Project Acoustic

[J5shred]

Hey guys just wanted to say im glad to be a part of this forum there seems to be a lot of open minded and knowledgeable people here. I cant wait to share my contributions but all flattery aside. I am a victim of the economy I have a idea for a 7 string acoustic guitar. I love acoustics but im very picky about my guitars and I don't have 1000$ my idea was to make a acoustic out of cheap material just to have something I could play. And if it sounds good, awesome a couple of idea's I had were this.

1.Two peices of carbon fiber supporting the neck, no truss rod. I thought this would be a good idea to keep the neck strong and keep things simple.

2. Electric style bolt on neck why? I thought it would be easier

3. Offset hole. Primary reason is just so I can access the neck and the thought seems more appealing then the standard sound hole.

4. Thin body this seemed like a logical idea in my head, I think the low B string would be a little dull if the chamber to big for the sound to resonate. it's just a idea any opinions are awesome and definitely would be considered.

Im new to this but I have a very basic idea of whats involved in making a guitar i've built body's and done alot of technical work. The neck is going to be based off of my Ibanez RG7321 just for a reference. My biggest thing Is I want the guitar to actually be playable, I cannot stand acoustics that I cant reach the higher frets. I was thinking a Les Paul kinda shape or any other better shape. Any suggestions for how to go about the project to start, or opinions of my idea's would be awesome I would love to see this thing become a reality thanks guys im gonna be recording some tracks today so I will try to get back to the thread a little later.

[J5shred]

any one?

[RodeoTex]

You might try searching for 'acoustic guitar kit' on ebay. Sometimes you can pick them up cheap because people don't realize how hard it is to build an acoustic.
If you are not very familiar with guitar building then building from scratch can be very daunting.
I built a Martin kit and even with a lot of electric guitar building experience it was very difficult and didn't turn out too well.

[J5shred]

Thanks for the reply kind of a disheartening lol but im still gonna try

[otterhound]

Originally Posted by RodeoTex

You might try searching for 'acoustic guitar kit' on ebay. Sometimes you can pick them up cheap because people don't realize how hard it is to build an acoustic.
If you are not very familiar with guitar building then building from scratch can be very daunting.
I built a Martin kit and even with a lot of electric guitar building experience it was very difficult and didn't turn out too well.

This is why I did this in a course with a luthier .

[J5shred]

Originally Posted by otterhound

This is why I did this in a course with a luthier .

hmmmm so it really is something I should attempt with some experience huh? damn, I was psyched to do this. Well I appreciate the input guy's, The consensus seems to be that I would probably need experience in building acoustics before hand. Do you think a electric hollow body style guitar would be a good compromise as a project?

[zombywoof]

I once saw a story about a guy in prison who made a guitar out of popsicle sticks so I guess anything is possible.

But I don't think ya really know what you would be getting into. These ain't electrics where you can bolt a neck on a slab body and then wire up the electronics. Just knowing how to shape and lay out top bracing for an acoustic takes quite a bit of understanding of how a guitar puts out sound. Then there is the kerfing, bridge plate and a whole lotta other stuff.

I know you can pick up nylon string 7 strings pretty cheap - only a few hundred for a used Cordoba or something. I am not 100% sure but you might be able to string them with silk and streel strings. Also, you might check around for a guitar made in Russia where 7 stringers are considered a national folk instrument.

Sorry to be a party pooper but I do wish you luck.

[otterhound]

There is only one way to gain experience . Even if you do this under the supervision of a pro , you still need to be aware of the fact that it may end in failure or less than stellar quality . Even Martin builds a dud once in a while .
Follow your dream . I wish you the best and have no intentions of deterring you .
I do not know where you are located and certainly have no concept of your financial situation . I will recommend to you that you research the option of taking an actual building course with a quality luthier because it cannot hurt .
Go to Lefty Frets and look for my build thread in the building forum to give you an idea of what is involved . I believe that I posted this on the TDPRI as well .
The opportunity to be allowed to not form bad building practices makes it all worthwhile .
In the end , it has been a very gratifying experience for me . I am looking forward to my #2 build in the very near future .
Feel free to PM me with any questions that you may have .