This is superb workmanship. I tried a racquet guitar a while ago and though it will only ever be a slide guitar it works. Now, after seeing yours here, I can see I've got a long way to go to perfecting one! Outstanding stuff and welcome to Cigar Box Nation.
Keeping the leather handle on yours is a nice touch. And the short scale gives it a unique voice.
Mine has a 24" scale. I looked at standard guitar scale length (25-25.5"), but the bridge placement seemed awkward and unbalanced.
I made the headstock from a scrap of 1/2" oak. It fits in a V-shaped mortise cut into the butt end of the handle - front side of the V is parallel with the fingerboard, back side angles in from the back edge. The headstock blank got a corresponding wedge-shaped tenon/scarf, with the back side flat and the angle cut down from the front. This gave the headstock just the right amount of back tilt. It took a fair amount of fiddling and shaving to get a decent fit, but I glued it up with epoxy which helped fill the irregularities. I should have left a bit of the angled part of the headstock proud of the butt end to have a right-angled spot for the nut. As made, the nut sits on the backward angle of the headstock and it took some extra shaping to get a good tight fit.
The soundholes are meant to suggest the trajectory of an incoming (or departing) ball. Laid out with a french curve and cut with a set of auger bits at 1/16" increments.
Comments
This is superb workmanship. I tried a racquet guitar a while ago and though it will only ever be a slide guitar it works. Now, after seeing yours here, I can see I've got a long way to go to perfecting one! Outstanding stuff and welcome to Cigar Box Nation.
Excellent job !
I'm even more impressed with the soundholes now you've told me what they represent.
That was inspired thinking !!
I think what I like most about yours is how you've given it a certain slender elegance :O)
Gary -
Keeping the leather handle on yours is a nice touch. And the short scale gives it a unique voice.
Mine has a 24" scale. I looked at standard guitar scale length (25-25.5"), but the bridge placement seemed awkward and unbalanced.
I made the headstock from a scrap of 1/2" oak. It fits in a V-shaped mortise cut into the butt end of the handle - front side of the V is parallel with the fingerboard, back side angles in from the back edge. The headstock blank got a corresponding wedge-shaped tenon/scarf, with the back side flat and the angle cut down from the front. This gave the headstock just the right amount of back tilt. It took a fair amount of fiddling and shaving to get a decent fit, but I glued it up with epoxy which helped fill the irregularities. I should have left a bit of the angled part of the headstock proud of the butt end to have a right-angled spot for the nut. As made, the nut sits on the backward angle of the headstock and it took some extra shaping to get a good tight fit.
The soundholes are meant to suggest the trajectory of an incoming (or departing) ball. Laid out with a french curve and cut with a set of auger bits at 1/16" increments.
- John
Hi John,
I went for a Mandolin scale simply because I didn't want to trash the Leather handle :)
I was wondering how you extended yours to guitar scale? Did you splice a bit of timber on?
Love the curve of soundholes on yours too. Looks classy !
Many thanks for all the kind words.
Gary - I like your take too. Definitely some cool soundscapes on your video.
- John
You really served up up winner, no joking man !!!!! Nice Job :-)
Excellent!
OMG! I don't think it could be done better in this style. Well played.
That's really wonderful, LongJohn. Simply flawless!
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