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Back or top designs

Posted by Peter Taylor on November 8, 2011 at 9:20am in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

After building about 12 guitars now using the top of the box as the Top of the guitar I was wondering if there is any tricks to using the Bottom of the box as the top?

Using the top is ok as tops come off, so whats the deal with using the Bottom?

Thanks in advance..

 

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Replies

  • Peter Taylor November 9, 2011 at 6:52am

    Thank guys..guess there is only one way to go, take a deep breath, measure twice and cut.......

  • Mungo Park November 8, 2011 at 9:37pm

    A lot of boxes seem to have a pressed cardboard lid and a wood back so a back first seems like a good idea

                       Cheers Ron.

  • Order99 November 8, 2011 at 9:28pm


    Oily "Strat-O'-Nine-Tales" Fool said:
    Peter,

    Many builders here indeed use the bottom of the box, normally for several reasons:

    1) They are trying to preserve a really nice printed or pressed commercial graphic on the top.
    2) They want to have access to electronics inside the box, but don't want to cut into the top for knobs etc, due to #1 above.
    3) They want the box to remain closed by pressing the top against the body while playing.
    4) They find that the bottom resonates better than the top, which sometimes is only made of pressboard.

    Otherwise, you construct a neck-through the same way; you just have to take a bit more care cutting the neck slots, as Tea Belly sez.
    5) The bottom of the box is already securely glued into the sides for better vibration-no need to fasten down.
    6) The Instrument can be easily accessed without destringing-just pop the back open(if tacked or screwed rather than glued) and hear what it sounds like open-backed, experiment with pickups and minor adjustments on the fly and hear an immediate response, do minor repairs and reinforcing...using a few screws and some paper shims for 'kerfing' can make as tight a bond as glue as far as resonance is concerned(at least to my tin ear)...
    7) related to #1 above..it's easier to repair an 'oops' while shaping soundholes of any shape on naked wood. A tiny dab of putty a little filing or sanding and maybe a touchup stick is so much esier and effective than trying to reglue or touch up jagged ripped paper...
  • MichaelS Country Boy Guitars November 8, 2011 at 7:42pm

    Cutting the hole for the neck is only a little more difficult. Measure carefully and drill a hole to get a saw blade in. I use a sabre saw with a fine blade to cut mine out. Other than that its the same as using the front. I put a screw in the lid to hold it closed, using my body to hold it is to cumbersome for me.

  • Printer2 November 8, 2011 at 7:40pm

    Stained and varnished the bottom. Liked the look of it better than the whole top being yellow. Using a threaded rod coupler for a bridge now though. The bass clef is cut out to act as a sound hole.

     

    Boxguitar1.jpg

  • Ron "Oily" Sprague November 8, 2011 at 12:45pm
    Peter,

    Many builders here indeed use the bottom of the box, normally for several reasons:

    1) They are trying to preserve a really nice printed or pressed commercial graphic on the top.
    2) They want to have access to electronics inside the box, but don't want to cut into the top for knobs etc, due to #1 above.
    3) They want the box to remain closed by pressing the top against the body while playing.
    4) They find that the bottom resonates better than the top, which sometimes is only made of pressboard.

    Otherwise, you construct a neck-through the same way; you just have to take a bit more care cutting the neck slots, as Tea Belly sez.
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