I haven’t worked on the banjos since my last post, but have made good progress on two guitars. One a ‘Plectrum’ guitar and the other a Weissenborn acoustic lap steel. Both made from Myrtlewood and Port Orford Cedar.
I’ve written about ‘laminated’ sides or ribs in a previous post, they’re stronger and the idea is when the soundboard is excited, the vibrations stay in the top rather then being absorbed by the sides, mostly. I’ve played guitars with and without ‘structured’ sides, and they most all sound good, but I do think it helps, and I do like strengthening the sides, they are vulnerable to bumps and a thin side can easily split. The extra robustness is especially helpful with the Weissenborns, there is a lot of string tension on them. (Structured and laminated are the same thing marketing..
These are close to being done, will post pics when they are.
It’s been cold-ish the last few weeks, lows in the teens at night and beautiful clear days. Maybe a foot of snow on the ground, hope we get more before Winters over.
Hampel Guitars 