Official Luthiers Forum!

While at NAMM this week I had a conversation with Jay Hostetler of Stewart MacDonald. He informed me that with the current success of the OLF OM, SJ and MJ that they very much wish to continue the series with any and all additions I could contribute. So with that in mind and with the fact that this line of plans has and is directly related to my personal guitar product like line i need to come up with the next plan in the series. I am now working on a couple models to include in my product line to chose but I also thought I would see what membership here would like to see next even if it is outside my product line. So if you have suggestions for a plan set you would like to see me do here is your chance to let me know.

Here what I have in work
M&T bolt-on Classical based on Hauser 46 bracing but with a more contemporary body shape.
A Gibson-ish Jumbo 17" LB 25.4 scale

Something small - O or OO with 12 & 14 fret options.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

I'm with Waddy but I specifically would like to see an O with 12 and 14 fret options.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

See, great minds think alike. I believe an O would be a great addition.

Steve

I am all for the bolt on m&t classical.

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http://www.booneguitars.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephen-Boone-guitar-builder/488208541257210

I just finished two 0 sized guitars, one 12 fret and one 14 fret.
I got the outside size information from the UMGF, and general bracing
layout from some of the pictures there as well. I'm very happy with
how they sound, and my guitar teacher was very positive also.

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Gene

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason- Mark Twain

I'd definitely go for the Gibson-ish Jumbo.
Thanks!
dave

I like the idea of the Gibson AJ-type guitar - maybe something with the short Gibson scale (24 2/4")?
A jumbo design might be nice - like the Martin M/0000 size, or the grand SJ-200.

A Ditson 12-fret would be great.

Gene,
Just in case you do not know the OLF series of plans I speak of are drawn by me on AutoCad, and retailed by Stewart MacDonald. 70% of the our profit from these plans goes to support this forum. You should givve them a try some time. I bet you find them among the best on the market. the SJ and MJ are explisitly my designs the OM is Martin specs but with my bracing and neck design.

So what I am seeking in this post is ideas for the next plan set in the series. This will become an ever growing series of plans retailed at Stewmac. They will be mostly my explisit designs and a few historical plans drafted by me on AutoCad. the intent of these plans is a means to finacially give something back to this forum.

Ive heard quite a few small bodied (some ladder braced) guitars that sounded absolutely terrific of late - the majority were in koa so Im not sure if this wood is especially suited to these guitars or not...it seemed to really work well though!
Id be all for a ladder braced small body... however Im sure there are luthiers out there with building experience, who could chime in to the actual body shape and bracing dimensions and layouts for a specific body style that they have found worked well... they seemed strictly within the parlour sizeframe however,,,
These seem all the rage lately... and to my ear there is good reason for it.. the amount of volume, tone and projection you can achieve with the newer innovations in these parlours is remarkable,,, all in a guitar thats very comfortable to hold and play..
Robert Anderson made an absolutely Fantastic small body koa that sounded as beautiful as it looked.. and it looked purdy!!!!
I must say it was by far the nicest instrument at the Guitars by Hand show in Victoria this year...(to my ear)
He personally made the body design as a hybrid between a couple parlour guitar models..(I believe.. he told me .... although I forget which they were now )
However he may not want to reveal too much about it if he plans to make it a proprietary model -
Im not sure mabye he will chime in here a bit.
I hope so we dont hear enough from him here, and he is such an amazing builder!!!
Cheers
Charlie

Michael,

A BARITONE!! PLEAAAASE....

This would be a pioneering project as there are no formal plans for baritones anywhere. It wouldn't have to be to complex, just a nice 28.5" for B-B tuning on a jumbo body.
Can you tell I have been listening to Don Alder on his Mustapick baritone lately.

Mustapick, Karol, Goodall, and a Payne???? Eh, has a nice ring to it doesn't it?

Ray

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Guitar Building = Continuous Improvement Process

I'm with John and would like to see an AJ.

While you are at it a L-OO would be cool too which might make some of the other OO size requesters happy too.

Thanks for asking Michael!

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Ann Arbor Guitars

something small, possibly for nylons.

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Frank

L-00 would be my request.

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I have been looking (not very hard) for a plan for a Diston (martin style 44). Something similar, but of course your own.

Michael,

Another vote here for Martin 0 in 12 and 14 fret configurations.

Not sure if there are IP issues involved, but I would also love to have
access to plans for something similar to the Collings Baby.

The GAL already publishes a 1937 Gibson L-00 plan.

A happy "MDP SJ" builder,

Eric

Hi,

if I were StewMac I´d think about plans that are not available elsewhere -here comes to my mind (electric) PRS Custom 22 and Custom 24 and their Jazzguitar in addition to some shapes that were posted here. I know of a lot of people here in Germany who are very interested in such plans. BTW: an exccelent and free plan of a Martin OO you can download from Christophe Grellier´s website (or from mine).

Best
Martin

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Martin G.
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www.best-eurospruce.com

Michael, What about a slope D, perhaps with your own input "design"on it.

Lars

I somewhat agree and since the SJ and MJ are my own design and not just renditions of others work or reproductions of historical plans, along with the fact that my personal lutherie and the OLF membership have helped prove the designs is a large part of the success we have had with the plans. That said the OM is not my explicit design, outside of the bracing yet it to has been a big seller for several years and again the membership here as well as my lutherie business has proved it to be a great seller.

So with that said I have decided to do two plans for the next release. First to stay in my personal design scheme I will do the m&t bolt-on modern classical and to please the smaller body fans a 12 fret 0. then later in the year I will do the Super Jumbo and maybe the L-00

Oh and just as a reminder to every one Ameritage always has case to fit explicitly to my custom body shapes like the OLF SJ and MJ. You are always welcome to use other custom case manufactures if you wish but you can know that the Ameritage cases fit perfect because they run proofs through me before they go into production. and the MJ is ready to go.

L-00 plans (and L-0) are available from GAL, so I would think they'd be less of a priority. A good ladder-braced small body would be great!

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

I am forgetting what it was called but for a while there was an OLF plan for a large - Gibsonlike dread. I have the plans and forgive me please Michael I am not sure if you drew these plans or not - they are still packed away here and I am too lazy to look.

But one of the reasons why I never built this guitar was that the lower bout was wider than any of the Hesh's special stash woods that I wanted to use for it. So.... with a Super jumbo consider too how big the plates need to be and that if the guitar is too large it limits the builder in the wood choices that we could use.

I still would like to see an AJ or L-OO and I am wondering that if you decide to go forward with your own designs instead of what others have suggested here why even ask us? No offense intended - it is a legitimate question and of course I would like you to add your superb talents to what I personally am interested in building. Thanks.

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Ann Arbor Guitars

In as far as the OLF plans I know John Watkins drew up an AJ that Brock was having issues getting it to plot to scale and I was going to redraw but there was a bit of conflict over it for some reason that I forget the reason behind so I let it be. I really don't want to get involved with the AJ.

The big Jumbo will most likely require a 3 piece back and top. but we will put a notice about this on the drawing and in the sales description.

Personally I'd love to see a small ladder braced concert size guitar, but I think a jumbo would be more commercially viable

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Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

how about a modified Dread like Somogyi makes...narrower waist for sitting players, yet the same air volume...

L-OO Please.
When will you be finished with it?
2 Weeks?
Great. Thanks!

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Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."