More or Less Paul

My heavy acoustic guitar background just as heavily influences my high opinion of the traditional form of a guitar, acoustic or non. What sound necessitates in an instrument dependent on its shape yields a fluent, natural, and inherently beautiful form that deserves translation into the electric variation of lutherie where shape, in some cases, influences sound hardly at all. Equipment and skill required to build an archtop model prohibit me from doing so, though it would be my preference otherwise. My aim then is to incorporate as many features of traditional string instruments into my guitar design as said equipment and skill allow. The best design to launch from, therefore, is the Les Paul (1) for its traditional bout shape. Its versatile aesthetic, likewise, sinks seamlessly into blues, rock-n-roll, jazz, and any manner of genres dependent on electric guitar – especially with warm musical tones.

One of the most exciting factors about this undertaking that motivated me to commit to a guitar build was the prospect of designing my own original guitar body shape. With my aesthetics interests mentioned above, I immediately jumped to the Les Paul form and began modifying from there. However, I also gave non-traditional shapes a try – just to see what might come out and if it made any artistic sense at all (unlike the foul and uncomfortable Flying-V).

My non-traditional shape attempt produced a suggestion I’m not entirely perturbed by. In fact, if I did end up adopting lutherie as a hobby later in life, I may give this solid body shape a try. The lower bout favors the form of a Jazzmaster, and the left side (nearest the player) follows the classis Telecaster curve. The cutaway horn, however, is my own and appears in both this iteration and the “traditional”-favoring design I ultimately decided to pursue. A solid body design would also open up easier opportunity to incorporate Stratocaster-esque ergonomics, such as an arm rest on top and belly cut underneath the waist nearest the player.

In keeping with my preference of traditional lutherie styles, I am opting to pursue my own original design heavily favoring the appearance of an acoustic guitar and Les Paul. Most obviously translated is the proportion and shape of the lower bout, very nearly circular. The upper left portion, instead of curving to meet the neck orthogonally like a Les Paul, slows its curve into a straight line, meeting the neck at an apex. My favorite feature, however, is the horn next to the cutaway. Versus a smooth radius corner at the tip of the cutaway horn – and versus bringing it to a point like many acoustic and electric models – I cut the horn’s reach short with a flat diagonal edge that, if extended out, also meets the neck at an apex. The lower corner of this feature has a smoother radius, and the upper corner carries a tighter radius that is striking yet not jarring as a sharp point may be. I believe this modification to the upper body makes the design particularly unique by integrating smooth, gradual curves with straight edges meeting at the guitar’s prominent neck.

A key piece of inspiration was this special Gibson build (2) that has three key features unlike its common Les Paul siblings: A flat top, a hollow body, and a single F-hole on the left side.

No other Gibson Les Paul I’ve found has made use of a flat top; all others are curved. While I prefer the look of a curved top, a flat top design much improves my ability to make it myself. The hollow body design is evidenced by the F-hole feature, incorporating an acoustic characteristic to a normally solid body (and very heavy) design.

I’ve since taken my design to 3D modeling. This enables me to perfect the lines and, more importantly, produce the design through CNC routing. I’ll be incorporating the hollow (or semi-hollow) design as well as the single side F-hole. My current challenge is flattening and gluing the mahogany body and walnut top together before final CNC routes. Both wooden blanks were not completely dry during shipping and have warped significantly in the dry Colorado air. My final design may end up significantly thinner than originally intended now that planing (removing more material) is necessary to make these parts flat again.

Citations:

1. “1959 Gibson Les Paul Custom – Willie’s Guitars.” Accessed March 3, 2025. https://www.williesguitars.com/product/1959-gibson-les-paul-custom/.

2. Chicago Music Exchange. “Gibson Les Paul Special Semi-Hollow Caramel Burst.” Accessed March 3, 2025. https://www.chicagomusicexchange.com/products/gibson-les-paul-special-semi-hollow-caramel-burst-1493376.