Hatcher Greta GA model gets a makeover

Mark Hatcher · #1 01-12-2013, 03:05 PM

It's time to redo my Greta model. This is my medium sized guitar with a 15 1/2" lower bout. I have a lot of new ideas and thought I would do a build thread and talk about the proccess I go through while designing. There are three different perspectives I work from when designing a guitar:
What it looks like when someone else is holding it, say more than 4 or more feet away.
What it looks like when you hold it at about 2 feet.
What it looks like when you are really looking at it, maybe 10 inches.
I think that's how we humans visually experience something that is about our size.
So here are some pictures from the first perspective, more to follow.

I'm going for a "Euro" look with a set forward slim waist and smaller upper bout. This adds playing comfort and makes the guitar feel smaller than it really is. Like my Penelope guitar, the high waist puts more of the lower bout away from you which contributes more surround sound from the active back.

Lars Rasmussen · #2 01-12-2013, 04:42 PM

That is a very pretty shape Mark! I like it a lot. And a very "euro" name

gstring · #3 01-12-2013, 05:45 PM

I should not have checked out Greta.......... now I really want one !!

Wow !

dgd

ChuckS · #4 01-12-2013, 06:31 PM

Mark,
Very nice shape to your new design, and the finished guitar looks great.

I like guitars with a high waistline because I rest the guitar on my left knee and having the high waist keeps the reach to the 1st fret more reasonable.

ukejon · #5 01-12-2013, 06:45 PM

Wow, Greta sure looks eminently huggable!

Jeff Scott · #6 01-12-2013, 08:39 PM

Great looking guitar, I like the concept very much regarding the waist placement; however............the bridge looks too much like a Taylor bridge for comfort, to me.

justonwo · #7 01-12-2013, 10:43 PM

Great new shape. I like the looks of that guitar quite a bit.

JoeCharter · #8 01-12-2013, 11:23 PM

Mark,

You've always had a very good sense of aesthetics and this makeover makes no exception. It looks superb.

IMO I do not think the bridge looks like Taylor's. On the Taylor bridge the top edge is curvy and the bridge pins are aligned.

And also IMHO I wouldn't mind paying a bit more to see some fancier tuners on this great looking guitar. I like the shape of the headstock and think it would be perfect for a set of 510s or Alessi.

drcmusic7 · #9 01-13-2013, 02:19 PM

Looks great, Mark! I remember you telling me about this one. Well done!

Kindly,
Danny

mikealpine · #10 01-13-2013, 04:30 PM

Overall I really like the shape and can see it being comfortable to hold and play. The sound hole looks a little large to me though. It seems I may be the only one, though. Would a smaller (just slightly) sound hole impact the sound much?

Mark Hatcher · #11 01-13-2013, 05:08 PM

Thank-you very much everyone for your kind comments. I had written that I try to design a guitar from different distance perspectives and I started with a longer view. Now I'd like to move up real close and I think the new bridge design is a good place to start. Jeff commented that the design was close to a Taylor bridge and I agree that the back profile line of bridge belly is very similar to the Taylor. That was from a distance. I think the similarities fade as we move in close.

There are a number of contour lines that start to show as we move in.

I like to have the end pins set on a curve as Joecharter pointed out. When the end pin holes are offset from each other along the grain lines it can help reduce the chance of the bridge cracking between them. I also like the pins set further away from the saddle. I just like that look. The problem with that is if your bridge is flat behind the saddle you get less and less of a string break angle over the saddle which may reduce response. The solution to that is to ramp the belly up towards the saddle. That gives the added benefit of greatly reducing the weight of the saddle which can also add to responsiveness. Here is a side view;

This also gives a very exposed saddle with a very comfortable place for one's palm to take purchase when doing controlled string dampening while playing.

Now let's go back to a longer view;

When you're designing something it's very important that no matter how much you like something at 10 inches you have to always pull back and make sure you are also making if fit well into the longer view. When you look at the straight edge on the outside of each of the bridge's wings that line is pointing somewhere. It should be a choice where that points. On this design, I have them pointing at the middle of the fret board at the twelfth fret. I choose that point because if ever a guitar came to life (like Pinocchio) it's heart would start beating right in that spot.

The fan frets on classic guitars typically point to that spot, it just somehow makes sense.

Thanks for viewing!

Mark Hatcher · #12 01-13-2013, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikealpine

Overall I really like the shape and can see it being comfortable to hold and play. The sound hole looks a little large to me though. It seems I may be the only one, though. Would a smaller (just slightly) sound hole impact the sound much?

Hello Mike,

I think the hole looks larger because the waist is so tight. It's a pretty standard size hole and probably could come down a bit without any real effect, especially if there were a soundport.

Thanks!

mikealpine · #13 01-14-2013, 07:02 AM

My pleasure, Mark. It makes sense that ther is the illusion of a larger hole due to the tighter waist. At any rate, it is a very classy look, and I like what you do with the bridge. It would be very nice to hear some sound clips of this model.

Thanks,
Mike

Jeff Scott · #14 01-14-2013, 10:52 PM

After seeing the bridge in greater detail I very much like all the different contouring you are doing with it, that makes it pretty cool, really. The sloping bridge pin area is a nice touch and makes that area work similar to a stop tailpiece on guitars with tune-o-matic type bridges.

Mark Hatcher · #15 01-16-2013, 03:23 PM

Jeff,

Thanks for coming back and posting on that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeCharter

And also IMHO I wouldn't mind paying a bit more to see some fancier tuners on this great looking guitar. I like the shape of the headstock and think it would be perfect for a set of 510s or Alessi.

The Gotoh Minis with custom buttons are typically what come standard on my guitar models. However, I do like the looks of open back tuners with the new headstock design. I also like the look of the Alessi tuners but, I am planning on using the Schertler tuners for this one. They cost more than the 510s but not so much that I can't absorb the cost in the base price. The Schertlers have the "Euro" look I'm going for on this guitar.