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8 String Fan Fret Guitar
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Author:  Pat Hawley [ Wed Jan 23, 2013 11:49 am ]
Post subject:  8 String Fan Fret Guitar
Hi all,

I haven't posted a picture of a guitar in a while but this one is pretty unique. It's an 8 string fan fret that I just strung up last night around mid-night. Sounds pretty good. Here are a few specs:

Body shape: Small Jumbo
Top Wood: Lutz Spruce
Back/Sides: EI Rosewood
Scales: 27.5" bass side, 23.5" treble side
9 gauge high string tuned to "A"; 60 gauge low string tuned to "B"

and here's the picture:

Image

The trickiest part of the build was the head as it twists due to the angled nut. I couldn't figure out a way of rough sawing this and ended up using my thickest neck blank available and attacking the head area with chisels, rasps and planes until enough wood was removed.

Cheers,
Pat
Author:  Josh H [ Wed Jan 23, 2013 11:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: 8 String Fan Fret Guitar
Very nice work Pat. I'm feeling inspired...
Author:  lactose [ Wed Jan 23, 2013 3:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 8 String Fan Fret Guitar
Love it.
Author:  TonyKarol [ Wed Jan 23, 2013 3:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 8 String Fan Fret Guitar
Just curious Pat .. what did the bracing look like on the top .... pretty severe X angle on the top leg ????
Author:  DannyV [ Wed Jan 23, 2013 3:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 8 String Fan Fret Guitar
Very cool Pat! Is it for you or someone else? I'd love to try one just to see if I need one. :) The 6 sting variety that is as I am still trying to figure out to do with that many. Or maybe more would be better.

Cheers,
Danny
Author:  Pat Hawley [ Wed Jan 23, 2013 4:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 8 String Fan Fret Guitar
Thanks for the comments. The guitar is for someone else. I can't play it - as other have said, six strings are more than enough for me!

Tony, here is a picture of the bracing:

Image

and on an angle:

Image

I wanted to err on the side of being over braced so as you can see, I put in another fairly big brace that crossed over the bass leg of the X brace and the tone bars. Also, in drawing up the plans I approximately centered the saddle between the braces. I think it might have been better to focus on centering the bridge pins between the braces. With the bridge being on such an angle, the shift between the saddle and the bridge pins means that had I centered on the bridge pins, I could have come down more with both the treble side leg of the main X brace and the extra brace that crosses the tone bars. I'm not sure if it would have made and difference in the end, but it would have put the X brace a little closer to its conventional position. I didn't realize this possibility until I drilled the holes for the bridge pins and saw that they weren't centered on the bridge plate (duh!).

Pat
Author:  ZekeM [ Wed Jan 23, 2013 5:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 8 String Fan Fret Guitar
cool guitar pat! thats a pretty extreme fan. Do you normally have such a large difference between the first and last strings when you do a fan fret? or was that the customers idea? It just seems like that could make it very difficult to play. idunno
Author:  Pat Hawley [ Wed Jan 23, 2013 6:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: 8 String Fan Fret Guitar
Thanks Zeke. Three inches difference in scale is indeed on the extreme side for the fret fanning. However there are 8 strings so that accounts for some of the difference compared to the difference you would find on a six string. The main reason, however, is that the design criteria set by the customer was to be able to keep the guitar tuned in fourths i.e. to be able to have a low "B" string on the base side and a high "A" string on the treble side. So I felt I that needed the long and short scales respectively to achieve that. It does present some challenges to play but if the guitar is held with the head held high (like you would hold a classical guitar) it's not too bad.

Pat
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