Hi Zenguitar:

> may be a silly question, but does anyone know of any "cheap"
> 11 strings?

I want to make sure you are familiar with Houston, Texas, luthier
Michael McBroom. He has become a sort of specialist in multi-string
guitar construction. His last 4 or 5 guitars have all been 10-
strings, and his waiting list is booked up for the next 6 months or
so with more 10-strings. So he has run of consecutive 10-string
builds going on about a dozen, which is VERY unusual for any luthier.

This is partly because he has priced his work such that it is much
more affordable than most hand-built guitars. He has an entry-level
10-string that is just $1750. Custom work starts at just $2,000, so
you may want to ask him about the 11-string you have in mind. His
construction process is documented at www.cathedralguitar.com and his
10-string entry model is described here on Janet Marlow's website:

<http://www.tenstringguitar.com/pages/4/index.htm>

He has a introductory blurb on his site, here:

<www.michaelmcbroom.com>

and his e-mail address is CC'd in this header if you wish to contact
him.

I personally own one of his guitars (guitar #9, which is documented
in his 10-string construction article) that I use for amplified gigs,
and it is excellent, and I know of no better value in a new multi-
string.

Good luck!
Stephen
www.cathedralguitar.com