Archtop Guitar

[barelysub4]

I "watched" you build the other two on the LP forum. Those are stunning guitars. The only custom built guitars I've ever coveted.

[GeoffStGermaine]

Thanks barely, hopefully this one will turn out even better!

Cheers!

[GeoffStGermaine]

My other three archtops were parallel braced jazz boxes. They sounded nice, but certainly in that jazz niche. My aim here is to get a sound that is a little warmer and more versatile. To this end, I'm already using x-bracing vice parallel bracing, but additionally I am going to thin the plates even more. The goal here is to arrive at a lower pitched tap tone to hopefully improve the bass response of the plates. The jazz boxes are very mid focused guitars to cut through an ensemble. With this one I'd like to be a little closer to the response of a steel string archtop.

On my previous tops the centre plate thickness was 3/16" and this tapered to 5/32" on the soundboard and remained constant on the back plate. For this guitar my initial plates will be 5/32" with no taper. I'm planning to string this guitar up "in the white" to then further tune the plates thickness based on the instruments sound.

Here are a few pictures of the plates. Right now they sit at about 3/16" thick.











Thanks for looking!

[printer2]

On my first guitar attempt, before I found this site and learned people actually do make acoustic guitars, I figured I would make a semi-hollow guitar and rout out the center to get a sort of acoustic instrument to practice on. I did not know what braces to put on it so I strung it up with a few strings and noted how changing the braces sounded. Used tiewraps for frets. I originally had more clamps around the perimeter but found I could get away with less and still get an idea of the sound.

[GeoffStGermaine]

Some progress:

I have shaped the soundboard to the desired thickness. I also installed the x-bracing on the soundboard. I then cut the "f-holes" and installed the inner purfling on them before gluing on the top. I'm now in the process of installing the remainder of the purfling. The purfling is black/bloodwood/black on either side of 2.5mm MOP purfling with bloodwood binding on the outside. Here are a few progress photos.











Thanks for looking!

[E-man]

Great work and workmanship.... your archtops are absolutely beautiful...

Thanks for sharing with all of us... Bob

[GeoffStGermaine]

Thanks, E-man.

I have both sides of the purfling that will flank the MOP installed. Next I'll install the bloodwood binding before moving onto getting the back plate glued on.

[GeoffStGermaine]

Getting some work on the MOP purfling.



I'm very happy with how the binding and purfling are going so far. It's going much better than on my previous guitars and it's substantially more complicated than the others I've done. I guess that's experience for you.

[GeoffStGermaine]

Working on the headstock and fretboard binding. I'm installing the inner black/bloodwood/black purfling. Once the inner purfling is finished on the headstock, I'll glue on the fretboard. The inlays are installed, but need some clean up. The flower (Gerbera) has special meaning to the future owner of this guitar, who doesn't know it is being built.

[GeoffStGermaine]

Some more progress:

Working on the binding/purfling on the fretboard and headstock. I was not sure if the amount of MOP on the fretboard would be too much with the 2.5 mm purfling and the block inlays, but I'm happy with how it is coming out. Borderline-over-the-top is what I'm going for.





I also got the portion of the "f-holes that extend into the sir completed. I was also going to do a upper bout side sound port, but I've decided against it.





I've got the back fully carved, I'm just finishing the inside of the plate before gluing it on. For the neck I've got to re-radius the fretboard, recut the fret slots through the purfling and then attach the bloodwood binding before getting started on neck carving.

Thanks for following along.

[GeoffStGermaine]

I thought the inside of the back looked too good not to get a shot of it up.

[redir]

Can't wait to see and hear this when it's done!

[GeoffStGermaine]

Neither can I, redir. I'm curious to hear how this sounds with the smaller body size, x-bracing and Port Orford cedar soundboard.

[printer2]

Originally Posted by GeoffStGermaine

Here are a few pictures of the plates. Right now they sit at about 3/16" thick.




Thanks for looking!

You know, every time I come to see this build I allway pause at this picture and take in in. Just gives me a warm satisfied feeling.

[littlesmith]

nice project!

did that bender work with lamps only, or did you also use a heat blanket?

why does the brace go over the other brace without touching?