Michael F. Lazar
Luthier

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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. 

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 one other guitar 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 December 23, 2009. Last updated Jan 20, 2010.  

Be sure to maximize the images for best viewing. 

Materials are as follows:

Sound board Master grade Engelmann spruce
Back and Sides Amazonian Rosewood with sap wood stripes
Neck Honduras Mahogany
Fret board African Black Ebony
Bridge Brazilian Rosewood
Linings and tail block Ash
Purflings Holly, Black Veneer
Frets Nickel Silver
Rosette Hand made in Tula, Russia
Nut and Saddle Bleached bone, fully compensated for intonation
Tuners Jorge Graf 

 

NECK Complete Photos
1. Dimension and true up neck blank and heel stock. Dec 01
2. Cut off head stock to scarf joint angle and true. Dec 02 Neck~01
3. Glue up head stock scarf joint and heel block Dec 02 Neck~02 Neck~03 Neck~04
4. Rout receptor slots for sides Dec 03 Neck~05 Neck~06 Neck~07
5. Rout receptor slots for top Dec 03 Neck~08 
6. Rout and glue carbon fiber reinforcement Dec 04 Neck~10 Neck~11 Neck~12
7. Cut heel and foot profiles. Dec 05 Neck~09
8. Rough cut heel and foot side curvature profiles. Dec 05 Neck~13 Neck~14 Neck~16
9 Thickness headstock face plates  Dec 27
10. Prepare and glue headstock face plate/veneers Dec 27 Neck~17
11. Cut headstock faceplate nut stop. Dec 27 Neck~18
12.  Rough cut neck taper and headstock side tapers. True up headstock tapers Dec 27 Neck~19
13. Rough cut upper headstock design. Dec 27 Neck~20
14. Drill tuner holes. Dec 27 Neck~21
15. Rout headstock slots. Dec 28 Neck~22 Neck~23
16. Roundover top of headstock slots Dec 28 Neck~24 Neck~25
17. Cut ramps and refine headstock shape. Dec 28 Neck~26
18. True up fret board and establish initial thickness. Dec 29
19. Rough cut fret board tapered width and true width to final dimensions. Dec 29
20. Slot fret board  Dec 29 Neck~27 Neck~28
21. Taper fret board thickness to final dimensions. Dec 29 Neck~29
22. Drill locator pin holes in fret board at frets 1 and 11. Dec 29
23. Locate fret board on neck, mark and drill neck locator pin holes & install pins. Dec 29 Neck~30
24 Glue fret board to the neck using clamps. Dec 29 Neck~31
25. Trim the sides of the neck to match the fret board. Dec 29 Neck~32
26 Sand a .006" relief curve into the fret board Dec 29 Neck~33 Neck~34 Neck~35
27. True up underside of neck that will mate with the top Dec 30 Neck~3 Neck~37
28. Cut and install frets. Dec 30 Neck~38
29. Trim fret ends, file and bevel. Dec 30 Neck~39 Neck~40 Neck~41
30. Rough shape heel and nut ends of the neck.  Dec 31 Neck~42 Neck~43 Neck~44
31. Carve and sand neck to final shape.  Dec 31 Neck~45 Neck~46 Neck~47
32. When top ready, dry fit & align neck & top. Mark and cut & finish neck end Dec 31 Neck~48 Neck~49 

 

PURFLINGS AND BINDINGS Complete Photos
1. Glue up light/dark/light veneer sandwich for back/side purflings   Dec 20 PB~01
2. Cut the sandwich into required strips. Dec 20 PB~02 PB~03
3. Glue back centre purfling strips to the back centre inlay. Dec 20 Back~01
4. Glue up white/black veneers for top purflings & cut into strips & bend. Jan 12 PB~04
5. Glue side purfling strips to binding strips and trim. Jan 13 PB~05 PB~06
6. Finalize thickness for binding strips Jan 13 PB~07
7. Bend bindings. Jan 13 PB~08

 

TOP Complete Photos
1. Select top, rough thickness and join book matched plates. Jan 01 Top~01 Top~02
2. True surfaces, rout rosette channel and fit the rosette. Jan 01 Top~03 Top~04 Top~05
3. Glue rosette. When dry, level the rosette to top surface. Jan 01 Top~06 Top~07 Top~08 
4. Reduce thickness until top is most resonant at or near target  Jan 02 Top~09 
5. Mark bracing and reinforcement pad positions Jan 02 Top~10 
6. Attach upper bout reinforcements. Jan 02 Top~11 
7. Cut out sound hole. Jan 02 Top~12 
8. Cut out neck interlock slot, dry fit to neck & sides & mark linings perimeter. Jan 02 Top~13  Top~14 
9. Glue in dual fan brace lattice using domed solera Jan 06 Top~15  Top~16  Top~17 
10. Shape and sand fan braces Jan 06 Top~18  
11. Glue in transverse braces and upper bout supports Jan 06 Top~19 
12. Shape and sand transverse braces  Jan 06 Top~20

 

BACK Complete Photos
1. Select back, rough thickness and joint plane centre edges.. Dec 21
2. Join back with center inlay. Dec 21 Back~02
3. Rough cut back to shape and thickness to 2.2 mm. Dec 21 Back~03
4. Attach inner center seam reinforcement and cut passages for back braces. Jan 10 Back~04 Back~05
5. Radius and scallop back braces. Jan 10 Back~06 Back~07
6. Attach back braces. Jan 10 Back~08 Back~09
7. Shape back braces. Jan 10 Back~10 Back~11
8. Prepare label and glue to inner face. Jan 10 Back~12

 

SIDES Complete Photos
1. Cut 15mm ash lining strips and thickness to 2.5 mm.
2. Bend lining strips  Dec 19 Sides~01
3. Glue up lining strips in lamination mold. Dec 20 Sides~02
4. Trim and shape laminated linings. Dec 23 Sides~03 Sides~04 Sides~05
5. True up material for sides and thickness @2.3 mm Dec 23 Sides~06
6. Offcut binding strips if side material is being used for bindings. N/A
7. Trim upper edges to accommodate top slope Dec 24
8. Bend sides and trim the ends to fit outside mold. Dec 24 Sides~07 Sides~08 Sides~09
9. Rough trim sides to top profile. Dec 26
10. Rough trim sides to back profile. Dec 26 Sides~10
11. Cut upper bout ends to fit neck recess. Dec 26 Sides~14
12. Attach, plane and shape upright braces each side of the waist Dec 26 Sides~11 Sides~12 Sides~13
13. Prepare and attach tail block Dec 26 Sides~15 Sides~16
14. Attach linings to sides. Dec 27 Sides~17 Sides~19 Sides~20
15. Prepare and fit Side wedges. Dec 28 Sides~21
16. Attach front wedges to sides. Dec 28 Sides~22
17. Prepare & fit rear wedges to dry fit the sides to the neck. Dec 28 Sides~23 Sides~24 Sides~25
18. Rout channel for the tail graft and spot glue temporary graft Jan 08 Sides~26 Sides~27 Sides~28
19. Sand upper linings/sides in hollowed dish mold to match top dome Jan 08 Sides~29
20. Rough cut 2 1/2" binding starter rebates at the neck  Jan 08

 

BRIDGE Complete Photos
1. Cut and true up bridge blank. Jan 18 Bridge~01
2. Drill holes in the tie block area Jan 18 Bridge~02
3. Cut tie block boundary slots Jan 18 Bridge~03 Bridge~04
4. Profile underside of bridge blank to match top dome radius. Jan 18 Bridge~05
5. Rough cut bridge arms to desired height.  Jan 18
6. Rout the saddle slot  Jan 18
7. Chisel out the valley and round off the front of the bridge. Jan 18 Bridge~06
8. File arms round and bevel arm ends. Jan 18 Bridge~07
9. Angle the top of the tie block Jan 18
10. Fabricate and attach tie block cap..  Jan 18
11. Weigh bridge and refine as needed to reach desired weight range. Jan 18
12. Seal with shellac to prevent bleeding color onto top. Jan 18 Bridge~08
13. Drill bridge locator pin holes at the bottom of the saddle slot.

 

ASSEMBLY Complete Photos
1. Align top to neck in assembly form and drill locator dowel holes though the top  Jan 08
2. Install temporary dowels, remove from form and check alignment from the top. Jan 08
5. Apply glue to neck surfaces, realign top to neck with locator dowels and clamp. Jan 08 Assm~01
6. Replace top in assembly form, insert sides and mark lining recesses. Jan 08 Assm~02
7. Remove sides and cut recesses in transverse bars Jan 08 Assm~03 Assm~04
 9. Mark interlocking recesses in linings for the transverse bars and treble bar. Jan 08
10. Remove sides and  cut interlocking recesses into the linings. Jan 08 Assm~05
12. Refine Spanish heel wedges to ensure sides will clamp to the heel. Jan 08
13. Remove sides and apply glue to upper side linings and outer heel gluing surface. Jan 08
15. Clamp sides to top using form clamp system. Jan 08 Assm~06
16. Glue in wedges down leave to dry. Jan 08
17. Remove clamps and level heel and wedges to the sides. Trim excess from top. Jan 08 Assm~07
18. Remove guitar from mold and refine the top/side joint. Jan 08 Assm~08 Assm~09
19. Refine profile of sides to align with back doming. Jan 10 Assm~10
20. Locate and cut tenons in the back braces. Jan 10 Assm~11
21. Locate and cut mortices in the side linings. Jan 10 Assm~12
22. Glue and clamp the back.  Jan 10 Assm~13
23. Trim the back waste flush to the sides.  Jan 10 Assm~14 Assm~15
24. Rout the top and back purfling/binding rebates Jan 11 Assm~16 Assm~17
25. Hand finish top binding rebates into the neck.  Jan 11 Assm~18 Assm~19
26. Hand finish back binding rebates to the heel and tail and miter the center strip ends. Jan 11 Assm~20 Assm~21
27. Fit glue and clamp back purflings with mitered joints to the center strip. Jan 12 Assm~22 Assm~23
28. Fit, glue and clamp top purflings and flush trim. Jan 12 Assm~24
29. Remove the temporary tail graft and replace with the permanent graft. Jan 13 Assm~25
30. Miter the tail graft ends. Jan 13 Assm~26 Assm~27
31. Cut binding ends to fit and miter the purflings to fit tail graft. Jan 14 Assm~28
32. Glue bindings  Jan 14 Assm~29 Assm~30
33. Scrape bindings flush to sides, top and back.  Jan 15 Assm~31 Assm~32
34. Assemble heel cap components.glue and clamp heel cap. Jan 15 Assm~33 Assm~34
35. Shape heel cap. Jan 15 Assm~35
36. Inspect and correct any small discrepancies. Jan 15 Assm~36 Assm~37
37. Round binding corners and finish sand the entire guitar.  Jan 17 Assm~38
38. Apply a shellac sealing coat to the back sides and neck  Jan 17 Asm~39 Asm~40 Asm~41
39. Locate bridge and drill locator holes into the top. Jan 19 Asm~42 Asm~43
40.Glue and clamp bridge Jan 19 Asm~44
41. Fabricate nut and saddle. Jan 20
42. Install tuners, attach strings and evaluate the response. Adjust as needed. Jan 20 Asm~45 Asm~46

 

French Polish Complete

Photos

1. Seal all purfling lines with cyanoacrylate 
2. Seal the entire guitar with shellac.
3. Fill pores using pumice and alchohol
4. Sand filled guitar 
5. Build up body on all surfaces using french polishing method.
6. Level all surfaces with 800 grit wet/dry paper.
7. Rebuild the body on all surfaces.
8. Level all surfaces a second time if needed.
9. Apply glaze coats.
10. Rub down with Menernza abrasive polish