Extending the body size by gluing on more wood?

[ONSatan]

Hi, I think I would like to extend the slab size of a kit I’ve ordered.

Has anyone done that before?

I do know these kits are somewhat “pre-shaped” and that they will have rounded edges that will require a lot of filler etc to cover gaps but I’m planning to use a solid color and hope that will hide enough as long as I sand and make everything in level… ?

Any recommendations on how to do this? I would like to make the body just less than 5cm “higher” (making the guitar wider).

Another solution (instead of adding one piece of wood) might be to glue many thinner layers.

Please let me know what you know/think about this.

[Brendan]

Shouldn't be an issue - check out some of the guitars by MaxAxe on this forum - Redback from an ST-1 -
Stealthcaster from an ST-1

Pretty much anything's doable - just need intent and capacity.

[ONSatan]

Thanks!
And technically, what is the easiest/best way to do it?
I GUESS example one below is the easiest way (just saw through the body, add two wood blocks, glue everything together again (before reshaping).

Ex 2 is multi layers of thin (1-2mm wood stripes glued on top of the body). I geuss this is harder and that there will be a huge need of filler etc…?

(P.S sorry for the “drawings”, made them in the fantastic “CAD” Paint…)

So, what is best in your experience, should I go for example 1 or 2?

[Brendan]

Personally option 1 looks easier and more reliable...

[king casey]

Personally option 1 looks easier and more reliable...

+1 Top way would be better.
However (if I may be so bold) I'd probably do it more like this.



cheers, Mark.

[Woltz]

I would be inclined to go with Marks suggestion as well from a stability and easier glue up perspective.

[Rabbitz]

I am not sure it is important, but adding a block on the top will change the centre of gravity and the balance.

I haven't thought about it before but on the surface of it, it seems that one would probably need the balance axis centre line to be somewhere around the line of the neck - so that the guitar isn't top-heavy and so it doesn't hang out of a vertical plane. I imagine that if it did that then more physical effort would be need to keep the guitar in the playing position, which, in turn, may affect playing speed and comfort.

A more experienced builder and guitarist may be able to shoot down this theory but I think it is worth considering, even if only to eliminate it as a future problem.

[wazkelly]

Spot on Rabbitz. Some guitar shapes are horrors to play due to the way they are balanced (or not) with flying V being the most obvious and Explorers with a big rear wing section that tends to want to fall forward if you are inclined to doing acrobatics on stage. Adding mass can also increase weight which can be tiring when playing live.....reminds me of my Ric 4001 which was a large body that weighed plenty and I was exhausted at the end of most gigs.