A GUITAR UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The following charts list the steps that I will complete during the construction of a guitar that I'm currently making. I usually clear this page twice each year and start with a new guitar for a client who is particularly interested in following the progress of his/her guitar. This partic lar guitar is being built for Alec.
The tasks that have been completed are marked as to the date the task was done. Click on the photo links to see pictures of components at various stages of completion. Each picture will open in a new window which can be closed after viewing. In order to get the best view of the pictures make sure the browser window and image are both maximized.
Work takes place under a number of sections during the same time period so you may want to review the whole page each time you come here looking for progress. Also, please bear in mind that I am building three other guitars at the same time, so progress may seem a little slower than it would be if I was making only this one.
This page was cleared and restarted April 19, 2010. Last updated Jul 09, 2010.
Be sure to maximize the images for best viewing.
Materials are as follows:
| Sound board | Engelmann spruce |
| Back and Sides | East Indian Rosewood |
| Neck | Honduras Mahogany |
| Fret board | African Black Ebony |
| Bridge | East Indian Rosewood |
| Linings and tail block | Ash |
| Purflings | Maple, Black Veneer |
| Frets | Nickel Silver |
| Rosette | Hand made in Tula, Russia |
| Nut and Saddle | Bleached bone, fully compensated for intonation |
| Tuners | Alessi |
| NECK | Complete | Photos |
| 1. Dimension and true up neck blank and heel stock. | Apr 01 | |
| 2. Cut off head stock to scarf joint angle and true. | Apr 03 | Neck~01 |
| 3. Glue up head stock scarf joint and heel block | Apr 05 | Neck~02 Neck~03 Neck~04 |
| 4. Rout receptor slots for sides | Apr 07 | Neck~05 Neck~06 Neck~07 |
| 5. Rout receptor slots for top | Apr 09 | Neck~08 |
| 6. Rout and glue carbon fiber reinforcement | Apr 12 | Neck~10 Neck~11 Neck~12 |
| 7. Cut heel and foot profiles. | Apr 15 | Neck~09 |
| 8. Rough cut heel and foot side curvature profiles. | Apr 17 | Neck~13 Neck~14 Neck~16 |
| 9 Glue and thickness headstock face plate | Apr 26 | Neck~17 |
| 10. Prepare and glue headstock face plate/veneers | May 01 | Neck~18 |
| 11. Cut headstock faceplate nut stop. | May 01 | Neck~19 |
| 12. Rough cut neck taper and headstock side tapers. True up headstock tapers | May 01 | Neck~20 |
| 13. Rough cut upper headstock design. | May 01 | |
| 14. Drill tuner holes. | May 01 | Neck~21 |
| 15. Rout headstock slots. | May 01 | Neck~22 |
| 16. Roundover top of headstock slots | May 01 | Neck~23 |
| 17. Cut ramps and refine headstock shape. | May 05 | |
| 18. True up fret board and establish initial thickness. | May 06 | Neck~24 |
| 19. Rough cut fret board tapered width and true width to final dimensions. | May 06 | Neck~25 Neck~26 |
| 20. Slot fret board | May 06 | Neck~27 Neck~28 |
| 21. Taper fret board thickness to final dimensions. | May 06 | Neck~29 |
| 22. Drill locator pin holes in fret board at frets 1 and 11. | May 07 | |
| 23. Locate fret board on neck, mark and drill neck locator pin holes & install pins. | May 07 | |
| 24 Glue fret board to the neck using clamps. | May 07 | Neck~30 |
| 25. Trim the sides of the neck to match the fret board. | May 07 | |
| 26. Level the fret board and file bevels into the fret slots. | May 08 | Neck~31 |
| 27. True up underside of neck that will mate with the top | May 08 | |
| 28. Cut and install frets. | May 09 | Neck~32 |
| 29. Trim fret ends, file and bevel. | May 09 | Neck~33 |
| 30. Rough shape heel and nut ends of the neck. | May 11 | Neck~34 Neck~35 |
| 31. Carve and sand neck to final shape. | May 11 | Neck~36 Neck~37 Neck~38 |
| 32. When top ready, dry fit & align neck & top. Mark and cut & finish neck end | May 27 | Neck~39 |
| PURFLINGS AND BINDINGS | Complete | Photos |
| 1. Glue up light/dark/light veneer sandwich for back/side purflings | Apr 25 | PB~01 |
| 2. Cut the sandwich into required strips. | Apr 25 | PB~02 |
| 3. Glue back centre purfling strips to the back centre inlay. | Apr 25 | PB~03 |
| 4. Glue up white/black veneers for top purflings & cut into strips & bend. | Jul 01 | |
| 5. Glue side purfling strips to binding strips and trim. | Jul 04 | PB~04 |
| 6. Finalize thickness for binding strips | Jul 04 | PB~05 |
| 7. Bend bindings. | Jul 04 | PB~06 |
| TOP | Complete | Photos |
| 1. Select top, rough thickness and join book matched plates. | May 18 | Top~01 Top~02 |
| 2. True surfaces, rout rosette channel and fit the rosette. | May 19 | Top~03 Top~04 Top~05 |
| 3. Glue rosette. When dry, cut out top plate & level the rosette | May 25 | Top~06 |
| 4. Reduce thickness until top is most resonant at or near target | May 26 | Top~07 |
| 5. Mark bracing and reinforcement pad positions | May 27 | Top~08 |
| 6. Attach upper bout reinforcements. | May 27 | Top~09 Top~10 |
| 7. Cut out neck interlock slot, sound hole and fret board end arc | May 27 | Top~11 Top~12 Top~13 |
| 8. Cut out neck interlock slot, dry fit to neck & sides & mark linings perimeter. | May 27 | Top~14 Top~15 |
| 9. Glue in dual fan brace lattice using domed solera | May 28 | Top~16 Top~17 Top~18 |
| 10. Shape and sand fan braces | May 28 | Top~19 Top~20 |
| 11. Glue in transverse braces and upper bout supports | May 30 | Top~21 Top~22 |
| 12. Shape and sand transverse braces | May 30 | Top~23 |
| BACK | Complete | Photos |
| 1. Select back, rough thickness and joint plane centre edges.. | Apr 26 | Back~01 |
| 2. Join back with center inlay and rough thickness | Apr 26 | Back~02 Back~03 |
| 3. Rough cut back to shape and thickness to 2.2 mm. | Apr 26 | Back~04 Back~05 |
| 4. Attach inner center seam reinforcement and cut passages for back braces. | Jun 24 | Back~06 Back~07 |
| 5. Radius and scallop back braces. | Jun 24 | Back~08 Back~09 |
| 6. Attach back braces. | Jun 24 | Back~10 Back~11 |
| 7. Shape back braces. | Jun 24 | Back~12 |
| 8. Prepare label and glue to inner face. | Jun 24 |
| SIDES | Complete | Photos |
| 1. Cut 15mm ash lining strips and thickness to 2.5 mm. | Apr 21 | Sides~01 |
| 2. Bend lining strips | Apr 21 | Sides~02 Sides~03 Sides~04 |
| 3. Glue up lining strips in lamination mold. | Apr 22 | Sides~05 |
| 4. Trim laminated linings. | Apr 22 | Sides~06 |
| 5. Round the inner edges of the linings with a roundover bit | Apr 22 | Sides~07 Sides~08 |
| 6. True up material for sides and thickness @2.3 mm | Apr 24 | |
| 7. Trim upper edges to accommodate top slope | Apr 24 | Sides~09 |
| 8. Bend Sides | Apr 24 | Sides~10 Sides~11 Sides~12 |
| 9. Trim the ends ot the sides and fit in the outside mold. | Apr 25 | Sides~13 |
| 10. Rough trim sides to top profile. | Apr 25 | Sides~14 |
| 11. Rough trim sides to back profile. | Apr 25 | |
| 12. Cut upper bout ends to fit neck recess. | Apr 25 | Sides~15 |
| 13. Prepare and attach tail block. | May 04 | Sides~16 Sides~17 |
| 14. Attach, plane and shape upright braces each side of the waist. | May 04 | Sides~18 Sides~19 |
| 15. Attach linings to sides. | May 04 | Sides~20 Sides~21 |
| 16. Prepare and fit Side wedges. | May 04 | Sides~22 Sides~23 |
| 17. Attach front wedges to sides. | May 04 | Sides~24 |
| 18. Prepare & fit rear wedges to dry fit the sides to the neck. | May 04 | Sides~25 |
| 19. Rout channel for the tail graft and spot glue temporary graft | May 31 | Sides~26 |
| 20. Sand upper linings/sides in hollowed dish mold to match top dome | May 31 | |
| 21. Rough cut 2 1/2" binding starter rebates at the neck | May 31 |
| BRIDGE | Complete | Photos |
| 1. Cut and true up bridge blank. | Jul 05 | Bridge~01 |
| 2. Drill holes in the tie block area | Jul 05 | Bridge~02 |
| 3. Cut tie block boundary slots | Jul 05 | Bridge~03 |
| 4. Profile underside of bridge blank to match top dome radius. | Jul 05 | |
| 5. Rout the saddle slot | Jul 05 | Bridge~04 |
| 6. Rough cut bridge arms to desired height. | Jul 05 | Bridge~05 |
| 7. File arms round and bevel arm ends. | Jul 05 | Bridge~06 |
| 8. Chisel out the valley and round off the front of the bridge. | Jul 05 | Bridge~07 |
| 9. Angle the top of the tie block | Jul 05 | |
| 10. Fabricate and attach tie block cap.. | Jul 06 | Bridge~08 Bridge~09 |
| 11. Weigh bridge and refine as needed to reach desired weight range. | Jul 06 | |
| 12. Seal with shellac to prevent bleeding color onto top. | Jul 06 | Bridge~10 |
| 13. Drill bridge locator pin holes at the bottom of the saddle slot. | Jul 07 |
| ASSEMBLY | Complete | Photos |
| 1. Align top to neck in assembly form and drill locator dowel holes though the top | May 30 | Asmble~01 |
| 2. Install temporary dowels, remove from form and check alignment from the top. | May 30 | Asmble~02 |
| 5. Apply glue to neck surfaces, realign top to neck with locator dowels and clamp. | May 30 | Asmble~03 |
| 6. Replace top in assembly form, insert sides and mark lining recesses. | May 31 | Asmble~04 |
| 7. Remove sides and cut recesses in transverse bars | May 31 | Asmble~05 Asmble~06 |
| 9. Mark interlocking recesses in linings for the transverse bars and treble bar. | May 30 | Asmble~07 |
| 10. Remove sides and cut interlocking recesses into the linings. | May 31 | Asmble~08 Asmble~09 |
| 12. Refine Spanish heel wedges to ensure sides will clamp to the heel. | May 31 | |
| 13. Remove sides and apply glue to upper side linings and outer heel gluing surface. | Jun 01 | |
| 15. Clamp sides to top using form clamp system. | Jun 01 | Asmble~10 |
| 16. Glue in wedges down leave to dry. | Jun 01 | |
| 17. Remove clamps and level heel and wedges to the sides. Trim excess from top. | Jun 01 | Asmble~11 |
| 18. Remove guitar from mold and refine the top/side joint. | Jun 01 | Asmble~12 |
| 19. Refine profile of sides to align with back doming. | Jun 01 | |
| 20. Locate and cut tenons in the back braces. | Jun 24 | Asmble~13 Asmble~14 |
| 21. Locate and cut mortices in the side linings. | Jun 24 | Asmble~15 |
| 22. Prepare label and glue to inner face. | Jun 24 | Asmble~16 |
| 23. Glue and clamp the back. | Jun 24 | Asmble~17 |
| 24. Trim the back waste flush to the sides. | Jun 24 | Asmble~18 |
| 25. Rout the top and back purfling/binding rebates | Jul 01 | Asmble~19 Asmble~20 |
| 26. Hand finish top binding rebates into the neck. | Jul 02 | Asmble~21 |
| 27. Fit, glue and clamp top purflings and flush trim. | Jul 04 | Asmble~22 Asmble~23 |
| 27. Hand finish back binding rebates to the heel and tail.Miter the center strip ends. | Jul 04 | Asmble~24 Asmble~25 |
| 28. Fit and glue back purflings with mitered joints to the center strip.. | Jul 04 | Asmble~26 Asmble~27 |
| 29. Trim purflings flush to the back surface. | Jul 04 | Asmble~28 Asmble~29 |
| 30. Remove the temporary tail graft and replace with the permanent graft. | Jul 05 | Asmble~30 |
| 31. Miter the tail graft ends. | Jul 05 | Asmble~31 Asmble~32 |
| 32. Cut binding ends to fit and miter the purflings to fit tail graft. | Jul 05 | Asmble~33 Asmble~34 |
| 33. Glue bindings | Jul 05 | Asmble~35 Asmble~36 |
| 34. Scrape bindings flush to sides.. | Jul 05 | Asmble~37 |
| 35. Level bindings to top and back. | Jul 05 | Asmble~38 Asmble~39 |
| 36. Assemble heel cap components.Glue and clamp heel cap. Shape when dry. | Jul 06 | Asmble~40 Asmble~41 |
| 37. Round binding corners and finish sand the entire guitar. | Jul 06 | Asmble~42 |
| 38. Locate bridge and drill locator holes into the top. | Jul 07 | Asmble~43 Asmble~44 |
| 39. Locate bridge and drill locator holes into the top | Jul 07 | Asmble~45 Asmble~46 |
| 40.Glue and clamp bridge | Jul 07 | Asmble~47 Asmble~48 |
| 41. Apply a shellac sealing coat to the entire guitar. | Jul 08 | Asmble~49 Asmble~50 |
| 42. Fabricate nut and saddle. | Jul 08 | Asmble~51 Asmble~52 |
| 43. Install tuners, attach strings and evaluate the response. Adjust as needed. | Jul 08 | Asmble~53 |
| French Polish | Complete |
Photos |
| 1. Seal all purfling lines with cyanoacrylate | ||
| 2.Inspect and correct any small discrepancies. | ||
| 3. Seal the entire guitar with shellac. | ||
| 4. Fill pores using pumice and alchohol | ||
| 5. Sand filled guitar | ||
| 6. Build up body on all surfaces using french polishing method. | ||
| 7. Level all surfaces with 800 grit wet/dry paper. | ||
| 8. Rebuild the body on all surfaces. | ||
| 9. Level all surfaces a second time if needed. | ||
| 10. Apply glaze coats. | ||
| 11. Rub down with Menernza abrasive polish |