Acoustic Guitars Designed for The Stage (Redux, Part 2)

[@Chief667]

I bought the blue guitar Tim, excited for it! Thanks for all you do

[@timsway]

I see that. You win! Thanks man, I'll pack her up and ship her out Monday, I've really enjoyed that guitar for the past year as a fun, couch strummer, but it could honestly be so much more. I hope you love it, too.

[@xp7575]

​​@@timswayin regards to your comment at 8:57 I have to ask: how much freaking Wasabi do you put in your soy sauce to get it that color?? 😳🥵

[@Chief667]

@@timsway lol yes I did win! Reminder to everyone to hit the bell icon and get notifications for your uploads. Thanks Tim, I'll be sure to update you how I end up using the guitar

[@Gatherersmusic]

Have to say I really didn't think these would sound acoustic at all with the metal inserts and screwed in bridge but it sounds fine. Thanks for experimenting and dispelling myths.

[@timsway]

I think there's still enough wood vibrating to where that itty, bitty metal plate doesn't change it too much.

[@Scodiddly]

Those oak fingerboards sure are pretty! And I was impressed by your Pierre Bensusan style demo of the nylon string guitar.

[@sapelesteve]

Nice work Tim and there is always more tweaking to do when making guitars! 🎸🎸👍👍

[@Wastelandman7000]

I really like the dowel and threaded rod clamps! That alone would be enough to justify the video. GREAT VIDEO man! Thanks!

[@Wastelandman7000]

Planning on making some purchases.

[@davidstulb745]

Good attempt! Every attempt is a step toward final success! It’s all a learning process! Can’t wait for the next one!!

[@kevinlululululu]

I want to express my sincere gratitude to you. I have always wanted to build my own guitar but never thought of trying to personally for the lack of some proper luthier tools nor machine etc. Two months ago I found this fantastic channel and was inspired by your artworks and suggestions. I went on learning how to lasercut planks (maple and spruce). Now I am close to my first success. Thank you very much! Here in Taiwan is Lunar New Year, so Happy New Year too! Kevinlulululu

[@timsway]

awesome!

[@sgsax]

Art Rule #4: Everything is an experiment. These definitely sound like acoustics. And if you don't sand out the scratched up door skins, they come prereliced! 😁 Looking and sounding good so far! Thanks for sharing!

[@timsway]

indeed, it's all an experiment. cheers

[@JonClemence]

I think the nylon-string guitar sounds really good. Love your videos!

[@timsway]

thanks!

[@Tom_TheCherryBlossomStudio]

I thoroughly enjoy the discovery and learning process you share! Love your builds!

[@GregsGarage]

Bravo!

[@M00nkat55]

Beautiful

[@davebauerart]

Like where these are going!

[@youarenotaghost3702]

I really love slotted headstocks. On everything!

[@timsway]

they make the most sense, to me

[@banshemornie]

Tim I have to say, I like so much your work, as much as you inspired me to build my own octave mandolim. Thanks for been here this whole time reaching and inspiring people.

[@timsway]

awww, thanks man! What does "octave" mandolin mean, down an octave?

[@banshemornie]

@@timsway Exactly, it is an octave down mandolim.

[@nathanhawkins8783]

@@timsway They're usually tuned the same as a mandolin, down an octave. Here's where they get fun: there is no standardization of the instrument whatsoever. You can find them built as just a bigger mandolin of various kinds, and also with guitar shaped bodies. They vary in scale length from about 19" to 25". They also almost completely overlap the range of a guitar, which makes them interesting to use in a band. They also tend to be expensive and a bit rare in the US. Not a big market, but not a lot of makers, either, and definitely ripe for innovation. ;)

[@Wastelandman7000]

I do have a suggestion if you feel like playing around with it. Put a light strip in the guitar and position it so you can change the batteries from the string access hole. My thinking is two fold. First it makes you pop on a darkened stage. Second, you can find your guitar on a darkened stage. Just a thought that occurred to me because of the sound hole. I've seen some stages that were so dark at points its a wonder nobody fell off.

[@ricos1497]

I was at a Paul McCartney concert in Eastern Europe in the early seventies. The audience couldn't see a thing, but we knew it was him. Anyway, midway through playing "Something in the way she moves", Paul toppled from the stage, skewered by his microphone stand. He died on his way to hospital. A tragic tale, and sadly put an end to a rumoured re-forming of The Fab Four.

[@MichielHollanders]

Brilliant!!

[@DeadKoby]

Neat stuff as always. Sometimes you succeed in finding a new way.........other times you understand why they did the traditional way.

[@timsway]

So true. Sometimes its myth and tradition for tradition's sake, sometimes it's outdated information, and sometimes it's just inevitably the best way.

[@diegocalvo4403]

the best luthery channel in youtube ,thanx!

[@timsway]

that's a pretty fancy word for what I'm doing... LOL

[@jvin248]

Try to move your electronic block to the front bout (like where a Telecaster strap pin gets placed). You may need to model a little more flat spot for your CNC cuts. The location in this prototype will be annoying for any girls playing it. There were a couple of St Vincent Ernie Ball signature guitar design process (marketing) videos she talked about how she approached it. And in general, more women play acoustics than men, more women are learning to play than men too (is that a Taylor Swift effect?), and the primary market for acoustic buying may need some input.

[@timsway]

excellent input. thanks

[@pkbreeze08]

This is the closest thing I've seen to my imagined offset acoustic guitar. ❤

[@timsway]

check out the older "ZI" design in videos and on my website. they are VERY offset.

[@FraustByte]

Since our chat last weekend I'm really trying to put away to pick up one of these pieces of functional art. Hopefully taxes and whatnot will leave me with a positive. I will one day own one 😄

[@timsway]

As a self-employed person who doesn't have a boss deducting taxes from a paycheck each week, I hear you!

[@grantturley8600]

I wonder if you could do a string through design all the way to the back of the guitar somehow 🤔 love all the experimentation! You rule!

[@timsway]

I think that would be pretty cool, but you'd probably need custom, extra long strings for it.

[@grantturley8600]

@@timsway aaaaaah, that does pose an issue

[@cheapskate8656]

Great work Tim.. Regarding the G string on nylon sting guitars. The saddle is generally straight on nylon string guitars BUT I have found that the G string needs to be longer to intonate at the 12th fret. Looks like you have plenty of width on your saddle so you could file a slope into the front on the G. Regarding the "no peg system" your reason for it made zero sense to me but it looks and works great so who the hell am I anyway. Also love the adjustable neck.

[@timsway]

Someone else commented on that. I think I didn't explain it well and skipped some of my thought process, which included top-loading bridges, but my main concern is grounding for the electromagnet and no little pins to drop or lose. I think the G is problematic on nylons because of its thickness?

[@allenmitchell09]

Tim, soon as I win the lottery I’m getting you to make me a slew of stuff. lol

[@timsway]

My prices are pretty reasonable. You don't have to hit ALL the numbers :)

[@allenmitchell09]

​@@timsway Man that's reassuring bc I'm missing my left hand and sometimes think of custom ideas that would help me along.

[@timsway]

@@allenmitchell09 I applied for (and did not get) a federal grant to do some R&D into tactile guitar modifications for differently people (instead of solving with touch screens and tech like most solutions that remove or add layers between the physical user experience of playing guitars). I'd be very interested in pursuing that avenue.

[@allenmitchell09]

@ Let me know if you need a guinea pig.

[@aaronstonebeat]

I agree with several reasons for using the metal plate to retain the strings, but I don't see how it changes anything with respect to the forces on the top of the guitar due to string tension. Wether a pin makes a hole smaller so the ball end can't pass through or the hole is too small for the ball end to pass through anyway, it's totally the same, isn't it?

[@timsway]

yes, but I think the metal is better at dispersing the pull. There are some top-load bridges like the Ovation that pull very differently, too, which was one idea I considered. I think when I said all that I skipped a few steps in the thought process :)

[@greylocke100]

I saw a preamp for a piezo that used 2 CR2033 batteries, that also had the jack with pads for soldering in volume and tone pots or an EQ. Would that be something you may consider?

[@timsway]

yes it would! But I'm also a fan of the 9v for simplicity. If your battery dies on the road, it's a lot easier to get another 9v...

[@FunsongsMusicByPeterRahill]

174th lurker view... 3:20 - LIKE the top/side view marker idea in a 'form follows function' sort of way. or - sway. 5:05 - "How much did that dime insert cost you?" :0/

[@timsway]

it cost WAAAYYY less than making a metal plate to put in there...

[@FunsongsMusicByPeterRahill]

@@timsway Yeah - THAT; and - "Brother, can you loan me a metal plate?" would never have been a good Blues song; and maybe we'd never have known about The Boz.

[@MisterJWJ71]

@timsway I'm curious as to the nut width. Did you go classical width or more of a steel string width?

[@timsway]

On this one I went with "wide steel" around 1.7" (same as on the steel). The first nylon I made with a 1.9" wide nut which is still a little shy of most, but closer. Not sure where I'll settle, but I think this is pretty good for hybrid playing (I doubt a serious classical guitar player would have any interest in my shenanigans! lol)

[@MisterJWJ71]

@timsway yeah, I'm not a classical player. I just like the sound of nylon strings. I like that they have almost a chorus effect sound compared to metal strings. When I first played a guitar with nylon I was disappointed that you can't bend them like steel strings. Then I learned that you CAN but you have to bend them much more to get the desired note. I've been looking at those solid body nylon string guitars like the Bullfighter DK-6 but almost all have 2-inch wide nuts. I have short stubby fingers so that isn't comfortable for me. I can still play guitars with wider necks but don't like playing them for long.

[@Da5idc]

That nylon string is one sweet guitar 😊

[@JAMIEPHILLIPS-g3j]

1st! Great work as always!

[@timsway]

you win!

[@earFront]

Don't want to be critical but it looks as if the steel stringed git box's bridge is already deforming the top of the guitar by pulling the bridge mounted bit of the body up and pushing down at the neck side of the bridge, I think maybe a bit better structural engineering is needed. Good ideas, but, the design needs strength . Just random guy noticing, the next one aught to be better, right?

[@timsway]

If you watch part one, you'll see I had a (very bad) idea about arching the top a bit that turned out poorly. That's what you're seeing.

[@earFront]

@@timsway Cool, but it still looked undesirable, maybe a little tungsten / steal / carbon fiber bunny-scrunchies could offer a bit of acoustic structural integrity? Or, . . ?

[@timsway]

@@earFront Indeed it does! LOL. But we don't really know until we try - and I know not to try that again. I've made more than a dozen acoustic guitars from these closet doors with just traditional wood bracing that works fine.