Official Luthiers Forum!

I entered a contest on a cigar box guitar forum, the only requirement was to use a paint can lid as a resonator. They said to try and build it to impress, so I did. I had some maple sides I did not think I would be using, the body has a squat aspect ratio (actually lengthened them on my hot pipe, the neck and tail block was already on.), and a neck blank made from sugar pine I removed from a pallet about when I first started building. It was a one month long contest, I just decided to go for it with two weeks left to go. Needless to say I had some busy nights. Just sort of winged it, the resonator cover was a lot of work but I think it was worth it. I kind of like it and may make a few more (at a more subdued pace) but a little more refined.

I love it Fred. It is very creative

Love to hear a sound clip

_________________
Joe Beaver
Maker of Sawdust

Very cool Fred!!!

_________________
Ann Arbor Guitars

Looks like it was a fun project. I like it.

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Fred

Nice looking guitar. Is the paint can lid the cone or the cover plate?

Ed

Cool!

Very NICE. Once in awhile it is great just doing a project for fun.

very nice!

_________________
http://www.Harvestmoonguitars.com

Gotta love that! Very cool--and the coverplate was definitely worth the effort!

Dave

The lid is the resonator, the cover was a piece of aluminum I had laying around. Would have been easier with a thinner piece but I made due.



I took a piece of fir plywood (how come really old fir gets so hard?) and planned an arc into it. Then I bolted the aluminum to it and beat it with a hammer. Eventually it took shape, then I filed it and sanded it smooth. Drilled the holes around the perimeter, marked the number, drilled them out and took a needle file to get rid of the waste.





A shot of paint (why did I bother sanding it smooth, the paint roughed up the surface anyway) and I came to the conclusion that the work was worth it.

Layered color on the surface, and actually layered. I got some tint from the painters at work that was good for water or oil paint, when I mixed it with the poly I was using I could see many little globules swirling around as I stirred it, was kind of neat. Tried it on the surface, did the orange on it and did not like how it looked so I stripped it off. Took the tint, mixed the yellow with water and let it dry. Took the poly and wiped it on. Did the same for the orange and black and then scraped it off with a blade. A little sanding then some more coats of poly. I would have liked to put more on and level and buff it but no time. Still not too bad.

Sounds quiet and tinny but I have not done anything to see if it can sound better yet.

I have had some positive response on the guitar as an art piece, seems it wood look good on a wall. I have a couple of resonators I picked up a while back, I might make a larger size copy of this one, hopefully it will sound better. I did learn a few things building this one and the next one should be better all around. But that is for a later date, too many projects on the go already. Thanks for all the kind words.

Thats a pretty sweet looking "Flame maple" resonator.

Very cool.

_________________
michael propsom
www.propsomguitars.com