# Plastic Guitar build? Yay Nay?



## Brohoodofsteel75 (Jan 30, 2012)

So i got a quote from rondo music for $100 they'd sell me an 8 string neck. I feel like trying something really different, so i thought has anyone built a plastic guitar? Pros cons?


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jan 30, 2012)

I have no idea but that's wicked rondo is willing to sell necks...what where the specs on the one you asked about?


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## Ironbird (Jan 30, 2012)

I agree, it's uber cool for Rondo to sell just necks!


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## Metal_Webb (Jan 30, 2012)

I haven't had much experience working with plastic, but I do own one of the acrylic series mockingbirds that BC Rich released a few years back. What I can surmise though is that you'd want to keep the heat of any cutting tools down to prevent melting the plastic, ruining your work and releasing fumes. You'd also to make sure you don't breathe any of the dust whilst you're working on it, as inhaling a ton of plastic dust will more than likely cause health problems later on down the track. Most plastics should be easy to work with using standard wood tools from what I've learnt at work (work in a hardware shop, you have to answer all sorts of weird questions and fulfil strange requests).

Also, have you thought about what type of plastic to make it from? There are quite a few that would be suitable however only a few would come in stock large enough for a guitar. You're probably best using perspex as BC Rich did with theirs.
Wikipedia article about acrylic : Poly(methyl methacrylate) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Mockingbird:







The clear, coloured acrylic they've used is dense as all hell, the thing is even heavier than a zac wylde gibson. You can also tell that the instrument is made from plastic, it just has that tone about it. it sustains like a beast though and the tone of the thing works well for lower tunings (like B standard). The hardware that BC Rich used though wasn't the best with these guitars, so one day I will do the swap, until then I'll put up with it (hell, it's been 4 1/2 years so far )


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## Brohoodofsteel75 (Jan 30, 2012)

Stealthdjentstic said:


> I have no idea but that's wicked rondo is willing to sell necks...what where the specs on the one you asked about?



28.6 scale septor 8 string neck not nut or tuners but for $100 bucks I'm sold, he said he usually doesn't sell them but when a guitar body comes out wrecked he salvages the neck. Or vice versa.


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## Ironbird (Jan 30, 2012)

> The clear, coloured acrylic they've used is dense as all hell...


A friend of mine has an acrylic Mock just like the one you posted, and I can agree with this. They are HEAVY.


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## UnderTheSign (Jan 30, 2012)

I know a guy that has built multiple acrylic guitars and apparently they weigh up to 17lbs. Better start working out your back.

It's doable though and has been done before.


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## ImBCRichBitch (Jan 30, 2012)

Jack White's main guitar is bult from plastic, and its really cool and has great tone, so give it a shot. and +1 for the acrylic


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## MF_Kitten (Jan 30, 2012)

define "plastic". it needs to be really hard, stiff, and durable. acrylic is probably a good one, yeah. Maybe epoxy would be a good type of plastic too?


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## velvetkevorkian (Jan 30, 2012)

Don't know if it's feasible but I'm really curious to see if somewhere like Shapeways could print a body.


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## Vostre Roy (Jan 30, 2012)

Like this and you got my vote:






Source: Scatter Lee's 2011 TDPRI Build Challenge Thread - Telecaster Guitar Forum


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## USMarine75 (Jan 30, 2012)

Why? Drywall isn't good enough for you? 






I'd be interested... I have a Peavey Wolfgang neck lying around that I'd love to try something similar with, especially where the neck doesn't fit anything else besides a Wolfgang body...


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## Spaceman_Spiff (Jan 31, 2012)

*Looks at tele*

Acrylic neck? Hot damn!


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## EOT (Jan 31, 2012)

You should have Glock make one 

All kidding aside, that clear tele is pretty sweet. Looks like crystal


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## teleofseven (Jan 31, 2012)

off topic, does flaxwood make 7 stringers?

on topic, i've heard that acrylic guitars have issues about staying in tune, because the neck pocket isn't strong enough.


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## Just A Box (Jan 31, 2012)

Do some research on Switch guitars. They used a product called Vibracell to mold the entire body from. Pretty ugly designs, body wise, except for maybe a tele model they had. It wasn't acrylic, but was much lighter and apparently very resonant.


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## Hallic (Jan 31, 2012)

i got one of these


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## -42- (Jan 31, 2012)

Brent Hinds Custom | Electrical Guitar Company

Ampeg: Dan Armstrong Series - Guitar

Build an eight string acrylic V and you will be my new god.


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## Ironbird (Feb 1, 2012)

> Build an eight string acrylic V and you will be my new god.


That would cause intense back pain. Having said that, I want to see one!


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## UnderTheSign (Feb 1, 2012)

Ironbird said:


> That would cause intense back pain. Having said that, I want to see one!


At least it won't neck dive?


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## Brohoodofsteel75 (Feb 1, 2012)

teleofseven said:


> off topic, does flaxwood make 7 stringers?
> 
> on topic, i've heard that acrylic guitars have issues about staying in tune, because the neck pocket isn't strong enough.



Huh? I never heard that, I'll do some research. It does make sense though.


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## USMarine75 (Feb 1, 2012)

teleofseven said:


> off topic, does flaxwood make 7 stringers?


 
They have a custom shop, but no 7's (and no lefties)... yet.


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## Superwoodle (Feb 1, 2012)

Some older Ibanez basses are made of a plastic called Luthite such as my EDA 900


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## Randomist (Feb 2, 2012)

velvetkevorkian said:


> Don't know if it's feasible but I'm really curious to see if somewhere like Shapeways could print a body.



3D printing a guitar body would be a stretch. We have 3 3d printers in my department (engineering research student) among many other toys. They're big and not very reliable, the maximum size they can manage is a 200mm ish cube.
I don't see much problem with strength if the right plastic is chosen, and you can make it thin to reduce weight SG/Sabre style. You can even roughen up some edges to make them opaque and hide things like the control cavity (if you go transparent). All that said, though, I think you'll have a much easier time with wood.


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## Isan (Feb 2, 2012)

lego


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## UnderTheSign (Feb 2, 2012)

Isan said:


> lego




Just sayin'


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## velvetkevorkian (Feb 2, 2012)

Randomist said:


> 3D printing a guitar body would be a stretch. We have 3 3d printers in my department (engineering research student) among many other toys. They're big and not very reliable, the maximum size they can manage is a 200mm ish cube.
> I don't see much problem with strength if the right plastic is chosen, and you can make it thin to reduce weight SG/Sabre style. You can even roughen up some edges to make them opaque and hide things like the control cavity (if you go transparent). All that said, though, I think you'll have a much easier time with wood.



You've obviously not seen any of my woodworking 
Shapeways list their maximum size as 70x38x58 cm though. I suspect we'll see a lot of this sort of thing soon in any case.


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