Hi everyone,
I am stuck with my plans for my first build and needed a little advice.
I am planning to build a 4 string ('cause I really love 4 stringed instrument... ukulele and bass player) licence plate guitar. Having no boxes (find a cigar box in italy -where I live- seems impossible at a reasonable price) and having an hobbyist woodcarver father with a huge lab and lot of machinery I have all the tools to build my instrument.
But here is the dilemma : be brave or cautious ?
First idea was make something gumbo guitar 4 string plate resonator. Simple but pretty, but with some adjustments (I really don't like "pass through" necks). Just make the box, round a rod of hard wood (oak in my case), make a sturdy bracing, cut rod to accomodate the tuners and here you go (well, not quite simple and a lot of checkpoint missed, but you know what I mean).
Seems reasonable and seeing it is my first time project, I am going fretless. But then I though : just make a simple "shaft" neck or try to carve one ? Is it too ambitious for 1st project or I should try ?
Second (and here is the stupid question) : I saw a lot of people put a floating "bridge" (usually a screw) on a license plate resonator and seems good to me. But, isn't the screw going to warp the plate with the string pressure ? Or the "weight" of the pull isn't enough to warp it (I have a '79 american metal plate to use in this project so sturdy metal)
Hope everything is at least understandable... english is not my main language.
Sorry about the mistakes and thanks a lot for your advices.
Replies
because you're building the box, a license plate guitar is ideal for a Fender style bolt on neck. Add a 2-3" head block and drill through for neck attachment. Voila. It frees the inside for electronics and max resonance. And you get an adjustable neck angle too.
Wow ! That's a great idea. I don't know exactly how to do it, but I would really like.
I mean, Is the head block only outside the box ? How deep should be the head block ? And how is secured on the box ? Glue or bolted ?
And if the neck is 1" deep, how deep should the "drills" go inside the neck to be safe ? Should I add glue too ? Thanks a lot !
If it is going to be a slide only guitar , which I think it is, then there is no need for a fretboard, you can get all the "action" you need by using taller bridge and nut. I also think we( I know I did) misunderstood when you said "Shaft" for the neck, I thought you meant a round dowel. Gluing on a fretboard will add strength to the neck, but with oak I do not think you will need that.
I do apologize. As I said, english is not my main language and I used a wrong word. Thank you again !
Moritz, I post you here 'cause I can't reply directly to your message (the button is missing...) ok, thanks a lot I will take care of it.
Well, my first idea was to put a thin metal sheet (that I will hammer cautiously down to form a rounded shape... I found rounded back makes sounds better on ukulele... but they are not made of metal) also on the back... too much metal ? Wood is better ? Thanks again !
some dobro's are made entirely of metal...
Yes, you're right Timothy :) thanks a lot ! Let's go for a metal back!
Thanks Bluesheart !
You really gave me food for though with "unless you some extreme break angle". I'll take care to avoid it !
Yeah it was my idea : take a 1x2" oak shaft, sand it well, just round the angles (more on the back side, less on the fingerboard side... but you are right probably it is better I'll leave the fingerboard side perfectly flat) make a hole in the oak box I'll build and make it all through the box... just not with the tail the tail.
Lower the neck about 2mm (is that right?) in the part that pass through the body so the plate will resonate well, install a bottle cap homemade piezo -that seems to enhance bass frequencies that are kinda sacrificed with plate resonators- near the saddle-bolt (just to figure out if it needs to glued with the top up or down... it seems there are controversies about it... any advice ?)
And that's it.
Another silly question : I would not to drill the plate for soundhole and I plan to drill two small "sideport" hole (one on the top of the box, one on the bottom) so the sound would come outside acoustic even if not "front". Is it enough in your opinion ?
Thanks again
If you lower the neck board you will want a fretboard (fretless board?) to keep the strings above the box. The alternate is to cut away some of the board that would touch the plate and glue this piece to the bottom of the board.
I made two license plate guitars without any sound hole and they sound good to me. If you want to add side holes I might suggest only doing it on the top side as the bottom side will be into your leg if you sit or towards the ground if you stand.
For the piezo I used a little magnet and tried it all over the plate and on both sides of the piezo then picked the spot I liked best to mount it.
Have fun and go for it!
My idea is like this
They make the neck just "inline" (not above) the box. Would it work for me too or do I need to make the neck a little thicker on the fingerboard side (or add a fingerboard) to keep the fingerboard/board side of the neck above the box ?
Thanks a lot Kigar.
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