Travel Lapsteel Project - Grateful for advice and ideas

[Felix Trebol]

Hello dear Kiwi and Aussi luthiers out there,

I joined this forum when I experienced it was hard to get advice and ideas on building weissenborns in Europe and as some of the finest weissenborn makers are from NZ and Oz I decided to ask for advice here.
My name's Felix, I am from Bavaria in the south of Germany. I am studying painting, but mostly just make use of the well-equipped workshops here in the academy. Luckily there's two master carpenters there who are interested in what I do and help me when necessary.
I am currently building a travel-sized weissenborn (although that name probably doesn´t apply to it anymore as the shape's totally different). It's got a Trapezoid shape with similar dimensions than a Martin Backpacker. The lower side is 21cm, the body-length 78cm, so that it'll fit into my alpine backpack. The top is German alpine spruce, the sides cherry and the back maple. All local woods and luckily fairly inexpensive. The headstock, tailblock. bridge, rosette and binding is walnut. It's a crazy mix of woods, but I went for the more inexpensive quality parts I could get here in Bavaria. The colours actually harmonize quite well.
So to my actual problem: I think I might be "over-building" that thing. I checked the bracing system of my Martin Backpacker and it has no kerfing and only two braces that are not crossing for the part below the soundhole.
To my rough plan (the one on paper is more acurate of course):
-The blue lines are my braces and the green lines are the outlines of my patches (bridge patch and the patches round the soundhole)
-I was thinking to use the X-braces, but leave out the fingerbraces to the sides to enhance the resonance ability of the top.
-My build has no fingerboard, thus the whole neck can vibrate (like Nick from http://www.wildwoodinstruments.com.au/s ... ments.html does it). The fretmarks will be lasered. I don't know yet, if and how I should brace the neck. It's pretty narrow up the neck and the headblock reaching in 7cm will support it anyway. Do you have any ideas?

I know there are a million ways to build a weissenborn, guitar or whatever. It's not going to be a master instrument anyway, as it is my first guitar-like build. I've done kora harps and stuff like that, but nothing required that much attention to detail like this one yet. I am just a bit scared that the sound might come out too thin (if anyone understands what I mean, describing sound i mostly useless from the start), as the bodys small already. I don't want to "over-brace" it.

I would be really grateful for any ideas, advice and encouragement. (Lutherie can be intimidating)

Cheers
Felix

PS I spent 6 months in NZ visiting the land, its artists and craftmen in 2009. It's beatiful. I really miss it.

[jeffhigh]

Welcome Felix,
Without designing your bracing for you, I would suggest that in such a small package, with the triangular shape, the traditional weissenborn bracing will not work well.
Two main objectives to keep in mind are
Resisting bridge rotation
Transferring force around the soundhole

[Felix Trebol]

Hey Jeff, thanks for the reply. Yeh, I kinda figured it would be over-built with it, that´s why I am here. It's my first "real" build, so I am all like "safety first", but that probably won't get me anywhere. I might stick with the X-Braces, leave the transverse brace on the bottom and two of the finger braces.

[Felix Trebol]

I recently realized that a bunch of people who build travel instruments, be it lap steel or triangular guitars use really heavy sides. Mine are just 2,8mm thick and besides that I do not have the fretboard for soundboard support. Anyway, I am kinda lost. I´d really be grateful for some more advice.

[jeffhigh]

For starters, use solid linings not kerfed linings since you have no curves, this will give you plenty of gluing area and a rigid box.
If you want to use X bracing , I would probably just use the X and the crossbar above the soundhole, forget the rest.
Make sure that your layout of the bracing allows the outer bridgepins not to interfere with the legs of the X

[Bob Connor]

Hi Felix und wie geht es dir.

You are heading into uncharted territory here and it will be almost impossible to predict what your instrument will sound like from plans.

I think you should plan to build at least two of these instruments - the first as a prototype and the second in maybe 12 months time after you have assessed the sound and durability of the first.

My gut feeliing would be to have quite a deep bridge plate (to counter bridge rotation) and lighter bracing.

Because your design is so narrow there will be very little cross dipole movement of the top because of the narrowness of the span (from one side to the other)

What sort of wood are you using for the top? For something that will start out reasonably warm and open I'd suggest Western Red Cedar and would certainly steer away from hardwoods on something so small.

Food for thought anyway.

Regards

[Felix Trebol]

Hey Bob,

Thank you very much for the advice. I am definitelly planning to build a second one sometime in the future. The first one will have to be road-tested first ; )
I know it´s a fine line between stability and resonance ability already, not to mention the stress an instrument has to endure during travels. We´ll see. I am hoping to get the pictures online next week.
I am using German alpine spruce for the top, 3mm european cherry for the sides and quite a stiff 3mm maple back. I am really curious what it´ll sound like in the end. Of course it´s not gonna sound like a "grown" guitar, but as long as it´s playable and ok in sound, I´d be more than happy, considering it´s my first.
Anyway, I feel like climbing my frist mountain blind folded. During christmas holidays I am gonna get a shot at two Ukuleles, but WITH plans.

Hey Jeff,
Thank you for your opinion on the bracing. I already made the solid kerfing last week. It should be fine.