Acoustic Guitar Construction

I have a musician friend that wants to be Marty Robbins! I decided to build something a bit different. Size 5 it is. Walnut back and sides. Top is Caucasian spruce from Turkey straight from ebay. I think it will make a nice top. There will be an A frame going to the neck block. Rosette is curly Ovangkol. I built a mold from 1/4 birch ply and poplar hobby wood from Home Depot. It is light and did the job. I am about ready to close the box.

At the guild of american luthiers conference I heard an Size 5 played in a large auditorium. It sounded great with enough projection to heard everywhere in the auditorium. There were about 40 guitars and it was in the top quartile. An amazing guitar.

I should have gone to that conference. I have heard clips of the 5 but never played one. I love a guitar capoed on the 3rd fret. I hope I got the bracing and thicknesses right. I go with feel and vibration on the top before gluing. I may have left it stiff for a little box however it is tuned up to G.

Nice!
I made a few size 5 guitars. They have a 21.4 inch scale, tuned in G. If you do like harmonics, they are great little ones for that. The bass is lacking, but that is obvious, eh! Don't leave the top too thick, 'cause they tend to sound on the boxy side. Start building around 0.1", to aim around 0.09" in the end, depending on the stiffness.

Here is one of them, made with a Taylor V-Class bracing. With pics and clips
(Sorry in Dutch)

Here it is in action:

Wow Herman, sweet sounding guitar. I thought the bass was nicely balanced with the rest. The smallest I have made is a 00. I have the plans for a 5. I should give it a go.