Hey folks,
I've been searching Ebay and beyond for an archtop guitar to convert to mandocello. I have narrowed my search to various Harmony styles. The archtones (1213-15) are readily available but birch bodied and I'd rather hold out for some solid spruce and maple construction. There are some Monterey's and Patricians with spruce tops but they have been out of my price range (~$250 shipped).
Many have neck issues which led me to the idea of finding one with a pulled neck heel, which is kind of a blessing since they are cheaper and I'd be removing the neck anyway to shave it down to a 1.5" nut width. If I pulled the neck, I was then considering maybe pulling the whole top, which got me thinking about finding a birch body archtop with a bad neck joint and possibly carving a spruce top. So many ideas, bear with me here.
I stumbled upon this potential gem, an H52 solid spruce top/maple side and back Harmony archtop with an oval cutout for a Gibson style P90 humbucker pickup.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Vi...gAAOSwgQVaw6~b
So here's the problem... There are two side cracks (likely along the lining which is a pain) and a hair line back crack. They have all been poorly glued, and there is the issue of assembling and wiring a humbucker pickup to bring it back to electric acoustic status. At that point it would be a franken-cello of sorts.
If you're into this sort of guitar alchemy please keep reading, if not you can hit your back button to the upper left.
I priced a pickup and all parts to re-electrify this body at around $125.
I could source spruce wood to carve a new top for about the same price (~16" lower bout/20" body length). I have never carved a top, but am really interested in taking my self taught luthiery to the next level and keen to give it a shot. I don't have a gouge, finger plane or scraper, but I'd consider them a long term sunken cost. Worst case, I mess it up and put the original top back on and make it electric. Education is not free
SO,
1. Would you consider this too much of a repair for the money?
2. Would you electrify or carve a spruce top?
3. Does anyone have additional advice on sourcing busted neck archtops for conversions?
4. Go with birch and just make it nice?
Thanks,
Greg
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