olsk
Strummer
Posts: 20
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Post by olsk on Jul 1, 2020 14:39:30 GMT
Hello again! I have started another guitar. Something of a pet project as it is quite an uncommon configuration, and pretty close to a dream guitar for me. It is a modern take on a Martin 0018C. I prefer listening to and playing classical guitars, but I also love the style of vintage martins and gibsons - so this is a combination of the two. The body shape is my own design - a modern take on the 00 shape that can work as both a 12th fret steel string and a classical instrument. The woods here are engelmann spruce and european walnut, with a spanish cedar neck, ebony fretboard and Madagascan rosewood bridge. Ordinarily i wouldn't mix woods for the fretboard and bridge, but 1) the whole colour palette looks really cool 2) ebony would be too heavy for nylon strings. The rossette is a piece of indian rosewood with bwb purfling, and the binding is going to be rocklite, with bwb purfling. I have gone for a 6 fan brace construction, and with the box closed the tap tone is very lively, although a quite bassy, so I am trying not to remove much wood in the final sanding.  6 fan braces and a soundhole reinforcement, along with the two parallel braces  The lower bout braces are radiused to 28 feet, but the upper parallel bars are flat. The idea is to keep the upper bout flat to facilitate a smooth fretboard, but still get some increased trebles from the doming.  Subtle rosette  The back is well braced. This will be a bolt on neck (with a truss rod). More convenient to build in parts in my small shop, and I am more familiar with this style neck joint than the spanish heel.  Closer look at the back. All the braces were hand split to avoid run out.  The closed box, still need the sides sanding flat. Next steps are to cut the neck joint and get that working, before sorting the binding, and some hefty mitring  Thanks Oli |
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Post by andyhowell on Jul 2, 2020 7:53:09 GMT
An interesting project!
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olsk
Strummer
Posts: 20
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Post by olsk on Jul 11, 2020 17:09:19 GMT
The guitar is progressing well. I have completed the neck joint (bolt on M&T) and installed the bindings and purflings. Now i need to shape the headstock and glue the fretboard  First time using pins to hold purfling in place - works really well and saves on tape.  First time attempting mitred end graft / bindings. Could be neater but happy for a first attempt.  There is BWB purfling everywhere on this guitar  Neck and bridge are roughly done at this point. Tap tone on the body sounds great. I am not experienced building nylon strung guitars so have spent a while modelling neck angles and top doming. Some classical guitars have a negative neck angle (angling towards the body), but I have kept this quite neutral, and hope the final result will be strings about 11mm off the body, with a slightly lower than normal action at the 12th fret. As this is a hybrid I think playability closer to a flamenco guitar is appropriate.  Next up: clean up the body ready for finishing and finish the neck. |
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olsk
Strummer
Posts: 20
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Post by olsk on Sept 20, 2020 7:07:29 GMT
Hi all, This 00 Nylon guitar is now finished. It is vey bassy and rumbly, and I am very pleased with the body shape and general look of it.        Not sure if there is a huge market for a nylon stringed guitar with steel string stylings, but it is a design I have always really liked! Cheers Oli |
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Post by lavaman on Sept 20, 2020 7:46:15 GMT
Looks great. Looking forward to hearing a soundclip
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Post by lars on Sept 20, 2020 14:04:34 GMT
It looks very nice! Is “bassy and rumbly” what you wanted? Are you pleased with the sound and playability?
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olsk
Strummer
Posts: 20
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Post by olsk on Sept 20, 2020 20:26:42 GMT
I was hoping for stronger trebles, as I think that is one of the harder things to achieve building a classical guitar. Probably need to leave the soundboard a bit thicker next time. Still really pleased with the sound though.
Playability is great: it is actually a 16' radius fretboard and a 50mm nut, so a hybrid in terms of setup too. The nut and saddle in the photos above was just a rough one whilst it the guitar was settling in, and the saddle has come down 2mm from the picture above. 50mm is about perfect for me, as I jump between classical (52-54mm) and steel (45mm) every day. I don't play 'classical' music, but someone who does would probably find the fretboard radius takes some getting used to. For me it makes it more comfortable to play. I am playing folk/blues mainly.
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olsk
Strummer
Posts: 20
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Post by olsk on Oct 25, 2020 14:31:01 GMT
Hi all Spent 10 mins recording this classical guitar today. I just use a tascam dr-40x, with its built in microphones. The easier the recording setup the more I like it.. the files have not been processed in anyway, just dropped from the tascam into soundcloud. I would say they are quite representative recordings. The guitar is better in person of course, but with a decent pair of headphones on you can hear the richness of tone. soundcloudThere is a some blues and folk. I don't play much classical, and when I do I tend to mess it up, so stuck to songs I could play without much thought. |
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Post by scorpiodog on Oct 25, 2020 17:00:21 GMT
Very, very nice. Sounds as good as it looks. Cracking stuff.
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Post by jangarrack on Oct 25, 2020 17:18:11 GMT
As someone who has moved almost entirely, well about 80% of the time at least, to nylon strings now, I've followed this thread with great interest. You have built a fine looking and sounding guitar that has a lot in common with my own envisaged ideal guitar. I have 3 nylon string guitars, an old Taylor 12 fret small bodied GC model, a standard rosewood/spruce classical and Godin Multiac Grand Concert. They're all very different and all have different and specific things that I particularly like about them. 1/ The small Taylor body is exceptionally comfortable to play, the neck has a slight radius with a low action which again is very comfortable, but the 48mm nut is just a bit too narrow for me. It also lacks the power and dynamics of my classical. 2/ The classical has a very rich sound with a solid but tight bass, nice fat trebles all the way up the neck and again is very comfortable to play. The neck has a 52mm nut and fingerboard is completely flat both of which are fine for me, but not quite as comfortable for barre chords as with the very slight radius and I find not having a cutaway restrictive. That said, it's probably my poor technique that requires a cutaway as I see any number of players comfortably dancing their fingers above the 12th fret where I seem unable to reach without one. 3/ Lastly, the Multiac has a beautifully comfortable neck, an almost imperceptible radius, a 52mm nut that feels a tad narrower and nice low action plus a cutaway, all making it very comfortable to play. It's a great guitar, but it's not an acoustic as such. You appear to have taken some of the best characteristics of standard guitars and combined them all into one very special guitar, a great idea and quite an achievement. As for the sound, I played all 3 of your listed tracks through hifi separates and found it very impressive particularly on Pallet On Your Floor. I'm not sure what you felt was lacking on the trebles as they sounded good through my system. Great project and a great guitar.  |
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Post by robmc on Oct 25, 2020 18:01:22 GMT
I listened to your clips and thought it sounded really nice, quite a looker too |
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olsk
Strummer
Posts: 20
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Post by olsk on Oct 25, 2020 20:44:20 GMT
Thanks for the feedback guys. Really motivating to hear you think it sounds/looks good. jangarrack - sounds like we have been on a similar journey moving from steel to nylon! I prefer playing a cutaway for the same reasons as you...but prefer the look of a standard model. I am working on my own cutaway design that will give access to a couple more frets but still mostly retain the symmetrical shape. On the tone - the trebles have developed as the guitar has settled in and I have played it more. I am pretty happy with the tone now! |
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Post by ocarolan on Oct 25, 2020 21:38:47 GMT
Wonderful -  Keith |
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Post by lindsayguitar on Mar 17, 2021 16:40:17 GMT
Hi Olsk
I am new to the forum but was immediately drawn to your post as a builder of nylon hybrid guitars. I am a guitar builder and my present ‘go to guitar’ has a 48 mm nut on a 12 inch radius neck and nylon strings.
Have you tried a shorter scale length on a heavier top? I am experimenting with a 3.5 mm top and 610 mm with good results
Regards Lindsay
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Jo whoever he is.
