It Worked for Me: Adapting Dreadnaught

by Charles Freeborn

Originally published in American Lutherie #119, 2014



I decided to add a parlor guitar model to my existing line by adapting the dreadnaught-sized Freestyle model to the smaller dimensions. I started with the Freestyle’s CAD drawing, then offset the body shape inward 1/2" (Photo 1).

Since I construct my instruments in an external mold, I asked myself “why not do the same thing to the existing mold, by adding a removable sleeve?” That way my current mold could be used for both the original model and its smaller sibling (Photo 2).