Post 32: Thinking of a Baritone guitar

   Before I go any further with the ELECTRIC THEORBO, I want to let my Friend LaDonna take a look at it. Even with the shortened neck,  it is still unwieldy and requires a strap to stabilize it. I would prefer an instrument that sits in one's lap comfortably without a strap. 

   Also, I only have only one length of 2" aluminum tubing to make a neck and don't want to waste it on an instrument that nobody will mess with. These instruments are prototypes and therefore imperfect; so they are not really sellable, at least not for an amount commensurate to the work that went into making them. I would just as soon keep them and loan them to musician friends, or give them away.

   My nephew Doug is a guitar player, teacher, and collector. I already gave him the early cigar box guitar and the one-string bass. I am considering making a special guitar for him, and since I don't like high screechy sounds, I am thinking of skipping the small string altogether and making a fairly long-scale (27" to 30") baritone guitar with either 6 or 7 strings. I have a beautiful Gaboon Ebony fingerboard blank that is wide enough to accommodate 7 strings.

   I like the idea of a headless guitar with tuners at the saddle, so I ordered from Amazon a set of 6 individual black tuners with built-in brass bridges and intonation adjustment:

        I plan to stagger them, angle the nut, and fan the frets like in these:

    I also like the idea of having the body hug the neck high on one side and having a deep cut-out on the other.  I don't like high-screeching power chords, so there is no need for a deep cutout for the thumb. I like mellow sounds, so there will be no bridge pickup, just a neck humbucker.  I have so far used cheap Chinese pickup, but since this build is intended as a present for a serious guitarist, I looked for something better and unusual. I found the Lace Alumitone extended-range bar humbuckers. They look great and come in a whole range of widths for 6 to 10 strings guitars:

     My first full-scale sketch on paper looks like this:

      The holes would lighten the 1/4" aluminum top. I am wondering if I could shape a thinner aluminum panel as an archtop instead,  or do a curved back with lips bolted to the front body panel.

     I always surf Pinterest for new original designs, and just ran into this fabulous and very unique design by Rick Toone using carbon fiber panels and wood:

       It would be entirely possible to do a similar design using aluminum and Padouk, without altering the general shape I drew originally. 

      Now,  I need to make a mockup out of plywood to check the balance and the way the instrument will sit in my lap.