Beginner question - body length

[brad barron]

Hi guys.

I am happily in the depths of my second stewmac 000 kit. The first one turned out great and m looking onward to playing this one too.

However, I had a bit of trouble with the body form. The stewmac kit uses a corrugated template to hold the body to the right shape. Mine got a bit squished and the body is now a bit shorter than intended (about 0.25" short). The waist is right so I am thinking the sides must have been bent a bit off. The bracing on the top though is all glued up as intended.

I can scoot the top around to line things up - the kit has you trim overhang anyway after the top is on However, this shifts the sound hole towards the tail by 1/16 to 3/32 or so. This should then shift the bridge that much closer to the sound hole too I guess.

So - my question is - does it matter? To what I can see, all should be fine. However, as I have many hours left in this build, I wanted to check in case this is a fatal mistake. I'd really like it to not geome a story For the future -"when I made my 2nd guitar I really messed up and wasted months .......).

Tx guys!

[Bob Gramann]

There are a few things you don't want to change: The scale length is already fixed by your fret positions and the body ought to join the neck at the 12th or 14th fret depending on your design. So the bridge has to land so that the saddle is at whatever the design distance was from the nut or it will play out of tune. Since your bridge position is determined, you have to make sure that the bridge pin holes will land in your bridge plate. If you shift the soundhole toward the tail, make sure that the end of your fingerboard still covers the joint in the rosette. Other than worrying about where things will land, .25 inch in body size doesn't make much difference in how a guitar sounds.

If the back and top haven't been glued to the rim, what prevents you from making a new template that is the right shape?

[brad barron]

There are a few things you don't want to change: The scale length is already fixed by your fret positions and the body ought to join the neck at the 12th or 14th fret depending on your design. So the bridge has to land so that the saddle is at whatever the design distance was from the nut or it will play out of tune. Since your bridge position is determined, you have to make sure that the bridge pin holes will land in your bridge plate. If you shift the soundhole toward the tail, make sure that the end of your fingerboard still covers the joint in the rosette. Other than worrying about where things will land, .25 inch in body size doesn't make much difference in how a guitar sounds.

If the back and top haven't been glued to the rim, what prevents you from making a new template that is the right shape?

Thx bob. I hadn't thought about the fingerboard part. I'll check that too.

As to a new template - I'd unfortunately need to get new sides for this and that is a pain as am on assignment in Beijing right now. I can have things shipped here but clearing customs is a massive pain. Also, I am hoping to salvage the side/neck/tail assembly I have glued up. I'll take some measurements and see where things land.

Tx!

[Clay Schaeffer]

If you are only talking about 1/16th to 1/10th of an inch I think you will be fine. Soundholes were moved all over the place throughout the history of the triple O. You should be able to finesse the fingerboard to cover any gaps in the rosette. Having the 12th fret slightly on the body is not a big deal. At the peghead end a slightly thicker nut could be used if needed.
As Bob mentioned, the relationship of the bridge saddle to the scale length is one thing you don't want to change.

[Bob Gramann]

There should be enough flex in the rim to get back your quarter inch if you really care. If you don't care, and if you can take care of the things that matter, a quarter inch won't make a difference.