Welcome to my Archtop Guitar Project Blog

The Archtop, or "Jazz Box", is a unique style of guitar. It has a complex design, and a sound that one might say can only come from such a design. Having never built a guitar of any kind before (unless you consider a ukulele to be a guitar) I have decided to jump right in up to the neck and start with the archtop. When I tell this to people, the normal response is something like, "have you ever built a guitar before?" or "so, you have a pretty good idea how to do this, right?". My usual reply is, "nope". I do, however, make a point to assure them that I have built many kinds of things, using many different materials, and I consider all constructions to have a logical and understandable process.

So, if you're interested in "newbe" projects like this, then grab a fresh cup of coffee or tea and follow along. The earliest post shows the design I'm going for.

**UPDATE TO INTRODUCTORY TEXT** You will see as the posts progress from earliest to newest that a few modifications and compromises have been made. As with all learning experiences, this project has allowed me to work out any problems with a design that have not been foreseen on paper. I also welcome any input from readers/followers who have some experience in either building or playing guitars that will point out potential problems.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

The Contraption In Use

 OK, so about that side-bending form business I mentioned earlier.

There it is, with the veneer laminated in three layers, being held in place by the clamps and the strip of webbing to even out the downward pressure. Laminates have a tendency to pull apart at the crest of an outward curve; the webbing provided enough tension to prevent that.










 And here is the first side piece formed on my contraption! I'm so excited, it worked. I compared it with the outline of the guitar and it matches. Yay!
















This is where I have to trim it back to fit the "puzzle" when the pieces are all formed. You can see the nice curly figure of the maple in this picture. It'll look awesome when it's got a nice polish on it.








More to come.



Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)