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""sack dress" a very apt description for a body shape I assure you I will never make."

Although I love the curvy shapes of the smaller bodied guitars, I've built a few "sack dresses", both 12 and 14 fret versions, and they can be really fine sounding guitars. Remember - it's not over until the fat lady sings!

Well, maybe I've coined a phrase...

I'm just finishing the second of two sequential 12-fret builds. The first is a crotch walnut/sitka 000 that I built in honor
of my father, who passed last September. His favorite wood was walnut. The second is an all koa build, roughly based on
the new Martin 000-28K authentic 1921. They had an ad featuring that guitar on the back of an "Acoustic Guitar" mag a
couple of months ago, and I thought it was one of the most beautiful guitars I'd ever seen. So I'm doing my rendition...

I really like the sound of the walnut one, and have great hopes for the second one, although the soundboard main
resonance is slightly higher than the back resonance. I'll see how that sorts itself out. But I'm a short guy, and the 12
fret model fits my body better than a 14 fret, so I'll probably stick with these for my personal guitars.

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Gene

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason- Mark Twain

I walked into Freedom Guitar on sunset blvd in 1982 hanging on the wall were about 100 Classicals. I played until I found the one I liked. It's in my closet only one scratch on after all these years. A person has to get used to the wide fretboard and shorter neck. I no longer play that guitar though. Last year I bought. 2004 Alvarez classical that the local guitar teacher sold when he retired. I'll keep that one till I'm gone I guess. Never considered building one though.


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Yes, they do sell, but compared to 14 fretters, they are a minority interest. I'm not talking about how good they are, how much I like them or anything else other than how easily they sell.

If you are making for yourself that is one thing, as is making one to order. But if you're making stuff to sell "on spec" (unless you've established yourself as THE go to person for 12 fretters) then they are not as saleable as a 14 fret guitar.

This was covered a little in the first TLB post:

http://www.theluthierblog.com/articles/ ... hat-sells/


Nigel

http://www.theluthierblog.com
http://www.nkforsterguitars.com/luthier-book/

Clay S. wrote:

I go between my, #2 a 1937 spec 13 fret Nick Lucas and #3 a 1937 spec D-sack dress. I can happily play either for days. But if you play live music I accompany my 14 year old daughter who sings like an angel and plays the Nick out live, you understand where the bigger 14 fret guitar fits

I'm thinking about a 12 fret 00-28 style with the 14 fret body..........

One of the best sounding guitars I've built was a 12 fret neck dread. Again, a slightly longer body than the 14 fret counterpart.

Here's a 12 fretter I just completed.



viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=43660

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Thank You and Best To All

Steve,
Since you're building your own, you may want to consider doing a 13-fret. They move the bridge back just a bit back, more toward the sweet spot, and only compromise a little fretboard to do so. It's a nice happy-medium between the two!

Ken

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Ken Mitchell
Durham, NC

I'm a big fan of 12-fret guitars, my first "real" guitar was a Martin 0-16NY. However, I'm building a 13-fret 000 right now - hope it provides that happy medium.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"