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Hey all,
Just strung this one up tonight. It was an experimental guitar, in that, the body size is very small (it's my baritone uke body) and it has a Virzi plate in it. I wanted to make myself a small guitar for traveling, so this is it. It has a surprisingly big voice for such a small instrument. I'll see if I can make a sound clip to share.

The back and sides are osage orange. Top is Lutz spruce. Neck is mahogany. Rosette is osage. So is bridge and bridge plate. Binding is curly maple. Bracing is standard X, but with another X below instead of the usual two diagonal bars. Scale length is 19-3/4". 14 frets to the body, 19 frets total. I used a 28' radius on the entire top. Nut width is 1-3/4". String spacing at saddle is 2-1/8".

I intended to tune it ADGCEA, but the only strings I have right now are mediums, and I thought the tension was too high, so until I get some lights or extra lights, I'm tuning it to EADGBE. Works fine.









Thanks for looking,

_________________
Regards,
Phillip Patton

http://www.pattonblades.com

The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price has faded.

https://hoosierbladesmith.wordpress.com

Very nice. Looks like a fun little guitar to travel with. I really dig the rosette too.

Phillip, that is just plain cool! I love the front and side views. The only critique I'm going to offer (and this is purely my personal taste) is that I'd like to see the pores filled level on the back of that head stock. But it's not my guitar...it's yours. So my opinion doesn't matter except for input and encouragement on the next one. I think you've done a great job on this little axe. I really like it!
I'd love to hear a sound clip and I'm sure most other members would, too. Especially considering the virzi plate. Please post one, if possible. Good work!

Patrick

Man!
That rosette is really nice!
Sweet lil axe!

I love little guitars. And that rosette is very cool.

Mke

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Mike Lindstrom

Very nice! Where did you find the Osage Orange?

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

nice craftsmanship. How did you figure out fret placement? I'd like to make a child's guitar for a friend's kid but am not sure how to make a shorter length neck.

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"Preoccupation with an effect gives it power and enhances the error"
from "Your Owner's Manual" by Burt Hotchkiss.

I don't care if the pores are filled, for this one anyway. Now that I know it turned out fairly well, I'm sure I'll be making more, with better fit and finish.




This stuff came from my own back yard (from a hedge row that was planted in the 1800's along the river), but I also got a whole bunch more by putting a wanted ad in the paper. The biggest trees I've found I got from an Amish gentleman who's trees were going to be bulldozed when the county widened the road by his place...
I know a guy who has a portable sawmill, so I supervised the milling, trying to maximize the quartersawn material produced.




I used my 660mm Stewmac fret ruler. The 5th fret became the nut, thus the 17th became the 12th, etc.


In case you can't tell, the rosette is osage end grain. I took a slice off the end of a log and routed a circle out. Very fragile, so I soaked it in CA.

Thanks for all the comments and questions!

_________________
Regards,
Phillip Patton

http://www.pattonblades.com

The bitterness of poor quality lingers long after the sweetness of low price has faded.

https://hoosierbladesmith.wordpress.com