutaway to about 1.2mm. Top right. A look at how the headblock joins the sides. Bot left. Screwing a caul into the head block to get the right angle to clamp the odd shape. Bot right Gluing the cutaway to the head block with a cork lined caul to take up the odd shape.


My cauls are usually wraped in plastic as useing epoxy is messy.

Pic 2 Not sure what to call these, maybe the Head block beams. They are there for a few reasons, to isolate the sounboard and provide a stable solid rim like that on a banjo or resonator guitar and also to stop the neck to body relationship from folding up as it is so common up here in the extended high humidity that I feel it is important to address. They are laminations of 2mm birch aircraft ply and Narra.


Pic 3. Top left The beam being clamped wrapped in glad wrap, epoxy again. Top right Beam fresh out of the clamps. The caul is complicated with dowel because the epoxy is so slippery Bot left The mortise in the head block to take the beams. Bot right Gluing the beams in place.


Pic 4. The beams in place and maple linnings added.


Pic 5. A comparrison against a Fender Telecastor.


All the glue so far is epoxy to beat the heat and high humidity even though its a pain, one positive is its long open time though.

Jim

[obmit]

Looking good Jim Yes epoxy is the go. I am worried for my uke as its constructed of PVA.

From now on I will be using the good old MEGAPOXY 69.

The humidity drives you crazy what ever you do . I had milking issues yesterday when spraying.

[kiwigeo]

Move south to Adelaide....

[Kim]

U'r a clever bastard Jim

Oh, and a very nice paring job on the mortise for the "head block beams", this all looks very swish. Keep it coming M8.

Cheers

Kim

[obmit]

Move south to Adelaide....

Thats where I'm from.

[Allen]

Very interesting take on this build Jim. I can't wait to see where you go with it. It's giving me some ideas already. Keep up the great work and documentation.

I can't say I've experienced any problem with either Titebond or HHG with the conditions I've got to deal with in Cairns. In fact, HHG is by far my favorite glue, and I'm finding I'm using it for more and more applications.

[Clancy]

Very interesting Jim.
Those laminated beams look to good to be hidden inside.
I seem to remember Graham showing me a similar experement where he was using carbon fibre bars instead of wood. (dead straight of course, not shaped to flow so nicely into the body)
The guitar is such a small body, do you intend for it to be played amplified?

[Nick]

Nice job Jim :serg This is looking like an interesting build, keep posting the pics. I love how the 'beams' just flow into the sides and linings, well executed. Any particular structural reason for thining the side at the cutaway or was that just to make the bend go abit easier?

[DarwinStrings]

Nick, yep just bending as they are a very tight bends and the rest of the sides are almost 3mm thick. I rebuilt the thickness again with veneer.

Craig, I'm not sure what Graham does but if it is like what Dave White does then it is different to mine in that mine will be glued to the top. I will put a under saddle piezo in (L.R.Baggs Element) but My intention is to get plenty of volume out of it acoustically as well (fingers crossed).

Allen I will be using polyaliphatic crosslinking PVA for some joints (like Titebond but more water resistant). I have always been a bit worried about Hyde glues but this forum and your experience is slowly changing my mind. I have seen mould around failed hyde glue joints that I feel may contribute to the breaking down of the glue but its only guessing and it may not have been hot hyde glue.

Martin, no bloody way mate.

Kim, thanks and I noticed you called them head block beams so that must be what they are then, I'll stick with that.

Tim, that's what I use Megapoxy 69

Jim

[Stephen Kinnaird]

Jim, I meant to comment earlier, but as I'm too late for that, I'll comment later.

Steve



No, wait, it does look great. But those buttresses look as if you will be using super heavy duty strings? You should be able to smash things on stage with this guy, and still play the next set just fine.
What will the top's bracing look like?
Is that done yet?

Steve

[kiwigeo]

Jim, I meant to comment earlier, but as I'm too late for that, I'll comment later.

Steve


No, wait, it does look great.

Mate youre banned for that little carry on!!

[Stephen Kinnaird]

Aw, shucks, Craig... I'm touched.
It's been too long since I was last banned.
I've been missing this.

Steve

[Taffy Evans]

Hi Jim, an interesting project looking forward to following it, nice work. I just did a repair on an acoustic 12 string where I had to use buttresses to stabilise the neck and neck block, first time I had used them.

[Craig]

I'll enjoy following this thread thanks Jim. I'm very impressed with your headblock beams also,,, and their 'fit'. Looking very cool Jim !

[PHANTOM]

This looks great Jim very neat cant wait to see the progress shots.

[Stu]

I think it's a great scenario you've got going there, Jim.
This one I'll be wanting to see alot more of.

I've seen another blokes website who builds tele shaped guitars using
a centre core but bent sides and kerfing. That appeals to me,
but not as much as this one you got on the go.

Definitely has that 'hybrid' look to it.

cheers, Stu

[DarwinStrings]

Yes certainly a bit hybridish Stu but it will be essentially acoustic that is to say no magnetic pickups. ( though I have considered putting a magnetic pickup in a neck position but not this time maybe the next one depending on how this goes)

Steve, just light string maybe 10 or 11's but you know what musicians can be like, if it looks like a electric guitar they may just treat it like one so I had to reinforce it somehow.

The bracing for the top is not done yet Steve but it will be a lattice brace system.

Just another quick word on those logs sticking out of the head block. As you look at the front of the guitar above the log on the left side will be sound hole and above the log on the right will be a volume and tone pot. These logs also separate the business part of the soundboard from the hole and the V/T circuit.

Jim

[Stephen Kinnaird]

Steve, just light string maybe 10 or 11's but you know what musicians can be like, if it looks like a electric guitar they may just treat it like one so I had to reinforce it somehow.

Indeed I do. A wise precaution.

The bracing for the top is not done yet Steve but it will be a lattice brace system.

Oh cool! Want pictures we do. Will this be a Balsa/graphite lattice?

Steve

[DarwinStrings]

Yes it will be Steve but maybe with a bit if spruce thrown in as well, I've not fully made up my mind yet.

Jim

[Cam]

i like the shape, was the cutaways hard to bend? How did you do it if you don't mind me asking?

[DarwinStrings]

I bent the cut away on a pipe Cameron and it was not hard as I thinned that area of the side to about 1.2mm thick to get such a tight bend. I then rebuilt the side thickness again with some sassafras veneer.

Jim