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[Solved] Guitar build #2. Smaller size.

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I've begun the drawing phase of guitar #2. It is going to be a smaller size guitar with a 12th fret neck joint... and of course I want it to be a little more challenging so I'm thinking on putting an arm bevel on it. I just finished the drawing of the soundboard bracing and would love your opinion.

Drawing2

 

7 Answers
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Hi Bpower, I love the small bodied parlour guitar but with such a small body do you really need an arm bevel? How about a bevelled cut away instead to give access to a couple of higher frets? There’s little point adding complexity without there being a functional gain....unless you’re just a workshop masochist that is!🤣😂

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Bpower Bpower Topic starter 05/05/2021 9:59 am

I have thought about a cut away bevel but I know the person that will be playing this will never play up the neck. I have been tossing the arm bevel around for a bit. I know I don't necessarily need to do the bevel but, to be honest, I love the thought of adding an element not normally seen. I love the challenge. It's not the complexity that worries me. But.... saying that.... I haven't cut any wood yet so I may change my mind.

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@darrenking That's rather neat, is it one of yours?

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No, not yet! I just googled an image.

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@darrenking

Jacob of Canna guitars does something similar, but he actually puts a soundhole there. It's quite a clever workaround of the fact that the hemprock material he uses for the back bowl of the guitar (think Ovation if you haven't seen Canna) doesn't do concave sections well (it shrinks massively as it dries so it tends to pull itself taught over indentations in the mould).

He has a second one in the opposite side facing the player.

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Hey guys and gals, I'm new here, residing in Oregon, US of A...I'm a longtime player and recently retired so I'm going to start building some guitars of/on my own; I'm excited to be here and really appreciate Mark's guitar-building videos. Ok, that being said, my wife wanted to buy me a guitar for our 41st wedding anniversary, and I didn't want to spend a small fortune so picked out a beautiful Washburn KOA parlor guitar[ Model WCGM55K-D ]. At first, it looked like a toy! I've never played a parlor size guitar, but this one is absolutely beautiful with fantastic sound. It plays very loud and with great sustain when needed and yet, when you play softly, the sound and tone is still very projected and warm. It has both, the lower bout  arm bevel and a partial cut away. I'll try to upload some pictures...man, it plays great. So, I think you should go for it in including the arm bevel and partial cut away,,,it's pretty nice. And, just look at the beautiful Rosetta inlay, they really went out of their way with this at a very affordable price. I can only hope to build something as nidce someday. I will begin with building a couple of electric guitars and eventually make my very own dreadnaught. Glad to be on board. <>< Matt Scott aka POCORANCH7

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This post was modified 3 years ago by POCORANCH7
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@poco7

That looks rather nice.
The partial cutaway Darren posted looks like a solid piece carved to shape, but that one looks in the picture like it's the same material as the sides that has been curved to shape, is that correct?

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Jonathan, I am not sure how Washburn built the cutaway, perhaps Mark could make a comment on this. I am completely new to guitar building. It seems to me that it would be carved from neck stock and covered, but i really don't know. I'll look through some Washburn video - if I can find it, and get back to you. If anyone else has light to shed on the subject [ of the partial cutaway ] please chime in.

Bpower Bpower Topic starter 13/05/2021 6:10 pm

I would say, if you take a peek on the inside of that guitar and see how it is braced, then we would have an idea of how they made it. It is really neat. 🙂

Jonathan Hodgson 17/05/2021 1:34 pm

It might just be a trick of the light (the difference is subtle either way) but to me the wood in the cutaway looks like more of a match to the body wood than the neck wood, hance my thinking it might be a piece of the same material bento shape.

POCORANCH7 POCORANCH7 18/05/2021 6:35 am

i think you are right; looking inside, that seems to be how it is crafted.

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