The following charts list the steps that I will complete during the construction of a guitar that I'm currently making.
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.
This page was last updated on May 25, 2008 (previous update May 21/08).
Be sure to maximize the images for best viewing.
Materials are as follows:
| Sound board | Master grade Engelmann Spruce |
| Back and Sides | Cocobolo (inked and spider webbed) |
| Neck | Spanish Cedar (Cedro) |
| Fret board | Macassar Ebony |
| Bridge | Brazilian Rosewood |
| Linings and tail block | Ash |
| Purflings | Maple, Koa, black fiber and hand made "wheatstalk/herringbone" |
| Frets | "Evo gold" (a gold colored copper alloy that is harder than nickel/silver) |
| Rosette | Hand made in Tula, Russia |
| Nut and Saddle | Bleached bone, fully compensated for intonation |
| Tuners | Nicolo Alessi (Italian hand made) |
| NECK | STATUS | Photos |
| 1. Dimension and true up neck blank and heel stock. | Mar 09 | Neck 01a Neck 01b Neck 01c |
| 2. Cut off head stock to scarf joint angle and true. | Mar 09 | Neck 02a Neck 02b |
| 3. Glue up head stock scarf joint and heel block | Mar 09 | Neck 03a Neck 03b Neck 03c |
| 4. Rout receptor slots for sides | Mar 19 | Neck 04a Neck 04b Neck 04c |
| 5. Rout receptor slots for top | Mar 19 | Neck 05a Neck 05b Neck 05c |
| 6. Rout and glue carbon fiber reinforcement | Mar 19 | Neck 06a Neck 06b |
| 7. Join headstock face plate using off cuts from the back | Mar 11 | Neck 07a |
| 8. Prepare and glue headstock face plate/veneers | Mar 20 | Neck 08a Neck 08b |
| 9. Cut headstock faceplate nut stop. | Mar 21 | |
| 10. Cut heel and foot profiles. | Mar 10 | Neck 10a |
| 11. Rough cut heel and foot side curvature profiles. | Mar 21 | Neck 11a Neck 11b |
| 12. Rough cut neck taper and headstock side tapers. True up headstock tapers | Mar 21 | Neck 12a |
| 13. Rough cut upper headstock design. | Mar 21 | |
| 14. Drill tuner holes. | Mar 21 | Neck 14a Neck 14b |
| 15. Rout headstock slots, cut ramps and refine headstock shape. | Mar 21 | Neck 15a Neck 15b |
| 16. True up fret board and establish initial thickness. | Mar 22 | Neck 16a |
| 17. Rough cut fret board tapered width and true width to final dimensions. | Mar 22 | Neck 17a |
| 18. Slot fret board | Mar 22 | Neck 18a |
| 19. Taper fret board thickness to final dimensions. | Mar 22 | Neck 19a Neck 19b |
| 20. Drill locator pin holes in fret board at frets 1 and 11. | Mar 27 | Neck 20a |
| 21. Locate fret board on neck, mark and drill neck locator pin holes & install pins. | Mar 27 | |
| 22 Glue fret board to the neck using clamps.. | Mar 27 | Neck 22a Neck 22b |
| 23. True up underside of neck that will mate with the top | Mar 29 | |
| 24. Cut and install frets. | Mar 30 | Neck 24a |
| 25. Trim fret ends, file and bevel. | Mar 31 | Neck 25a |
| 26. Carve and sand neck to final shape. | Apr 13 | Neck 26a Neck 26b |
| PURFLINGS AND BINDINGS | STATUS | Photos |
| 1. Glue up light/dark/light veneer sandwich for back/side purflings | Mar 10 | Prf~01a Prf~01b |
| 2. Cut the sandwich into required strips. | Mar 10 | Prf~02a Prf~02b |
| 3. Glue back centre purfling strips to the back centre inlay. | Mar 10 | Prf~03a Prf~03b |
| 4. Glue up white/black/white veneers for top purflings & cut into strips. | May 05 | |
| 5. Glue side purfling strips to outer binding strips and trim. | May 06 | Prf~05a Prf~05b |
| 6. Finalize thickness for inner and outer binding strips | May 06 | |
| 7. Bend top purflings and inner/outer bindings. | May 06 |
| TOP | STATUS | Photos |
| 1. Select top, rough thickness and join book matched plates. | Apr 13 | Top~01a Top~01b |
| 2. True surfaces, rout rosette channel and install rosette. | Apr 16 | Top~02a Top~02b Top~02c |
| 3. Glue rosette, rough cut top to shape (1/4" oversize). Thickness to 2.3mm. | Apr 16 | Top~03a Top~03b |
| 4. Reduce thickness until top is most resonant at or near 119 Hz (Bb+35) | Apr 17 | |
| 5. Mark bracing, bridge patch and reinforcement pad positions | Apr 18 | |
| 6. Attach bridge patch and upper bout reinforcements. | Apr 18 | Top~06a |
| 7. Cut out sound hole. | Apr 18 | Top~07a Top~07b |
| 8. Cut out neck interlock slot. | Apr 19 | Top~08a |
| 9. Attach all braces except for lower transverse bar using domed solera | Apr 21 | Top~09a |
| 10. Shape and sand all braces | Apr 22 | Top~10a Top~10b |
| 11. Rough cut binding rebates 2 1/2 inches on each side of top center. | Apr 22 |
| BACK | STATUS | Photos |
| 1. Select back, rough thickness and joint plane centre edges.. | Mar 10 | Back~01a Back~01b |
| 2. Join back with center inlay. | Mar 10 | Back~02a Back~02b |
| 3. Rough cut back to shape and thickness to 2.2 mm. | Mar 11 | Back~03a |
| 4. Attach inner center seam reinforcement and cut passages for back braces. | Apr 29 | |
| 5. Attach back braces. | Apr 29 | Back~05a |
| 6. Shape back braces. | Apr 30 | |
| 7. Prepare label and glue to inner face. | Apr 30 | Back~07a |
| SIDES | STATUS | Photos |
| 1. Cut 15mm ash lining strips and thickness to 2.5 mm. | Mar 26/08 | Sides~01a Sides~01b |
| 2. Bend lining strips | Mar 31/08 | Sides~02a Sides~02b |
| 3. Glue up lining strips in lamination mold. | Apr 01/08 | Sides~03a Sides~03b |
| 4. Trim and shape laminated linings. | Apr 02/08 | Sides~04a |
| 5. True up material for sides and thickness @2.3 mm | Apr 03/08 | Sides~05a |
| 6. Offcut binding strips if side material is being used for bindings. | Apr 03/08 | Sides~06a |
| 7. Trim upper edges to accommodate top slope | Apr 03/08 | |
| 8. Bend sides and trim the ends to fit outside mold. | Apr 04/08 | Sides~08a |
| 9. Rough trim sides to top profile. | Apr 04/08 | |
| 10. Rough trim sides to back profile. | Apr 04/08 | |
| 11. Cut upper bout ends to fit neck recess. | Apr 04/08 | |
| 12. Prepare and attach tail block | Apr 05/08 | Sides~12a Sides~12b |
| 13. Prepare and fit Side wedges. | Apr 06/08 | Sides~13a Sides~13b |
| 14. Adjust rear wedges to final fit. | Apr 06/08 | Sides~14a |
| 15. Attach linings and front wedges to sides. | Apr 07/08 | Sides~15a Sides~15b Sides~15c |
| 16. Rout channel for the tail graft and spot glue temporary graft | Apr 22/08 | Sides~16a Sides~16b |
| 17. Sand upper linings/sides in hollowed dish mold to match top dome | Apr 22/08 | Sides~17a |
| 18. Rough cut binding rebates 2 1/2 inches from centre on each side | Apr 22/08 |
| BRIDGE | STATUS | Photos |
| 1. Cut and true up bridge blank. | May 19 | |
| 2. Drill holes in the tie block area | May 19 | Bridge~02a |
| 3. Profile underside of bridge blank to match top dome radius. | May 19 | Bridge~03a Bridge~03b |
| 4. Cut Saddle and valley slots | May 19 | |
| 5. Cut tie block boundary slots | May 19 | |
| 6. Rough cut bridge arms to desired height. | May 19 | |
| 7. Chisel out the valley and round off the front of the bridge. | May 19 | |
| 8. File arms round and bevel arm ends. | May 19 | Bridge~08a |
| 9. Angle the top of the tie block | May 20 | |
| 10. Fabricate and attach tie block cap.. | May 20 | |
| 11. Weigh bridge and refine as needed to reach desired weight range. | May 20 | Bridge~11a |
| 12. Seal with shellac and coat with C/A glue to fill pores. | May 21 | |
| 13. Drill bridge locator pin holes at the bottom of the saddle slot. | May 21 | |
| 14. Sand smooth , apply coats of shellac and fine sand. | May 23 |
| ASSEMBLY | STATUS | Photos |
| 1. Align top to neck in assembly form and drill locator dowel holes though the top & into the neck. | Apr 22/08 | |
| 2. Install temporary dowels, remove from form and check alignment from the top. | Apr 22/08 | 02a |
| 3. Mark sound hole radius and 20th fret extension on underside of neck. | Apr 22/08 | |
| 4. Cut and refine neck/fingerboard sound hole profile. | Apr 22/08 | 04a |
| 5. Apply glue to neck surfaces, realign top to neck with locator dowels and clamp to set.. | Apr 22/08 | 05a |
| 6. Replace top in assembly form, insert sides and mark lining recesses in transverse bars. | Apr 23/08 | |
| 7. Remove sides and cut recesses in transverse bars | Apr 23/08 | 07a |
| 8. Replace sides and check recesses for fit. Adjust as needed. | Apr 23/08 | 08a |
| 9. Mark interlocking recesses in linings for the transverse bars and treble bar. | Apr 23/08 | |
| 10. Remove sides and cut interlocking recesses into the linings. | Apr 23/08 | 10a |
| 11. Replace sides and check recesses for fit to ensure that sides mate flush to the top. | Apr 23/08 | |
| 12. Refine Spanish heel wedges to ensure sides will clamp to the heel. | Apr 23/08 | |
| 13. Remove sides and apply glue to upper side linings and outer heel gluing surface. | Apr 23/08 | |
| 14. Replace sides, and apply glue to wedges | Apr 23/08 | |
| 15. Install wedges leaving a little loose, and clamp sides to top using form clamp system. | Apr 23/08 | 15a |
| 16. Tap wedges down tight and leave to dry. | Apr 23/08 | 16a |
| 17. Remove clamps and level heel and wedges to the sides | Apr 23/08 | 17a |
| 18. Remove clamps. Remove guitar from mold and trim top to sides. | Apr 23/08 | 18a 18b |
| 19. Refine profile of sides to align with back doming. | Apr 30/08 | |
| 20. Locate and cut interlocking receptors in the side linings and back braces. | Apr 30/08 | 20a |
| 21. Glue and clamp the back. Trim flush when dry. | Apr 30/08 | 21a 21b |
| 22. Rout the initial top and back purfling/binding rebates | May 03/08 | 22a |
| 23. Hand finish initial top binding rebates into the neck. | May 05/08 | 23a 23b |
| 24. Hand finish back binding rebates to the heel and tail and miter the center strip ends. | May 05/08 | |
| 25. Fit glue and clamp back purflings with mitered joints to the center strip. | May 08/08 | |
| 26. Fit, glue and clamp top purflings and flush trim. | May 09/08 | 26a 26b |
| 27. Fit glue and clamp inner bindings. | May 13/08 | 27a |
| 28. Rout final binding rebates. | May 14/08 | |
| 29. Remove temporary tail graft and replace with permanent graft. Miter the tail graft ends. | May 14/08 | 29a 29b |
| 30. Hand finish final binding rebates into the neck and to the heel. | May 14/08 | |
| 31. Fit and glue outer bindings and flush trim to top, back and sides. | May 15/08 | 31a 31b 31c |
| 32. Assemble heel cap components | May 15/08 | |
| 33. Refine heel surface, glue and clamp heel cap. | May 15/08 | 33a 33b |
| 34. Round binding corners and finish sand the entire guitar. | May 15/08 | 34a 34b 34c |
| 35. Check top and cavity resonance and adjust top and/or back as needed to achieve targets. | May 15/08 | |
| 36. Locate bridge and drill locator holes into the top. | May 23/08 | 36a 36b 36c |
| 37.Glue and clamp bridge | May 23/08 | 37a 37b |
| 38. Fabricate nut and saddle. | May 24/08 | |
| 39. Install tuners, attach strings and evaluate the response. Make adjustments as needed. | May 24/08 | 39a 39b |
| French Polish | STATUS |
Photos |
| 1. Seal all purfling lines with cyanoacrylate | May 25/08 | |
| 2. Seal the entire guitar with shellac. | May 25/08 | 2a 2b 2c 2d |
| 3. Fill pores using pumice and alchohol | Jun 01/08 | |
| 4. Sand filled guitar | Jun 03/08 | |
| 5. Build up body on all surfaces using french polishing method. | Jun 06/08 | |
| 6. Fill any missed pores with pumice and any gaps in the rosette/purflings with cyanoacrylate. | Jun 08/08 | |
| 7. Level all surfaces with 800 grit wet/dry paper. | Jun 08/08 | |
| 8. Rebuild the body on all surfaces. | Jun 10/08 | |
| 9. Level all surfaces a second time if needed. | Jun 12/08 | |
| 10. Apply glaze coats. | Jun 15/08 | |
| 11. Rub down with Menernza abrasive polish | Jun 17/08 | 11a 11b 11c |