Has anyone built a common style acoustic guitar body with a thru neck design like we do on cigar box guitars? I've gathered almost all my wood and parts to build a tenor style guitar but I want 8 strings (like a mandolin) instead of 4 and thought a thru body design would handle extra pressure and make bracing a little easier. It will have a pickup of some type so it will not be acoustic only. My original plan was to do a traditional build and I may end up doing that but I like the no rules aspect of cbg's. At the same time I would hate to waste time and wood. Any insights or advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
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The problem with hollow body/semi-hollow body acoustics is a neck through the inside of the body will have more sustain, but less acoustic volume because of sound wave interference within the body cavity. Same goes for bridge blocks in semi-hollow bodies that interfere with the top's vibrations.
The link I posted earlier has a hollow body except a block near the neck and the neck is mounted on the top near the front. Gives a stable neck joint, sustain and good acoustic volume. But those guitars are very costly, just posted to give the construction idea.
Why don't you just waste the time and the wood in a good old experiment and see what pops out the other end? Jump in and do! Even if it all goes horridly wrong you will learn so much.
It's your time and wood to do whatever you want to do. What makes you think that you need to follow any rules with anything you build? Cbg's arnt rule free, you are rule free.
Kind of like a fatter and more traditional looking version of an ES-335 or birdland guitar. I've never did this but don't think it would be a waist of time. I'm guessing the support for that many strings means you wont be able to have a traditional centered sound hole.
RDover > Cause the Blue ratMarch 4, 2016 at 9:13pm
Replies
The problem with hollow body/semi-hollow body acoustics is a neck through the inside of the body will have more sustain, but less acoustic volume because of sound wave interference within the body cavity. Same goes for bridge blocks in semi-hollow bodies that interfere with the top's vibrations.
The link I posted earlier has a hollow body except a block near the neck and the neck is mounted on the top near the front. Gives a stable neck joint, sustain and good acoustic volume. But those guitars are very costly, just posted to give the construction idea.
Why don't you just waste the time and the wood in a good old experiment and see what pops out the other end? Jump in and do! Even if it all goes horridly wrong you will learn so much.
It's your time and wood to do whatever you want to do. What makes you think that you need to follow any rules with anything you build? Cbg's arnt rule free, you are rule free.
Something like this?
There is no reason I can think of why you couldn't design a neck through acoustic.
do a google search on "semi-hollow", "hollow-body", or "semi-acoustic"
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/instruments/archtop-guitars/
Recently came across this website. Might give you some inspiration. F Holes would be good.
Kind of like a fatter and more traditional looking version of an ES-335 or birdland guitar. I've never did this but don't think it would be a waist of time. I'm guessing the support for that many strings means you wont be able to have a traditional centered sound hole.