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Do you think it's possible to build an OM sized guitar with 30 1/2 sides. I found a billet of Black Walnut at a garage sale. It was 4X17 but only 30 1/2 long. My templates fit but there's no room for error. Thanks for your thoughts.

Scott

You can gain some room by making your end graft wedge wider.

Joe

OM sides are 29 3/4" for me, you have enough leeway to make this foolproof.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

As well as you can hide some of it under the neck. But as Laurent said you've got enough room.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

With the waist in exactly the right place, it will work.

Like John and Laurent said both work or at the tail. Although I prefer under the neck join. I do that most of the time anyway if get the cut wrong and to make tight fit in the mold at the waist. You can just add some scrap between the 2 ends so it all meets in the center. There is quite a bit of room there. A shop all 3 of us worked at at one point or another had a strip under that area all the time. Or at least they did when I was there. Good ole Buck could make a rim fit a mold just fine doing it.

Stan, I still have a guitar from a place the 3 of you all worked at and it does in fact have a mahogany patch in there....

Mostly I start bending from the tail, instead of the waist, which takes out that iffy thing about how the sides will lay. If you do that, you won't have to worry about the length not working out, and you'll get a better figure match at the tail, if there is any figure. Good luck with your project.

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“ The meaning of life is to find your gift and the purpose of life is to give it away” Pablo Picasso

Bob, I can see the benefit of starting the bend at the tail, but I could never get those first few inches to bend on a pipe if I started there. Do you have a secret, or do you let the mold shape the last little ways, or what?

Thanks Guys, I was thinking Ukulele when I saw it. I'm going to shoot for the OM first and maybe a Ukulele down the road.
Starting at the tail end sounds like a good idea, I've only attempted to bent about 8 sides so far and only ONE set made it to the mold.