Ouds & Ends

The instruments on this page are some of the more unusual projects I have been involved with. Each one presented a number of challenges and ultimately broadened my skills as an instrument builder.

Oud/classical guitar double neck |  6 String semi-hollow body bass guitar |  Semi-solid body electric nylon guitar |  Hollow body guitar |  Hollow body guitar |  Cavaquinho |  Mandocello

(Click on any of the guitars below to see the full-size photos.)


Oud/classical guitar double neck

The oud is a fretless, 11 string Middle Eastern instrument. It is a “double-course” instrument, meaning the strings are positioned in pairs and tuned in unisons, except for the treble-most string, which is single. The scale length is about 620 mm. Modern oud strings are made of nylon.

The body of this instrument is made of mahogany, approximately 1 ¼” thick, which was hollowed out to reduce weight and add resonance. Hollowing the body created a surprisingly strong acoustic tone, which would not have been possible in a solid-body instrument. The soundboard is Sitka spruce. The necks were made of mahogany. The oud peghead is at a 55 degree angle to the neck (a standard guitar peghead would have a 10-12 degree angle). The oud neck is 36 mm wide at the nut; the classical neck is 52 mm wide. There are Fishman pickups installed in each bridge. The body shape was taken from an oud and widened a little to accommodate the second neck.

     


6 String semi-hollow body bass guitar

  • The body of this instrument is made of Indian Rosewood and Sitka spruce. The neck runs completely through the body.
  • The multi-layered neck is made of alternating pieces of maple and wenge, each approximately 14" thick.
  • The 31 fret fretboard is made of ebony.
  • The tuning machines are Hipshot.
  • The pickup is an RMC system.


Semi-solid body electric nylon guitar

  • Alder back
  • Quilted maple top
  • Bolt-on maple neck, 1 78" wide at the nut, 17 frets clear of the body
  • Ebony fretboard, 25.4" scale with a 16" radius
  • Schaller tuning machines
  • Fishman transducer in the bridge
  • Lower bout width:   14 14"
  • Depth:   1 78"

 


Hollow body guitar

This guitar was designed by my customer to closely resemble one of the instruments played by the guitarist in a popular band. The top and back are carved from solid blocks, the body is completely hollow and the neck attaches to the body the way it does on a jazz guitar. With the inclusion of a floating bridge and ebony tailpiece, this is really just an archtop guitar of a different shape, but I thought it would fit better in this part of my website.

  • Flamed maple top
  • Padauk back and sides
  • 2 piece flamed maple neck, 1 34" wide at the nut, 22 frets clear of the body
  • Ebony fretboard, 25 12" scale with a 12" radius
  • Schaller tuning machines
  • The floating ebony bridge has 2 pieces of brass for the saddle.
  • The width is approximately 13 14" across the widest parts of the lower bout
  • Depth at the edges:   2 18"

         


Hollow body guitar

This is a larger-bodied version of the previous instrument.

  • Koa top, back and sides
  • 3 piece flamed maple neck, 1 34" wide at the nut, 20 frets clear of the body
  • Burled walnut peghead veneers
  • Ebony fretboard, 25 12" scale with a 10" radius
  • Grover tuning machines
  • Seymour Duncan pickups
  • The width is approximately 14 12" across the widest parts of the lower bout
  • Depth at the edges:   2 18"

         


Cavaquinho

The cavaquinho is a steel string instrument. I believe it originated in Portugal and gave rise to the ukulele when Portugese sailors introduced it in the Hawiian Islands. I am told that this instrument is very common in Brazilian jazz music. Typically cavaquinhos have 4 strings, and I have made several that way, but this customer wanted a 5 string instrument to accommodate an additional bass string.

  • Sitka spruce soundboard
  • Indian rosewood back and sides
  • Mahogany neck, 1 516" wide at the nut on the 4 string version
  • Lower bout width:  9"
  • Depth:   3"

 


Mandocello

Several years ago I took in a Gibson K1 mandocello for repair. I was intrigued by the instrument and decided to build a copy. The mandocello is among the larger instruments in the mandolin family. The body is 14 14 wide and about 3" deep at the edges. The scale length is 24 58" and the neck is 1 58" wide at the nut.

  • Sitka spruce soundboard
  • Mahogany back and sides
  • Walnut neck
  • Schaller tuning machines

     

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