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I have a 5E3 type amp that I have designed and have been trying to finish for some while. I said I would finish it after I got my first real guitar (well it does have six strings) built. Not that I feel that a guitar has to have six strings. My first one only had three.



I was going to do a six string version but then I came across some Thinline Telecasters and I thought why not just rout out the whole center and make it acoustic. Took twice as long as I planned, pushed back my amp (See, still not done),



but the guitar turned out, well, better than a box guitar.



Made some mistakes, some things did not work out as well as they could have, but I am pleased enough with it that I would want to make a more traditional built guitar. It was only by building it that I came across forums like this and found out how a traditional acoustic is made. Today I followed a link to this site, saw the Newbie Challenge, and for some reason I want to get involved.

Now the question is, what do I want to make? Today I just received two cedar tops in the mail, the smaller is for a parlor, I was going to save the other till when my building skills improved. But I also bought some white oak that I want to attempt resawing (I never thought of it till now, I wonder what the moisture level in the oak is?), the catch is I want to modify my metal band saw to do it. Also, I probably should have a drum sander, right? Two projects in their own right that I want to get done just so I can build another guitar. I already feel myself sliding down a slippery slope.

Looking at some of the other Newbies here, boy some of you are serious. Maybe I should just do a fun build. Along with the oak I bought today I also bout a slab of cedar to cook a salmon on. Bet it would look pretty done book matched. Just big enough for a guitar the size of the one I made above. I wonder what it would sound like in cedar and with a deeper box?



And maybe use that wood from that pallet for a neck. Don't know what it is but it seems hard enough.



But given the humble origins of those two, what wood do I use for a body? I am going to have to give this some thought. Maybe tomorrow I will think, 'What the heck was I thinking?', and do something sensible. Either way, If you would have me, I think I can get a guitar done by fall.

Hold your nose and jump in. It's only deep at the other end. FWIW, I built my drum sander in about 10 hours, and it only cost a couple hundred bucks, and the fan belt off the wife's car. Don't tell her it was me....

Neck boards cleaned up. Not quite thick enough, will have to rip one and glue it to the other.



My top.



Could not find a drawing for the size of wood I have, box length under 16", decided to make my own. Put one design on my TV, scaled it and traced it out on some parchment paper.



Still not 100% sure what I will be using for the back and sides, inclined towards the oak though.

This should be a great build to watch! I love seeing people make instruments out of unusual materials.

In my opinion (which is highly untraditional, so make of it what you will), I think it would look better if you scaled down another style body shape such as an OM. To me, dreadnoughts look odd at the best of times and a scaled down version could look even odder. You can use this free program to design your own body shapes and print them out: http://liutaiomottola.com/formulae/gthang.htm

The neck wood looks like some sort of yellow pine to me. You might need some carbon rods in there to stiffen it up. And if you aren't using highly figured wood, you can get by without a thickness sander.

_________________
"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

Payed with G-Thang, well there went another evening. I kind of get why a mini dread might look odd to some (not really an issue with me) and a more traditional shape might look more appropriate. Came up with this instead of the dread. What do you think? Also my brother said he collected some hardwood pallets (oak) but tossed them as he had no use for hardwood. One leftover piece might be big enough for the fretboard.

That shape looks pretty good to me. If you like the curvy style guitar. I really like the contrast you get with straight lines but I know thats not for everyone. Looks like you have a good shape and plan. Time to cut some wood!

Still trying to decide on the back and sides. The oak I have is not wide enough for a two piece back. I almost broke down today and bought a piece big enough to get the back for this build but I couldn't bring myself to it when 2/3 of the board was firewood. It is marked down but given the section I wanted I just couldn't do it.

3 piece back, Oak makes a nice guitar.

Going to be a slow build as I am making some of the things needed to build the guitar. Mad a jig to resaw wood on my metal band saw. Had a blade made up for it, came up with an arrangement that ties the top and bottom guides to the table and the frame and trued everything up. Not as friendly to use as a real wood saw but good enough for now.



Lining up the cut, test piece of cedar fence.



Not too bad, quick sand of half the board.



Next is to finish the drum sander I am building. Need to pick up some wood.

Been putting off building the drum sander. more than a quick job, have to swap out the motor on my table saw which is a little weak and use the table saw motor on the sander. The table saw is in the garage and it is still fairly cold out. Instead I did a quickie project, still need to finish it up but I have a mold.

Part way there. Hope it will work.

I'm liking the sander . You ought to post it over on the Depot, they'll go nuts



Dave

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"No trees were harmed in the creation of this message, however some electrons were temporarily inconvenienced."

But where to post it? There are so many forums.

Uh............the Home Depot forum

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"No trees were harmed in the creation of this message, however some electrons were temporarily inconvenienced."

Sorry, just making fun of the expanded selection of forums there.

This is a serious forum. There should be no silliness tolerated at all! Well, maybe just a little, OK?

Alex

_________________
"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

You're not the only one . Haven't even checked them out myself.................been a little busy of late

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"No trees were harmed in the creation of this message, however some electrons were temporarily inconvenienced."

I just found out I do not like making radius dishes. Still needs a bit if touch up.

If you don't wear a mask, you'll be blowing sludge out of your nose for a week!

Alex

_________________
"Indecision is the key to flexibility" .... Bumper sticker

Been there, done that. I use a N95 mask when making dust.

Got my drum sander going more or less. Have to get the dust extractor going, just had to try it out. Changed out the motor, trued up the drum, got the paper on it. Took my band saw to a cedar fence board and sanded it down. I need to work on my sawing technique to get three sheets out of a 1/2" board, otherwise not a bad night.

Nice job! I wish I had a thickness sander. It took me several weeks to plane down my wood - I just kept doing a bit and putting it off! The dishes look good as well.

_________________
"I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
Pablo Picasso

https://www.facebook.com/FenskeGuitars

I had an issue with my band saw and the blade angle, think I got it now. Another fence board cut up. A three piece top?

Nothin wrong with a 3 piece top. Glad to see you underway.

Yeah, other things in life took precedence for a while. I got a little further tonight.

Cut the salmon cedar plank.



had some drama with the oak sides, didn't notice my guide slowly shifted, blade wandered quite a bit until I noticed. The width of the piece should be the same as the narrower end.



Took a lot of sanding to get the piece I was splitting back flat even with the sander. I was a lot more careful doing the next cut. Sill have to sand them down to size but I have three sides in case I break one, or with luck and all goes right one will be the center of the back. I have two vacuum motors for my dust collector, hard to see it as a priority when I have a guitar to build.



Having some trouble with the resawing, wish I could have got a 3 tpi blade rather than 4. Having second thoughts on wood selection and scale length, thinking of what I want to do for my next project or two. Too many ideas, too little time.

My sander got a workout from that old piece of oak pallet I was going to use as the fretboard. Actually the sander did not notice too much, my arms did though



Turned out to be red oak.



The neck wood was a little thin so I decided to an a thin strip between it and the fretboard. I want the grain of the wood to show in the back so I did not want to add it to that side.



Tomorrow I should be cutting the back pieces and working on how to bend the sides. Is it a bad sign if I am already planing my next build?