Sanded down the contest neck last night. Needs more, but it's smooth. Fretboard really just needs buffed at this point. Going to do hairpin frets as I don't have fretting supplies and time is a factor. I really want to radius the neck more, though it's nice as it is now. If I make it to the hardware store this weekend I may just finish it by Monday. Now just waiting on the box, tuners, pickup and secret supplies I ordered on the ebays.
For the license-plate reso... Got the box I thought was going to use, but I think it's too shallow to be boomy enough when played acoustically. So back to the ebays. Found a REALLY cool unfinished craft box for cheap. It'll definitely have a boom now. Plus it's exactly the right length. It's wider than the plate but now I can put in sound holes. I plan to rough up the box on some concrete and wash it either blue or yellow to match the plate. Probably do the same to the neck, then varnish (wash, not rough up).
Tested the little tart pans I got and was planning on putting under the plate. Not sold. I think they're a little too small and not ringy enough. I think the plate might be good enough on it's own and I'll save the pans for a reso uke or cool soundhole inserts.
I was also thinking if I attach a couple of springs to the underside of the plate and attach the other ends to opposite corners in the box it 'll sound cool.
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Wow, had another idea. want to get it down in case I forget. If I bolt down the bridge on the license reso, attach a spring to each bolt, then use two tart tins on the bottom and bolt the other end of the springs to the tins I BET it'd sound cool. Now, where to find spring that aren't too tight...
Just for everyone else's edification... It's for the builders' challenge. It's a famous monster for SURE, but it's certainly a bit left-field. It'll be red, that's all the hint I'll give.
More details about the license plate reso: It's for my dad for xmas. He was born in PA in 1951. I got a 1951 PA plate which has a bit of rust so it looks AWESOME. The craft box will be cool I think and I might just use one of the tart tins as a soundhole on the top or side as there will be plenty of room.
ALSO I ebayed a 1950s tabletop radio - very mid-century retro. It still works, but I'm going to gut it and fill it with a Guitar Fuel SD-MAH5 I'd bought for myself but will be perfect 'cause the radio has 3 knobs. I was thinking about looking into a permanent 9v DC power supply so it can be plugged in like it is but I don't want to loose battery-operation,
I'm down the small, used amp rabbit hole on ebay, too.
Building a Hawaii motorcycle plate reso soprano uke, too. It's for a girl, but not like that - I'm married! She's a friend and plays and has the vintage aesthetic so I thought, why not? Plus it's practice. Got a damaged-body Mahalo U50-G for the neck, a (hopefully) matching box (and a backup box I'd rather use, but it may be too short for scale), and a 3W joyo amp I'll probably house in an old art-deco transistor radio. Peizo pickup under the bridge and Robert is your father's brother.
THEN I'm making a cbg Irish bouzouki for myself. Bought a vintage tenor neck and the scale is wrong for octave mando, but right for the bou. GDAE tuning. I have all the parts for that. Going to use a chrome small bass/violin humbucker.
Then another license plate reso for my wife's dad's birthday next month. I bought the neck for my dad's but after building my first neck, I think I can handle building them now. Same concept - plate from state and year he was born.
THEN a license plate reso for ME. No rules on this one. Will probably use a humbucker in mine as I'm an old metalhead.
THEN a bass as I'm origianlly a bass player. Want to make it REALLY folky. I have an Irish rock band and I'd love to see our bass player using it on stage. I play mando and I'll use my bouzouki when it's done... really I'll probably use all the things I build for myself. I mostly sing anyway. They can Sid Vicious my instrument level if they get annoyed. Won't bother me. I still have fun
what contest is it for ?