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Here is the latest on my guitar build - the guitar body is flush trimmed and I’ve radiused all the edges with a 5/16” round over bit. The body sits on my homemade router table with the DEWALT 2.25 hp Router under it. Here is a closeup of the guitar body:

Tools

Here is the list of tools I used:

• 2” cut length flush trim bit – I could have used a pattern bit but with the bearing on the bottom rather than the top, I didn’t feel it was as safe as a flush trim bit. The flush trim bit only exposes as much of the cutting edge as is necessary unlike the pattern bit which exposes the entire cutting surface. I purchased the bit from MLCS.
• DEWALT 2.25 hp Router – The quality is excellent, the height adjustment mechanism is smooth and installing router bits is fast and simple.
• Router table – I decided to build my own and I’m glad I did. Not only was it inexpensive to build but it is very solid (unlike the cheaper bench top models on the market) and it gave me another opportunity to work with the router. The materials list is very simple. It includes a 2×4 sheet of oak veneered plywood, a handful of drywall screws and plain pine for the feet to provide a clamping surface. The whole thing cost just a few dollars.
• Safety goggles or glasses – This is imperative. Routers bits spin at tens of thousands of RPM’s. A bit that catches can send a dangerous piece of debris toward your eyes.
• Respirator – The whole process kicks up a TREMENDOUS amount of wood dust and chips. Protect your lungs.
• Vacuum – The vacuum not only picks up some of the heavier debris, it reduces the amount of airborne dust.

Safety

As a beginning woodworker, I thought long and hard about safety and came up with the following for myself:

• Don’t work with the router unless you are focused on the work - That means being alert and working in an environment devoid of distractions.
• Always be conscious of where your hands are relative to the cutting surfaces – It doesn’t take much to end up with mangled hands.
• Always maintain visibility - Stop frequently to clear away dust and chips.
• Disconnect the router whenever it’s not in use – stopping to clear away debris, stepping away, examining progress, changing bits etc.

To improve safety, I will be adding a fence with a dust collection port and a guard over the bit.

The Process

Here was my “script” for working on this phase of the guitar build:

• Screw the template to the body – Locate the screws where the holes will be hidden or routed away. I chose a future pick up position and the future bridge route position.
• Make sure the router mount is solid – Vibration will loosen the screws holding it. Check it before starting any work. Besides issues of safety, it ensures an accurate cut.
• Set the router bit to the appropriate height.
• Put on eye protection.
• Put on the respirator.
• Plug in the router.
• Start the router.
• Route from right to left, smoothly and steadily taking off small amounts at a time – do not put excessive pressure on the piece to push it into the router bit. Allow it to do its job.

While flush trimming, I had an accident on the upper bout. The cutting edge caught the body, tearing out a chunk and fracturing a section of the edge over a span of about 2”. Fortunately, I was able to repair this with hide glue and a well-placed clamp. Once it dried, I used wood filler to fill in gaps. The repair restored the lines of the design. If this hadn’t worked, plan B was to slice off the damaged section, glue on a piece from the left over scrap and re-work the area. The only visible sign on the face of the guitar body is a glue stain.

All in all, I’m very happy with the results. It’s actually starting to look like a guitar.

My next steps are the neck and pickguard. Coming into this phase of the project, I had considered purchasing a low end Steinberger and using its neck. However, I’m encouraged by my success to date so I will attempt to build one instead. As far as the pickguard, I don’t care for the original design so I will design my own. Stay tuned.

More on my first guitar project:

Cutting Out The Ergonomic Guitar

Making The Ergonomic Guitar Template

Project Guitar Topic Thread: First Project Attempt - Ergonomic Guitar

Published Oct 24th, 2006 | Topic: Guitar Build #1 | 3 Comments →

The Xavier Padilla Custom electric bass guitar, built by Jerome Little of Little Guitar Works, is an amazing example of ergonomic guitar design from its unusual body design to its Torzal Twisted Neck.

Six to eight months of discussions with Xavier Padilla resulted in very detailed design requirements. In fact, Jerome Little indicated that he “printed out just some of the correspondence to have as a reference in the shop…resulting in a 1.5″ stack of paper!” The product of their efforts is a showcase of ergonomic instrument design. The following are just some of its elements…

Playing the instrument in a classical position was an important consideration and so the lower bout’s leg cutaway was designed with this in mind. The upper horn shape was also important to positioning the body properly so it too is shaped accordingly. Jerome Little also pointed out an interesting element of the upper horn design (seen to the left) which “houses the strap button (and strap) inside a sliding cover so that the strap can come straight out and over the shoulder and yet the strap button doesn’t dig into the chest.”

The body incorporates a number of design elements as well. As with other ergonomic designs, the picking arm has excellent support. In addition, the “plane of the strings is angled up at the bridge to reduce the necessity of bending the wrist.” The body also incorporates a thumb rest all along the bass side of the body (seen in the image above) in what would be the position of a fifth bass string.

Jerome Little’s Torzal Twist Neck is yet another example of ergonomic design. Its downward twist at the nut (approximately 15-20 degrees) reduces wrist stress since the player can fret with a straighter wrist.

For more on Jerome Little’s fine work, I suggest visiting Little Guitar Works. Finally, many thanks to Jerome Little for sharing further details about his design.

UPDATE: For more on this instrument, see Padilla Solos On His Little Guitar Works Torzal Bass Guitar.

Published Oct 19th, 2006 | Topic: Bass Guitar | 21 Comments →

The Ovation Breadwinner electric guitar is a fine example of an ergonomic design incorporating both good balance and excellent picking arm support. Interestingly, it has not gotten the attention given to the Klein electric guitar. Only in production from 1972 through 1979, the design predated the Klein electric guitar by about a decade.

Even a cursory look at the two designs reveals a striking similarity. So much so that according to this Vintage Guitar Magazine article, Ovation considered legal action against Klein. In the end, Ovation decided against it in light of the company’s lack of success with solid body electric guitars.

What I found truly striking about the Breadwinner was its designer’s revelation that its ergonomic design was somewhat of an accident! According to The Ovation Breadwinner Fanpage’s The Designer Writes, the “idea was to make it resemble a medieval battle axe because musicians at that time often referred to their instruments as their ‘axe’.” However, the designer goes on to state that the easy upper fret access and comfortable position while sitting were intentional. Fortunately, he struck on a shape that delivered on ergonomics and to which the Klein electric guitar has at least a debt of gratitude.

Published Oct 12th, 2006 | Topic: Electric Guitar | 17 Comments →

Klein Electric Guitars may not be long for this world. Yesterday, a participant of the Klein Electric Guitars Yahoo Group reported finding a note on the site stating the following: “Note: Klein Electric Guitars is no longer taking new orders at this time.” This screenshot confirms this:

According to reports on the group, Klein Electric Guitars has had ongoing issues delivering guitars for well over a year now. Guitarists with deposits have waited and waited for their instruments - reporting little and at times no contact with the company for months at a time.

It is unfortunate as the Klein Electric Guitar is one of the few instruments that is recognized as a truly ergonomic guitar design. However, it has been an up and down ride since inception. It began with Steve Klein, its designer, producing the guitar through the Steinberger line. It was dropped and then Klein struck out on his own. Later he sold his interest in the company to his right hand man Lorenzo German. By all counts, the company did a wonderful job of continuing with the Klein guitar design intially but has apparently fallen on difficult times over the last few years. I wish the company well.

UPDATE 05.31.2007: Read the latest news and comments on - News Flash - The End of Klein Electric Guitars?

UPDATE 08.28.2007 No new word from the Klein Guitar camp. The site remains down.

Published Oct 6th, 2006 | Topic: Blog Notes | 15 Comments →