Plans for a Baritone Acoustic: Anyone know where I'd get them?

[Ciaran Cosgrave]

I've been scearching the internet looking for plans for a baritone acoustic guitar and the only set I can find is on www.cadguitarplans.com. These plans are for a standard body guitar and I would prefer to build a cutaway bodied guitar. They also seem a bit on the expensive side when compared to (non-baritone) plans available elsewhere on the internet. Does anyone know if there is anywhere else I might find what I am looking for? Any info / help would be greatly appreciated.

[Freeman Keller]

I found the article that I was thinking about re: the baritone with the JLD. Unfortunately, no full sized plans but lots of good information about designing a baritone - for example, exactly what scale length should you use. Also, unfortunately, it is out of print and not available as a download. I do have a paper copy and I don't think there are any copy right issues to send you a copy - PM me a snail mail addy and I'll do so.

http://asiartisans.org/content/index.ph ... ue-33.html

I also found an old thread on what used to be a kit guitar forum. Herman was a regular contributor but I don't know how to get ahold of him now. Notice what he says about halfway down the discussion about the differences in a baritone - in particular that the tension with the 28 inch scale and his string choice is about 230 pounds - that is very close to a twelve string and about 50 percent more that a six. That implies to me that you should consider a thicker than normal top, taller than normal braces and possibly a third tone bar and finger braces (I've built 12 strings).

http://www.kitguitarsforum.com/archives ... 26_0_9_0_C

I'm going to guess that the reason those other plans are so expensive is that they are CAD drawings and you get the dwg/dfx file so you can print and modify it yourself. That company does show other plans with cutaways - you could order one of them and super impose that on the bari plans (pretty expensive option). Adding a cutaway in theory isn't that hard but there are some considerations with respect to the neck block as well as the added difficult of bending the horn itself ((I watched Charles Fox, maker of the side bending machine, break a cutaway side during the GAL conference. He said "that happens").

[Freeman Keller]

If you decide that you want to do a kit, there are a couple of options. Here is an 8 string bari (kind of like the Taylor I think)

http://www.waldronmusic.com/product_inf ... ts_id=1128

Waldron also sells some bari parts and some patterns for bracing different scale lengths - you might see if they have just plans

http://www.waldronmusic.com/advanced_se ... cription=1

You can also contact John Hall at Blues Creek guitars

http://www.bluescreekguitars.com/

And last, here is another thread from the kit forum where Herman talks about building his.

http://www.kitguitarsforum.com/board/vi ... one#p20427

It looks like it is possible to PM him from this page - you might try that.

[Bob Francis]

Try a search for Berkowitzguitars.com the article is on that site.

[Ciaran Cosgrave]

Thanks Freeman for all the info. You've been very helpful. I'll take a look at it all in detail tonight. I had already come across the Baritone Acoustic kit you included a link to. The idea of easing myself in to building guitars by starting with a kit does have it's appeal but I wonder what value building from a kit would have in terms of learning the skills required to build from scratch. Also, I've already invested a considerable amount of money in tools and books and I'm anxious to make that investment pay in terms of gaining knowledge and experience. Is that article you mentioned titled "Adventures In The lower Tones (A Baritone Story). If so, I found it on that website Bob Francis referenced.

[Ciaran Cosgrave]

Try a search for Berkowitzguitars.com the article is on that site.

Thanks for that. Found it!

[Jamie Unden]

There are a multitude of skills involved in guitar building. You don't have to learn them all on the first build. You can learn a lot by building a kit. And don't think you will build the ultimate guitar on the first try, and don't even think you can stop at one!

[Ciaran Cosgrave]

There are a multitude of skills involved in guitar building. You don't have to learn them all on the first build. You can learn a lot by building a kit. And don't think you will build the ultimate guitar on the first try, and don't even think you can stop at one!

Hi Jamie,
Are you the same Jamie I spoke to on FB? Maybe you can help clear something up for me. I'm unclear about what exactly is involved/not involved in building an acoustic from a kit. What parts of the process of building a a guitar from scratch do you learn from building a kit and what parts are already done for you?

[Freeman Keller]

Thanks Freeman for all the info. You've been very helpful. I'll take a look at it all in detail tonight. I had already come across the Baritone Acoustic kit you included a link to. The idea of easing myself in to building guitars by starting with a kit does have it's appeal but I wonder what value building from a kit would have in terms of learning the skills required to build from scratch. Also, I've already invested a considerable amount of money in tools and books and I'm anxious to make that investment pay in terms of gaining knowledge and experience. Is that article you mentioned titled "Adventures In The lower Tones (A Baritone Story). If so, I found it on that website Bob Francis referenced.

That is the article. He deals with the question of defining exactly what a baritone is - scale length and tuning in particular, and discusses body sizes and shape a bit. His bracing in unorthodox because of the Bridge Doctor, but I think that is his way of dealing with the additional tension on the top.

Do you have a particular guitar that you want to emulate? What baritones have you played and what do you like/dislike about them? I've played that Taylor 8 string and in my opinion its kind of a one trick pony. I've also built a 26.5 scale small bodied ladder braced 12 string - its usually tuned C to C so it does not fit my definition of a bari, but its one heck of a powerful guitar.

My argument for building a kit or at least getting some serviced parts is that certain operations either require special tools and/or skills that you may not have in the beginning. Thicknessing plates, bending the sides (particularly a cutaway), mitering the fretboard, even shaping the neck and bridge can be a bit daunting for the beginner. You'll still have lots of challenges - setting the neck, working with the braces, binding, fretting, finish - and I can promise that you'll make some mistakes. Designing your own guitar as you originally talked about, adds more challenges. Don't let me talk you out of it, just consider what you are getting into.

You'll get lots of help from the wonderful folks on this forum. While I have never built a baritone, I have done several build threads and they might help you with some of the how-to's. Good luck, keep us posted on progress.