Time to get back to building.
I want to do an archtop acoustic build at some point, but am wary of spending a lot on the necessary materials without a bit of practice first. The main thing I need to practice is fully carving some plates for the body. I have done one side before for Les Paul builds, but never fully carved inside and out.
Anyway, just been through the wood pile and I have everything I need to build a fully hollow Les Paul shaped and sized archtop, which seems like a perfect way to practice some things.
It will be fully hollow, but won't really be a proper acoustic instrument in anything other than construction style used... Likely end up as some kind of hybrid instrument.
So the idea is:
*Les Paul outline
*Bent mahogany sides, 2.5 - 3" deep
*Mahogany neck and tail block
*Fully carved mahogany back, inside and out
*Fully carved sycamore top, inside and out
*Archtop style A bracing
*One piece mahogany neck
*Rosewood fretboard
*Neck pickup only
*floating bridge/tailpiece
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flat sawn mahogany on the back. Quarter sawn sycamore on the front.
the sycamore has some mineral steaks which should carve ut, but not too worried if they don't as its likely this will have a burst. clearly this piece has been supplying me with some plugs at some point
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https://www.jazzguitar.be/forum/attachments/guitar-amps-gizmos/37203d1478427652-gibson-es-les-paul-gib-es-lp-bracing-jpg
My plan is similar, but leaving nothing in the middle at all.
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I'd been considering buying one of the PRS SE Hollowbodies - but thought perhaps I should try building something instead given the piles of wood in my workshop! Not fully hollow like yours, but a hollowed out body with some sort of carved top. You'll probably have yours finished before I start!
How thick is the top that you're starting with?
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Also not doing a Florentine cutaway
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(formerly customkits)
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the neck joint section is going to follow normal a normal les paul pretty closely. i will likely do a full width long tenon set into a solid chuck of mahogany.
I will extend that solid chunk to the bass side to hold a strap button, extend it to the treble to form the cutaway and horn (this is a bit of a cheat to save bending that area). then we will have bent rims going down to a mahogany tail block, with kerfed lining adding a suitable glue surface for top and back plates. two big braces will support the top, going under the bridge
Neck pickup will be mounted into solid wood. the side will be reinforced for a les paul style jack plate. Im probably going to add a small backplate for access to the controls, this will be mahognay and carved to match the shape of the back
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