Official Luthiers Forum!
http://luthiersforum.com/forum/

My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=38223		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Mike Baker [ Sun Nov 11, 2012 5:06 pm ]
Post subject:  My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
Hey, all . I have been working on a stage acoustic I'm calling my Faux Acoustic. I recieved swome interest here and in the electric forum for pics when it is completed, so for those of you interested, I will post pics here as well as a link to this thread in the electric forum.
Without further ado:

Image
Image
Image
Image
Author:  Mike Baker [ Sun Nov 11, 2012 5:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
Image
Image
Image
Author:  Mike Baker [ Sun Nov 11, 2012 5:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
Image
Image
Image

Sound clip.
https://www.box.com/s/7jbddw1ttcprkm2zl971
Author:  meddlingfool [ Sun Nov 11, 2012 5:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
The Fauxcoustic!
Author:  Parser [ Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
Interesting - does it have an under saddle pickup?
Author:  nyazzip [ Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
it actually sounds quite convincing.....details please? pickup type/chambered?
Author:  Chris Pile [ Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
OK, I listened and am reasonably impressed.

Details of the build now, or you'll be sorry! pfft
Author:  Mike Baker [ Sun Nov 11, 2012 8:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
Thanks for the interest, all.
It's a braced spruce top...
Image

....with a fully chambered white ash body.

Image

Pickup and electronics are the Schatten SBT and Fishman Powerjack endpin pre.

Image

I wanted a stage acoustic that sounded good through an amp or PA, and as simple as I could make it.
Author:  klooker [ Sun Nov 11, 2012 8:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
Very cool, simple & elegant. [clap] [clap] [clap]

Kevin Looker
Author:  Chris Pile [ Mon Nov 12, 2012 12:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
I like it.
I will add one to my "build it" list....
Author:  nyazzip [ Mon Nov 12, 2012 2:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
was the top as thin as a "real" flat top.....?
Author:  Mike Baker [ Mon Nov 12, 2012 12:45 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
nyazzip wrote:
was the top as thin as a "real" flat top.....?


That's hard to say, isn't it? I don't think there's a standard, is there?
That said, I thinned it to .118", which is probably a little thicker than most. This is the first acoustic type instrument I've ever done, so I opted for what I thought was a little thicker top with braces thinned as much as I dared. Assuming top thickness is relative to body size, the body is an L-00.
Author:  Lincoln Goertzen [ Tue Nov 13, 2012 12:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
Great job, Mike!

I have to ask- does it seem as though the bridge is about an inch farther north than looks "right" on an acoustic body? I'm sure you have a really good reason for this, it just looks slightly out of place to my eyes. Not to be critical, just wondering.
Author:  David Murray [ Tue Nov 13, 2012 2:13 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
Lincoln Goertzen wrote:
Great job, Mike!

I have to ask- does it seem as though the bridge is about an inch farther north than looks "right" on an acoustic body? I'm sure you have a really good reason for this, it just looks slightly out of place to my eyes. Not to be critical, just wondering.


I have built one similar to this, and originally designed it, like this one, to be 16 frets to the body. More neck outside of the body = a shorter space from the neck joint to the bridge. In order to even out the look, I shortened the upper bout a bit. I chickened out though, and ended up making it 14 frets to the body. Congrats Mike!
Author:  Mike Baker [ Tue Nov 13, 2012 12:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
Lincoln Goertzen wrote:
Great job, Mike!

I have to ask- does it seem as though the bridge is about an inch farther north than looks "right" on an acoustic body? I'm sure you have a really good reason for this, it just looks slightly out of place to my eyes. Not to be critical, just wondering.

Not to worry.
Yeah, the look is a little different, but I like it quite a bit, and most people who've see it like the look as well.
The reason I built it that way was to have the neck joined at the 16th, like many electric guitars. This guitar was designed as a sort of crossover between the two. I have some physical problems that cause issues when I try to play a standard depth acoustic. Even a small one. So I was looking to combine the comfort of a thinner electric body and a decent acoustic sound through an amp. I also enjoy playing lead when I can, so another consideration was easier access to higher frets. I didn't alter the body to compensate because I wanted as much "belly" vibrating behind the bridge as I could get.
Who knows? It might catch on. I bet when the 14 fret dred was introduced a lot of folk who played 12 fretters said similar("Wow, that looks strange"). In fact, there's still a bit of bias/opinionated preference between lovers of each type.
Any time there's a change in what we percieve as "normal", it kind of looks strange to our eyes. I don't see it as any more that that. And I don't have a problem being a little "strange".
Author:  nyazzip [ Tue Nov 13, 2012 12:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
Quote:
I have some physical problems that cause issues when I try to play a standard depth acoustic. Even a small one.

....and would that physical issue be known in Western medicine as beergutius giganticus? i, too, suffer from that
:)
Author:  Mike Baker [ Tue Nov 13, 2012 1:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
nyazzip wrote:
Quote:
I have some physical problems that cause issues when I try to play a standard depth acoustic. Even a small one.

....and would that physical issue be known in Western medicine as beergutius giganticus? i, too, suffer from that
:)


LOL! No, but my potatogutius giganticus probably doesn't help any. :lol: I have nerve damage in both of my arms and hands, as well as a shoulder joint that is basically crumbling. So the shift in arm/shoulder position to reach over the thickness of an acoustic body can be quite painful if the position is maintained for very long.
Author:  Lincoln Goertzen [ Tue Nov 13, 2012 9:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
Thanks, Mike. I figured it was a geometry thing. I don't think it looks bad at all, just different, like you say. Different is good, when done well, like yours. [:Y:]
Author:  WudWerkr [ Tue Nov 13, 2012 9:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
I Love it , Simple Elegance ! Beautifull work and sound ! [clap]
Author:  Mike Baker [ Wed Nov 14, 2012 8:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
Lincoln, Wud, thanks so much.
Wud, I like your avatar. I think I can relate. wow7-eyes
Author:  Mike Baker [ Sat Nov 24, 2012 6:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
I thought about it for a while, played around with that back panel, moving it around to see what various sized openings did to the tone, and decided I'd try a sound port/sound hole. Here's how she looks now.
Image
Image
Image
I also did some more work on the bracing through the back panel access, thinning the tone bars down some more.
I think it sounds pretty good acoustically now. It's not a cannon, and definitely doesn't have the low end boom of a good dread, but it's volume is loud enough that it holds it's own with other acoustic guitars, and it's tone, which is pretty balanced with more of a midrange sound, cuts through well. It's definitely not got the richness of a true full bodied acoustic, and I think the bracing probably has a lot to do with that as well, but it is pleasing to the ears, IMO. It is what it is, and I'm happy with that, all those considerations included.
I will post a soundclip hopefully some time tommorrow evening, for those of you who might be interested.
It remains to be seen how the soundports will affect feedback through an amp, but since I play in church and am not close to cranking it anyway I've experienced no issues as of yet.
Author:  Mark Groza [ Sat Nov 24, 2012 6:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
Looks nice! I like the Ash body [:Y:]
Author:  Mike Baker [ Sat Nov 24, 2012 6:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
Thanks, Mark.
I like the ash as well. I think the grain is quite lovely, and I love working with it. The white ash that I use can be quite heavy, but for an application like this one, that's not a problem.
Author:  Robbie_McD [ Sat Nov 24, 2012 7:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
That is really sweet!
Innovative too!
Like how the headstock and cutaway shapes are complimentary.
Well done!

Rob
Author:  Mike Baker [ Sat Nov 24, 2012 7:11 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: My Faux Acoustic is finished! Pics inside!
Thaks, Rob!
Page 1 of 2 All times are UTC - 5 hours
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/