Another one out of the shed!

[fox]

Almost finished this one, 21” scale, Monterey Cypress back and soundboard, fibreglass sides, mahogany & Cypress neck (carbon rod).
Flat top, arch back, speaker box design body, with hinge bracing.

[Granger]

Very interesting design. What is meant by hinge bracing?

[Bob Clark]

Sure is pretty! How does it sound?

[fox]

Hinged bracing is a term I have picked up via a few luthier blogs, it implies the brace does not reach the edge of the sides, so the top is hinged .. or 'loose' around the edge of the soundboard.
I don't know how much difference this makes in reality but the theory sounds good to me!
Basically the body is made 'dense & ridgid' but, the flat top is allowed to move as much as possible ... like a speaker.
It sounds loud and clear.

[Cornfield]

It should be interesting

[MontanaMatt]

Nice stripes, and cool port design. Is it a zero fret too?

[fox]

Thanks Matt, it makes sense to me to make the most of the soundboard & put the ports in an otherwise dead area & the zero fret is something I try to use on every build I do. Having a zero fret guarantees the lowest action & allows you to change string gauges without the hassle of changing the nut.
This style of guitar seems to really boost the volume & increase the sustain but not offer the best tone.
The tone is unusual, sharp & clear... not mellow at all. I might try heavier strings and a tailpiece but anyway it will take me some time experimenting with strings & tunings before it moves to a new home.

[billhay4]

I'd like to hear this, too. Very nice design.
Bill

[fox]

Hey Bill, I will post a vid once I have got her set up...
Today I modified the bridge so the strings could go all the way back to a tailpiece, so now there are two formats to choose from.
With the strings attached to the tailpiece, the sound changed considerably, less volume, even more sustain & a more defined tone.
I also put several scratches across the back!

[dcav]

You are a true Craftsman and explorer Fox. I wish I had opportunity to sit down in your shop to play all of your creations. Wonderful work.

David

[derbex]

Looking good

[fox]

I am still messing around with strings etc ....
It is amazing the differences in tone and just generally the overall feel of the guitar.
Even on a 21.5” scale I find a .10 (A) pretty tight feeling, so far I like .09 .15 .20w .34w for CGDA
I find GDAE more tolerant with string gauges & it sounds great with .12 .20w .30w .48w = low tension but lots of sustain.
I have not tried out any nylon strings yet but I think that by fixing them directly to the bridge, they should also work well.

[fox]

I am still working on string gauges, it seems to sound best with light strings.
In the mean time I have added coat after coat of Truoil, I need to wait for a couple more weeks before I can polish the finish but the wood is looking nice and detailed.

[derbex]

lovely

[John Kelly]

You are a very innovative creator of interesting instruments, Fox. Some great ideas in this one.

[fox]

Thanks John, I started off making more conversional guitars with two piece spruce tops & book matched backs but now I try to make each one completely 're styed' every time.

In fact the guitar featured on these pages will very soon be in the hands of a very famous young pop star!

I will let you know who, as soon as I get confirmation that she likes it!!!