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What would you do with this? This is a guitar for myself (#2) but I didn't notice something shifted until I trimmed the top and back. I don't think I can salvage the top and back if I take it apart and reglue it.

I think I have to live with the lower bout being assymetrical or scrap it. I'm open to suggestions

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Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

Well, if you can't salvage the top and back... there's two suggestions I would have...

1- You can redraw an OM, a 000, a parlour or something like that. If you really want a Dread, okay, but do it anyway, and keep it for the next project.

2- Buy new top and back, or maybe try to glue extra pieces from top and back scraps, if you miss some meat to redo a Dread.

Good Luck,
Francis

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

I think it's a nice shape.
Just come up with an excuse why you did it that way.
Say you wanted boomier trebles or something.

It wouldn't be the first asymmetrical guitar I've seen. I believe Bruce Sexauer built one. Clinton

I suggest setting it somewhere where it's clearly visible to you for a few days. If it doesn't drive you crazy after a week I'd say you'll be able to live with it as a guitar.

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Evan McCartney

Forge ahead. For most of us our first few are a collection of interesting mistakes. Just take note of how not to do it again and press on.

My second guitar turned out a little off but it sounds great and it's been sitting in my living room since 1972. I do put it away when small children are present so as not to frighten them.
Michael

also... build it any shape you want... YOU ARE THE MASTER!

The thing is,
that guitar might really sound good,
and you'll never know if you change it.
Do a bolt on neck,
then you could change it later if you want.
My 2 bucks.

I have found out in my meager experience that the end result of changing a mistake like that usally ends up worse than the first mistake . Finish it . Play it and start another !

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Forgiveness is the ability to accept an apology that you will probably NEVER GET
The truth will set you free , But FIRST, it will probably Piss you Off !
Creativity is allowing yourself to make Mistakes, Art is knowing which ones to Keep !
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Never met a STRONG person who had an EASY past !
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And of course there's Greg German http://www.germanguitars.com/00_Models/ ... adonna.htm who intentionally builds his guitars askew.

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

I can't even see for sure what the problem is... probably more visible in person with depth perception and no slight warp of a camera to consider, but definitely not enough to scrap anything over. My first isn't quite symmetrical, and I love it anyway. But I'm kind of over the whole flawless machine-built look these days. Give me something with a little character, and if she sings, I'm happy

Been there.........forge ahead and learn. Heck, when she ends up sounding so great, you'll have one more unknown to consider for your next build...'should I do this again, but with purpose?'.....my finest sounding classical is a bit 'off' on the treble side...repeat on next?...still debating....public perception seems to favor symmetry in guitars......blind test outweighs eye test in my book.

Call it a "design feature". Finish it up and move on.

Did you use a mold with spreaders and all of that?

Mike

Hey Laurie...I know you well enough to know that you are not satisified with this body and you won't be happy until you change it...If it was me ,I would remove the top and back...no bindings so no problem there...I agree with Francis...Make a smaller guitar...The only things you will loose are the bracing and the linings....You can do it buddy...Give me a call if you need any help.....Larry

U can drive urself nuts with this. I tossed two bodies before I got one right. Tell urself u will come back to it later. Meantime, start another, learn from the error. Move on. The ONE time I did not do that was with my first harp guitar... Too much money tied up in it. It came out great but I fretted over it for 6 silly months.

Thanks everyone - the truth is this has drove me crazy for some time. I think I built this almost 2 years ago. The bodies for #3, #4 and #5 turned out much better! I hate the thought of using perfectly good materials (fingerboard, truss rod, bridge blank, neck blank, and tuners) to finish a sub-standard guitar. But I need to make a new mold for a smaller guitar since I don't own any parlour or 00 gear.

This was to be my first non-cutaway guitar and I thought it would be easier to build . I just realised now that I should double check the dimensions (since its been a while) to see if rebending the sides to add a venetian cutaway will free up a bit of room. This body may have more issues than I thought too, I put a ruler on it yesterday and got some interesting dimensions. It didn't come close to squeezing into my dread mold (Larry - I'll call you for the dimensions of the dread mold - I used yours for this one back then!) It is 20 1/4" long and has a 11" waist which isn't even close to the 20" and 10 1/4" on the mold.

I think I will pop the top and back off - if nothing else to get better dimensions because its hard to measure the way it is. I like the idea of at least salvaging the top for a smaller guitar in the future.

Laurie

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Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

Guys, no offense, but you need to fix the mold too, way too boxy! It shouldn't be too hard to laminate several layers of veneer at he waist then sand it.

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Build log

The mold is fine but my brilliant idea of clamping the top and back and not using it sure seemed like a good idea at the time! I also bought a dread mold from Blues Creek too so I have no more excuses

Laurie

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Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

You have to decide whether it's worth your time ($$) to finish it off. Maybe a crappy finish is worth it just to see how it sounds if you have done anything experimental...and you can always give it away to some deserving yout.

Mistakes keep you warm in the winter too!

I would agree that not using the mold to support the sides when attatching the back and top was the source of the problem and the whole geometry got distorted. Hold up the body at arms length and sight along each side to see if the horizons of the upper and lower bouts are parallel.... I'm guessing they're not.
If it were me I would take it apart and start again, I did this with my first guitar...taught me a lot.

Bill S.

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Dream to be a luthier

You'll learn a bunch every time you go thru all the steps and complete a guitar. I'd say finish it out, learn as much as you can, and then make the next one better.

Trev

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