Not much more to say… so far the process has been straightforward because I’ve followed the same method as when I build acoustic guitars.
What comes next is going to require a lot of thought, because the placement of the wheel, scale length, keybox design, etc., are all intertwined and interdependant and I’ve never built one of these before. And the top bracing is going to be critical. There’s stresses that need to be dealt with that aren’t present in an acoustic guitar, and the elements on the soundboard that transfer the string energy (aka the bridges) are less like those of a guitar and more like those of a cello (for the chanterelles, or melody strings) and unlike either a guitar or a cello for the bourdons and trompettes (the high and low drone strings).
Once I have the box I can start laying pieces of wood here and there and laying it out in my mind. I suppose I’ll make some kindling along the way.