I have an order in two weeks to replicate a guitar. I've done a lot of searches and have some ideas how to do this, but wanted to hear some opinions from those who have done it what works best.

I think I'm going to use foamboard for the neck (I think it looks better and they only need 20 servings anyway), the pegs will be gumpaste on toothpicks. But I'm concerned about the strings. I know I'm not steady enough to try to pipe them so I'm thinking using the DMC embroidery floss I saw suggested.

How do you do that? I think I can just tie it around a pin or something at the neck end, but how about attached to the body?

Has anyone done a guitar cake? What things have you done that have worked? Have not worked? Any suggestions? Did you transport the neck already attached?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

Some of the guitar cakes I have seen have used uncooked spaghetti for the strings.

I've used fishing string....not sure what it is called, its what goes on a fishing pole. its clear, and looks good.

melody

I used spaghetti for the strings on my guitar cake. I brushed them with silver dust. HTH.

I used a clay extruder and fondant. Only they sag a little.

If the cake was going to be smaller, I like the spagetti idea. But I think it would look terrible to have to piece them together.

Yeah, I was thinking about using an extruder but worried about sagging. So I thought of gumpaste and letting them dry, but now I'm worried they'll break during transport.

Anyone?

I had some gray fondant mixed with gumpaste, 50/50, left over from the pegs, and did the first two strings with it. It was almost imposable to get through the extruder, would have taken forever. Those two did break during transport. I didn't use spagetti for the same reason as you.

The clear fishing string is called monofillament(sp) and you can get it in craft stores.

How about black shoestring licorice? Has anyone tried that? (Or is it too bendable, curly or soft?)
I like the idea that everything is edible right off the cake.

I've heard of people using quilting string for the guitar strings. Could use fondant for the tuners on the head of guitar.

I thought of using licorice but couldn't find any at our stores. I think it would work if you really want it to be all edible.

Last time i made a guitar cake i used silver shiny elastic but it kept popping back! wont do that again!! I also have a guitar TAKE 2 This weekend due and Im thinking about doing the Spagetti OR Floral Wire Covered in Floral Tape. That way it can not move!

Does anyone have a Guitar Pattern to cut a guitar out of a 12 x 18 cake??

I have the small guitar pan from wilton (cir around '71) but i am going to do double layer this time and i do not think it will feed 35 ppl. I am really bad at judging that! Last time i layed the guitar on a 12x18. this time there will be no cake underneath, just the board!

i must be the only one, but i pipe mine with grey royal icing. i use a square dowel, lay that down on the neck and then drop a continious line of RI just beside it. the secret is the rest your body up against the counter edge and shift your weight from one foot to the other. so you actually move alittle along with the piping.. then i reposition the dowel and pipe the next one

I used piping gel for mine, but then you have to pipe it on & I know you said you would like to avoid that.

I used the smallest disc on my clay extruder w/ marzipan then dusted them w/ silver dust. Not perfect but MUCH better than if I had piped them on w/ buttercream ( I can't pipe a straight line at all). The pic is in my photos if you want to look at it for ideas. It was all edible.

HTH,
Mel Mc.

Have you figured out anything yet?I also need an idea for guitar strings.I cannot pipe very good either!I have thought about making them out of royal icing but haven't tried it yet,I couldn't find the licorice in my area either.Please let me know what you figure out.

Thanks everyone for your input. We ended up using real string. I didn't think it would matter too much since the neck was foamboard and not edible either. I looked at the embroidery floss, but thought it was too thin for how large the cake was (the body was a 12 x 18 pan and the neck another 16"). It was still a silver string that was in the embroidery aisle, but not regular DMC floss.

I'm going to try to post the cake - haven't had much luck with that in a long time - crossing my fingers It's next to the printout of the picture we were working from.

Why can I not get my pics to post
Trying again.

I used Silver Floral Wire for the strings I did on my guitar a few weeks ago...worked perfect and at $.88 for a bag of 12, you can't beat that.

I just did one and I used shiny gray elastic string that you find by the bead stuff at walmart. It worked great. I knotted it and stuck it down in the cake then put MMF down in the hole. It held really well.