Keyless Acoustic Practice Guitar

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 28 May 2018 1:36 pm

Just finished this experiment,,,several people over the years have wanted practice guitars, for travel etc. Not much sound out of a board with strings on it,,,so,,,I figure if I make a hollow body (of course with proper bracing),,one could at least get some sound out of it. Well, a buyer was willing to take a chance and this is what we came up with,,,not the most "mellow" sound you've heard,,but at least some audible sound,,,and fun to play,,,22 1/2" scale,,,about 26" overall and very light weight.

Nic Neufeld · Post by **Nic Neufeld** » 28 May 2018 1:55 pm

I like that!! Perfect for travel, probably fits in normal luggage without much trouble, or an easy carryon. Wouldn't be hard to add a low profile pickup too if they wanted to electrify it...

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 28 May 2018 4:40 pm

Yes,,of course if we think "electrifying" then we have to think "amplifier",,,starting to get to the "load up" stage.
I'm thinking, IF I make another one I would make it deeper body,,,maybe even "bowl back",,,

Daniel McKee · Post by **Daniel McKee** » 28 May 2018 5:44 pm

That is very neat! That is a perfect size to travel with. Is it loud enough to play in a quiet setting or strictly for practice?

Steve Wilson · Post by **Steve Wilson** » 28 May 2018 7:18 pm

Nice job! Is the bridge sitting on the same solid end block the strings go through, or it it sitting on the top and internal bracing only?

Joe Elk · Post by **Joe Elk** » 29 May 2018 3:38 am

Very nice!
Joe Elk Central Ohio

Joe Rouse · Post by **Joe Rouse** » 29 May 2018 4:09 am

Wow! Great work Brother....jr

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 29 May 2018 11:53 am

Thanks Joe,,,hope all is well with you!

Steve ,,,yes,,,there is an 1 1/2" maple block each end.

George Piburn · Post by **George Piburn** » 29 May 2018 12:48 pm

Sonny , I've loved your instruments since the 1st time I saw the Red one in Dallas seems like a decade ago.
Extra Love this one too.

Constructive addition, invest into Top Ferrules for the string throughs.
50 cents each or less , and they not only dress up but add structural functionality too.

On mine I use 3 or 4 drill bits. 3/32 for the main drill through ( basically the internal Diameter of the ferrule).
This makes the string not get hung up on the inside while installing.

Next I use a decimal drill bit to make the down hole for the ferrule with a stop collar to make it go faster.
Don't remember right of hand the drill size.

On the Bottom you already have a stop plate so all is good there.

The 3/32 = .094 fairly closely = a big fat string gauge.

Johnie King · Post by **Johnie King** » 29 May 2018 5:56 pm

I think you nailed that lap steel very nice Sonny a winner!!

Stephen Abruzzo · Post by **Stephen Abruzzo** » 30 May 2018 12:49 pm

Nice job Sonny. Aesthetically pleasing too!

Kristen Bruno · Post by **Kristen Bruno** » 12 Jun 2018 7:06 pm

What are the parts used for the tuners called? Where do you get them?

Thanks
K

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 13 Jun 2018 4:17 am

Kristen,,those are the "tuning fingers",,,,I make ALL the parts,,,(except string and screws,,,LOL).

David Becker · Post by **David Becker** » 16 Jun 2018 11:01 am

I'm the lucky guy who ordered this. I really like playing it. It's even smaller than I imagined (a good thing), and oh, so light! My wife is impressed, too, and she has pretty high standards. It produces a surprising amount of sound - plenty for its purpose. So, it fully meets all of the objectives, plus it's a bit of a looker, too!. Congratulations and thank-you to Sonny for a job well done.

All in all, this little beauty meets and exceeds my desires for a "practice board" (where I started out on this venture, but I just can't bring myself to call it that, though, because it is much more than that; I think I'll just call it my practice lap steel or, to use Sonny's term, my semi-acoustic lap steel).

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 16 Jun 2018 1:38 pm

Thank you soooo much for the kind words my friend,,,,,hope you continue to enjoy it. I have a real tendency to pick up my lap steel, with intentions of just trying this or that little diddy in my head,,,wind up playing it for an hour or so WITHOUT taking the trouble to plug it in,,,,,this little guitar solves that problem,,,with more than enough sound to hear,,,just like an acoustic guitar.

I am making another one now, with a little bit different tuning system,,,22 1/2" scale,,,25" long overall. Very compact.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 17 Jun 2018 3:13 pm

Well, the two extra-special* points I like are:
1) The design elements are well thought out, you went for something well beyond "wood box with holes" which is probably where I would bottom out. It looks GOOD....
2) Human nature being, ummm, natural? and human? it apparently dictates that if you make an acoustic box because someone had an electric steel, and they needed to hear it, now "they" wanna an electric one too!

Like you could paint it dark blue and name it the "Moonflower" because then the demand for the yellow "Sunflower" models'll blow the roof off! Them "theys" are somethin' else.

*(no NOT special like "Special Olympics" special like SPECIAL)

Mark Roeder · Post by **Mark Roeder** » 18 Jun 2018 9:34 am

Nice!
I like the idea....

Jim Myers · Post by **Jim Myers** » 18 Jun 2018 10:01 am

Those tuners are just what I've been thinking of. Can you give me more details, like how the strings attach and how much you would want for an 8 string setup? tia, Jim

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 18 Jun 2018 10:21 am

That’s awesome, Sonny!

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · Post by **Jean-Sebastien Gauthier** » 19 Jun 2018 5:26 am

Wow thats a great idea!!!

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 20 Jun 2018 7:10 pm

You could... blow this up if you wanted to, I think. If Elderly Music or the likes picked up on them as a semi-production model, like(?) It's eye-appealing in an acoustic-instrument kind of way, the "hole-flower" adds to that. I've met a number of slide-enamored guitarists who like the lap-steel principle but find regular old Nationals and such to be pretty weird. And dobros to be REALLY weird...

This is one of those semi-rare instances where even finicky I might buy one off the wall in a music store, if such wall, store and instrument existed.

Steve Wilson · Post by **Steve Wilson** » 20 Jun 2018 8:56 pm

Great idea Sonny!
On your next one I can't help but wonder if it would be louder if you made the body an inch or so longer, then moved the bridge up about an inch so it rests on the bracing rather than on the 1.5" end block?

Maybe tone bar bracing like an archtop guitar? It seems that would get the top vibrating more. Anyway, great job!

Johnie King · Post by **Johnie King** » 21 Jun 2018 1:06 pm

Sonny’s the man if you need a keyless lap he dose beautiful work.

Sonny Jenkins · Post by **Sonny Jenkins** » 22 Jun 2018 2:00 pm

Hey Johnie,,,thanks for the kind words my friend,,,that means a lot coming from you. Hope the weather is cooler in Tennessee than it is here,,,,the daily goal is to keep cool!!!!

I'm building another 10 string,,,tiger stripe maple with Ebony inlay trim.

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