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thats all, just wondered!!

sort of thinking of one myself.......

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GO for it Martin!!!!

Wouldn't a side placed soundhole be interesting on a mando, too?

or you can do it Boaz Elkayam style ...Here ...

Do you mean specifically one placed and shaped as theirs is, or any kind of "offset" soundhole?

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

Or.....

What do you think Fred Carlson was on?   :-D

/\ I really like the innovation of his guitars!

You know, several years ago Carlson's instruments seemed kind of goofy, because his design sense and craftsmanship were just a bit off. Nowdays, he's looking like a genius! I guess the lesson is, follow your muse.

Martin, have you seen any early McPhersons? Taj Mahal was his most famous player at the time. The guitars had three smaller holes--one on each side near the waist, and one near the tail block. Looked pretty interesting, but I guess he's found the larger single hole to be more effective.

I've probably done around a hundred of them, seeing as how I built their
prototypes for about three years.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

WOW, YO DA MAAAAN!!!!

got any pics of the bracing?

to be honest the Boaz Elkayam no front soundhole really appeals.....

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Mr Collins, please can we see some pics of your guitars, please?

Martin, I'm surprised you like the Elkayam. You'll notice the soundhole is actually on the side of the guitar, at the upper bout.

He's one of my fave luthiers simply because of the innovation in design. Guess that's the artist in me..

yeah I guess you have to have a soundport big enough to get a paw in there to adjust the bolt on neck right?

but what about the clamps for the bridge?

wow they gotta be long!!

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I'll try to post a pic of the one guitar I've made so far with soundholes in odd places. It's a great sounding guitar, to my own ears as well as other players who've checked it out.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

[QUOTE=martinedwards] but what about the clamps for the bridge?

wow they gotta be long!! [/QUOTE]

You could use either a vacuum system or the Charles Fox bridge clamps like these

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

[QUOTE=martinedwards] yeah I guess you have to have a soundport big enough to get a paw in there to adjust the bolt on neck right?

but what about the clamps for the bridge?

wow they gotta be long!! [/QUOTE]

Isn't that why we put in an access panel?

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Say what you do, Do what you say.

Yep, he uses a Wechter-style access panel. That particular guitar, I believe, has Kasha-type bracing, filtered through the influence of Richard Schneider.

access panel?

I looked at the Wechter site and could find nothing.

any links?

so as the guitar that's rattling around in my head is 99% a plugged in thing.......

would it work to have a few say 1" sound ports on the top edge, then a "2 screws & lift out" access panel on the lower bout for getting a hand in at the pickups etc?

I'd rather not start putting cutouts on the back.........

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Click and scroll down here..

He reckons you can click the thing in and out-probably some small cabinet magnets in there somewhere to keep it all in place...

we're really throwing away the rulebook now, right?

This is gonna take a bit of thinking......

so far I've shambled round to a Martin 00-17 ish outline, 14th fret neck join, Martin scale length, maybe a pick up the world transducer. Spruce/walnut.

oh yes, no sound hole, a few 1" ports on the top bout and an escape hatch down below the strapjack.......

never bought into the idea of a pinless bridge before, but this might be a reason for one.......

spose I'll have to start with a mould.........

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Rulebook? Wossat, then?

Think aloud,I love to discuss ideas, I do.

'cos I've got a few tricks up my sleeve meself...gonna try a soundport this time, and my new walnut sides that David Dykes sent to me in less than 16 hours look rather interesting...

One thing to think is that there has to be room on the guitar's bottom for the strapjack to be fitted securely to the tailblock and the escape hatch would probably have to be a little above that.

Would the tailbock have to be a little thicker than normal, as support for the lower bout body, because of the access hatch?

It'd be interesting to see how you develop this one.

[QUOTE=martinedwards] access panel?[/QUOTE]
Wade is using one on his current project (has a carved rosette). Maybe you could urge him to post his process ('cause I'm too chicken )?

yeah c'mon Wade!!!

been thinking again (bad move!!)

if I use a PUTW with an external screw on strapjack.... then I don't need access other than the neck bolts.

I COULD make a 3 foot long steel rod that would reach in from the outside through the jack hole to tighten the bolts.......

the bolts theselves could be introduced from the soundports via another rod and some blutac........

and maybe a McPherson style floating fingerboard......

and reso style mesh covers on the sound ports........

I'm going to bed now to dream a little!!

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Martin, you forgot your assistants with the small hands, your pupils in school (or were they Pictsies?)

Wade, PLEASE share!!!

Right, thinking aloud......

the dome of a regular flat-top with the neck angle gives a 5-7 mm height off the soundboard for the top of the saddle. because the strings are more or less parallel wth the top the bridge placement can drift a few inches either way without affecting the height of the strings.

NOW<

with the mcPherson high up fingerboard shennanigans....

does the top take a dive towards the neck join to allow the flying fingerboard to float over it, or is there a steeper angle of attack to the top so the bridge has to be exactly worked out beforehand. and inch forwards and the saddle has to be 2" high?

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For that sort of guitar I'd go with a full Spanish heel, no bolts to try and fiddle with, reinforced with carbon and a truss rod they are never going to need resetting. As for gluing on the bridge, you can always do what I do with the lutes, the traditional way, glue them on before gluing the top to the rim, then rout the saddle slot after.

Colin

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[QUOTE=Colin S] the traditional way[/QUOTE] WHAT?

this is ME we're talking about here Colin!!!

to be honest I really don't trust myself to be accurate enough with the angles to have the Spanish Heel. at least with a bolt on, there is the chance to fine tune stuff by sanding or chiseling the heel.

thanks for the thoughts though

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