Novice: How To Go About Designing A Baritine Acoustic For First Ever Build

[Ciaran Cosgrave]

I intend (despite the voices in my head telling me I'm biting off far more than I can chew) to build a baritone acoustic as my first ever guitar build. I have no previous experience in lutherie or indeed woodwork. My plan is to get to grips with sharpening first, then working from books, do some woodwork projects to gain some skills, and finally, come summertime, start the build, once again working from books. While I'm in the learning sharpening and woodwork phase I plan to design the guitar. This is where I seek advice:

Given that I have no experience with any C.A.D software or traditional draughting methods how should I approach the issue of designing the guitar. Should I learn a C.A.D package or how to design it on graph paper?

Besides, the larger body and longer neck,are there any special considerations specific to a baritone guitar which I should be mindful of in terms of designing one?

As a plan B, I might choose to work from someone else's existing design. Does anyone know how I'd go about finding plans for a baritone acoustic?

[Rodger Knox]

I'll recommend the Gore/Gilet books, they have everything you need to know about design. Well worth the price.

[Doug Shaker]

Personally, I think the amount you have to learn, just to build ANY guitar, makes it inadvisable to combine that with designing a guitar. You don't even know what things you do well yet and what you need to improve to get the quality you want. If it was me, I would build at least one guitar following along with one book, following the instructions and the plan exactly, then build another one mixing in some new techniques. Then, on your third guitar try designing one.

But, having said that, if you want to design a guitar, Gore & Gilet tell you how. Roughly, pick a scale length, pick a fret for the body join (usually 12 or 14), decide where you want to place the bridge in the lower bout, then draw some curves that you like. My answers would be: 27" scale, 12 fret body join, bridge just a bit above half way between the lower edge of the soundhole and the tail, and the shape a lot like the Fat Boy plans in the MIMF library.

[Mark Swanson]

Yes you make some good points, Doug. Many times folks who are new to this game want to re-invent the wheel.

[Patrick DeGreve]

I am not sure I would start by designing my first guitar, because of the reasons Doug expressed. You do want to follow a good set of plans. However, if you really want to build a baritone, I have a thought. About two years ago there was a discussion here about baritones, and I decided I would build one. I used a plan set for a dreadnought, I used the 27" scale length Taylor used for his GT8 baritone, and added 1/8 " of hight to the braces. It has become one of my favorite guitars, and both my brothers want me to build them one. So you would be using a set of plans, and just changing the scale length, and bracing. This might be a good compromise. By the way check out the Taylor GT8. It has octave strings on the two center courses which adds brightness to the overall tone, but you still have the wonderful bass voice of the baritone. Ther are several videos on you tube of the GT8 and other 6 string baritones. Good luck!

[Ciaran Cosgrave]

About two years ago there was a discussion here about baritones, and I decided I would build one. I used a plan set for a dreadnought, I used the 27" scale length Taylor used for his GT8 baritone, and added 1/8 " of hight to the braces. It has become one of my favorite guitars, and both my brothers want me to build them one. So you would be using a set of plans, and just changing the scale length, and bracing. This might be a good compromise.

Interesting: But don't the proper baritone acoustics have a considerably larger body in order to help produce that fuller bass sound? How does yours sound?

By the way check out the Taylor GT8. It has octave strings on the two center courses which adds brightness to the overall tone, but you still have the wonderful bass voice of the baritone. There are several videos on you tube of the GT8 and other 6 string baritones. Good luck!

I checked out the GT8. Lovely sound. Me wants! I think I'd be pushing the boat out way too far to add a wider neck and two more strings to my already tall order! I presume there would be truss rod and bracing issues thrown in to the mix as well.

[Ciaran Cosgrave]

Yes you make some good points, Doug. Many times folks who are new to this game want to re-invent the wheel.

Not really, just to build a baritone acoustic guitar, that's all.

[Ciaran Cosgrave]

Personally, I think the amount you have to learn, just to build ANY guitar, makes it inadvisable to combine that with designing a guitar. You don't even know what things you do well yet and what you need to improve to get the quality you want. If it was me, I would build at least one guitar following along with one book, following the instructions and the plan exactly, then build another one mixing in some new techniques. Then, on your third guitar try designing one.

But, having said that, if you want to design a guitar, Gore & Gilet tell you how. Roughly, pick a scale length, pick a fret for the body join (usually 12 or 14), decide where you want to place the bridge in the lower bout, then draw some curves that you like. My answers would be: 27" scale, 12 fret body join, bridge just a bit above half way between the lower edge of the soundhole and the tail, and the shape a lot like the Fat Boy plans in the MIMF library.

Thanks Doug. sounds like good advice. I'll consider both ideas, although my gut tells me to take the safer approach and follow a book.

[Freeman Keller]

There are several plan sets available on the internet for baritone guitars (I have built none of them). Here is one
http://www.cadguitarplans.com/blueprint ... e-acoustic

and somewhere I remember seeing one that used the JDL Bridge Doctor as part of its design. I thought I had it bookmarked - if I find it I'll send it to you. Remember that the long scale length is going to radically move all of the bracing from a "normal" guitar and the deep tuning may make the way you tune the top and braces different.

Let me also add that the woodworking chops are hard enough without adding all the complexity of the design - IMHO you should consider building a normal guitar (even a kit) before you consider the bari. I've built a dozen or so and finally feel comfortable modifying existing designs (I've built a very long scale 12 string and a few other odd balls).

Lastly, as someone who has worked all my life with CAD and manual drafting, those are just tools. I recently built a 00 sized guitar where I took a paper copy of some 000 plans (get Kinko's to make the copies) and moved things around with pencil and ruler until I had what I wanted.