C-note guitar

Guitar built for a $100 challenge on the Musical Instrument Maker’s Forum (MIMF), and themed on the $100 bill

This guitar was finished in less than two months during a MIMF challenge to build an electric guitar with parts totalling less than $100, and it was completed just prior to Halloween 2009.  The body was made from an old mahogany desk given to me by a friend.  The pieces were sanded down and sandwiched to make a reasonable body thickness.  The top and neck were made from ash given to me as well.  The inlay was made from kickplate brass and record vinyl which worked very well as a black inlay material.  The control cavity cover was made of cherry and the knobs were made from a maple/cherry laminate left over from a previous guitar neck.  The bridge was also made from kickplate brass.  The trussrod was made from rolled iron stock, and the pickups were made by me.  The electronics, bridge barrel pieces and tuners were purchased.

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FINISHED DIMENSIONS:

  • Scale = 25.5″
  • Nut width = 1 22/32
  • String width at nut = 1 27/64
  • Headstock nut to tip = 8 5/8
  • Headstock width = 3 1/8
  • Headstock thickness = 33/64
  • Width at 22 fret = 2 1/8
  • Neck thickness at pocket without fingerboard = 23/32
  • Neck stands above body at pocket = 6/32
  • Neck joins body at the 16th fret
  • Body thickness = 1 12/32
  • Body thickness with maple top = 1 19/32
  • Body width at upper horns = 10 15/16
  • Body width at waist = 8 3/4
  • Body width at lower bout = 12 3/4
  • Total body length = 15 7/8
  • Top of pocket to bottom of body = 15 5/8
  • Lower horn to bottom of body = 15 1/4
  • 22nd fret = bottom of neck pocket
  • From 22nd to top of Neck pickup = 15/32
  • From 22nd to bottom of Neck pickup = 1 1/2
  • From 22nd to top of Tele style bridge = 4 20/32
  • From 22nd to bottom of Tele style bridge = 8 1/8
  • From 22nd to bottom of guitar = 12 3/4
  • Neck thickness at nut (with fingerboard) = 27/32
  • Neck thickness at 12th fret (with fingerboard = 29/32