A "student" guitar for my grandson

[j. Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by invguy921

Oh my goodness. There may be an error here...I thought your base price was $4300? Sounds like your base price has gone down, or something?? If I were any of you, thinking of having a guitar built, you better jump on this before John returns from his "mental vacation" lol

Good thought
I don't want to bid against myself. Base price is 5200.
Grandkids prices are lower.

[Tim McKnight]

John,

Thanks for sharing an inspiring project. I have a couple grand daughters that I will likely build something for in a few years. I had thought about starting them off with a Uke.

[invguy921]

Originally Posted by j. Kinnaird

Good thought
I don't want to bid against myself. Base price is 5200.
Grandkids prices are lower.

Oh yeah, $5200. Oh my goodness, of all people I should have known that ha! That makes $2800 for a "grandkids" guitar even more a smokin'great deal.

[handers]

Originally Posted by j. Kinnaird

My grandson (who is 9) surprised me by deciding to take guitar lessons at the local Acoustic Corner music store. So, since he is playing a plywood rental, I decided to whip up a simple box with my best efforts to make it sound good and look decent and play easily because nothing can be more discouraging to a new player than playing a guitar that's like trying to choke a horse. Nothing fancy, no elaborate decor, mahogany body, bois de rose binding, plastic purfling because I had it and never seem to use it, and a 00 size to fit comfortably but with the potential to grow with him, and a redwood top that I have had laying around the shop for ages. The top already had two paua rings inlayed in it or this box would not have had anything so fancy.


The w/b/w purfling lines are some kind of plastic that begs to be bent and I fit them in before the binding in short order with superglue. It all went fast.
It got me wondering if there would be a market for something simple like this. Maybe a beater guitar that actually plays and sounds very nice and has an attractive price point. It was a fun and quick project with little tedium and it reminded me of how time consuming the "little" extras can be. The arm rests, the bound sound ports, the wood purfling that must be bent in conjunction with the binding (at least that is how I do it) all the mitre joints and agonizing over decorative details, rosettes, inlay, bound finger boards, etc, etc.
The neck will be solid mahogany, with CF bars and a truss rod, I'll probably use an EIR fingerboard, and overlay. Simple, no undercutting the frets to lap over the bound fingerboard, just pound them in, drop in a little CA, clip file and go.
It's and interesting project in its simplicity and the box is already sounding very resonant

I am wondering if this lovely instrument will inspire him to play better or learn to build acoustic guitars!! Nice deed. It'll payoff in various ways I am certain

hans