Lap Cat 2 - Page 12

printer2 · #**166** 07-25-2015, 06:17 PM

A while back I decided not to finish a pine body guitar and made a fake neck and gave it to my sister to do with it as she will. Well there was some conversation on an all Pine guitar so I thought what the heck she hasn't used it yet, do a quick wrap up on it and see what it sounds like. Now remember, the neck was made out of 2x6 lumber and the fretboard was some Sugar Pine although not a real hard piece. I bought a $3 Rosewood classical bridge, a set of frets for about the same, tuners given to me from a guy I bought some pickups from. A nut and saddle and strings from China, also cheaply.

Actually looks pretty crude, thought it was going to be covered in ceramics. Going to be interesting once I get the strings on.

printer2 · #**167** 07-28-2015, 09:22 PM

Well for the good news, nobody is going to steal this guitar.

Something I did not bother with when I made it is dealing with the neck geometry. It will never have strings on it so why bother. Well I guess never is not as long as I thought. I can play all the open strings but the high E without much buzzing. And from the fourth fret to the seventh it is not too bad. The rest forget it. Not all that loud, actually would be a good practice volume and not bother others. Does not sound all that horrible where you can play it and I can see why you can play a nylon for hours. Easy on the fingers. I may have to build a real neck for this one.

printer2 · #**168** 07-29-2015, 08:07 PM

Did a hack neck reset, cut the joint and glued some wood strips in. Action is pretty high, have a temporary SS saddle in yet. Compared the volume to its sister bodied guitars and not all that bad. Lower volume yesterday mainly because I could not put too much into the strings without them buzzing. Not what I would call a tone machine but my nails are really short right now, better with a pick.

I am starting to get inspired. I wonder if I can make a guitar out of a 2x6, neck and body? Or make it a two piece top and back with a 2x8. might be able to make it for under $25 in parts not including the 2x6. So many ideas and not enough time in a day.

printer2 · #**169** 08-26-2015, 08:38 PM

See what happens when I get an idea? Have some pine that I 'torrified' and am doing a practice build with the body shape I am thinking for another guitar. Spanish Foot build on this one though. Just figuring out how to do it, hopefully without too many mistakes. Nothing fancy though, cheap and dirty is the game plan.

printer2 · #**170** 08-29-2015, 05:46 PM

Used the router and cut down a step so the top will be flush with the neck with no fretboard. Cut slots so the sides slip into the neck. Shaped the heel and did a rough shaping of the neck. Glued the neck to the top then the top brace next to the neck. Also added the tail block.

Next is to radius the fretboard and the underside of the bridge. Then I can put a straight edge along the fretboard and give the top a slight bend at the soundhole so the straigh edge clears the bridge. I will then glue in the soundhole patch which will help keep the angle of the neck. After that attach the sides. I hope. Just winging it and think this will give me what I want.

printer2 · #**171** 08-30-2015, 07:27 PM

Kind of a frivolous build (if anyone noticed yet) that I wanted to knock off so I can take my time on the next nylon guitar I have planned. I am just curious how far can you go with lumberyard lumber. Not expecting a long lasting instrument or something that will fool a person of its origins, just want to see if it can be made playable and not sound like a cardboard box.

What if you took a cheap set of tuners, frets, bridge, nut and saddle from China and threw it on some local wood? Could you build an instrument for a first time student to start on till they decide playing guitar is something for them or not? Saw some $50 classical guitars at a clearance outlet, can you match what China sends over here not counting your labor?

Need to do a good enough job on the top and sides joint so no binding is necessary. A little unconventional but I wicked some CA into the joint while holding the two together.

Actually worked quite nicely. Next is to do the linings, was going to use hide glue and use tentellone (individual little blocks) but decided to use kerfed lining CA instead. Did about 1" strips at a time, took no time to do the top. We will see how it will hold up.

printer2 · #**172** 09-06-2015, 12:26 PM

A few changes. No idea on if the top is braced tight/loose. Part of the reason to try this, to give me a reference point for the next one.

printer2 · #**173** 09-06-2015, 07:12 PM

Darn, wrong end of a sharp object can take your thumb out for a few days. Was hoping to have this strung up in a day or two. No big hurry now I guess.

printer2 · #**174** 09-07-2015, 08:48 PM

Need to do the frets and a quick sanding before a couple coats of finish. Tapping the top I am thinking it might be a little bass heavy, we'll see.

printer2 · #**175** 09-13-2015, 09:08 PM

I like how the neck came out.

Closer to the color of the guitar.

I knew I had a nut around here somewhere, one more day and I should be able to hear this thing.

printer2 · #**176** 09-15-2015, 09:15 PM

Minexploration · #**177** 09-16-2015, 08:00 PM

Wow some really fun builds... I can't wait to see what you come up with in the next week, month, and year. Please keep posting.

printer2 · #**178** 09-17-2015, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minexploration

Wow some really fun builds... I can't wait to see what you come up with in the next week, month, and year. Please keep posting.

Sometimes I wonder who stops by and what they think of the silly stuff I do. At times I also wonder why I do all this silly stuff. So many mysteries in life.

printer2 · #**179** 09-19-2015, 08:01 PM

Well I didn't think it would be so soon, got another one for ya. Another baked pine top, really impressed at how the stuff feels. Have some flat sawn Walnut that was not destined for greatness. 23" length and only 2 1/2" wide at the one end. Could make a uke, actually would like to make one, but so easy to add two more strings. Baked the Walnut also, have not had success bending sides that has been. Going to try soaking the sides in a water and fabric softener for a couple of days. Made a trough out of an old organ's spring reverb cover, lined it with aluminum foil. Hopefully they will be more pliable and will bend like butter.

Also thought about the top and back. Rather than putting them under tension what if they were molded to the dish's radius's? After joining them I dampened the plates, sandwiched them in plastic and clamped them into the dishes. Hopefully they will retain the curvature after they dry. The guitar is only going to be a hair over 11" wide and I don't want the top and back to end up too stiff. Will it work? No idea but I am going to try it.

Baked some Birch I cut out to make the neck out of. Should look alright with finish on it as compared to its natural state of the board they were cut from and are sitting on. Along with the look I am hoping for greater stability. Might put a truss rod in this one, maybe just an aluminum bar. Fretboard is baked Jatoba. I doubt I will bother going any smaller than this one, need to make a 00 or OM soon enough.

printer2 · #**180** 10-09-2015, 04:31 PM

Not sure if I am going to go with the previous neck wood, might finally use some Sugar Pine that came off a pallet. Bent the sides, soaked them in the water and fabric softener solution over a week, just too busy to get back to it. Rinced them off, toweled dry, wrapped in paper then bent over a form with a heat blanket. Waited till the heat had the water in the wood sizzling then bent. Easiest bend so far. First successful bend of baked wood.