Multi-Scale Guitars

[John_H]

Thanks for the nice words Chuck. This has been a fun experiment so far. There's really not much info on these, so I started out with the simple one to educate myself. I would always rather learn from my own experience. I've been aware for years, and was always intrigued, but most of the examples that I saw were pointy, over the top, ostentatious displays of guitar construction. Scary f'n things that weren't my style at all. It seemed to me that it would be a better tool for a jazz player, so I designed accordingly. I nicked the basic body shape from an old Martin electric that belongs to a friend. He owns dozens of very nice guitars, but I always found myself gravitating towards the Martin. Those sexy curves are very ergonomic, and the simple design I think sets it apart from the field.

[Jason Rodgers]

I'm feeling better every day!
The pickups are done, minus some polishing, and gluing the covers on. The single string bridges from Rondo are a good deal. Not the most attractive, but they'll do.

Great to see you back in the shop!

This is looking great! I LOVE those pickup covers and rings. You formed those yourself, yes?

I'm up in the air on bridge solutions right now. For my 7-string, I made a wooden base plate and used the Wilkinson Graphtech saddles, and it worked well. With my latest, I used phenolic, and it's not working out. Height-adjustment set-screws on the saddles dig in and scratch it, and I think it's sucking sustain. A guitar-building friend, who's the CAD/CAM CNC guy at his day job, is looking at some SketchUp models I made of my bridge design to mill out in aluminum. As you say, though, these Rondo bridges are a ridiculous deal for $5 each, especially when the ABMs are like $20-$25 each. And Novax Guitars makes something like this (that Agile probably copied) that he uses on his instruments.

Keep up the good work!

[John_H]

Great to see you back in the shop!

This is looking great! I LOVE those pickup covers and rings. You formed those yourself, yes?

I'm up in the air on bridge solutions right now. For my 7-string, I made a wooden base plate and used the Wilkinson Graphtech saddles, and it worked well. With my latest, I used phenolic, and it's not working out. Height-adjustment set-screws on the saddles dig in and scratch it, and I think it's sucking sustain. A guitar-building friend, who's the CAD/CAM CNC guy at his day job, is looking at some SketchUp models I made of my bridge design to mill out in aluminum. As you say, though, these Rondo bridges are a ridiculous deal for $5 each, especially when the ABMs are like $20-$25 each. And Novax Guitars makes something like this (that Agile probably copied) that he uses on his instruments.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks Jason! I'm still taking things easy, but there's plenty to do. The weather has been so hot here that I've held off on starting the finishes on several guitars. When it's 105, It's pretty hard to work with some products. Yesterday was the first day below 100 degrees in weeks.

Yes those are my covers, and rings. The pickups are angled at 13.5 degrees. That's what the 23rd fret would have been. It's pretty safe to say, those are the only two on the planet, but if needed I could reproduce them accurately. After I see how they sound, I'll post something in the pickup forums.

I've got some ideas for bridges, but I'll save that until I test the concept.

Thanks for riding along on this. You've been a big help.

[Jason Rodgers]

Thanks Jason! I'm still taking things easy, but there's plenty to do. The weather has been so hot here that I've held off on starting the finishes on several guitars. When it's 105, It's pretty hard to work with some products. Yesterday was the first day below 100 degrees in weeks.

Yes those are my covers, and rings. The pickups are angled at 13.5 degrees. That's what the 23rd fret would have been. It's pretty safe to say, those are the only two on the planet, but if needed I could reproduce them accurately. After I see how they sound, I'll post something in the pickup forums.

I've got some ideas for bridges, but I'll save that until I test the concept.

Thanks for riding along on this. You've been a big help.

Sweet Jebus, you must be a bit south of the 45th parallel, cause up here in Orygun summer ended abruptly over Labor Day.

I'm also torn on the angled pickups. It just looks right, of course, but seeing guys like Toone and Strandberg lay em straight, I'm not convinced it's necessary. I certainly don't buy any argument that it's necessary from a tone perspective.

[Jason Rodgers]

What say you, John? How's progress?

I've been able to sneak out to the shop a bit and get this thing a little further along.

[Chuck H]

That stain job is really cool. I think a gloss finish would suit it better... But it's not my guitar. Definitely drawing that line that says "artistic" instead of "weird" I like it

[Jason Rodgers]

That stain job is really cool. I think a gloss finish would suit it better... But it's not my guitar. Definitely drawing that line that says "artistic" instead of "weird" I like it

Thanks, Chuck! It's hand-rubbed (and sanded back) black TransTint on a one-piece maple body, 5 or 6 coats of oil, and kissed with 4-ought steel wool for a matte finish. Gloss would be sexy, but I'm not set up for spraying.

[John_H]

What say you, John? How's progress?

I've been able to sneak out to the shop a bit and get this thing a little further along.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]36589[/ATTACH]

Cool! That thing's neat.

I've been busy being a carpenter, and that kind of crap. Some racing, and a little work for a promoter, along with repair, and setup for a shop here locally. There are some neat things happening over here these days. I'm enjoying being busy for a change.

The guitars have moved forward. I came up with a design for a head stock that I think looks nice with the lamination, and provides a natural shape for the 4 X 3 configuration. The body is stained, but I'm stalled for now. I need to buy a new airbrush to replace the piece of crap that I've got. I want something nice. I have bid on a couple, but haven't had much luck. The tuners arrived for the seven string today. That was the only thing I lacked to complete it. The red one, and it both should make some progress this weekend.

[Jason Rodgers]

Looking good, John! I like that headstock shape, with the three steps. I can see that on a Deco-ish archtop. It'll be hard to decide which guitar I like better!

Something to consider with regards to nuts/string guides: On my 7-string, I cut a shelf in the little triangle area north of the zero-fret and installed a nut parallel to the zero-fret. This required cutting the string slots at an angle, which was a little tricky to keep the string spacing correct, but that's generally what people do who build multi-scale guitars. On the two 6-strings (the black maple guitar above is the second), I'm just putting the nut in the usual location, at the end of the fretboard. This is a much easier installation, and cutting the string slots is just like a normal guitar. With the walnut-topped guitar (pictured), however, I found there is one little issue. The problem isn't the short distance the strings span across that little triangle area between the zero-fret and the nut: breakover is good, string pull is straight, and even when bending, the strings move across the zero-fret slightly, then go back into place. I've seen other builders do this, too. The problem is that the strings are cutting into the nickel-silver zero-fret. I bought some stainless steel fret wire and plan to replace the zero-fret on both guitars. Moving forward, I'll be using stainless on all zero-frets. This is something I should have anticipated, as I've seen stainless recommended for the zero-fret over the years by folks on the MIMF.

[John_H]

I finished the red one this weekend. This thing is pretty cool. I didn't find the fret board to be awkward. It seems quite comfortable. The neck feels great, and intonation wasn't difficult. I'm really happy that I went this route.

[tedmich]

Nice job! Hows the neck attached??

[John_H]

Nice job! Hows the neck attached??

Thanks! It's a set neck. I save money on screws that way.

[tedmich]

Hide glue, wood glue, epoxy, urethane (!) ?

[John_H]

Wood glue, Original Titebond.

[Chuck H]

Kudos John! Executed with your usual artistic sensibilities, practical ergonomics, economy of frivolity and exceptional eloquence. My wife asked me why I was smiling so broadly. I was looking at the pics.