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2nd transformation done

A

alexei

Jun 7, 2007
378
3
Queenstown, New Zealand
www.flickr.com
#1
Well, the first one is here.

This is the 2nd transformation I do this year, so here are the picts:


It all started like this, a cheap acoustic guitar thet I ended up hating because the little string spacing not comfortable for my fingers at all:

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Ripped off the neck:

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Ordered a new 5 strings neck from a local luthier:

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Built a new bridge from an old piece of hard wood I've found here at home:

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Then, with this wooden block:

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I could assemble everything up with some screws:

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And the result is this:

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I'll try to post sound clips later. Now I can tell it sounds pretty similar to the first tests I've done a couple months ago before ripping off the neck. A soundclip was posted back then here.

NOTE: This work still need "aesthetics" so, still pending the manicure & make up andddd.... I don't think this is gonna happen anytime in the next 2 or 3 weeks since I'll be taking some tests at the university and besides, I have no more money now. Need to wait 'till the next salary at least haha.

TOTAL COST SO FAR: U$S 200 (including the cost of the original guitar, the neck, tuners and strings. The rest was found at home). Not including upcomming cost in the looks of the new "fatty babe" since I don't know yet how much I will be spending with that.

Used tools: hand drill with 3 or 4 tips, Dremel, hand saw, [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] (the big one is like 7 u$s. I don't know a name for similar glue in the US, but I'm sure there are a lot of equivalents).

I hope to see more conversions by you guys!
All the best!

Alex
 
#5
PasdaBeer said:
thats really, really cool. One question though, does the added string tension have any belly pull on the soundboard?
Click to expand...

The same as the guitar strings did: pretty low pulling at the bridge section.

Actually, there's not much of a difference between Invalid Link Removed (77 Kg in the linked example), and 5 steel bass strings (79 Kg in the linked exampe). Of course, that's a light gauge bass strings, but with a standard one, you can go up to 88 Kg or so. But we don't have to choose the high gauge strings necessarily. The medium or light use to have nicer and more balanced sound in ABGs (IME).

I'm sure you guys can make a way better work with those full equipped workshops I've seen in pictures!
 
#7
These are the last changes I've made to this instrument.

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All I can say is that it has a really good volume, suitable to play side by side with an acoustic guitar, not the best tone I've heard but it's reasonably fair.

Here is a rough recording I did a few days ago with Audacity and the cheapest microphone I could find for voip purposes:

 

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