Modifying the Traced Shape:

"The Mercury"

Now that the traced body—in this case, the Malinoski "Rocket"—has been successfully merged with the ETSU Standardized CADD data set, it is time to begin modifying the body to create a new, unique guitar body.

A little change in radius here, a little revision to an arc there, a consolidation and simplification of two similar arcs into one sweeping line...

Pretty soon you have a similar, but substantially different, guitar happening...

YOUR guitar

So, let's launch into the modifications of the traced Rocket...

One thing as we get started... Peter Malinoski's Rocket is the inspiration for this guitar but that awesome design and name are his (Yes, I know there are a lot more "rocket" guitars out there).

We will therefore need to create a different looking guitar.

And we also need a new name...

As a child of the Space Age, I remember that the first USA's first manned flight program was "Project Mercury." OK then.

Shape Modifications Include:

Note: the new "Mercury" shape is the darker blue; the lighter blue line is the traced Rocket.

Give the lower horn a wee bit more width and make both sides convex.

Thin out the upper horn and make both sides concave

"De-point" both the upper and lower sides of the guitar base.

Use a single Ogee arc to sweep from the lower side "waist" to the lower bump.

Use a single Ogee arc to sweep from the upper side "waist" to the forearm bump.



"It's basically the same,

only different"