My latest steel string guitar is finished, this one is a small bodied (14" LB) guitar, I like to start with a blank sheet of paper with my steel strings but the plantilla, is actually the one I use for my classicals, Torres FE19, thus GC19. Using a 645mm scale and, to make this fit better on the plantilla, a 13 fret to the body.
So, first job is out with the big sheet of paper, draw the outline and the soundhole, mark the scale length on the plan, draw on the bridge outline and then set out the braces. On my steel strings I like the bridge to sit nicely on the X with the rear finger brace, or in this case the only finger brace also to sit under the bridge. I'm also only using one tone bar on this size guitar, and have stolen part of Dave White's idea and added one half of the arm of an X joining the tone bar. I used my usual 'A' braces that pass through openings in the UTB and are inlet into the headblock. As usual in my guitars all braces that meet the X are inletted into it and the rear brace is also inlet into the tone bar. UTB and upper arms of the X are inletted into the linings.
So, here's the plan.
Materials list is:
Back and side: London Plane ( Platanus X hispanica)
Soundboard: WRC
Neck: Curly sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) with ebony/pear/ebony laminates
FB, Bridge, binding: Madagascan rosewood
Purfling: London plane, ebony/pear/ebony
Rosette, headplates: London plane
Bracing: European spruce
Finish: Oil varnish, rubbed out with rottenstone.
I had wondered how the 14" LB size would produce its voice, but on stringing it up I was amazed at the quality and balance of the voice. The overall tone is very rich with very good balance across the board. I had thought that it would bias towards mids and trebles, but as soon as I put the bass E string on I knew that the bass would be full and rich. I'd put it in the top 2 or 3 steel strings I've made, now I'm really pissed off that I can't play it!
So, a few (for that read lots) of pictures.
Colin
