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Looking good, Mr. Fenske!

Too bad about the cracks... looks like you've got things nicely bent though. Glue 'em and move on.

There's really not much trickery to cutaway mitering... just do it. Mark a line a bit away from where the actual edge will be so you'll have it as a reference for square while you finetune things. Saw it close, drag along sandpaper until the miter angle looks about right, repeat for the other side, check the fit, sand more if necessary, and glue it. Try to get the angles right while the pieces are still a touch too long, for safety, and then sand some more, maintaining the angle as closely as possible.

That back inlay is awesome, especially considering your lack of tools.

Also, as nice as those tuners look, I think I'd actually save them and go with the cheapo ebay ones for this, since they looked a bit lighter weight I'd also do a Spanish cedar neck, with 1/2" (~12.7mm) carbon fiber bar, rather than the adjustable truss rod... those things are heavy, and on a short neck like this, the comfortable thickness is proportionally much stiffer compared to a full size guitar neck. Plus the shorter scale means you can do lower string tension. But it's probably a bit late to change now since you've already got the neck roughed out, and adjustable rod acquired. And I'm just really obsessive about weight and balance

Totally cool build. But the name piccolo guitar makes me think full octave above normal... I think I'll have to build that sometime. A literal 1/2 size guitar

[/quote] I'd also do a Spanish cedar neck, with 1/2" (~12.7mm) carbon fiber bar, rather than the adjustable truss rod... those things are heavy, and on a short neck like this, the comfortable thickness is proportionally much stiffer compared to a full size guitar neck. Plus the shorter scale means you can do lower string tension. [/quote]

What sort of depth of bar would you use? Would you use two bars? Final question, would you use larger carbon fibre bar for a bigger guitar?

Thanks

Ed

1/2" is the depth. 1/8" width, as that's what's commonly available. Probably just one bar down the center for this, but two wouldn't hurt.

For a full size steel string guitar with Spanish cedar neck, I'd use two of those bars, plus an adjustable truss rod. Or one of these http://www.dragonplate.com/ecart/categories.asp?cID=130.

I almost went with two CF bars alone on my harp guitar's butternut neck (similar so Spanish cedar), but chickened out. It probably would have been fine for at least 10-20 years, but I shoot for 100. Adjustable rods have a pretty good track record in the years they've been around, and are a lot cheaper, and easier to install than the D tube. The D tube is much lighter weight, though.

Wow, it's been a while since I updated this thread. I have done quite a bit on it, but I just haven't got around to uploading the pictures yet. The rims are almost complete and I've started carving the neck. I've also been making some carbon flying braces to stiffen up the neck area. I got the idea after looking at Mike Doolin's double cutaway design. I'll post pictures soon...



Thank you - that means a lot coming from you! Your inlays are incredible.



I'm not too worried about balance at the moment. I've never played a guitar that wasn't neck heavy, so I don't know what I'm missing . And with such a big headstock relative to the neck size, I think it would be hard to do with any tuners.

_________________
"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

Well here they are.
Gluing in the neck block


Corner block


Tail block


All the sides joined together


On this guitar, I'm trying out another idea from Matsuda's guitars - the cutaway soundport. The sides are still too wide at this point, but you can see the general idea.


More to come...

_________________
"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've been working on the neck as well. Here is the tenon:


Fitted into the neck block


Headstock being glued on.


And fitted to the rims.


Some size comparison shots:




Using my ultra-complicated kerfing jig:


Linings being glued on


More to come...

_________________
"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

Now for the carbon fibre braces. I laminated a strip of douglas fir, with 2 layers of woven and one layer of unidirectional per side. I then vacuum bagged the whole lot, with peel ply both sides to give a good surface texture. I'm thinking of polishing them too, but I don't know if it's worth it as you can hardly see them through the soundhole, but it would look cool .







I haven't quite finished shaping them yet. They need to be arched a lot more.

_________________
"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

Looking good Pete! I'm interested in your cutaway sound port. Can't say I've seen that before.

Thanks! Here's the original by Michi Matsuda:
I hope mine turns out that good!

_________________
"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

On this guitar, I'm trying out another idea from Matsuda's guitars - the cutaway soundport. The sides are still too wide at this point, but you can see the general idea.

Neat! That'll look awesome!

Alex

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

Thanks!
I've roughly carved the neck. On my first guitar, the neck was way too chunky, so I hope this one will be more comfortable. It's a bit awkward carving such a short neck - there's hardly enough room to get the tools in there!




The heel is shaped to blend into the cutaway.

_________________
"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

Yeah, cool soundport. Not sure if I like the small return in the original, I think I'd hve it dive into the interior of the guitar, and simply re-inforce the back at that area, but I'd have to play with it a bit to get what works for me, as do we all....

Ah, I see where you're going with this thick sides thing...

Luv the modern art rosette, and the avant garde soundhole! That should get some "enveloping sound" to the player.

Mine: Body length: 406.400mm / 16"
Lower bout: 285.750mm / 11-1/4"
Upper bout: 209.550mm / 8-1/4"
Scale length: 543mm / 21.375"
Plan from LMI 3/4 size Acoustic guitar, similar to Martinstyle 5

Thanks! That's what I'm hoping. I'm trying to get a big, full sound out of this little guitar


I've been thinking about that return part but I can't think of another way of doing it. You would have to stop the binding at the hole and that would look odd. Unless you put in a small, triangular section reinforcement patch the height of the binding, which might work.


It looks like yours is just a few inches bigger than mine. It'll be interesting to compare the sound once they're done.

_________________
"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

So there's a bit more progress to report. All the linings are on and I've got the top and back to a thickness that feels right. I managed to get the circle cutter working, so I cut out the soundhole.


And glued on the back centre strip.


I glued a cross-grain maple veneer over the end of the soundport to stop cracks. That was a nightmare to clamp in place!


The carbon flying braces have also been shaped and glued in with thickened epoxy. I decided to remove the lower half at the neck end because the rotational movement of the neck would have put tension on the bottom and compression on the top and I didn't know how the glue joint would react. Hopefully having it all in compression will reduce the stress.


It also gives more air space to the soundport.


Finally, I've also laid out the fretboard ready for slotting. That's something I'm really not looking forward to!

_________________
"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

Braces roughed out and laid in place. The X brace is 6mm thick, UTB 9mm and all other braces about 3-4mm thick. Back braces are 5/6mm. Does this sound too thick? Opinions would be appreciated.

_________________
"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

Looking good, Peter. Are you going to scallop?

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Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from poor judgement.

Well, I have been away for a couple of weeks, so nothing new building-wise, but I have discovered that a guitar of the same dimensions has been built before! This is a guitar by Nehemiah Covey and he called it a quinto (meaning 'fifth'). I think that is a better name than piccolo (which just means 'small' in Italian). http://www.billpillmore.com/CoveyQuinto.html

Casey, I will probably scallop the finger and fan braces and taper the X brace. That's what I did on my last guitar and it seemed to work pretty well. I hope to get the box closed next weekend.

_________________
"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

Interesting. When I here quinto I think of the Mexican guitar "bajo quinto". A 10 sting guitar. They look pretty dang cool too.

The Requinto is tuned up to A-D-G-C-E-A, (the "Bajo Requinto" is a Bass 10 stringed thing). The Requinto is for the soloist and is a traditional instrument here in Mexico (where I am), I hear requinto playing all the time, it's a normal soloist guitar. Never liked romantic music much, but have run across it enough times to know that there is the "Requinto Romantico" which is the 6 string, and the "Requinto Jarocho" which is a 4 stringer.
Here is a Youtuber http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWQKSKZ5oiY

Never seen a requinto with a side-port so believe me there would be a lot of dudes interested in your requinto in MX.

I'll try and find a requinto built by a good luthier and post it here.
-R

EDIT; Couldn't find a Requinto built by a famous luthier, or even one with a cut-away (they usually have one!), but there is this one http://jmdayas.blogspot.mx/

I thought requinto's were tuned up a third, like a terz guitar? Also, this is a steel string, so I guess it will sound rather different to a classical requinto.

Edit: How could I be so blind? I didn't even see the connection between 'requinto' and 'quinto'!

_________________
"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

Peter you should put one of them really cool ornate bridges on this guitar. Like the bajo quinto and bajo sexto have. It would be a lot of work but boy they look sweet.

Wow, that looks like fun! I'll have to think out a design that would go with the rest of the instrument and see what it looks like.

_________________
"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