I have made a varied number of stringed instruments and in each case have used my basic designs in terms of top/back arching and bracing layouts. I want to see how much further this will stretch and so have decided to make a lap slide guitar with a Weissenborn shape but using my "methods". This could be a Defaoitenrugadh - which is "pidgeon Gaelic" for White-n-born (well Weiss is German for white!!) - but it will be called "Red Kite" in honour of the majestic birds that soar over my workshop every day.
This is a prototype so I have also decided to use wood I have "spare" in my workshop. Wood for intrument making is increasingly becoming a scare resource and for this instrument I want to see how techniques might have to adapt, so it will have a 4 piece Sapele back and top, and English walnut sides. In my research I came across the really helpful website of Gary Anwyl and from there that of the French builder Christophe Grellier where he shows the construction of a Weissenborn guitar. Many thanks Gary and Christophe!:
November 2006
Firstly I need a "cunning plan" as Baldrick would say, so here's mine.
I'm not normally a big fan of using molds in my building, but given the integral neck of this instrument I think I will need one this time.
The side pieces are cut on my bandsaw from a length of English walnut I have had for a number of years, and then thicknessed down to size on my belt sander.
Rather than build a seperate bending form, I am using an existing guitar bending form I have for the waist and lower bout, and will then do the rest on the hot pipe. Here one side is in my Fox-bender with the waist and lower bout bent.
This is what it looks like when it comes out.
The rest is bent on the hot-pipe and the side clamped in the mold.
The other side is similarly shaped. The ends at the tail block are trimmed to the right length and the lime tailblock glued on with hot hide glue.
Now for the peghead. This is totally new to me as I'm used to doing this as part of a neck build using a scarfe joint. The peghead is cut on the bandsaw from a block of sapele, and the peghead veneer glued on, held in position by pieces of a bamboo skewer. The veneer is a nice piece of old growth Brazilian rosewood - an offcut from a side set.
Here's a side view.
The peghead is then cut to shape on the bandsaw and brought to the final shape with the beltsander. The tuner holes are then drilled with a 10mm drill in a drill press. The final shaping where the peghead meets the sides will be done after it is glued to the sides.
The peghead is then glued to one of the sides using hot hide glue. The sapele cut-off from the peghead is used as a clamping caul on the opposite side.
The peghead is then glued to the other side.
And here's the result. Now it's time to make the top and back.
