Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm considering building a guitar with the modifications used in the 000 Norman Blake sold by Martin. This would be my first guitar build so I would like to start with a kit as a base if there is one that could be customized for this.

This is my understanding of the changes made to the Norman Blake 000:

- OM 14 fret body
- 12 fret neck
- bridge shifted down toward the center of the lower bout to maintain scale length using short neck
- Forward shifted X bracing (scalloped)
- 00 size sound hole instead of a 000 sixed sound hole (to accomodate the forward shifted X bracing
- Wide neck (though I probably prefer a normal width neck to fit my daughters better)

Anyone make a kit like this or do some folks (maybe Martin) pull parts to make up a kit like this? It probably makes no sense to buy a basic kit as it would have the wrong neck and probably have the wrong sized sound hole in the wrong position.

While I'm on this topic, has anyone ever built a deeper bodied 000 or OM? does it improve the sound? If so, how?......more bass?, louder?

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

Talk to John Hall of Blues Creek. If anyone can assemble a kit for you custom, he can.

Thanks everyone. I'm contacting John ans see what he can come up with.

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Formerly known as Adaboy.......

If for some reason John can't help you out, PM me.