@poco7

Good to hear that your surgery was successful and I hope you heal quickly.

Clever idea to convert a cheap guitar. 👍 Where did you get the resonator parts from?

@swepri 

 on EBAY, around $65 [USA currency] for a good complete set [6 pieces], ...from a knock-off company; the best would be from a company called 'Beard' at $65 and $35 each piece - didn't go with the very best for my first try, knowing I'm in a learning curve...however, the guitar sounds great, partly, i think, because i replaced the plastic nut with Bone [Stewmac]and replaced the [provided maple saddle from Ebay kit] saddle with a 'pre-carved' Maple [Replogle]. I still had to set & cut the string-notches and adjust [bridge & saddle] for intonation, etc. I also took my time in making sure i placed bracing from the guitar-back to the under-ring, which is created to stabilize the cone - however the cone still floats in the guitar - the ring is supported. 

Awesome project. I hope to build the acoustic from scratch eventually, of course.

@poco7 

Thank you! One more fun project to put on my bucket list.

@swepri 

What projects are you working on? Is this new for you...I'm new at building and repairing - Retired to Luthier from career in Land Surveying/house framing in 2018.

@poco7 

I am a newbie in guitarbuilding. I have built two electric guitars the last year, guided by Marks courses.

I worked in IT for the last 25 years and retired (early) recently after a reorganisation which left me with a really boring job. Bought a house a few years back with excellent space for woodworking and guitarbuilding in the garage.

I have always wanted to build a guitar, but now is the right time. Learning new stuff everyday.

I am planning for a new electric with a walnut top (if I can resaw it properly), but I still have to order hardware and some material before making sawdust.

@swepri 

that's awesome, Brosky...I'm working on my first electric build...mostly to get reacquainted with woodworking to intricate plans...i used to frame houses, lol...my boyz will want me to build another electric guitar, but I'm leaning toward a couple of Mandolins and acoustic guitars, although the hollow body electric is pretty neat. I hope to custom build Mandolins with the occasional variant. My electric build is on hold but coming along nicely...the blue picture is actually a picture from a GuitarMaking mate here from Mark's students, it's kinda my end goal....kinda/sorta...it's beautiful. And my wife and I are going to relocate to a new location where my retirement checks aren't taxed so much...and create a garage workshop, as well...Lord willing. <>< Pocoranch7

.what a learning curve...can you...or have you posted pix of your builds? Love to see them...any pix of ongoing progress?

@poco7

Here is a picture of my builds. The one on the left was built first and the other one was completed just a few weeks ago. Both of them had some minor mishaps during the process, but that's how we learn stuff, isn't it?

I am building some other stuff too, to learn woodworking and try out methods. I needed a drawer cabinet to keep all the fiddly little guitar parts, screws and small tools in one place, so I built one.

@swepri 

those look great, my intimidation is that I'll screw up the soldering of the pickups...

that cabinet looks about 36" long, maybe? nice various sizes of drawers...Man...

I'm trying to carve out time...you've got two builds...awesome;

Right Arm - Farm Out...that 2nd one must be a hollow body?

I bought a couple of Gretch pickups off of Ebay...just hope they work when it's all said and done...

I'll send a picture of what i want the form to resemble,

the other picture i sent was the Color scheme. the single 'horn'  -  with a belly curve carved in..no pick guard,,.gold Gretsch pickups...creme tuners and contol knobs...the blue on white color....moving along...like a herd a turtles!

<>< Poco7

@poco7 You are going for a classic body shape so I'm sure it will be a great looking guitar.

My guitar is not strictly a hollow body, it is mostly weight relief, but why not include a f-hole anyway? 🙂 

I can agree about the soldering part. It's fiddly and not the most exciting part of guitar building. But as always, planning and patience is the key to a good result.

@poco7 

Thanks for posting this. I’ve been asked to make a lap steel acoustic and am thinking of doing a conversion similar to yours, only fitting a new top to an existing body and not have the old sound hole plus 2 new ones. Also a new neck suitable for resting on the knee. I have a donor plywood body.

Was it a difficult build or not too bad. I would appreciate any guidance from problems you found.

Posted by: @poco7

↑

 

 

I'm sure I've seen that exact guitar somewhere before ....

....

.....

......

ahhhh, yes, it's in that case 10ft behind my shoulder

😆 😆 

(Mark built it for me, probably 12+ years ago now)

@rocknroller912 

Well, I'm sure you'll agree probably the most critical aspect is creating the radius point for the large circle cut-out [for the cone] at the Scale length...for my existing top, i heated and removed the existing bridge, routed out the cut and carefully removed any existing bracing in the way of the circle-support ring for the cone...[trying to avoid excessive chip-out]...

so, #1 gluing dowels in for support beneath the circle-support ring [for the cone], i think, is the most critical...

the cone floats on the ring, but the pressure exerted on that system...ft/lbs is tremendous, - rocknroller912...*i know I'm preachin' to the choir here...you folks have been doing this a long time before me, so bear with me * 

using a bone nut and a good maple saddle was obvious to me, but

#2 taking out the 'kinks' in the cone - as it fits onto the circle-support ring i think was on the critical list...as i researched, this was expected...the cone needs to fit snug - like a drumhead...the preparing is where it's at...in the prep details...the support for the cone.

#3 then just finding an Action I could live with was the most frustrating part. setting the saddle in - sanding/rounding the bottom to fit snuggly into the bridge slot - i over did one saddle, shooting for a low action...the strings hit the cover plate badly...that cone drops A LOT with the strings on...i adjusted the tension in stages...

*research told me to let the guitar relax between string tightenings for awhile*

on a store-bought fender resonator, the action was great...i do not know how they did it without the strings buzzing over the cover-plate? if the saddle is too high - high action, if too low buzzing AND the break-angle from the tailpiece becomes flat...

Possibly you can advise me for my next try on that action issue?!. I lived with a high action - it's built FOR ME learning/playing bottle-neck guitar/jamming anyway...not up for sale, lol.

So, setting the ACTION lower...if you are not building for a lap-top was my main issue - you will no doubt use a Nut-riser and it will all be high...i'm supposing...

All in all, i liked the detour in my building - it's a fun project..I;m enjoying the guitar a lot and hope to convert a few more...eventually learn to build the acoustic from scratch, but for some, this is less expensive and a great end product - Right...

Happy Trails <>< Poco Rules....

@poco7 

Thanks I was concerned about how much the cone will drop and I’ve read there are variations in quality. Did you buy your cone in America ? I’m looking for a high action for lap steel and don’t want it to drop too much.

I’m also concerned about the tailpiece break angle having a high action for slide playing.

@rocknroller912 

Yeah, I bought a set off of Ebay...about $65 for the entire set...probably included shipping, i looked online and i think the seller actually was; GuitarmusicUK. advertises "1 Sets Dobro Guitar Bridge Saddle Soundhole Cover Resonator Cone Tailpiece USA" right now advertised at about $50. 

I think it sounds great...for what i was building, however...at Stewmac [USA] they carry a high-end Resonator, custom built by a company called "Beard." 

It's going to drop, that seems to be par-for-the-course, the Nut is given a riser and you leave the saddle pretty high...that gives a greater break angle at the tail piece...as I said, I braced the 'cone-support ring so it was able to float uniformly [ i used Birch and Oak for all supports].

*you'll want to add a block from the heel block to the Rim [cone support] ring UNDER the guitar top, at least for a modified acoustic... for extra support; the string tension on the tail piece & Cone system requires the extra support after creating a large diameter hole cut through the guitar-top bracing.

However - sounds like you can do a lot of pre-bracing ahead of time, Are you wrapping the top around the body with a long piece elastic for clamping? I've seen people slice an inner tube into a long 3/4" strip and just wrap the heck out of it...how are you doing this? you may end up wanting to build one for yerself...ya know.

With the passing of Jeff Beck...bummer, in memory...I've played his version of Morning dew for years,,since the album came out... - from 'TRUTH'  a short version is on my youtube videos, as well; type in, " Matthew B Scott Morning Dew' NO ONE did that song any better - ever...than Jeff Beck/Rod Stewart.

Happy Trails

<>< Poco7

@markbailey, @rocknroller912,@tv,@russ,@boo,@koendb

I'm at a loss here for ideas..if i sand and lower the saddle, i'll have NO break angle to the tail piece and fighting buzzing on the cover plate...i could put a riser on the nut and use it as a lap slide, but i wanted to play bottleneck like on the fender resonator...the action is so high at the body i can float a boat under it...any suggestions are appreciated...maybe a steep break angle isn't so necc'y here?

sigh...just thinking out loud..it plays and sounds welll...but the action is killing me...

<>< Poco7

I’m guessing here - I’ve never even played a Resonator let alone built one …

Is the neck angle on a Resonator set differently to a standard acoustic (eg your donor guitar)?

In which case modding an acoustic in this way would always leave you with a high action and / or compromised string break angle.

Only thing I can think of, off the top of my head, would be to try to fit some sort of string bar just behind (ie tailpiece side) the bridge, to force the break angle.  The strings might then rise slightly over the distance between the bar and tailpiece, but that shouldn’t matter.

Then you could lower the bridge, get the action playable, and still have a decent break angle.

Might need to do a bit of metalworking to make a combined bridge & bar to mount onto the cone?

@poco7 

I'm at a loss here for ideas..if i sand and lower the saddle, i'll have NO break angle to the tail piece and fighting buzzing on the cover

Rather than lowering the saddle, is there any possible/practical way of raising the neck?

@poco7 

thanks for these tips