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Hi guys - I have this lovely set of rosewood, its about 13 3/4" safely x 21" - sides 4 7/8" x 32 3/4", I know its a small guitar - which suits me - I love parlors and small to mid bodies.
Now Im obviously going to do some research - I have ordered all the small body plans from LMI - Im planning on purchasing the OM plans here from OLF {which I know wont suit these dimensions}
but I know what would take me a whole day of internet sifting, some of you guys could belt out in about 45 seconds. Could you make a few suggestions, that would put me on the right track?
Im looking to use as much of the wood as possible - but I still want it to be a model I like.
Cheers
Charliewood

I found this for Martins
Size   Frets   Width &nbs p;   Depth    Length  ;   Year
----   -----   ----- &nbs p;   -----    ------  ;   ---------------------
O      12   &nb sp;  13 1/2    4 3/16   19 1/8    1852
O      14   &nb sp;  13 1/2    4 1/4    18 3/8    1934 (first year for 14 frets)
OO     12    &n bsp; 14 1/8    4 1/16   19 5/8    1877
OO     14    &n bsp; 14 5/16   4 1/8    18 7/8    1934 (first year for 14 frets)
OOO    12     & nbsp;15        4 1/16   20 7/16   1902
OOO    14     & nbsp;15        4 1/8    19 3/8    1934 (first year for 14 frets)
OM     14    &n bsp; 15        4 1/8    19 3/8    1929 (discontinued 1934)
D      12   &nb sp;  15 5/8    4 3/4    20 15/16 1931 (available 1916 from Ditson)
D      14   &nb sp;  15 5/8    4 7/8    20     & nbsp;  1934

So I guess that answers my question somewhat - but Im open to non Martin suggestions also.
Plus alot of these guitars may not be so easy to get plans for, and Id feel much better working from plans for my first acoustic guitar at least!
Cheers
Charliewood

This would be very nice wouldnt it.charliewood38851.8933796296

If all else fails, a hollow body carved top electric.

Al

charliewood,

Yes that would be very nice. May as well just start right at the top!

_________________
now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

Well, it sounds like you're pretty sold on a small bodied guitar, Charlie, and I have to admit that I too love the sound of those little guitars. But I thought I'd just pass along a little tip that I picked up.

One can quite effectively increase the lower bout dimensions on either a top or back set by doing the following: join the plates, then cut them to the guitar's approximate outline, ignoring the missing outer edges of the lower bout. Your offcuts will provide you with enough left over where you can trim two fat pieces from the waist area of the offcuts. Take these two offcuts, flip them around, and join them to the flat spots along the lower bouts. I've found that I usually get the best grain match if I take an offcut, flip it over, and join it to the opposite plate.

I've done this with both tops and backs. Here is a shot of a guitar I built with an undersized claro walnut back where I used this technique:



Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

Mike that makes a lot of sense. Very efficient use of wood.

Al

Michael,

A very interesting solution. Thanks!

[QUOTE=Michael McBroom] Well, it sounds like you're pretty sold on a small bodied guitar, Charlie, and I have to admit that I too love the sound of those little guitars. But I thought I'd just pass along a little tip that I picked up.

One can quite effectively increase the lower bout dimensions on either a top or back set by doing the following: join the plates, then cut them to the guitar's approximate outline, ignoring the missing outer edges of the lower bout. Your offcuts will provide you with enough left over where you can trim two fat pieces from the waist area of the offcuts. Take these two offcuts, flip them around, and join them to the flat spots along the lower bouts. I've found that I usually get the best grain match if I take an offcut, flip it over, and join it to the opposite plate.

I've done this with both tops and backs. Here is a shot of a guitar I built with an undersized claro walnut back where I used this technique:



Best,

Michael[/QUOTE]


Ahhh HAAAAAAAAAAA!
Very good suggestion, my novice mind was running towards a 3 piece back with another type of wood in the middle,,.... but this makes alot of sense!!!
Thanks alot!
Also Toddstock and everyone else - very helpful tips! Exxxxxxxxxxxcellent Smithers, my mind is racing with the possibilities now - I wanted to show a really nice set of lacewood I got - it Bolivian, I believe, and more of a teardrop shape with regard to the figure spots than just the more boring oval which is mainly what I have seen in the past.
Cheers
Charliewood

First off my camera sucks - its like 10 pixels, LOL - its horrible - 2Meg, andhow this will give you a rough idea of what I am working with, also I wanted to know if the lacewood paterns on my set are common I have never seen them like this but that doesnt mean anything?



My little beauty, Thanks Jeff.

The proposed fretboards #2 snakewood - thanks Brad!

The lacewood pattern - I like it - Ive never heard a lacewood guitar I dont think - tonally what does it equate to? Maple? feels light!

My sweetie pie and inspiration

My muscle

My mess

more mess

still more mess

what a view though

Our deck in progress - a bit of a mess but we just finished the fountain in the corner, I wanted to have moving water right outside my shop door for good vibrations, our deck is massive and replanting keeps Erin busy in the springtime thats for sure - she loves it.

cheers
charliewoodcharliewood38852.5568518518

Now that we've seen your beautiful Erin, the dog and the deck, how about a pic of your sweet face pal so we don't start to think that ya look anything like ya bandsaw?!!!!!Wadda ya say guys? Charlie's pic!Charlie's pic!Charlie's pic!

Awesome wood BTW, HOW DOES THAT DOG SOUND?

Cheers

Serge

Hes abeauty - deep rich growl and nice open mid range with lots of overtones everytime and ambulance goes by! LOL
Cheers
Charliewood
PS I will see if I can dig up a pic - remember you asked for it!
This is supposed to be a family forum - that sort of thing can scar a person for life!

Hmmm....my post disappeared...

Nice Doggie!

That picture of the Martin is a OO....your set is too small for that, but a O or size 5 would be great for that set of BRW. Speaking of the BRW, it looks a lot like Pau Ferro! Don Williams38852.6585648148

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Yeah that doggie is a good'un, not quite as good as his poppa {who was the smartest and most amazing dog I have ever owned, or even seen} but very close.
Thats funny the web I got the picture off of - listed that model as an 0-45 - so I dunno.
Cheers
Charliewood

Charlie, will ya get us a picayou face please?

And like Todd said, we need to see more sawdust in that shop of yours, you don't want us to call you NEAT FREAK LIKE hESH HUH?

You asked for it

on the right, in better days
A bit of an old picture - but I just grabbed the first pic of me with a guitar I could find.
Cheers
Charliewoodcharliewood38853.5334259259

Well i'll say this, Charlie, it's a whole lot more hair that i could handle! WTG bud, wasn't so hard huh?

Hey Lance, that's a pic worth of the bio page. wada ya saya chief?

Sergy

Ha - thats nothing!!!
I have been growing my hair for about 6-7 years since - Im finally at the breaking point -
But I wanted to get it as long as possible before I cut it, because I am gonna give it to the people who makes cancer wigs for kids,
I figure some little girl will want a long hair one - Its down to my butt right now and downright unmanageable!!!!
But My girlfriends hairdresser said hewill give it a trim abnd then whack it all off and donate it to the foundation that does that stuff - I say hurry the heck up! I cant stand it anymore!
Cheers
Charliewig
As soon as its cut Im gonna start all over again - my hair grows fast - might as well put it to work!

[QUOTE=charliewood]A bit of an old picture...[/QUOTE]
Looks like an earnest young man...perhaps considering how he could build a guitar much better than this....

So, what sort of music were you and your boys playing?

[QUOTE=CarltonM] [QUOTE=charliewood]A bit of an old picture...[/QUOTE]
Looks like an earnest young man...perhaps considering how he could build a guitar much better than this....

So, what sort of music were you and your boys playing? [/QUOTE]

Whitney Houston,
Nahh, ....That was sort of a Rush/Led Zeppelin-ish originals project - our drummer was fantastic.
Cheers
Charliewood
If only I knew then what I know now................

Don W, I looked it up, cause I was curious as to why the guitar would be mislabled on the webpage when it was the profile - and its not because I doubted you - upon further reflection I was like that IS a OO-45 style, so I sifted to the page and lo and behold its an O-45 thats a proportionately minuiaturized OO-45
Cool huh?
heres the excerpt
This was also the same year that Martin was busy making a limited amount of their presentation grade 0-45 guitars (42 to be exact, available for the purchase price of $155). This 12-fret guitar's back and sides are constructed of Brazilian rosewood, and the top is made of German Spruce, featuring a shellac finish. This 0-45's top, back, and sides are outlined in pearl. The 24-inch scale fingerboard has bar frets and is inlaid with snowflake position markers. The headstock sports the famous torch inlay and engraved Waverly tuners with ivoroid buttons. The size 0 model has a smaller yet proportionate body shape, which gives the instrument a beautiful balanced sound that projects a loud, commanding tone
Cheers
Charliewoodcharliewood38857.5936805556