Alternate construction with aluminum

[bostosh]

Hi, and thanks in advance for questions and opinions,
First post here in the carbon fiber gang from a non-guitarist, non-luthier.
no other place except here and am new to acoustic guitars.

Straight to the point, how about a...........
Billet aluminum cnc machined soundboard?
Has anyone done it yet?
i had to laugh at the Martin/Aluminum glue-on soundboard patent.

Think of the speed of sound in a dense material
from the string, nut, bridge dense deck into the wood body,
no deck string tension stress, flat and will be forever.

Machined from 1/4" plate into a flight-worthy hitech
lightweight aircraft type structure. (did this for years)
Made to the standard dred plans.

I sense that this lively group will have an opinion or two.
i am here in taylor town area, eastern san diego if any locals wish to audition.
Audibly distinct
thanks again...

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1AS...1SoZfs21TxdwQH

[Acousticado]

Interesting. In the end, the proof is in the tone and the cost to a buyer. Any vids/sound clips?

[121]

Interesting..
Don't know why it would not work,
except overtime maybe problems due to the differences between aluminum and wood with expansion and contraction via temperature changes.

Maybe if it was all aluminum, like stainless steel body resonator guitars.

[JonWint]

After I catch up with my wooden guitar repair and building projects, I recently considered building a guitar with aluminum top, back, and sides. I'd use wood neck and neck block and bridge.

I think sheet metal wood be simpler/cheaper than billet. I'd use 3003 or 5052 sheet. Maybe .040" for the sides and back and .032 or .025 for the top.

To preclude need for braces, I'd add shape (belly) similar to a traditional flat top with the English wheeling machine. Joining by fusion TIG welding.

What benefit would you realize from machined billet over sheet metal?

[SpruceTop]

Originally Posted by bostosh

Hi, and thanks in advance for questions and opinions,
First post here in the carbon fiber gang from a non-guitarist, non-luthier.
no other place except here and am new to acoustic guitars.

Straight to the point, how about a...........
Billet aluminum cnc machined soundboard?
Has anyone done it yet?
i had to laugh at the Martin/Aluminum glue-on soundboard patent.

Think of the speed of sound in a dense material
from the string, nut, bridge dense deck into the wood body,
no deck string tension stress, flat and will be forever.

Machined from 1/4" plate into a flight-worthy hitech
lightweight aircraft type structure. (did this for years)
Made to the standard dred plans.

I sense that this lively group will have an opinion or two.
i am here in taylor town area, eastern san diego if any locals wish to audition.
Audibly distinct
thanks again...

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1AS...1SoZfs21TxdwQH

Ovation was the first, I think, to do the acoustic guitar, aluminum neck/fretboard construction back in the late 1970s with their Matrix line. I bought one new and sold it to a friend. Its tone was okay and it was a decent but full-size travel guitar.

[bostosh]

Hi, no sound or video clips, the phone mic quality is not recording quality,
Just pictures for now, it is going on a tour next week.

Originally Posted by JonWint

What benefit would you realize from machined billet over sheet metal?

The difference is in weight and rigidity of the resulting parts, Yes you can do it all aluminum sheet, the billet has areas machined to .040 from the original 1/4" no welds no distortion ,

for the expansion difference,
aluminum moves less,
don't leave it in the sun for the sake of the wood.
Epoxy glues bond it and it has not passed the ten-twenty year test,
Well, the Boeings do and they use glue (3M)

Cost? I can get this off the CNC machine under $100
I want to do a real veneer on top too.

[Song]

That dread looks cool!






https://spark.adobe.com/page/h92Snmm7OxTeh/

[kramster]

Travis Bean abd Kramer made some aluminum electric guitars back in the day...almost bought the Bean.

[bostosh]

Yes they did,
There have been many attempts to do it right with Aluminum
Just doing it different
The history of aluminum instruments is interesting.
Beer cans, boats and Boeings'

Yeah some space hardware too.

[kramster]

Originally Posted by bostosh

Yes they did,
The history of aluminum instruments is interesting.
Beer cans, boats and Boeings'

Never played a boat or Boeing ... probably used drum sticks one a beer can.

I sucked on a beer can, once. That doesn't make me a can sucker.

[kramster]

Originally Posted by EvanB

I sucked on a beer can, once. That doesn't make me a can sucker.

Try opening it first.

[Long Jon]

couple of things I see “wrong” with ally, , ,
“Yow ! that’s COLD !” and “Ugh ! that really shows up the finger marks!”

[bostosh]

No finger marks that's poly clearcoat over 320 grit brushed.
Satin UV cure on the wood.
Had another player rave today....

[GuitarDoc]

Originally Posted by Acousticado

Interesting. In the end, the proof is in the tone and the cost to a buyer. Any vids/sound clips?

2nd this. For a solid body electric no problems. One fixes it with the amp. Maybe I’m missing something but I had a resonator back in the day.