Acrylic Guitar

Bob Groat at Groat Instruments, after having a few acrylic guitars in for repair, decided to undertake one himself, except he wanted the neck to be acrylic too, not wood. Using 1 1/4" and 3/4" clear acrylic from TAP, the shapes were cut on a band saw, then with a grinder, router, drill press, and lots of sandpaper, the guitar was brought to life. Paisley shaped holes were cut into the body to lighten the overall weight. Gluing the blue fretboard down required a mix of the thin and medium viscosity acrylic glues, which had to be refrigerated prior to use. The pickguard was 1/8" transparent blue that was run through an abrasive sander to thickness and polished back up. The payoff? Not only does it look cool, but it sounds and plays great! The photo was taken by Rachel Titus in early light using a white wall and an angled mirror.