Okay, help me out here.

The actual outline looks nicer, but I'm still not 100% with this drawing tablet.

I'm thinking taking the leaf pattern on there now, and printing it, photocopying it, and electrolytically etching it onto a sheet of brass (ordered the brass last night)

if you can think of a better pattern, pleasee suggest it (raw images would be great, if you have suggestions, I can do all the needed processing)

so, more artistically inclined among RTers, I seek suggestions.

(the guitar body will be shaped like an elm leaf)

 

Wow, I think it looks awesome. I don't think you should change a thing, unless it would help the sound somehow.

 

well, it's going to be an electric, so there isn't much that's going to change the sound from what I'm doing (getting rail pickups, tapping them so they can work as a humbucker, a single coil, or two single coils) putting in two tone circuits, and, later I am thinking about putting in some circuitry.

 

I can't wait to see the finished results. I think I'd be much more suited to building a guitar than actually playing it.

 

Can you do a paisley?

 

And I can't see what it looks like. Is it a .gif? It's not showing up.

 

jpg, it's hosted on photobucket, so if you've disallowed images from them that could be it.

I think I needed to use a better host image on the paisley one....

 

Also considering a much more detailed version of this. that's the best resolution I can get with this clumsy mouse b.s.

 

To give you an idea of what the pickguard is going on.

 

hey dave, I like your design a lot!

 

I could do for more tweak suggestions, I can do mockups via GIMP and paint (btw, this was all done with paint and gimp so far, in less than 30 minutes all told, so that's part of why it sucks)

edit: also, any suggestions for cleanly cutting .25 brass would be appreciated.



edit: I still hacve work to do, and I swear the actual drawings are nicer.

 

Interesting. Think it's a neat idea, not too complicated. No tone pot? Hope that has some neat tone. The less pots, usually the better for tone... especially if you don't need one.

Lately, I am using flatwound Pyramid .13s on the Tele.. high action, EADGBE... no half-step down or anything. It's done wonders on giving it a darker sound, but still gets the microphonics... 8s may break too easily for a toddler. Started out playing electric with 8s.. tried .10s for a bit, then skipped to .11s. Gave some pickups to my dealer (someone already has my beloved Les on layaway, I traded for the Tele) that came out of the old LP and he gave me a free set of Pyramids. Could have done consignment, but then would have had to pay 20 percent to Jimmy. Ebay is a mess, insurance and shipping-wise. Craigslist, in my area, would take forever, if anyone is interested at all at guitars on craigslist, the way the economy is.

Is the pickup going to be adjustable, mounted to the bridge, or mounted to the body?

That is like the neatest first guitar I've ever seen. :biggrin: So glad you're doing this.

 

mounted on the body, it's going to be tapped (humbucker hotrail arangement) I figure initially it's just best to give him a very few options, I might abandon some circuitry in place so that I just have to connect pots later and solder them into the main series to make them active.

 

Would a slight cutaway (maybe Florentine-style cutaway) do anything? May have to balance the body with heavier tuners, or the guitar itself would not be correctly balanced for the size. Most likely a slight loss of treble, in that area of the body, but would darken up the rails if you're considering a Fender Tele/Strat style neck. If you already have an idea for the neck... are the frets really going to end at the body? 22 or 24 fret? Scale length and radius? Would have to know more about the neck first. You can easily improve by great means, just doing something like a heel contour. Helps for both small hands and anyone who plays daily. Don't know if you've considered that, or if that's why you designed it that way. This is a really neat project. It has gotten me more interested in luthiery.

Mighty Mite or Stewart-MacDonald are the industry standard for aftermarket necks, though I suppose you have something in mind.

 

thats a cool looking guitar dave. very cool.

what color would it be?

 

Whatever you do, do not use a polyurethane finish. It may save the body from some scratches, but it will not let the wood age. Nitrocelluose, gun/tung oil, or French varnish. Anything else is just wrong.

Though I have seen some neat Krylon finishes. :biggrin:

Eddie Van Halen... :biggrin: And his tape.

 

Fender American Deluxe Contoured heel.


Ed Roman All-Access Neck Joint.

 

I'm actually using a mandolin fretboard, I'm going to go with guitar strings of some description (still haven't decided on guage) and I'm going to cut the nut myself out of bone, fretboard radius is 12" and it's 24 fret. I've got a piece of poplar I am going to cut and carve the body out of, as well as the neck, I am going to use a dovetail and some allthread to join the neck and body.

the fretboard is rosewood, I am going to use brass for the fretboard, etch it, and put enamel in the voids. I am going to finish the body with something dark, but I still want the grain to be visible, and I wish it to match the rosewood.

 

I'm looking at nitrocellulose specifically, I kinda want the yellowing as it ages.