Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Clock The Wolf on January 26, 2013 at 5:22pm

Can you flip it over and have the picture on the back?

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Permalink Reply by Amerigo on January 26, 2013 at 11:24pm

I thought of that bout would like it to be facing forward. I was hoping someone would have a solution 

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Permalink Reply by Scott aka Farmer Ted on January 27, 2013 at 1:30am

You can always make a bridge that can be colored/painted to match it's background relative to the picture...essentially camoflaging it within the picture.

Where you place the bridge depends on your scale length (nut to bridge). With such a long box, I suggest a 25.5" scale, so you will have unrestricted access on the neck/fretboard, to at least the 12th fret...and at the same time, not winding up with the bridge too far forward of the center of the box.

Good luck

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Permalink Reply by Amerigo on January 27, 2013 at 3:49am

Scott

Do you know if It would be ok to make the scale length longer say maybe 27 to 34 inches. And if so could I use regular guitar strings or would I have to use bass or uke bass strings? I tried searching the internet but couldn't find the answers I need 

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Permalink Reply by Scott aka Farmer Ted on January 27, 2013 at 4:31am

For a longer scale than regular guitar, and since you are usign a very large box, a good choice would be a cbg made like a baritone guitar.

Baritone guitars were designed to allow tenor banjo palyers to play guitar with identical tuning as his or her banjo.

Baritone scale length can vary from 27" to 30.5".

Tuning for these are typically a perfect 5th lower than standard guitar, ADGCEA. Since you're making a 4 sttring, I would suggest using the 1-4 strings (GCEA) which is identical to standard uke tuning, but lower pitch.

An alternative tuning is BEADF#B, and again, I would suggest using strings 1-4 (ADF#B) or D6 tuning, which is a variation of ukulele tuning.

Because the scale is longer than a uke, the baritone sounds nothing like the small Hawaiian instrument.

But there are chord charts readily available online for free...and very easy to learn.

I suppose I am assuming you are making a fretted instrument.

Good luck and enjoy the build.

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Permalink Reply by Tom Drommond on January 27, 2013 at 8:47am

Your boxes aren't too long.  The aren't longer that the top of an archtop guitar

 

To open up the top,any of these ideas would work.

Our a trapeze style tailpiece

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar,_no...

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Permalink Reply by Amerigo on January 27, 2013 at 12:18pm

 

Tom

I like the examples you showed and can see where any of them would work.

Thanks for the pictures.

Scott

Thanks for the advice on the baritone guitar

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Permalink Reply by Scott aka Farmer Ted on January 27, 2013 at 12:21pm

Your welcome.

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Permalink Reply by Busyhands Slim on January 27, 2013 at 5:26pm

Speaking of banjos, you might consider a banjo-type bridge, which is very thin and won't obscure much of the picture.

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