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License Plate Both Sides ?

I am on my 2nd License Plate Guitar build and I forgot something important, the back for it. (Insert sound bite here... with my best Forrest Gump impersonation ...... "Stupid is as stupid does" )

Has anyone used a license plate for both the top and back of a build before?

I just got in a little bit of a rush with this project. I had tried to fret a CGB one time before, with some cotter pins cut in half, that didn't turn out so well.

I met Wes Yates about a month ago in Atlanta, and he set me up with a mitre box. Also he told me where to get a saw the right width to use and a few pointers on fretting. Then with a internet trip to see C.B. Gitty for some fret wire, a couple of days waiting by the mail box, and I was ready to go. I got all caught up in this fretting thing and went ADD before I knew it. After spraying some clear coat on it last night, I got to thinking, what am I going to put on the back of this thing? (I always seem to think better after spraying some clear coat in a confined space :) )

I could cut a back from some 1/4" sand it, spray it, and wait around another day or slap another tag on the back.

Anybody done this with two plates? Do you think two plates will help or hurt the sound? It will have a double piezo set up for the pick up. If I use the plate, it being more dense than wood, would you put one of the piezos on the top and one on the back? or on both on the top?

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Permalink Reply by Tracy Kennedy on April 21, 2010 at 1:16am

Consider putting on the 1/4" back then covering it with a plate. If you cover it you dont have to wait for clear to dry. Just cut the ply a schoche smaller and then lightly fold the edges of the plate to hide the wood.

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on April 21, 2010 at 1:36am

Try the plate back, you will never know unless you try it. Could be onto something big. I think the piezo's should still go on the sound board though.

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Permalink Reply by Jerryrig240 on April 21, 2010 at 6:16am

My main rig has two plates....one on front and back....they are both kinda matching (diff numbers but same design") I have a home made pick up in it though, so I could not really tell you what it would sound like with a peizo....I bet it would sound just fine...I think I have some pics of it on my page....

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Permalink Reply by Brian Watson on April 22, 2010 at 3:48am

I decided to go with two plates. I had two extra guitar strings that I took off another CBG I made some while back, I put them on to check it out. I haven't glued on my piezos yet. I like the way it sounded with the two plates. It was loud! It doesn't have any sound holes, but the sound just flies off the thing. I did see a couple of things wrong with it. My saddle is too high and my nut is too low.

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Permalink Reply by Alan Roberts on April 22, 2010 at 8:45am

Interesting apperatus you have there under the CBG. My great Grandaddy had something like that back in the day. He made "medicinal extracts" in the Cumberland Gap.

That CBG looks fine. I'll have to start haunting junkyards, looking for old plates.

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Permalink Reply by Outhouse Instruments on April 22, 2010 at 8:59am

I left mine open ......

Matt

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Permalink Reply by Tracy Kennedy on April 22, 2010 at 9:09am

A bit off topic but, my Dad lives directly infront of the Cumberland Gap (or Cumberland Pass...Will's Mountain & Haystack Mountain) on the LaVale side accross from Cumberland MD

Alan Roberts said:

Interesting apperatus you have there under the CBG. My great Grandaddy had something like that back in the day. He made "medicinal extracts" in the Cumberland Gap.

That CBG looks fine. I'll have to start haunting junkyards, looking for old plates.

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