Stella 12 String (Leadbelly) plans

[Chris Paulick]

I’m looking for a set of plans or even just a body tracing.
I found a drawing with measurements on line . So a body tracing would be nice to have. I could work out the rest.
Anyone know where I might find one ?

[Marshall Dixon]

I’m looking for a set of plans or even just a body tracing.
I found a drawing with measurements on line . So a body tracing would be nice to have. I could work out the rest.
Anyone know where I might find one ?

Try getting in touch with Neil Harp. He bills himself as the Stella Guitarcheologist. I've got the book he wrote on the subject. He's a luthier. No plans on his website but he may know of some. Search for stella guitars and his site comes right up with contact info. I've asked him questions in the past and he was very helpful.

[Freeman Keller]

I have a scan of the hand drawn plans for Stefan Grossman's Stella and could send that to you. It is 26-5/8 scale, I think Leadbelly's was 27. Several people have build reproductions of Leadbelly's, including Todd Cambio and a couple of folks who hang out at OLF. There was a good article in Fretboard Journal by Todd on how he built his.

When I built mine I didn't necessarily want to clone Leadbelly's, so I just made a ladder braced 000 and put a long scale (26.5) neck on it. I don't tune quite as low as he did (usually C) and my string gauges aren't quite as heavy.

One of the big problems with cloning Leadbelly's guitar is fabricating the tailpiece. I used one of NRP's for their 12 string resonator - it works but is not the same.

[Chris Paulick]

I have a screen shot of the Stefan Grossman Stella also. I sent an email to Todd also. I haven’t been over at OLF for awhile or here as a matter of fact. Not sure if I remember my password. Took me a few tries to get online here too.
But the Grossman drawing is pretty good. Looks like it is on tablet paper. That’s why I am looking for a body tracing . But Neil sent me a scaled drawing of the body that I may be able to scale up to size if need be or I also could maybe scale up a picture also. But would be much easier to have a trace.
If I build it to the same specs as original remains to be seen. One day at a time, I’m in no hurry. I’m just getting prepared.
Nice guitar you built there.

[Michael Segui]

I finally figured out my username and password again.

The screenshot of Stefan Grossman's Stella you mentioned was a scan of a fax I sent Stefan 25 years ago. I planned on building a replica... then marriage, children, foster children etc... got in the way.

Now that I am an empty nester, I hope to get started on it next year.

Here is the scan in question.



Crazy to think it has been 25 years... there are a lot of 12 string Stella builders now (Hauver, Fraulini, Wandering Boy, Goodman)... back then there was only Ralph Bown in the UK.