Official Luthiers Forum!

I've been toying with the idea of making a guitar with a crimped soundboard like an old mandolin. The concept sounds like a cheap archtop but you really couldn't classify it as an archtop. Here is a picture of an old mandolin with a bent/crimped soundboard: http://thinmanmusic.com/ConsBwlbk.jpg

It would make the soundboard really strong, I think, and I'm just curious to see if anyone else has already built a guitar with a top like this.

Has anyone?

Selmer Maccaferri guitars were made like that, I believe the folding / pleating is often called a "pliage" among Selmer enthusiasts. Michael Collins is a member of this forum and a respected builder of Selmer style guitars, perhaps he can give you some details.

You might also be interested in this book http://www.rfcharle.com/HTML/LivreSelmerangl.html

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Hey thanks for the info, but looking at pictures and scanning plans for selmer guitars doesn't show any kind of pleat behind the bridge. Maybe its much more subtle than on the old mandolins. I'll try to talk to Michael Collins about it.

Thanks