Replies

  • Ron "Oily" Sprague July 26, 2013 at 6:34am
    Big box (wide, long, and / or deep). Smallish sound hole. No sound hole. Tall bridge. Fatter strings. Proper scale length in relation to string diameters and tensions used. Open tunings, tweaked to the particular resonance characteristics of the particular box. Crow-style or mountain dulcimer style build (neck glued to outside of box). Neck through, not touching top or back. Neck through, not touching top, touching back. Thinnest top, back and sides you can get away with. Bridge closer to center of soundboard. Braced top and box joints (similar to kerfing on a commercial git - thin walled, light as possible, stiff at the joints, just this side of the point of collapse). Cedar box. Birch box. Thin plywood box. Tilted neck (2-3 degrees). Tilted headstock (10-15 degrees). String trees (or not). String through to the back, like a Strat. Strings attached to exposed tailpiece. Bone nut and saddle. Metal nut and saddle. Metal resonator (license plate, paint can lid, tuna can, inverted steel dog or cat bowl, spun aluminum, brass or copper cone, hubcap, etc.). Use a plectrum (metal or heavy Delrin). Metal finger picks. Play harder. Sing softer. Clean wax out of ears. Drink heavily. Play or record in the bathroom (lotsa reflective tile surfaces). Politely ask your audience for quiet, please, because the noodlings they are about to hear are soulful. Yell at them to STFU, because you are going to expose your pain for their pain / pleasure / sado-masochistic tendencies / body piercings. Encourage audience to buy you drinks. Make sure bar or pub uses acrylic, not glass, glasses or pitchers. Make the kids, cats, dogs or overly-enthusiastic drummer go play outside.

    Lotsa ways to go here. >:-E
  • Slowpaw Steve T July 26, 2013 at 5:46am

    a 10" x 8" x 2" inch box will chuck out a lot of acoustic volume, the neck will need to be "split" leaving the box hollow with a support strut along the bottom of the box linking the neck and the tail - support the bridge with the tail going into the box a couple of inches. This will offer a good acoustic sound though will "colour" the sound if a pickup is fitted, making it sound fuller, but for a "nu-metal" style sound use a  thinner slightly smaller box and glue the neck and support in the box together leaving the lid to rest on the neck.  The fretboard at 7mm will give enough clearance for the pickup and bridge. Anchor the strings to the tail to get the best sustain.

     

    "Acoustic" (left picture) hollow box and big sound holes, the "heel" of the neck is just visible

    "OLD TIMEY" BIG YELLA 4 STRING LEFTY ACOUSTIC              C&T 4

     

    (right) a flatter "neck through" design, not loud acoustically but uncoloured sound, especially distorted!

     

  • Jeff McFadden July 2, 2013 at 3:57pm

    correcting my last post on this thread, that is, of course, Shane Speal, not Shane Speak.  If this board had smileys I'd put a blushing one here.

  • The Phrygian Kid July 1, 2013 at 10:13pm
    Neck angle -> taller bridge
    • Jeff McFadden > The Phrygian Kid July 2, 2013 at 11:55am
      Shane cuts away the neck where it will glue to the box top, leaving only enough high spots to support the neck where it enters the box, directly under the bridge, and at the lower end of the neck, thereby leaving most of the box top free to resonate. Search YouTube for Shane Speak Dado Blade.
      I'm going to try it on my next build, except I'll use a router 'cause that's what I've got.
  • terry harris July 1, 2013 at 9:09pm

    Having the bridge as close to the center or at least as far away from the end of the box in relation to your scale length as you can get; having a fixed, glued on bridge with the strings ending at the bridge like most acoustic guitars; having a thin, braced top and bridge patch with the top as thin as you can get without imploding, probably needing bracing; and a bigger box. This kind of stuff will seriously improve your over all tone and volume, loudness. But, it's all a balancing act with a lot of unknowns so a lot of builds and experimenting to be done. On the bigger box tho, I've heard some soprano ukuleles that are serious loud so it really is kind of a balancing act. And, have FUN doing it.

  • wormil July 1, 2013 at 8:39pm

    Acoustically, volume rules volume. You need a bigger box.

This reply was deleted.