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I've done more armrests than I can count now, and they have all been at a 45° angle to the top. But I was looking at how my arm crosses the lower bout while playing a guitar the other day, and that angle doesn't make sense. My arm appears to cross at a much shallower angle. I have also monitored several other people playing the guitar, and noticed the exact same thing.

Most people seem to use a 45° angle and it works just fine (the truth is that breaking that edge in any way makes a huge difference), but I have seen some people using different angles. In fact, I noticed on the R. Taylor website that their armrest is actually at a 30° angle to the top, which frankly makes more sense.

So what angle are you using? Any thoughts?

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If you don't have to reach over your head to turn the knobs, your amp is too small.

I have seen a couple guitars with the top bent down in the lower bout, this kind of angle looks good and is very comfortable it is probably only 10 or 15 degrees maximum. I have wondered if this would be easier to do than a bevel.

Fred

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Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I use 45, but am considering dropping some to about 30 or so .. it definitely feels just as good or better, all depends on your arm angle while playing

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Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

I haven't made an instrument with an armrest yet, but I've been thinking about it. Obviously the ideal angle depends, to some extent, on the size and shape of the body and the way you hold it. A 6" deep ABG probably needs a different angle to a 4" deep... whatever. If you have an instrument of the same size and shape, you could find the ideal angle (for you) by sticking a piece of stiff card to it using blu-tack or play-dough and pressing your forearm against it in your normal playing position. Then you measure the angle.

I just tried it.

On a jumbo shaped ABG 17"1/2 wide and 4"3/4 deep at it's widest I got an angle of 36°.

On a 'Dread' 15"3/4 wide and 4"3/4 deep I got an angle of 18°.

Quite surprising.

I have done a few with about 45° angle but majority of my builds are 90°

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Peter M.
Cornerstone Guitars
http://www.cornerstoneukes.com

I've just did the one at 45 because that's the router bit I have but I've seen others at different angles. But are you planning on make the ribrest still at 45?
At this point I'm planning to keep building them. They sure do feel nice and people who tried them seem to like them.
Larry anyway you could do a tutorial also on how you do yours for us?

Why put a bevel? Why not put a nice radius instead?
The guitar is so nicely curved it seems that a flat bevel is not feng shui.


(oops_sign - did I ruffle any feathers? My apologies if I did.)

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

The radius wouldn't have the same feel as a bevel. At least I don't think so.

Chris,
That's true. It doesn't feel the same as a bevel.
I think it feels better. Those that have played a radiused bevel like it a lot.

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"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

I like the feel of 45 degrees, which is convenient, because it is (relatively) easy to do. I like the look of the bevel also, i don't want everything on the guitar to be blumphy, i like it to have some facets.

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Jordan Aceto
Ithaca, NY

A lot of the bevels are compound angles and not just a 45 too. If you draw your top curve and your side curve and carve to it you won't have a simple angled bevel. That really seems the way to do it if you want to get a nice smooth curve to the bevel I think. And that's the method I'm going to try next. I think it's the Kevin Ryan method if I'm not mistaken or a take off on it . I'll have to ask Todd L.
Check this out to see what I'm talking about:
http://www.luthiercom.org/phpBB3/viewto ... 606#p21606
You can use a 45 router bit to hog off a lot of the material and then shape to the finish line.