Hi all,
I'm a first timer from the UK and I would love to share my first project with you and ask some advice.
I'm building a fretless three string guitar from bits of hardwood from old furniture for the neck and ply and pine for the resonator. I chose to build the box from scratch as I was having difficulty finding a decent cigar box.
As you will see from the photos I have shaped the neck, yardstick and heal from one piece of white oak to which I have laminated a mahogany fret board.
This leads me onto my first question: my board is currently 8mm, is this to thick? Should it be more like 6mm?
Second question: what is the optimal action for slide? And optimal distance from string to soundboard?
Third and final for now: My machine head shafts are a little short, should I countersink into the back of my headstock, or reshape the top of the yardstick to make it narrower.
Please have a look at the pictures I've posted and feel free to comment / offer advice.
Thanks in advance
If you don't have frets, the string height won't be an issue... As long as it s high enough that your slide doesn't hit the neck while you're playing. I suggest using a threaded machine bold as a nut. That way, if the string height it too high or too low, you can use a larger or smaller circumference bolt. Keep switching them until you find one that is 'just right' for you.
Just wanted to share a few pics of the painted body with sound hole covers. 4 coats acrylic matt black followed top coat of Danish oil. Sorry for photo quality, light in my workshop at this time of day isn't great.
Bargain! I've just put some brass eyelet / grommets on my first build's sound holes. They are a bit smaller than I thought they would be but still look ok for the size of box. Will leave them for now but will definitely try the strainers in the future.
Just the one at the moment. Did a dry fit a few days ago to check the action and that everything was ok before finishing the neck. Just got a temporary bridge in the photo and need to mess about with it to get the action down a bit although as it is fretless not too worried about that!
Cheers Sasquatch! I was planning to put a piezo pickup in it although I was surprised at how loud it was acoustically. Always good to have the option of putting it through an amp though.
Replies
2014-04-02 05.56.51.jpg
2014-04-02 05.57.20.jpg
2014-04-02 05.59.14.jpg
The sound hole covers look great against the black finish. Are they sink strainers?
Bargain! I've just put some brass eyelet / grommets on my first build's sound holes. They are a bit smaller than I thought they would be but still look ok for the size of box. Will leave them for now but will definitely try the strainers in the future.
Just the one at the moment. Did a dry fit a few days ago to check the action and that everything was ok before finishing the neck. Just got a temporary bridge in the photo and need to mess about with it to get the action down a bit although as it is fretless not too worried about that!
CBG 1 - test fit
Cheers Sasquatch! I was planning to put a piezo pickup in it although I was surprised at how loud it was acoustically. Always good to have the option of putting it through an amp though.
Looking good
-
1
-
2
-
3
of 3 Next