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So far I'm thinking:
1: Use straight grained rosewood. I was going to use Malaysian Blackwood but the set I have has cupped a bit since moving from Alaska to Virginia. The rosewood I want to use has not so I think it's more stable?

2: Shellac the inside of the guitar to minimize temp/humidity changes

3. Tight grain, stiff spruce.

4. Lacquer finish?

I was originally going to use sinker Cedar/Malaysian Blackwood. I think that these are safer choices and instead I need to make this an eye opener in other ways. Am I missing anything? How do you approach building instruments that won't live in 40% RH all of the time?

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I would recommend a 2K urethane finish, it's tougher than lacquer.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

I've never heard of that. How much to outsource?

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Hey Joey! You're in Virginia now where the summers can be pretty humid and as you well know... winters can be anyone's guess. Hope you are doing well in the current storm too.

I would still built it in 42 - 48% RH, be very sure to use well seasoned woods, and consider a case with a built-in humidity control system. There are even some pretty cheap cases that have this now AND they are light as a feather too.

Shellacking the inside of the box is not something that I would be keen to do. I know there will be disagreement here so here's why. The shellac will only delay RH changes maybe a couple of hours tops but OTOH it will make some repairs more difficult AND unpredictable if the one doing the repairing does not do great work or have the experience to deal with it.

Gigging guitars and we see lots of em in our business with many pro players as clients especially need to be "serviceable" because stuff happens out there on tour. An understatement.

Finish wise lacquer is fine and has been fine for only about 100 years now... but as Brian rightly noted there are some finishes these days that are tougher than lacquer such as Brian's recommendation and Cat Poly too. IME cat poly is pretty darn tough.

Your electronics will be important since it's a gigging instrument and this means that setting it up and building from the get-go for amplification is advisable. Some things that you can do to prepare is ream a 15/32nd" hole in the butt end and predrill (element tip and cord, two holes) the saddle slot for a UST if that's the direction that you wanna go.

Other considerations that IME gigging musicians benefit from are faster tuners meaning avoid anything 18:1 or greater unless you want your audience drifting away and falling asleep as you tune....

Interestingly to me a gigging guitar does not have to be Rick Turner's Antartica guitar built to withstand the end of the earth but instead simply a well built conventional instrument where best practices such as RH control are rigidly adhered to while building.

If you build in lower than 40% RH and with Virginia summers commonly being 80% RH at times that could be problematic too.

Good luck.

You might also want to consider a pinless bridge design (like Doolin who took the idea from Jeffrey Elliott). A lot quicker changing strings, and no tools needed.

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

I just got two feet of snow dumped on me in Virginia so I imagine this hearkens back to your Alaska days

I don't think a gigging guitar needs to be overbuilt or built in any different way really. I'd probably not French Polish it, though I have, but I'd not finish the inside either. I have always built in the 40-45% RH environment which has worked well.

"I just got two feet of snow dumped on me in Virginia so I imagine this hearkens back to your Alaska days "

Well that's two feet that won't get dumped on me, at least not this time:)
Ken

Rosewood fingerboard, western redcedar, Alaskan yellow cedar or redwood top, Honduran mahogany back/sides, all quartersawn, braced in 30-35% RH. More or less invincible to humidity.

Laminated sides. 3ply, (I don't go in for 2 ply, unbalanced construction)
Granadillo finger board, (Granadillo is one of most stable woods and matches Mahogany very closely for T/R shrinkage and ratios. Plus it is much harder than IR and doesn't have as much oil in the wood)
P.O. cedar for the top. Plenty of head room and it is the most split resistant of the typical top woods we use. (very underrated top wood IMO)
Scarfed neck joint with ears and backstrap.
EVO

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Cut to size.....Beat to fit.....Paint to match.

The most important thing has not been mentioned. It's gotta be cheap! Gigging musicians are perpetually broke.

Type of gigging? Loud bar or pop concert stages? Touchy freely house concerts? Bluegrass with condenser mics? Big differences.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Nigel Forster's Session King model is built specifically with this purpose in mind. Maybe you can pick up a few more ideas by checking it out.

Makes sense. An all mahogany guitar won't get dinged up as much. Have not made one yet but I make an all walnut. Gives me another idea. Mahogany top with jatoba back and sides.

If it is someone that abuses their guitars, I recommend getting something cheap and having a setup performed. Used Taylors are also good for this job as they hold up pretty well to abuse.

Some on this thread are assuming abuse, and the guitar needs to be built like a tank. Not all gigging players destroy guitars ... you might share a bit more information on its use (and player).

Andy

Use is abuse. My 16 year old daughter and I have two of my guitars out constantly the only time their cased is if were playing out.
Quite a few dings and normal wear and tear. One is Maple/Lutz Spruce 13 fret Nick Lucas, and Mahogany/Red Spruce D-18. I actually block sanded and rebuffed both this fall and they look pretty good. If you play every day

He's a fingerstyle player so more like theater sit down shows.




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Here's a video of my friend that the guitar is for

https://youtu.be/RnkWQZJJsyA

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I'm of the opinion that all of the guitars we build should be "gigging guitars." All of the players in our local symphonies are testament to the idea of the very best instruments being used when making music for others. Same deal for guys like Chris Thile with their Loar mandolins. Great instruments, for making great music, wherever the musician is playing.

Very nice!

Does he like his Maton? I just worked on one. Queensland Maple/Sitka I think. It had a lot of clarity and tonal separation and was fairly bright and a little thunky in the bass. Sounded a lot like the one in the video.

If I was building an OM for that guy I'd consider a Mahogany double side with an Adi top and Evo fretwire. Stiff neck with carbon reinforcement across the headstock. Brazilian bridge. I would not waste time on fancy appointments, that will keep the price down. Just get it to sound and play as well as you can.

Maton's have weird pickups, the saddle goes clear through the top and rests on the pickup which is suspended by two allen bolts accessed on top of the bridge. Internal mic as well on the one I worked on with a control box in a side cutout.

Does he like the electronics in his?

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.