Laminate sides

I have started laminating sides with hemp fabric. I got this idea from Oliver Marchwood (Marchwood Guitars), if you have not seen his work yet I recommend checking it out.

I think the sides of the guitar mostly act as a frame that the other pieces are attached to. They hold the neck on and provide a frame to hold the vibrating parts, the top and the back. This is why I am always looking for ways to make them stronger.

I start by thicknessing the sides slightly thinner than normal to reduce weight. For example, sides that I feel should be 2.1mm thick for unlamintated sides, I’ll thickness to maybe 1.8mm. I then use epoxy to laminate with a layer of hemp fabric and a finishing layer of 0.6mm veneer.

The sides come out about 75% heavier but a lot stiffer. It is very difficult to crack or split the sides once they have been laminated with fabric. I think it’s a small increase in weight for a huge increase in strength and stiffness.

I chose hemp fabric because I was considering using carbon fiber to reinforce the sides, but then I saw Oliver was using flax based fabric. I really liked the idea of using natural alternative to carbon fiber and in my research I found that hemp fibers are longer than flax fibers, I think this makes them more suitable for my needs. After experimenting with different flax, hemp and silk blends, I settled on 100% hemp that is the thinnest and tightest weave I could find. I feel this will have more fabric strands and less epoxy.

I am very impressed with the results and will continue building with this method. I will also consider building with solid wood sides again in the future.