My latest build completed!

[Mike Baker]

Hi! This is what I'm calling my Faux Acoustic. Basically, I was looking to get an amplified acoustic sound from an electric guitar sized instrument. I think it worked pretty well.

[Mike Baker]

Sound clip.
https://www.box.com/s/7jbddw1ttcprkm2zl971

[Mike Baker]

Some specs.
The top is Sitka, body is White Ash. Flamed maple neck and Rosewood board.
24.562" Gibson scale. Corian nut, bone saddle.
The body shape is an L-00, but I wanted to join the neck at the 16th fret, like a lot of electrics, so that I had easy access to the higher frets. This changed the location of the bridge, and necessitated a change in the bracing.


The top is truely flat. No dome.

Body



Pickup and electronics are the Schatten SBT and Fishman Powerjack endpin pre.



I wanted a stage acoustic that sounded good through an amp or PA, and as simple as I could make it. I think i achieved that. I love this guitar!
Thanks for looking.

[Mark Swanson]

I built something similar to this. And if through your research or by luck, you came to the same choice I did- it holds the reason why this works well.
You made the top like an acoustic guitar! That's what makes it work. If you had simply put the bridge and pickup on a solid body, it would not work nearly as well. The pickup needs to "hear" a mostly acoustic response, so it can do what it's supposed to do.
Good job, Mike!

[Mike Baker]

Thanks, Mark!
As to the top, I couldn't see any reason why, if I used an acoustic top, the pickup wouldn't pick it up and give me a decent acoustic sound. From what I've read doing research for this, the top is one of the major components in producing an acoustic guitar's sound. So I thought if I wanted an acoustic sound, that was the easiest way to obtain one. I think it worked pretty well.

[Gordon Bellerose]

That's a great looking guitar. Great work for your first build.

[Warren May]

That's a really nice looking guitar. Everything goes together very well in terms of colors and trim. I like it a lot.

[Mike Baker]

Warren, thanks a lot. Gordon, thanks also. But this is my 5th build, not my first. Although IMO the first and the 5th aren't that far apart. Got a lot left to learn. Just getting started in this, IMO. I appreciate everyone's interest and comments.

[Markku Nyytäjä]

Cool! Nice wood and beautifully built. Any sound clips?

[Mike Baker]

Cool! Nice wood and beautifully built. Any sound clips?

Thanks, Markku! There's a link to a sound clip at the bottom of the second post in this thread.

[Hans Bezemer]

I like it a lot! Good work.
How thick is the topplate?
Do you have some more work-in-progress-photo's?

Hans

[Mike Baker]

Thanks to all who've replied so far!
Hans, the top plate is .118". If I build again I'll actually go a little thinner. I don't think I'd have any problems there.
As to more build progress pics, I've got the entire build posted on a couple of different forums, but as far as I'm aware the board rules don't allow me to link to either of them. Of all the photos I've got, I wouldn't know where to start for posting here.

[Jason Rodgers]

This has a great look. Good work!

Any reason why you settled on that particular bracing scheme? Have you built a "normal" acoustic? My guess is one would have more predictable results if one just built their typical top, but forgot the soundhole.

Glad it worked out.

[Mike Baker]

Thanks, Jason. To answer your questions: No, I've not built a standard acoustic, but I'm planning one soon.
As to the bracing scheme, my plan at first was a standard X brace, but I wanted to join the neck at the 16th fret like an electric. When I did this, I couldn't make the standard X bracing fit. This was my compromise. I think it worked well, but there's no way of knowing for certain what the difference might have been. Might try another with a more standard bracing scheme at a later date so I can compare.