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.
The Search for 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 method you can use to shape the tone is by varying the thickness of the top plate. Thinner plates (tops and backs), commonly create louder instruments.
Another place where tonewood is used is for the bracing of the tops plates, to structurally support the thin woods. Usually, the top braces are constructed from the same wood family as the top plate. Again the way the bracing is designed can shape the tone and volume of the instrument.
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:
Plate Joiner Jig Go-Board Gluing Jig Fret Slot Cutting Jig Inside Forms Work Board Heated Side Bender
Woodworking Tools Required:
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.
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:
If you are serious about this endeavor, investigate obtaining a few stationary tools to save a tremendous amount of time. Some basic tools to consider are:
6" x 48" Stationary Belt Sander 12" Band Saw Drill Press
The Workshop Setup:
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.
The Purchase of Great Plans:
Be sure to purchase a fine set of guitar plans for the type of guitar you wish to build. Plans ought to be full scale.
Neck Assembly:
Rip the neck wood into 2 pieces. Oppose the grain and re-glue the 2 halves together. Sand the neck blank flat, cut scarf joint and glue headpiece on neck. Route a truss rod channel down the center of the neck. Next install the truss rod in the channel. Glue the stacked heel blocks in place. Now shape the heel, neck and headpiece. Cut the headpiece laminate and glue in position. Use either a mortise and tenon neck joint or a dovetail neck joint and fit precisely to the 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 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.
Next, in order to glue the top and back halves together, use a plate joining jig. Rough shape the bracing for the back and top. Glue into place with the go-board gluing jig. Let braces dry and then final shape the bracing and finish sand them. Cut the rosette channels in the guitar top. Glue the rosette into place and cut out the sound-hole. Glue in the reinforcing for the sound-hole.
Bend the guitar sides by use of a heated or unheated side bender. Let the sides cool for a few days, take them from the bender and position in the inside form. Trim the ends with a band saw. Glue the head and tail blocks into place. Next fabricate the kerfings and glue the kerfing into position around the top and bottom edges of the sides. Fit the top and back to the sides with the sides in the inside form. Mark out brace locations and cut into the kerfings.
Using 1" elastic upholstery tape, glue the top to the top of the kerfing on the sides. Glue the back to the kerfing and sides in a similar manner. Take the Dremel router with the binding cutter attachment and set it to the proper depth and width for your bindings and purfling. Cut the channel for the peg head binding as well.
The Bindings and Purfling:
You can fabricate your purfling and binding trim or you can choose to purchase them. First you will need to pre-bend wood bindings on the heated side bender. Next glue them into position with 1" elastic tape.
Fit the Neck:
Fit the neck to the body very precisely and glue in position, unless you will be using a bolt-on neck option. Glue fretboard onto neck and top. If using a bolt on neck, do not glue to top plate. Shape the neck and heel with wood rasps and sandpaper. Tap the frets into the fret channels and dress the frets.
Applying the Finish:
Prior to finishing operations, sand the entire instrument with 120 and 220 grit sandpaper. Scrape bindings and colored purfling to cleanup. Place masking tape on bridge footprint to prevent finish from sticking to the top.
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 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.
In this article I will present to you a very broad overview of the steps necessary for guitar building.
Wood Types:
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.
Backs and sides are constructed of hardwoods. Hardwood species that is used in the backs and sides plays a important role in the tone and intensity characteristics an instrument will possess. Mahogany, Maple, and Walnut will give your instrument a nice warm tone. 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 volume is to vary the thickness of the top wood. It is commonly known that a thinner wood used for tops and backs will develop an instrument with greater intensity.
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.
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:
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.
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 helpful for many operations. Basic stationary power tools that are very advantageous are:
12" Band Saw 6" x 48" Stationary Belt Sander Drill Press
The Workshop Setup:
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.
The Purchase of Quality Plans:
Purchase a outstanding set of guitar making plans to reinforce the quality of your project. Plans should be full scale.
Assembly of the Neck:
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.
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, in order to glue the top and back halves together, use a plate joining jig. Rough shape the bracing for the back and top. Glue into place with the go-board gluing jig. Let braces dry and then final shape the bracing and finish sand them. Cut the rosette channels in the guitar top. Glue the rosette into place and cut out the sound-hole. Glue in the reinforcing for the sound-hole.
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.
Making The 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 body and head-block. Do not glue a bolt-on neck. Carefully align the fretboard and glue to the guitar neck and the top, unless you are utilizing a bolt-on neck. Finish shaping neck and heel. Tap in the frets into place and dress them.
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.
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.
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 Details:
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.
The Search for 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 method you can use to shape the tone is by varying the thickness of the top plate. Thinner plates (tops and backs), commonly create louder instruments.
Another place where tonewood is used is for the bracing of the tops plates, to structurally support the thin woods. Usually, the top braces are constructed from the same wood family as the top plate. Again the way the bracing is designed can shape the tone and volume of the instrument.
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:
Plate Joiner Jig Go-Board Gluing Jig Fret Slot Cutting Jig Inside Forms Work Board Heated Side Bender
Woodworking Tools Required:
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.
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:
If you are serious about this endeavor, investigate obtaining a few stationary tools to save a tremendous amount of time. Some basic tools to consider are:
6" x 48" Stationary Belt Sander 12" Band Saw Drill Press
The Workshop Setup:
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.
The Purchase of Great Plans:
Be sure to purchase a fine set of guitar plans for the type of guitar you wish to build. Plans ought to be full scale.
Neck Assembly:
Rip the neck wood into 2 pieces. Oppose the grain and re-glue the 2 halves together. Sand the neck blank flat, cut scarf joint and glue headpiece on neck. Route a truss rod channel down the center of the neck. Next install the truss rod in the channel. Glue the stacked heel blocks in place. Now shape the heel, neck and headpiece. Cut the headpiece laminate and glue in position. Use either a mortise and tenon neck joint or a dovetail neck joint and fit precisely to the 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 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.
Next, in order to glue the top and back halves together, use a plate joining jig. Rough shape the bracing for the back and top. Glue into place with the go-board gluing jig. Let braces dry and then final shape the bracing and finish sand them. Cut the rosette channels in the guitar top. Glue the rosette into place and cut out the sound-hole. Glue in the reinforcing for the sound-hole.
Bend the guitar sides by use of a heated or unheated side bender. Let the sides cool for a few days, take them from the bender and position in the inside form. Trim the ends with a band saw. Glue the head and tail blocks into place. Next fabricate the kerfings and glue the kerfing into position around the top and bottom edges of the sides. Fit the top and back to the sides with the sides in the inside form. Mark out brace locations and cut into the kerfings.
Using 1" elastic upholstery tape, glue the top to the top of the kerfing on the sides. Glue the back to the kerfing and sides in a similar manner. Take the Dremel router with the binding cutter attachment and set it to the proper depth and width for your bindings and purfling. Cut the channel for the peg head binding as well.
The Bindings and Purfling:
You can fabricate your purfling and binding trim or you can choose to purchase them. First you will need to pre-bend wood bindings on the heated side bender. Next glue them into position with 1" elastic tape.
Fit the Neck:
Fit the neck to the body very precisely and glue in position, unless you will be using a bolt-on neck option. Glue fretboard onto neck and top. If using a bolt on neck, do not glue to top plate. Shape the neck and heel with wood rasps and sandpaper. Tap the frets into the fret channels and dress the frets.
Applying the Finish:
Prior to finishing operations, sand the entire instrument with 120 and 220 grit sandpaper. Scrape bindings and colored purfling to cleanup. Place masking tape on bridge footprint to prevent finish from sticking to the top.
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 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.
In this article I will present to you a very broad overview of the steps necessary for guitar building.
Wood Types:
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.
Backs and sides are constructed of hardwoods. Hardwood species that is used in the backs and sides plays a important role in the tone and intensity characteristics an instrument will possess. Mahogany, Maple, and Walnut will give your instrument a nice warm tone. 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 volume is to vary the thickness of the top wood. It is commonly known that a thinner wood used for tops and backs will develop an instrument with greater intensity.
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.
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:
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.
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 helpful for many operations. Basic stationary power tools that are very advantageous are:
12" Band Saw 6" x 48" Stationary Belt Sander Drill Press
The Workshop Setup:
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.
The Purchase of Quality Plans:
Purchase a outstanding set of guitar making plans to reinforce the quality of your project. Plans should be full scale.
Assembly of the Neck:
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.
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, in order to glue the top and back halves together, use a plate joining jig. Rough shape the bracing for the back and top. Glue into place with the go-board gluing jig. Let braces dry and then final shape the bracing and finish sand them. Cut the rosette channels in the guitar top. Glue the rosette into place and cut out the sound-hole. Glue in the reinforcing for the sound-hole.
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.
Making The 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 body and head-block. Do not glue a bolt-on neck. Carefully align the fretboard and glue to the guitar neck and the top, unless you are utilizing a bolt-on neck. Finish shaping neck and heel. Tap in the frets into place and dress them.
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.
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.
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 Details:
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.
About the Author:
If you would like additional information regarding guitar construction, be sure to visit Guitar Building. Also if you wish to learn more about your guitar such as, repairs, care, free tab and a lot more, be sure to visit: Ultimate GuitarOnLine.
