Going to start a Weissenborn

[Allen]

I'm about to embark on a weissenborn build, and since there is so little information about building them, I thought I would open this up to the forum to gets some tips, and advice about construction.

First off is that the plans that I have look to have a flat top, ie. no dome built in. For those of you that have built weissenborn's, do you follow the plans faithfully, or do you put a radius on the top?

Secondly, the bracing looks to be massive, and I saw the bracing first hand on Alan's recently completed instruments. He followed the plans faithfully, and his bracing looked massive, but after hearing his sound clips, you'd in no way say that the instrument sounds restricted and over braced.

If you've got experience building these instruments, please weigh in with comments and suggestions.

[Richard]

Radiusing the top's not a bad idea but you can go either way. If you've got the dishes available and don't mind the small amount of extra work then there's no reason not to. Obviously the geometry is different in regards to "neck" angle but not hugely difficult to work out something that works; there's an inherent flexibility by way of the desired string height so a lot of the design doesn't affect playability.

I brace them the same as I do any other guitar, i.e. much less than what the plans call for. Use your instincts and know-how and you should have no problems deviating from the dimensions used in the plans. I use a 1/2x1/4" x-brace.

Good luck with it... I look forward to pics along the way.

[Dave White]

Allen,

It depends on if you want to build a Weissenborn-style (be careful because of copyright issues as to what you call them) instrument or an acoustic lap-slide. By that I mean in the first category you are in the area of tradition and trying to get as close to replicating what builders like Knutsen and Weissenborn did. People like Tony Francis with their huge experience and expertise can give you the best help in this territory.

In the second category you are building a hollow necked instrument in the shape and style of, but you can feel free to make it and shape the sound in ways that you want to do. For the latter use the same brain and principles as when making any instrument. That's what I have done on the three that I have made so far (two single necks and a ladder braced double-necked). The area that I had to think most about was the soundhole up and into the hollow neck where there is a lot of stress and no conventional neck block.

They are a lot of fun both to build and play - have fun.