Already people have pointed out that it looks like a balalaika. Maybe next time around I'll try to design a balalaika, but I need to figure out how to do rounded bottoms. My wood working skills are not that advanced yet. I may also try to widen the two sound holes a bit to see if I get more volume, which is not too bad on this instrument.
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The wood I use for soundboard is a plywood that is already veneered when I buy it. As I live in China most of the year, the wood I get is different than what is available in the States. This 2 mm plywood veneer (or should I call it "veneered plywood"?) is sold in large sheets the way they sell plywood in the States. I usually buy "scraps" as I can get a half sheet or quarter sheet at a lower price most of the time. Anyways, this plywood veneer is ideal for sound boards because the wood resonates pretty well and is dimensionally stable. In the U.S., when you ask for veneer they show you this paper thin stuff that you are supposed to apply (glue?) to the wood somehow. Seems like too much trouble to me. The only downside to plywood (even 2 mm plywood veneer), is that exposed edges reveal that it is plywood. When I build sound boxes out of it, all the edges of the boxes are so "unsightly", that I usually spray paint them black. If you build your sound box frame (i.e. the four sides) out of solid wood, then recess the soundboard down inside (and flush with) the box frame, then you can hide the unsightly edges of the plywood. But it's more work, and I tend to be too lazy to do it that way.
I have built many "box guitars" and have found that usually these home built boxes sound better than most cigar box based instruments that I have made. I think this has to do with the thickness of the typical cigar box lid. When I remove the original lid and replace it with a 2 mm plywood veneer, the instrument invariably sounds (resonates) better. Some of my favorite instruments are based on a cigar box, but use the 2 mm plywood veneer for the sound board. So, definitely, plywood is a reasonable material for both the sound board and the backboard.
One more thing... sometimes the "bottom side" of the plywood veneer looks better (more rustic) than the "pretty" veneered side, so a lot of my instruments are constructed "inside out" as was this instrument (photo above) as I recall.
did you use plywood for the soundboard, or a professional grade veneer? I'm thinking of making my own boxes, and I wanted to know if plywood is a reasonable material
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Hi Sam,
The wood I use for soundboard is a plywood that is already veneered when I buy it. As I live in China most of the year, the wood I get is different than what is available in the States. This 2 mm plywood veneer (or should I call it "veneered plywood"?) is sold in large sheets the way they sell plywood in the States. I usually buy "scraps" as I can get a half sheet or quarter sheet at a lower price most of the time. Anyways, this plywood veneer is ideal for sound boards because the wood resonates pretty well and is dimensionally stable. In the U.S., when you ask for veneer they show you this paper thin stuff that you are supposed to apply (glue?) to the wood somehow. Seems like too much trouble to me. The only downside to plywood (even 2 mm plywood veneer), is that exposed edges reveal that it is plywood. When I build sound boxes out of it, all the edges of the boxes are so "unsightly", that I usually spray paint them black. If you build your sound box frame (i.e. the four sides) out of solid wood, then recess the soundboard down inside (and flush with) the box frame, then you can hide the unsightly edges of the plywood. But it's more work, and I tend to be too lazy to do it that way.
I have built many "box guitars" and have found that usually these home built boxes sound better than most cigar box based instruments that I have made. I think this has to do with the thickness of the typical cigar box lid. When I remove the original lid and replace it with a 2 mm plywood veneer, the instrument invariably sounds (resonates) better. Some of my favorite instruments are based on a cigar box, but use the 2 mm plywood veneer for the sound board. So, definitely, plywood is a reasonable material for both the sound board and the backboard.
One more thing... sometimes the "bottom side" of the plywood veneer looks better (more rustic) than the "pretty" veneered side, so a lot of my instruments are constructed "inside out" as was this instrument (photo above) as I recall.
Hope this answers your question.
-Rand.
did you use plywood for the soundboard, or a professional grade veneer? I'm thinking of making my own boxes, and I wanted to know if plywood is a reasonable material