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I am looking fopr plans or any information on building the Stella 12 string like Leadbelly and Blind Willie Mctell played (with the metal tailpiece).
I believe it had a 16" lower bout.
I know there ar a couple of guys making these.
Thanks,
Brad

Brad,

I don't know of any modern plans but the Fretdancer website has this photo of an original set of Stella ladder braced 12 string plans:

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Hi Dave,
Thanks-I did find this one on that site along with some other leads.

Hi Dave,
Thanks-I did find this one on that site along with some other leads.

That plan should do the trick.
Select the stiffest top you can find and make sure your bridge plate is about .120" thick and goes all the way across the guitar. No need to tuck it but bring it very near the linings on both sides. I'd make the braces about 7/16-1/2 wide at the base, tapering to the top. The height of the braces depends on the stiffness of your top but I start my 6 stringers as no radiused blanks at 3/4" then radius them to fit the top or back and they usually end up around 1/2" to 5/8" tall after glued on and carved.
Most of these guitars had a flat top but I have found that a slight radius of 40 ft or so helps quite aa bit with resisting top failure. These tailpiece style 12 strings were probably the worst of the Stella's for top failure so don't build it too light. It should still sing like a bird.

The backs were slightly radiused across the width of the guitar and much more radically radiused along the length with the thickest part of the body between the waist and lower bout.

Personally I just use a 25 ft radius for the back like all my other guitars and no one seems to mind or even notice.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

John,
Thank you very much-great advise.
I would like to find the approximate body shape,if possible.
Brad