Pete Howlett
Well-known member
I've started the prototype tenor resolele. As usual with my prototyping I don't make the molds and jigs before I have ironed out all the problems so this is a 'free' build.
I initially intended to laminate the sides but the vacuum bag setup isn't good enough so I laminated the back and front - .6mm birdseye maple face with plain balancer veneer over a 2.5mm aero-grade ply.The sides are 2.1mm thick birdseye - hand bent very easily. Here's the body waiting for its tortoise binding - the production will be black but this prototype has a rosewood fingerboard:
I've machined the ply well from 17mm enginering grade birch ply. The well wall is 1/4" thick and 14mm deep - I know but I am bi-lingual with measurement... You can just see the solid koa linings to make the sides really stiff. End and neck blocks are ply also.
It has a single sound port - necessary because the well has no port holes. Making this is fun using a template and a precision shaped sanding stick:
I initially intended to laminate the sides but the vacuum bag setup isn't good enough so I laminated the back and front - .6mm birdseye maple face with plain balancer veneer over a 2.5mm aero-grade ply.The sides are 2.1mm thick birdseye - hand bent very easily. Here's the body waiting for its tortoise binding - the production will be black but this prototype has a rosewood fingerboard:
I've machined the ply well from 17mm enginering grade birch ply. The well wall is 1/4" thick and 14mm deep - I know but I am bi-lingual with measurement... You can just see the solid koa linings to make the sides really stiff. End and neck blocks are ply also.
It has a single sound port - necessary because the well has no port holes. Making this is fun using a template and a precision shaped sanding stick:
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