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Build #4: Kay inspired 00 14 fret in Honduran Mahogany/Sitka spruce
After closing the box on my third acoustic guitar build I couldn't wait to start work on my fourth so I built another mold and bending forms out of birch plywood from the tracing of my very first guitar: a Kay K-401 folk size. That guitar is now 50 years old and was made out of low quality plywood so this build will be a tribute of that, but I will be relying to Stewart MacDonald's 00 blueprints for the structure.
This will be a scratch build with a sitka spruce soundboard and a set of rough sawn Honduran mahogany and a 1x3x36" beam of quartersawn mahogany as well as three billets of quartersawn sitka spruce for bracing. I also have another herringbone rosette and ebony binding but no purfling, bridge, fingerboard or tuning machines. I would like to be able to replicate the neck on my third build but need to create a stacked heel and scarf joint. I'd love to learn how to make a bird beak volute but need to research how to do it. I'm also keeping a spreadsheet to track the cost of materials and intend to also track my hours on this one - provided I don't screw things up too badly! Soundboard, Sitka Spruce: $20.69 Herringbone Rosette: $16.49 Bridge plate stock, Maple: $7.29 Brace stock, sitka spruce: $38.97 ($12.99 apiece x3) Back and sides, matched, unsanded, AAA Honduran Mahogany, for OM: $49.99 Inlay, Backstrip, HD28 Zig Zag: $11.99 M size mahogany neck block, mortised for dovetail neck joint: $13.00 Cedar Kerfed Lining, standard size ribbon: $16.00 AAA Honduran Mahogany Neck Blank, 1"x3"x36": $33.99 Total Cost of Materials (so far) : $208.41 I was hoping to start sanding, joining and bending the major components but we've already had a frost so I'm leaving them stickered so that they don't twist or warp. The RH is around 35% but I may have to move them to my office upstairs (where I keep my guitars) which has a room humidifier.
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(2006) Larrivee OM-03R, (2009) Martin D-16GT, (1998) Fender Am Std Ash Stratocaster, (2013) McKnight McUke, (1989) Kramer Striker ST600, a couple of DIY builds (2013, 2023) |
#2
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What a great project.... I wouldn't know where to start!
It would be interesting to to make a body using aircraft grade birch plywood for the back and sides rather than solid mahogany. You sort of know what you are going to get with mahogany - a really sweet instrument. Birch plywood, however, could be dry and punchy. Something a little different, and perhaps closer to the original?
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I'm learning to flatpick and fingerpick guitar to accompany songs. I've played and studied traditional noter/drone mountain dulcimer for many years. And I used to play dobro in a bluegrass band. |
#3
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Very cool build Neil. I love the idea. I got excited today because we’d had some rain yesterday and the humidity was PERFECT for working this am. By the time I got ready to go, it had dropped 10% and now is in the teens. So much for North Carolina being humid, right? Oh well, got a lot of non-bracing related things done instead! I look forward to following this one.
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Treenewt |
#4
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Quote:
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(2006) Larrivee OM-03R, (2009) Martin D-16GT, (1998) Fender Am Std Ash Stratocaster, (2013) McKnight McUke, (1989) Kramer Striker ST600, a couple of DIY builds (2013, 2023) |
#5
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That's my current project: to clean out the clutter around the furnace and try to figure out why mine's not working. I have hard water and I think I need to replace the supply line off my water heater. Normally I can feel that the copper is warm and can see the excess dripping into the drain below. Unfortunately it's also a mold risk and my son has terrible allergies. There's already a condensation issue with my furnace. I also like to do all my sanding either in my driveway or my garage. I bought one of those cheap workbenches from Harbor Freight and put wheels on it and keep a sheet of plywood near the door to use as a ramp.
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(2006) Larrivee OM-03R, (2009) Martin D-16GT, (1998) Fender Am Std Ash Stratocaster, (2013) McKnight McUke, (1989) Kramer Striker ST600, a couple of DIY builds (2013, 2023) |
#6
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Beard made some guitars recently with birch plywood back and sides, and a lot of cheaper guitar brands over the years have been built with it. But making guitars using birch plywood seems to have gone out of fashion. It does have a timbre all of its own. I've just been playing one of my cherry plywood b/s guitars at a session this afternoon. Those northern plywoods perhaps don't make sweet guitars - but they really cut through. I was just using a mic' on stage and had no problem getting over the drummer. It was just a suggestion that now you have the mould for the Kay, it might be quite interesting to build a "campfire" guitar using birch ply b/s and with a solid spruce top (perhaps a maple or nato neck). Nothing fancy or too intricate. It would be a contrast to your fine wood builds.
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I'm learning to flatpick and fingerpick guitar to accompany songs. I've played and studied traditional noter/drone mountain dulcimer for many years. And I used to play dobro in a bluegrass band. |
#7
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The dream is a stand-alone shop. We are renting now but hope to find something when/if the rates and market return to a somewhat normal state. This will (hopefully) be our last move and I plan to either build what I need or, ideally, find something with a shop I can convert to year-round safe space. I know, a guy can dream, right?
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Treenewt |
#8
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After yesterday's setback I needed to shift gears, so I started working on this. I admit I didn't make much progress.
Here's what I accomplished: - the back is about 95% jointed; there's still a couple of small gaps but I'm wondering how crucial it is on the back? The center strip is just going to be a strip of black purfling that I'm jointing in between the halves. I may revisit it later tonight and glue it up in the basement. - the sides are down to about .140" thick. They started at .220" but I had to quit because my teenager was coming home from school and he has terrible allergies. I kicked up quite a bit of dust. I'll finish up tomorrow (I'm shooting for .095") then cut the profile. This is mahogany so I'm a little anxious about cracking a side or cupping.
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(2006) Larrivee OM-03R, (2009) Martin D-16GT, (1998) Fender Am Std Ash Stratocaster, (2013) McKnight McUke, (1989) Kramer Striker ST600, a couple of DIY builds (2013, 2023) |
#9
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The top is jointed and currently still clamped up. Tomorrow I’ll run it through the drum sander.
Meanwhile, my local Martin dealer is one of the 25 Martin custom shop dealers and last year they did a run of deep body 00-15Ms. I want to take a look at one and hear what they sound like. I may follow suit with this build.
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(2006) Larrivee OM-03R, (2009) Martin D-16GT, (1998) Fender Am Std Ash Stratocaster, (2013) McKnight McUke, (1989) Kramer Striker ST600, a couple of DIY builds (2013, 2023) |