Rand, I'm using a Rockler box joint jig with a spiral up cut bit. You are right the joints are tight and much credit goes to the jig and bit and also to the clamping cauls. I'm using a Wolfcraft strap clamp.
RTZ, I've been mulling over what kind of bracing I might use. I'm going to use un kerfed lining on the edges to increase glue area, a neck block for anchoring the neck and a tailblock sufficient for jack and maybe a tailpiece. My first few will all be pretty experimental. I've done X, Fan, Ladder, and Smallman bracing on guitars I built in the past but they were traditional guitars. I have a decent stash of spruce and some from old piano soundboards so I am very hopeful I can get a nice(r) sound. My first few probably wont be sporting any decent electronics, but once I feel I have something structurally solid with good tone I'll start with the eq's and better mag's. I'm dying to use Bob Harrison's pickups in something worthy.
The whole thing comes down to how thin you can build but keep it strong this is bracing job. If you have a big box with thin sides back and top design is very important. If the the box is 3/8 all around you can do just about anything.
Those are really nice tight box joints. Beats what I've done with by hand using a razor saw. I guess you have some special tool or technique for cutting such precise joints. Can you comment on that?
I have done quite a few builds using cherry wood that I can buy in thicknesses of 0.5cm (about 0.2"). Although it may not be a tone wood, the boxes I make all sound a lot better than the cigar boxes I used, and consistently so. I think part of the reason is that I also use 2mm thick plywood veneer for the sound board and the back board. I'm sure you have access to better woods than I can get here in China, and if you can get thin solid spruce veneer, it should make for a good sound board when used on your cherry box frames.
From what I can tell by handling these frames cherry is not a tonewood. I have been really impressed with how resonant poplar and pine frames are. Oily, I am with you on the idea of thinning down the sides. My latest box frames are a bit thinner. My initial stock is 3/4" thick and I get 3 pieces when I resaw and then run them through a planer. Between the saw kerf loss and the planer I am getting something just a tad over 1/8 and by the time I do my hand sanding I should be right there.
Love that cherry! Nice finger jointing. My boxes are 12 x 10 x 3 3/4 - the extra depth is almost identical to that on my Yamaha's soundbox, but the length and width are manageable. Deep tones are definitely coming your way. Have you thought about going less than 1/4" on your sides? 3/16 or 1/8 will reduce the weight, and, I suspect, increase your acoustic volume somewhat.
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Good call, Oily! I just listened to bemuzic sound test on youtube and it sounds terrific.
Don't forget Elmar's Flatpups! They offer a unique space-saving solution for quite a good price.
Rand, I'm using a Rockler box joint jig with a spiral up cut bit. You are right the joints are tight and much credit goes to the jig and bit and also to the clamping cauls. I'm using a Wolfcraft strap clamp.
RTZ, I've been mulling over what kind of bracing I might use. I'm going to use un kerfed lining on the edges to increase glue area, a neck block for anchoring the neck and a tailblock sufficient for jack and maybe a tailpiece. My first few will all be pretty experimental. I've done X, Fan, Ladder, and Smallman bracing on guitars I built in the past but they were traditional guitars. I have a decent stash of spruce and some from old piano soundboards so I am very hopeful I can get a nice(r) sound. My first few probably wont be sporting any decent electronics, but once I feel I have something structurally solid with good tone I'll start with the eq's and better mag's. I'm dying to use Bob Harrison's pickups in something worthy.
The whole thing comes down to how thin you can build but keep it strong this is bracing job. If you have a big box with thin sides back and top design is very important. If the the box is 3/8 all around you can do just about anything.
Hi Charlotte,
Those are really nice tight box joints. Beats what I've done with by hand using a razor saw. I guess you have some special tool or technique for cutting such precise joints. Can you comment on that?
I have done quite a few builds using cherry wood that I can buy in thicknesses of 0.5cm (about 0.2"). Although it may not be a tone wood, the boxes I make all sound a lot better than the cigar boxes I used, and consistently so. I think part of the reason is that I also use 2mm thick plywood veneer for the sound board and the back board. I'm sure you have access to better woods than I can get here in China, and if you can get thin solid spruce veneer, it should make for a good sound board when used on your cherry box frames.
-Rand.
From what I can tell by handling these frames cherry is not a tonewood. I have been really impressed with how resonant poplar and pine frames are. Oily, I am with you on the idea of thinning down the sides. My latest box frames are a bit thinner. My initial stock is 3/4" thick and I get 3 pieces when I resaw and then run them through a planer. Between the saw kerf loss and the planer I am getting something just a tad over 1/8 and by the time I do my hand sanding I should be right there.
Love that cherry! Nice finger jointing. My boxes are 12 x 10 x 3 3/4 - the extra depth is almost identical to that on my Yamaha's soundbox, but the length and width are manageable. Deep tones are definitely coming your way. Have you thought about going less than 1/4" on your sides? 3/16 or 1/8 will reduce the weight, and, I suspect, increase your acoustic volume somewhat.
I'm free to have the size boxes that I want and the cost is pretty minimal. I have a box going right now that is
15" X 11" X 2 1/2". That's starting to get too big but I suspect the sound will be quite good.
Beautiful work, Charlotte!
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