If you have an interest in building a guitar, this article will give you a very broad overview of the processes compulsory to make your own fine instrument.
Wood Sources:
The appropriate term that is used to define wood that is used to build guitars is called tonewood. typically the tops of guitars are made from softwoods such as Spruce, Cedar and but at times hardwoods like Mahogany and Koa are used as well.
Backs and sides are constructed of hardwoods. Hardwood species that is used in the instrument backs and sides plays a meaningful role in the tone and intensity characteristics an instrument will possess. Some of the hardwoods create a warmer tone such as Walnut, Mahogany and Maple. If you are after brighter tone and more intensity, such woods as Rosewood, Ebony, and Koa would be a better alternative.
Another tip you can use to define your tone, balance and intensity is to vary the thickness of the top wood. Thinner plates (tops and backs), typically produce louder instruments.
Tonewood can additionally include the bracing that is used to structurally support the thin top plate. These braces are generally the same wood as the top wood. The top bracing gives the luthier another avenue with which to shape the tone and intensity.
Specialized Tools and Jigs:
Jigs and Forms will give the luthier the framework to maintain the precision that is necessary in the building trade. Additionally they will allow consistency from one instrument to another, with greater ease and save vast amounts of time. Consider making these jigs, form,s and specialized tools:
Inside Forms Work board Heated Side Bender Plate Joiner Go Board Gluing Jig Fret Slot Cutting Jig.
Beneficial Hand Tools:
In order to start your building tasks you will need a fundamental set of hand tools. When purchasing hand tools, purchase the best quality tools you can afford as they hold and edge better, are easier to sharpen, cut better, and are safer to use.
Japanese Pull Saws Wood Chisel Set Low Angle Brass Block Plane Violin Finger Planes Fret Saws Dovetail Saw Plastic Tipped Hammer Orbital Sander Hand Scrapers Dremel Moto Tool and Attachments
Recommended Stationary Tools:
Stationary Tools are very beneficial as well. Some fundamental tools to consider are:
12" Band Saw 6" x 48" Stationary Belt Sander Drill Press
Workshop Conditions:
Not only do you need space for glue-up operations, and assembly, you need some extra workbench space. Adequate work lights are additionally needed as this is very comprehensive work. Also, if it is available, you ought to strive to bet natural lighting into the work area.
Building Documents:
Purchase a outstanding set of guitar making plans to reinforce the quality of your project. Plans should be full scale.
Neck Assembly:
Cut the neck blank to size, and glue halves together. First sand the neck blank square. Cut the scarf joint for the headpiece. Reverse the headpiece, sand the joint and glue the headpiece on the neck. Next, you will need to rout a channel down the center of the neck for the truss rod and install the truss rod. Stack the heel blocks on the neck and glue in place. After the heel blocks are dry, shape the heel, the neck and the headpiece. After cutting the headpiece veneer, glue in position. Detail the neck dovetail joint, or mortise and tenon joint to precisely fit into the head block.
Precisely cut the appropriate openings for the tuning machines. Cut fretboard to shape and thickness and cut fret channels.
The Sides, Back and Top:
Prior to bending the sides and gluing the top and side plates you need to plane them down to correct thickness. General guidelines indicated 1/8" thickness for steel strings and 3/32" thickness for nylon strings. In thinning the plates, you have many choices open to you from hand jack planes, drum sanders, belt sander, or a hand scraper.
Join the back and top plates and cut the guitar forms out. After cutting and rough shaping the top and back bracing, glue into place using the go-board gluing jig. After glue is dry, shape the braces and smooth out with fine sandpaper. Cut Rosette channels, glue rosette into place and cut soundhole. Reinforce the soundhole.
Heat up the side bender and bend the sides. You should keep the side in the bender for a couple of days. Next place them in the inside mold and trim to length. Install head and tail block into place. Make the kerfing on the band saw and glue kerfing around outside edges of guitar sides. Fit the guitar back and top to the sides while in the inside form. Cut bracing into the kerfings.
The top can now be glued to the sides using elastic tape. Glue the back in same manner. Cut the binding and purfling channels with the Dremel router with the binding cutting attachment. Set the depth and width of cut to match your binding design. Also cut the binding channels for the peg head bindings.
The Purfling and Bindings:
You can either purchase your binding and purfling trims or you can design and fabricate your own. If you intend to use wood binding you will have to pre-bend them on the Heated Side Bender. Glue into place using 1" upholstery tape.
How to Fit the Neck:
Align the neck carefully and then glue in place to the guitar body and head-block. Do not glue a bolt-on neck. Glue fretboard onto neck and top plate. If using a bolt on neck, do not glue to top. Finish shaping neck and heel. Tap the frets into the fret channels and dress the frets.
Applying the Finish:
Prior to finishing operations, sand the entire guitar with 120 and 220 grit sandpaper. It may be compulsory to cleanup the rosette, purfling and bindings with a hand scraper. Apply masking tape on the top plate over the bridge footprint.
Spray several vinyl sealer coats on guitar. When the vinyl sealer is dry, sand flush. Next apply a toned paste wood filler and let it dry. Clean up and spray the finish coats of lacquer. Depending on the viscosity of the lacquer it may take from 6 to 10 coats of lacquer with sanding between each 2 coats.
Next you will need patience and let the instrument stand for at least one week. Do a final sanding with silicone carbide paper and buff to a mirror finish.
Final Detail Items:
Finally, glue the bridge into place on the top and cut the saddle slot with the saddle routing jig. Install the saddle and the nut. Install tuning machines. Test the action and fretting of the instrument by stringing up a set of light to medium-light strings. Adjustments should be produced as required. With this step in the process your Guitar Building operations is complete.
If you have an interest in building a guitar, this article will give you a very broad overview of the processes compulsory to make your own fine instrument.
Wood Sources:
Wood that is used in guitar building to make backs, sides and tops is called tonewood. Normally the wood of choice for top plates are softwoods such as Cedar or Spruce. From time to time hardwoods such as Mahogany and Koa are used as well.
Hardwoods are used almost exclusively to construct the instrument sides and backs. The family of hardwood species forms the tone and intensity of the guitar to a certain degree. Walnut, Mahogany and Maple hardwoods will give your instrument a warmer tone. For brighter tone and more intensity for your instrument, investigate such hardwoods as Ebony, Rosewood and Koa.
Another tip you can use to define your tone, balance and intensity is to vary the thickness of the top wood. Thinner plates (tops and backs), typically produce louder instruments.
Another location where tonewood is used is for the bracing of the top plates, to structurally support the thin woods. Most often you will notice that the bracing and top wood are constructed from the same species of wood. The top bracing gives the builder another avenue with which to shape the tone and intensity.
Tools and Jigs:
Because the guitar is rather difficult to construct and it requires an extreme amount of precision (repeatedly down to 1/1000" precision), it is very helpful to have special molds, forms side benders, and other attachments to aid the luither (guitar builder) in constructing the instrument with greater ease and precision. Consider making these jigs, forms and specialized tools:
Work board Plate Joiner Jig Fret Slot Cutting Jig Inside Form Heated Side Bender Go-Board Gluing Jig.
Beneficial Hand Tools:
Prior to staring building tasks, purchase a fundamental set of hand tools. Good quality tools cannot be emphasized enough here as they cut better, hold an edge better, and are much safer to work with.
Orbital Sander Hand Scrapers Dremel Moto Tool and Attachments Japanese Pull Saws Wood Chisel Set Low Angle Brass Block Plane Violin Finger Planes Fret Saws Dovetail Saw Plastic Tipped Hammer.
Recommended Stationary Tools:
Stationary tools are very helpful for many operations. Basic stationary power tools that are very advantageous are:
6" x 48" Stationary Belt Sander 12" Band Saw Drill Press
Workshop or Work Area:
Space is required for glue-up operations, assembly and general workbench space. Since you are implementing extensive work, you need superior lighting. It is always desirable to have natural lighting streaming into your workshop as well.
The Purchase of Great Plans:
Purchase a outstanding set of guitar making plans to reinforce the quality of your project. Plans should be full scale.
Neck Assembly:
Cut the neck blank to size, and glue halves together. Sand the blank, cut the scarf joint, prepare the scarf joint and glue this joint. Cut in truss rod channel and install truss rod. Now cut the heel blocks to size, stack them and glue them in position. Allow glue to dry. Shape the heel, the headpiece, and the neck. Next cut your headpiece to shape and glue in place. Fit dovetail or mortise and tenon joint of neck to head block.
Next you need to cut the appropriate sized holes for the tuning machine hardware. Before cutting the fret slots, shape the fretboard to the proper width, length and thickness.
The Back, Sides and Top:
Prior to gluing and bending you need to cut the sides, back and top plates to appropriate thickness. General guidelines indicated 1/8" thickness for steel string guitars and 3/32" thickness for nylon string guitars. To thin the guitar backs, sides and top, you can use a wide variety of techniques from hand held jack planes, stationary planer, stationary belt sander, hand held scrapers and drum sanders.
Next glue the top plates and the back plates together with a plate joining jig. Rough shape the bracing for the back and top. Glue into locate with the go board gluing jig. Set the plates aside to dry. Now shape all braces and finish sand them. Install sound-hole rosette material and cut out sound-hole. Glue in sound-hole reinforcing.
Fire up the heated side bender and bend the sides. Keep the sides in the bender for a few days. Remove and place in the inside mold. Trim the ends with a Japanese Pull Saw. Install head and tail block into place. Make the kerfing on the band saw and glue kerfing around outside edges of sides. Fit the top and back to the sides with the sides mounted in the form. Mark out brace locations and cut into the kerfings.
The top can now be glued to the sides using elastic tape. Glue the back in same manner. Cut the binding and purfling channels with the Dremel router with the binding cutting attachment. Set the depth and width of cut to match your binding design. Also cut the binding channels for the peg head bindings.
The Bindings and Purfling:
You can either purchase your binding and purfling trims or you can design and fabricate your own. If you intend to use wood binding you will have to pre-bend them on the Heated Side Bender. Glue into place using 1" upholstery tape.
Fit the Neck:
Align the neck carefully and then glue in place to the guitar body and head-block. Do not glue a bolt-on neck. Glue fretboard onto neck and top plate. If using a bolt on neck, do not glue to top. Finish shaping neck and heel. Tap the frets into the fret channels and dress the frets.
Finishing Operations:
Prior to finishing operations, sand the entire guitar with 120 and 220 grit sandpaper. It may be compulsory to cleanup the rosette, purfling and bindings with a hand scraper. Apply masking tape on the top plate over the bridge footprint.
Several sprayed coats of vinyl sealer will be needed over all surfaces. When the sealer is dry, sand flush and apply toned paste wood sealer and let that dry. Cleanup the wood filler and apply the nitrocellulose lacquer coats. It will take anywhere between 6 and 10 coats of lacquer for a premium finish. Sand the finish flush between every 2 coats.
Be sure to let the instrument stand for a least one week prior to the final sanding with silicone sandpaper. Buff the lacquer with a buffing wheel to a mirror finish.
Final Details:
Glue the bridge to the top plate and use the saddle channel routing jig to cut in the saddle slot. Install nut and saddle. Assemble the tuning machines on the peg head. String up the instrument with either light or medium light strings and test the action and fretting. Make any adjustments as required. Your Guitar Building will now be complete.
Wood Sources:
The appropriate term that is used to define wood that is used to build guitars is called tonewood. typically the tops of guitars are made from softwoods such as Spruce, Cedar and but at times hardwoods like Mahogany and Koa are used as well.
Backs and sides are constructed of hardwoods. Hardwood species that is used in the instrument backs and sides plays a meaningful role in the tone and intensity characteristics an instrument will possess. Some of the hardwoods create a warmer tone such as Walnut, Mahogany and Maple. If you are after brighter tone and more intensity, such woods as Rosewood, Ebony, and Koa would be a better alternative.
Another tip you can use to define your tone, balance and intensity is to vary the thickness of the top wood. Thinner plates (tops and backs), typically produce louder instruments.
Tonewood can additionally include the bracing that is used to structurally support the thin top plate. These braces are generally the same wood as the top wood. The top bracing gives the luthier another avenue with which to shape the tone and intensity.
Specialized Tools and Jigs:
Jigs and Forms will give the luthier the framework to maintain the precision that is necessary in the building trade. Additionally they will allow consistency from one instrument to another, with greater ease and save vast amounts of time. Consider making these jigs, form,s and specialized tools:
Inside Forms Work board Heated Side Bender Plate Joiner Go Board Gluing Jig Fret Slot Cutting Jig.
Beneficial Hand Tools:
In order to start your building tasks you will need a fundamental set of hand tools. When purchasing hand tools, purchase the best quality tools you can afford as they hold and edge better, are easier to sharpen, cut better, and are safer to use.
Japanese Pull Saws Wood Chisel Set Low Angle Brass Block Plane Violin Finger Planes Fret Saws Dovetail Saw Plastic Tipped Hammer Orbital Sander Hand Scrapers Dremel Moto Tool and Attachments
Recommended Stationary Tools:
Stationary Tools are very beneficial as well. Some fundamental tools to consider are:
12" Band Saw 6" x 48" Stationary Belt Sander Drill Press
Workshop Conditions:
Not only do you need space for glue-up operations, and assembly, you need some extra workbench space. Adequate work lights are additionally needed as this is very comprehensive work. Also, if it is available, you ought to strive to bet natural lighting into the work area.
Building Documents:
Purchase a outstanding set of guitar making plans to reinforce the quality of your project. Plans should be full scale.
Neck Assembly:
Cut the neck blank to size, and glue halves together. First sand the neck blank square. Cut the scarf joint for the headpiece. Reverse the headpiece, sand the joint and glue the headpiece on the neck. Next, you will need to rout a channel down the center of the neck for the truss rod and install the truss rod. Stack the heel blocks on the neck and glue in place. After the heel blocks are dry, shape the heel, the neck and the headpiece. After cutting the headpiece veneer, glue in position. Detail the neck dovetail joint, or mortise and tenon joint to precisely fit into the head block.
Precisely cut the appropriate openings for the tuning machines. Cut fretboard to shape and thickness and cut fret channels.
The Sides, Back and Top:
Prior to bending the sides and gluing the top and side plates you need to plane them down to correct thickness. General guidelines indicated 1/8" thickness for steel strings and 3/32" thickness for nylon strings. In thinning the plates, you have many choices open to you from hand jack planes, drum sanders, belt sander, or a hand scraper.
Join the back and top plates and cut the guitar forms out. After cutting and rough shaping the top and back bracing, glue into place using the go-board gluing jig. After glue is dry, shape the braces and smooth out with fine sandpaper. Cut Rosette channels, glue rosette into place and cut soundhole. Reinforce the soundhole.
Heat up the side bender and bend the sides. You should keep the side in the bender for a couple of days. Next place them in the inside mold and trim to length. Install head and tail block into place. Make the kerfing on the band saw and glue kerfing around outside edges of guitar sides. Fit the guitar back and top to the sides while in the inside form. Cut bracing into the kerfings.
The top can now be glued to the sides using elastic tape. Glue the back in same manner. Cut the binding and purfling channels with the Dremel router with the binding cutting attachment. Set the depth and width of cut to match your binding design. Also cut the binding channels for the peg head bindings.
The Purfling and Bindings:
You can either purchase your binding and purfling trims or you can design and fabricate your own. If you intend to use wood binding you will have to pre-bend them on the Heated Side Bender. Glue into place using 1" upholstery tape.
How to Fit the Neck:
Align the neck carefully and then glue in place to the guitar body and head-block. Do not glue a bolt-on neck. Glue fretboard onto neck and top plate. If using a bolt on neck, do not glue to top. Finish shaping neck and heel. Tap the frets into the fret channels and dress the frets.
Applying the Finish:
Prior to finishing operations, sand the entire guitar with 120 and 220 grit sandpaper. It may be compulsory to cleanup the rosette, purfling and bindings with a hand scraper. Apply masking tape on the top plate over the bridge footprint.
Spray several vinyl sealer coats on guitar. When the vinyl sealer is dry, sand flush. Next apply a toned paste wood filler and let it dry. Clean up and spray the finish coats of lacquer. Depending on the viscosity of the lacquer it may take from 6 to 10 coats of lacquer with sanding between each 2 coats.
Next you will need patience and let the instrument stand for at least one week. Do a final sanding with silicone carbide paper and buff to a mirror finish.
Final Detail Items:
Finally, glue the bridge into place on the top and cut the saddle slot with the saddle routing jig. Install the saddle and the nut. Install tuning machines. Test the action and fretting of the instrument by stringing up a set of light to medium-light strings. Adjustments should be produced as required. With this step in the process your Guitar Building operations is complete.
If you have an interest in building a guitar, this article will give you a very broad overview of the processes compulsory to make your own fine instrument.
Wood Sources:
Wood that is used in guitar building to make backs, sides and tops is called tonewood. Normally the wood of choice for top plates are softwoods such as Cedar or Spruce. From time to time hardwoods such as Mahogany and Koa are used as well.
Hardwoods are used almost exclusively to construct the instrument sides and backs. The family of hardwood species forms the tone and intensity of the guitar to a certain degree. Walnut, Mahogany and Maple hardwoods will give your instrument a warmer tone. For brighter tone and more intensity for your instrument, investigate such hardwoods as Ebony, Rosewood and Koa.
Another tip you can use to define your tone, balance and intensity is to vary the thickness of the top wood. Thinner plates (tops and backs), typically produce louder instruments.
Another location where tonewood is used is for the bracing of the top plates, to structurally support the thin woods. Most often you will notice that the bracing and top wood are constructed from the same species of wood. The top bracing gives the builder another avenue with which to shape the tone and intensity.
Tools and Jigs:
Because the guitar is rather difficult to construct and it requires an extreme amount of precision (repeatedly down to 1/1000" precision), it is very helpful to have special molds, forms side benders, and other attachments to aid the luither (guitar builder) in constructing the instrument with greater ease and precision. Consider making these jigs, forms and specialized tools:
Work board Plate Joiner Jig Fret Slot Cutting Jig Inside Form Heated Side Bender Go-Board Gluing Jig.
Beneficial Hand Tools:
Prior to staring building tasks, purchase a fundamental set of hand tools. Good quality tools cannot be emphasized enough here as they cut better, hold an edge better, and are much safer to work with.
Orbital Sander Hand Scrapers Dremel Moto Tool and Attachments Japanese Pull Saws Wood Chisel Set Low Angle Brass Block Plane Violin Finger Planes Fret Saws Dovetail Saw Plastic Tipped Hammer.
Recommended Stationary Tools:
Stationary tools are very helpful for many operations. Basic stationary power tools that are very advantageous are:
6" x 48" Stationary Belt Sander 12" Band Saw Drill Press
Workshop or Work Area:
Space is required for glue-up operations, assembly and general workbench space. Since you are implementing extensive work, you need superior lighting. It is always desirable to have natural lighting streaming into your workshop as well.
The Purchase of Great Plans:
Purchase a outstanding set of guitar making plans to reinforce the quality of your project. Plans should be full scale.
Neck Assembly:
Cut the neck blank to size, and glue halves together. Sand the blank, cut the scarf joint, prepare the scarf joint and glue this joint. Cut in truss rod channel and install truss rod. Now cut the heel blocks to size, stack them and glue them in position. Allow glue to dry. Shape the heel, the headpiece, and the neck. Next cut your headpiece to shape and glue in place. Fit dovetail or mortise and tenon joint of neck to head block.
Next you need to cut the appropriate sized holes for the tuning machine hardware. Before cutting the fret slots, shape the fretboard to the proper width, length and thickness.
The Back, Sides and Top:
Prior to gluing and bending you need to cut the sides, back and top plates to appropriate thickness. General guidelines indicated 1/8" thickness for steel string guitars and 3/32" thickness for nylon string guitars. To thin the guitar backs, sides and top, you can use a wide variety of techniques from hand held jack planes, stationary planer, stationary belt sander, hand held scrapers and drum sanders.
Next glue the top plates and the back plates together with a plate joining jig. Rough shape the bracing for the back and top. Glue into locate with the go board gluing jig. Set the plates aside to dry. Now shape all braces and finish sand them. Install sound-hole rosette material and cut out sound-hole. Glue in sound-hole reinforcing.
Fire up the heated side bender and bend the sides. Keep the sides in the bender for a few days. Remove and place in the inside mold. Trim the ends with a Japanese Pull Saw. Install head and tail block into place. Make the kerfing on the band saw and glue kerfing around outside edges of sides. Fit the top and back to the sides with the sides mounted in the form. Mark out brace locations and cut into the kerfings.
The top can now be glued to the sides using elastic tape. Glue the back in same manner. Cut the binding and purfling channels with the Dremel router with the binding cutting attachment. Set the depth and width of cut to match your binding design. Also cut the binding channels for the peg head bindings.
The Bindings and Purfling:
You can either purchase your binding and purfling trims or you can design and fabricate your own. If you intend to use wood binding you will have to pre-bend them on the Heated Side Bender. Glue into place using 1" upholstery tape.
Fit the Neck:
Align the neck carefully and then glue in place to the guitar body and head-block. Do not glue a bolt-on neck. Glue fretboard onto neck and top plate. If using a bolt on neck, do not glue to top. Finish shaping neck and heel. Tap the frets into the fret channels and dress the frets.
Finishing Operations:
Prior to finishing operations, sand the entire guitar with 120 and 220 grit sandpaper. It may be compulsory to cleanup the rosette, purfling and bindings with a hand scraper. Apply masking tape on the top plate over the bridge footprint.
Several sprayed coats of vinyl sealer will be needed over all surfaces. When the sealer is dry, sand flush and apply toned paste wood sealer and let that dry. Cleanup the wood filler and apply the nitrocellulose lacquer coats. It will take anywhere between 6 and 10 coats of lacquer for a premium finish. Sand the finish flush between every 2 coats.
Be sure to let the instrument stand for a least one week prior to the final sanding with silicone sandpaper. Buff the lacquer with a buffing wheel to a mirror finish.
Final Details:
Glue the bridge to the top plate and use the saddle channel routing jig to cut in the saddle slot. Install nut and saddle. Assemble the tuning machines on the peg head. String up the instrument with either light or medium light strings and test the action and fretting. Make any adjustments as required. Your Guitar Building will now be complete.
About the Author:
Interested in more guitar building articles? Be sure to visit our site of a wide range of free articles at Guitar Building. For information on guitar repair, care, reviews, free guitar tab, lessons an more, be sure to visit our site: Ultimate Guitar OnLine.
