I made this practice 10-string steel out of about about $6 worth of parts from Home Depot:

10 eye hooks @ 50 cents each,
about a buck worth of steel bar cut into two pieces,
four 1-cent nails (to hold the "bridge" and "nut" in place), and a piece of scrap 2x6 scrap they gave me for free. I'm not particulary handy with tools, but it only took about 2 hours to make, including stringing it up.

The string spacing and scale length matches that of my MSA Semi Classic. I made it 'cause I'm just starting out on PSG and needed a way to practice blocking and right hand technique around the house (my guitar stays at my band practice room)... and I was surprised to find that it actually sounds pretty nice. It has good sustain, even in the very high register. And those eye hooks, believe it or not, actually hold the thing in tune pretty well.

Now I'm thinking of adding a pickup. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make one on the cheap, so it would match the rest of it? I guess I need a magnet and some thin wire, huh?

Also, do any of you have suggestions regarding the design?

Don't laugh; it could happen, as demonstrated by an experience I once had. I had bought a cheap, rather beat-up foreign-made solid body electric guitar at a garage sale for five bucks. I put it in a flea market consignment booth for $19.99. I reduced the price each week until it got down around ten bucks, and still no takers. I then removed all of the parts except the wood body, mounted them on a piece of cardboard, and labeled it "Parts to build your own guitar -- $19.99." It sold the first day.

(Keep your eye out at garage sales and flea markets for a busted-up guitar with a working pickup.)

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It was also a very easy project. I use it quite a bit for practicing. I like the fact that I can do repetitive picking exercises and not annoy my family.

More details can be found here: Practice dobro

Justin, you might try using zither pins instead of those eye hooks. Elderly Instruments carries them. They are pretty cheap. It would look a little cleaner and would probably be easier to tune.

Here is a half-sized practice neck (12-1/2" scale) I built using zither pins:

EDIT: Fixed broken links

[This message was edited by Gary Anwyl on 12 April 2006 at 04:12 PM.]

I just added a $5 japanese pickup to mine. It kind of defeats the original purpose of the thing (to be able to practice quietly at home w/out driving my girlfriend loco), but I had to hear how it sounded.