Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm sure some of you have had a really killer set of some valuable wood and had a customer who really wants a dread instead of an OM or a jumbo instead of a dread, etc.

Any creative solutions found for those times when your sides are just a bit too short for the body style you want?

Andrew

How short? You can pick up 7-10mm if you play your cards right. Get the radius right, then install your kerfing/lining a few mm proud. You're going to route it for bindings, anyway, so its a good way to go. I got a little (ok, a lot!) overzealous on the radius dish on my #1. I was able to make up almost a full centimeter installing my kerfing proud and it worked out perfectly.
-j.

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

Which dimension are they short in, lengthwise or widthwise, and by how much?

You could sand them thin and laminate them to another larger side (also sanded thin). If you are careful this could give you extra height that would be covered by the bindings, and extra length that could be covered by the end graft.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

If they are too short in length you can pick up an inch or two depending on your heel, and end graft. If they are too sh ort in height then you can gain almost a half inch by setting the kerfing high and after bowl sanding the kerfing will still be high, but will be covered by binding.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

If your sides are a bit short lengthwise, see this old discussion with pictures of Lars Rasmussen's Brazillian guitar. It has a tail wedge that could easily be adjusted to accommodate sides that are a little too short for a specific body shape.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

I'm going to end up with some 30.5" (at best) quilted sapele sides from a wood purchase I made today. It's plenty wide for dread sides, which is what I really want, but I don't think they'll stretch too much....

Andrew

I know this is a stretch (pun intended), but some folks realy like the look of M****n D-35 3 piece back. Why couldn't you have 4 piece sides? Use 2 pieces with a scarf   for each side AND you can decorate the boundary!

Just thought of another thing to try... Make the sides from the neck block to as far into the lower bouts as they'll go, then make the end graf as large ass you need to complete your sides. I'm thinking that if this is done nicely, it'll look like you did it on purpose and you can make it your trademark! vpelleri38954.7921759259

It's amazing how a doublestrike on the keyboard can change the meaning of a word .

Al

A maker up here once made a guitar entirely of wood from Lee Valley - the longest they sell is 24 inches - he used two tail blocks, and had an end wedge, if you can call it that, of about 8 or 9 inches, accented with pearl at the joints !!! As well, the sides not being wide enough, were laminated to get the depth for the guitar. It had a 5 piece spanish cedar top, and multi pc back as well. He is one of Serge De Jonges students.

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

Works either way, doesn't it Al?

Donovan

I once cut a set of sides too short by about 3 inches. to remedy the problem I made a wider (about 4.5 inches total)tail block, glued the sides to it ( a 1/2 inch or less from the outer ends) and then "filled-in" the gap with an approx. three inch piece of ebony and some perfling. Looks like I made an access door at the tail. No one has ever even noticed...everyone thinks it's part of the design . It is now my shop "demo" guitar.

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"