Solid Body Guitar Design
Preliminary Design Assignment
Each guitar manufacturer uses unique features, materials, processes, or innovations in their product to make their guitar stand out from the rest. These features, materials, processes, or innovations influence consumers to purchase these guitars by making them believe that the manufacturer makes the best guitar on the market. In this assignment we will focus on the unique design features of solid body guitars.
There are two elements of design that will need to be considered for this project. The first is the design for the headstock on the neck and the second is the design for the body of the instrument. Both of these items are signature design elements associated with both mass produced and custom made guitars.
Your assignment is to search online through the catalogues of various guitar manufacturers to familiarize yourself with some of the various “signature” designs associated with these brands. You should identify the solid body and headstock styles produced by these manufacturers that most closely resemble the design characteristics that you would like to utilize in your project [see assignment sheet].
In terms of design, you will be responsible for designing a custom “6 in-line” headstock. You may need to research what the difference is between a 6 in-line and 3+3 headstock. A template for the headstock blank is posted on the class website. After looking over headstocks designed by others, make some sketches for your own headstock. Print the template from the website and make at least 2 designs you think would be appropriate [attach this to the assignment sheet]. See the notes on the template sheet.
For the body, you will have the option of choosing a pre-drawn body design or producing your own design within a set of constraints. Either way, you should identify the body style that best represents your personal taste [see the assignment sheet].
Along with the body shape, consideration should be given to the type of finish you wish to apply to the body. Search the internet for finish techniques that you’d like to apply to your guitar. These may be based on clear finishes over wood patterns, transparent dyes or stains, paint, or other finish techniques. Identify possible finishing techniques that best represent your personal taste [see the assignment sheet].
Listed below are a few of the manufacturers of solid body guitars. You may want to begin your search at these sites or search on your own for design ideas.
www.gibson.com
www.fender.com
www.prsguitars.com
www.rickenbacker.com
www.schecterguitars.com
www.washburn.com
Solid Body Guitar Design Name______
Preliminary Design Assignment
Assignment Sheet
1. From the internet, copy 5-6 images of 6 in-line headstocks that most closely resemble the style that you would like to emulate in your guitar. Paste these in a “Word” document. Identify/credit the designer of these headstocks. Attach these to this sheet.
2. Make a 3 or 4 sketches of headstocks on paper that you think would look good on your guitar. Attach these to this page.
3. Print the headstock template from the website and perfect at least 2 of your sketched designs. Attach the completed template(s) to this sheet.
4. From the internet, copy 5-6 images of solid body electric guitar bodies that most closely resemble the body style that you would like to emulate in your guitar. Paste these in a “Word” document. Identify/credit the designer of these guitar bodies. You may also use any of the samples posted on the class website. Attach these to this sheet.
5. Below are some silhouettes of solid bodies. The ones crossed off represent designs that won’t meet some of our design constraints so they should be avoided.
6. Copy from the web 2-3 images of finish characteristics you would like to see used on your instrument. Paste these in a “Word” document. Credit the images provided. Attach these to this page.