Removable neck acoustic instrument ?

[rob bowen]

Sorry I haven't posted in a while .... life got in the way.The top and back are carved down to approximately 4 mm thickness. Sanding continues. Pictures coming.

[rob bowen]

Here is the latest progress in my project. I have completed carving top and back, but am still sanding the surfaces ... lots of work. I have been anxious to put the sides on, so I picked up some mahogany and glued it on one side. I wish I had given more thought to tension straps, etc, as I spent a lot of time pressing the mahogany by hand waiting for the glue to set.

[Hans Bezemer]

Wow, this is going to be a nice instrument. Really like to see it develop.

[rob bowen]

Hans....Thank you so much !!!! I really appreciate you saying that !

[rob bowen]

I've done some work to the neck. Contouring the back and re-shaping the peghead. I will be adding some 1/8" walnut strips to the sides of the peghead, and I'm installing classical guitar tuners. This was a difficult decision to use the tuners, but ultimately I was not satisfied with the look of my carved ones, and I'm not sure that they would have stayed in tune sitting in the soft mahogany. I will attempt them on another instrument .... with a maple neck.

[Bryan Bear]

Too bad about the tuning pegs. I liked them and hope to see them in use in the future. Aren't they what inspired the project in the first place? It's funny how that happens sometimes. I once made a guitar that ended up being totally different than the esthetic idea that prompted me to start it. Come to think of it, I never did circle back around to that idea. . .

[rob bowen]

Hahahah...yes Bryan you are absolutely correct ! Before Xmas I had a hankering to do some carving...and well, I got a bit carried away. A friend loaned me a cello tuning box reamer and I discovered that the shafts on all of my pegs were a bit narrow for my likes ... so, I considered making all new ones, but decided to go this route. I will use those pegs on something else for sure.

[rob bowen]

I finished up the sides on the second half of the body. I came up with the idea to enclose it in a frame and apply wedges and straps.... not pretty at all, but it did the job. Also, I have brought the peghead to a closer finished state.

[Hans Bezemer]

Good to see you made some progress.
Where will you make the soundhole(s)?
And what shape?

Hans

[rob bowen]

Thanks Hans .... I am pondering the soundhole. Any suggestions?

[rob bowen]

I apologize for neglecting this post, certainly not intentional ... life gets in the way. I have created a bridge from walnut and a strip of bone. I have also created a tailpost pin and am now working on the tailpiece.

[Hans Bezemer]

Good to see that you press on.
Like to see the tailpiece when it's done!

Hans

[rob bowen]

Thanks very much Hans ... and here is the tailpiece.

[rob bowen]

Also, I've used one of my original tuning pegs as the neck joint dowel for the moment. I like the idea of keeping the neck removable.... I may learn to adjust my playing at the top of the neck to accommodate it.

[Hans Bezemer]

Cool, I like it. It will really be a unique guitar!
Have you made up your mind for the shape of the soundhole(s).
As a suggestion: personally I always like soundholes made in the side.

Are you planning to install some kind of transducer to pickup the sound?

[rob bowen]

Thanks very much Hans .... I have tossed around a few ideas for a soundhole. Late this afternoon, I installed the nut and put some strings on. Very interesting ... it has not broken yet. The leather I used at the tail has stretched nicely, as much as I have expected. Of course the neck is unplayable...lol. The frets need to be dressed, and the nut needs to be lowered. That all being said...it has nice tone. And the bizarre thing....there is no soundhole yet. I suppose noise is coming from the neck joint, maybe resonating outward from the wood itself. I have been considering cutting soundhole(s) in different areas of the body .... mostly in the shape of a Poplar leaf. I was considering the Area above the neck joint ... is that the "upper bout"?. There is some bass response in the area southeast of the bridge ... it would be nice to tap into that.

[Hans Bezemer]

Cool.
Did you took a picture when you strung her up?
Maybe a downside from placing the soundhole on the upper bout is that you "block" the hole with your playing arm, but you can check that easily.

[rob bowen]

Here is a picture of what I am thinking for the soundhole.

[Hans Bezemer]

That would be a very cool place to put it!

[rob bowen]

Thanks Hans, I have been plucking the guitar today and it is quite loud for a guitar with no soundhole yet. I have determined the sound is coming from the area where the bridge is.