the absolute worst and utterly terrible way to build a folding guitar

in this instructable, I will explain how to create a folding electric guitar out of a few pieces of hardware and an old guitar. (you could use a new one, but I don't recommend it). this instructable is not for people not willing to compromise the structure and even playability of a guitar.

UPDATE:: there are lots of better ways to do this. I just documented mine. I know this compromises pretty much everything that a good guitar should have. the thing is, my guitar didn't have those qualities. so that's why I did it. I've actually already gutted and thrown out the guitar (kept the insides for replacements, see), but it would work if you needed it to.

Step 1 Remove the strings of the guitar

you'll need to take off the strings. if you can't do this, just stop right now.

Comments

[nckballer]

Will you post a vid this is an amazing idea good job!

[codongolev]

sorry, I don't have a camera. but I really don't know how a video would help.

[freeza36]

If you don't have a camera, how did you make the 'ible? Or do you mean you don't have a video camera?

[codongolev]

I don't have a video camera.

[goeon]

the video for sound quality

[WickeD12]

man... strats look so empty without the pickguards...

[codongolev]

I just thought that while i was here, I would mention again that this was an absolutely terrible idea and an awful way to go about doing this.

[WickeD12]

lol dont worry i wont try it on mine

[gotanysparecake]

Youre a lefty!

[codongolev]

yes I am. I haven't looked at this instructable in years. so full of terrible ideas.....

[the_burrito_master]

like the fact that you have to re string and tune it every time XD

[codongolev]

how can someone, it two years, go from complete idiot (let's go cut up a guitar and throw in a door hinge!") to a pretty competent maker? (and if this is how the whole "making" thing is going to go, I should be able to do some amazing stuff by the time I'm 18 and allowed to buy all the "off limits" stuff in the hardware store.)

[codongolev]

now I'm seventeen and just finished building a pretty great catapult in engineering. man, this instructable sucked....

[ToddisI]

lol im so used to seeing right handed guitars, when i saw the pictures i figured it was some foldable guitar drawn and cut out of cardboard... LOL

[zoltzerino]

Havent you just ruined the sound of the guitar, solidity etc. im always REALLY careful with my beasts.

[codongolev]

no, it was ruined long ago. that's why I did it. I've long since gutted and thrown away this guitar. the tone was always crap, and now it just has a lot of extra unneeded hardware. I now have a strat, so yeah.

[zoltzerino]

Recently acquired a Marshall JCM 2000 triple super lead tsl122 combo!! And a '74 Strat.

[codongolev]

whatever you do, don't make it folding.

[zoltzerino]

Where was the strat made? I have a Cort kx5, a Dean evo xm, a Squire precission bass, and a 45y/o eco/eko? acoustic (the label has worn off).

[codongolev]

mexico. but it's a good one. some that come out of mexico aren't too hot.

[chevyboy666]

That was an Epiphone strat style. I have a similar one, same p-up combo & bridge but the headstock is the Batwing type that's on the new Wilshires. The only problem i had with mine were the stock pickups. I swapped them out & had a really nice guitar for about 150 buck total. Being left handed sucks, finding ANY guitar is half the damn battle.

[codongolev]

are you left handed? yeah. I was at guitar center. they have walls upon walls of guitars. I asked where the leftys were. they pointed me to a single support beam with about 10 guitars on it labeled "lefty land".

[Guitar_slave]

this is very good project but it does terrible thing to guitar i wouldn't personaly tried it but...you made it well done!!

[codongolev]

yeah.... I was willing to risk that guitar's life for a contest, but I didn't win, so whatever. the guitar was already terrible, though. it's been dropped so many times. the worst was on one halloween. I dressed up as a rock star. I had heelys to collect candy faster (and therefore more candy). a rock got lodged inside. the wheel locked up. the neck split in two lengthwise down to the second fret. that was an awkward trip to the repair shop.....

[fatfanny]

purdy guitar

[codongolev]

not up close, it's not.

[fatfanny]

at least your whammy bar didn't break inside the bidge, that is if you have one, cuz i don't see oine here

[kneecaps]

this is not a good idea. it will change the guitars natural tone. changing the wood and how it is attached in anyway will have an effect on how it sounds. it will ruin the sustain immensely i would imagine. vibrations are meant to be carried out through the guitar, not to be cut off by some hinge. the tone will also be shortened, there wont be as much as there was before. portability is the only upside. but sacrificing tone and sustain? i wouldnt. i would only do this to a very cheap guitar just for on the go. nothing else. especially for a guitar you use all the time

[codongolev]

the guitar sucked in the first place. I said that in the instructable. it's been dropped too many times to count. it's been repaired once. the sound is like rocks in a tin can. I figured I can't make it much worse. there was barely any tone or sustain anyway.

[blackcorvo]

you could have done the string winder not that big... it may be really uncomfortable to play with that thing in there O.o and yeah the project is really cool... but I remember of seeing a guy that created a folding guitar, if I'm not wrong he's from the US airforce and was tired of having his guitar damaged when travelling so he made something that could fit inside a common school bag and now he sells that guitar... anyway you did a nice job!

[randofo]

I am a bit confused here. Why would you want to fold a guitar?

[Keith-Kid]

WHY wouldn't I?

[codongolev]

it makes it just a little bit more portable. it could fit in a backpack, for instance.

[Keith-Kid]

Mhm.

[codongolev]

http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20070501/the-folding-guitar/

[pstretz]

wouldn't everything be easier to put the hinge on the back so that the back of neck folds to the back of the guitar? All you'd have to do is loosen the strings to fold it, then straighten it out and tune it up.

[Wesley666]

you would have to loosen the strings all the way until they came off or snap them and its really annoying having to put strings on again.

[pstretz]

It depends on how loose you put them on. I usually make sure the string goes around the post a couple times so it keeps better tune. This would probably be loose enough without having to be removed. It's worth a shot. :) having to re-string it would for sure be unpleasant.

[Wesley666]

ya but this also stretches the strings too.

[pstretz]

Yes it does, and that's a huge benefit. I was just looking for a way that would not have a huge can on my guitar. :) at least in this ible solution it's hidden, though i think it may be uncomfortable to play with it's placement here. I typically do not have a need to unfold and play at a moments notice, but I'm sure others do. That's what makes this world great, differences. I would have time to tune it, so I could get away with using a different solution. If you have to unfold and play this solution works great for you.