Crazy stupid acoustic bass guitar archtop ideas project.

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slowlearner
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Crazy stupid acoustic bass guitar archtop ideas project.

Post by slowlearner » Tue Sep 17, 2013 10:37 pm

After working for years to skill up to build me a 6 string fretless I'm finally ready. About a month back I was plain blown away by Nigel Forster's archtops. So I'm building a similar bass guitar.

I have some preliminary drawings and let me apologize for the drawing. I haven't "inked them in yet" so the pics were hard to get visible, but here goes anyway.

Front view...
Image

Side view...
Image

I've got a sitka spruce top from Gilet's and a neck blank ready to go from vic ash.
Image

The sides will be solid kauri pine, ie, not bent but cut to shape. The board will be jarrah. The back will also be Vic ash. I have a couple questions for you seasoned acoustic builders as a total novice...

For an acoustic bass guitar;
1. How thick would you make the back? The current plan is to make the back will be 3 piece due to timber constraints.
2. What would you used to brace the back and top? At the mo the plan is to use 2 longditudinal braces on the top ala bass bars and maybe a tressel brace in between the top and back.

BTW, Forster's archtops are very different to regular archtops with a full length neck and a low tension belly. You can check one out here...
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/instrum ... tar-oscar/

My bass will be headless too. Strictly speaking this will be an electric with some acoustic properties, but I'm trying to get it right none the less.
Pete

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P Bill
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Re: Crazy stupid acoustic bass guitar archtop ideas project.

Post by P Bill » Wed Sep 18, 2013 6:59 am

Pete, have you seen both of these? I would just be guessing on anything more than Nigel has shown and talked about.


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Bill

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