Well, may as well be the first to enter this month's GOTM!
I present to you my 'Baby Swift'
It is a mini 6-string acoustic guitar that I have designed and built for my two grandchildren so that it is there, as they grow up, for them to mess about with and make any noises they like with it, or to learn to play it if they have an interest, or to just use as a convenient cricket or table tennis bat if they don't
It has some similarities to some of the increasing number of very small guitars starting to appear on the market - a similar scale to some of them; a body size based on a tenor ukulele - but also some differences to satisfy my 'what if..?' and 'I wonder if...' interests. And at least one personal challenge - other than could I build it at all - and that is: can I make it in a way that it sounds more like a classical guitar than a ukulele?
I've been modding and building guitars and basses for over ten years, making and mending stuff for my own use, fellow band members, family and friends and the occasional commissioned build.
The 'Baby Swift' specs are:
- 17" scale 6-string nylon strung acoustic guitar
- Spruce top; mahogany back and sides; purpleheart fretboard and details; mahogany neck; ebony binding and details; abalone rosette with offset purfling detail
- X-braced, tap-tuned top
- through pin bridge with solid ebony bridge-pins
- tenor-ukulele body shape; 3" (76mm) body depth
- presently tuned 2 semitones higher than standard with Savarez mixed tension strings (bass high tension, treble normal tension). The recording below was with different strings at 3 semitones higher than standard.
- 1lb 15oz weight (yes, I know )
Here are some pictures:
Here's the build thread:
And here's a short sound clip with various styles of playing. As always, best heard through headphones or decent speakers. I'll leave you to decide whether I met my objective of it sounding more like a guitar than a ukulele...
Little Swift Sound Samples MP3.mp3
Thanks for looking
Post-post
I've been messing around with strings a little and have come across a set that I think suits the tonal dynamics pretty well. It is a mixed tension set from Savarez - their Corum Red/Blue set. The bass three strings are high tension and the three treble strings standard tension.
I think it balances out the resonances from the strings. Although this set will allow me to tune one or two semi-tones lower, I think the 'three semitones above standard' still suits best.
Here's a second set of short demo sounds in different styles, again recorded directly into my little Zoom H2n recorder:
Little Swift Soundfiles 2 MP3.mp3
Thanks again for looking/listening