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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Pre
CONSTRUCTION NOTES for a
STEEL STRING GUITAR
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Pre
Binder Spine Label Print Print this page, cut out the label and place in a binder spine
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S T E E L S T R I N G G
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Pre
Preface
Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar is a conversion of my notes into deta building instructions for a 25.4 inch scale length steel string guitar. Like its compa Construction Notes for a Classical Guitar, it is based on study under Robert O’B while he directed the Red Rocks Community College Lutherie Program in Den Colorado. The original audience audience was students in Robert’ Robert’ss classes. However, with release of his “Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course” in 2012, the first version rewritten for the benefit of online students, as well.
Greatest credit for this handbook goes to Robert O’Brien, who in 2003 founded until 2012, directed the Lutherie Program at Red Rocks Community College in Den CO. This is primarily a tabulation of his teachings. Other information in Constru Constru Notes for a Steel String Guitar comes from a variety of sources. I am indebted to fe teaching assistants, Mike Boggess (www.treesongguitars.com ( www.treesongguitars.com),), Jim Mcmurdo and K Kemerling (www.k2guitars.com (www.k2guitars.com),), who have guided my guitar building and, remark have kept me out of trouble. Their wisdom is greatly appreciated. Many of their tip found in this this handbook. handbo ok. The r est, est, which really doesn’t seem to leave much, I learne my own through a combination of technical technical successes, a few “design opportunities, mistakes, and outside reading. Sign up to vote on this title
Robert O’Brien, to date, has supervised the building of over 500 guitars by studen Useful Not useful Colorado, from teenagers to retirees. Several of his students relocated to Color specifically to take one or more of his courses.
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Pre
None of this is to say that Robert has made guitar making easy. It is not, and it prob never will be. However, he has given many people worldwide worldwide the confidence to take risk to do what for them had only been a dream. Denny Brown Boulder, CO
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Introdu
Introduction
While these notes are based on several sources, they distill down to one of many way build a steel string guitar. Indeed, every luthier has his or her own method to guitar. With so many steps, variations quickly develop. Nonetheless, what recorded recorded closely follows the current cu rrent methods used by Robert O'Brien.
Experienced builders can use Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar alone reference reference to refresh his or her memory on the steps of building, or to see another wa do things. For the first-time guitar maker, this handbook alone may be inadequate guide to building a building a steel string guitar. Some things just have to be seen once or t before they make sense.
The materials and dimensions used in this handbook are based on the LMI (Lut Mercantile, Int’l ) KLSRO kit , used in Robert’s classes and in his online cou However, this does not preclude preclu de the use of materials from numerous other qu luthier sources.
Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar can also be paired with Robert’s DVDs Sign upbooks to vote on title his free YouTube “Luthier Tips du Jour” series. Several andthisvideos are are av useful to some de Useful Not from other reputable reputable authors. However, all of these resources differ from this handbook. In the case of Robert’ Robert’ss DVDs, certain sections are dated. W
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Introdu
You may print this manual. manual . Use it to take notes. Lots of notes. The true discover great things in your guitar will happen over 250 pages from here when you first pu the strings. No sooner. If your guitar is a home run, wouldn’t wouldn’t you like to have some c how it happened? On the other hand, if your guitar doesn’ doesn’tt come out the way wanted, wouldn’t woul dn’t you also want to know why? Take notes.
When you are ready to build a classical guitar, be sure to take a look at Robert O’Br “Online Classical Guitar Building Course”, Course”, and the companion handbook, Constru Notes for a Classical Guitar . Input for for Construction Notes for for a Steel String Guitar is welcome. welcome. Write to
[email protected]..
[email protected]
A word of caution Several steps of building a guitar are dangerous, including those using hand tools. It is the reader’s responsibility to learn how to use to vote on this title and maintain equipment safely Sign andupcorrectly.
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Fore
Foreword
Denny Brown’ Brown’s Construction Notes series for guitar building bui lding is the set of books I had planned to write for my students, but somehow I never got around to actually actual ly doing i With a young family and a growing lutherie program, this task never managed to move the top of my “To Do” list.
I was thrilled when Denny unexpectedly presented his first book on the classical cla ssical guit to me in December of 2011. I immediately asked to use it in my classroom and hoped h would write a steel string version, version, too. (Obviously, he did.) Actually, I think that I not only thrilled, but relieved that this long overdue project project was finally complete. De went above and beyond what I had envisioned and created an interactive manual. Students have instant access to my online courses and Luthier Tips du Jour videos j by clicking on the active links throughout the text.
Since Denny introduced these texts, my students’ work has improved significantly. Students now have a written study guide that allows them to prepare for class ahead time. In the shop, they have a detailed checklist to minimize mistakes. And as importantly, they have a place to record notes on their progress. progress. As an instructor, these books have made my life easier and helped my Sign students build better guitars. up to vote on this title
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Denny has meticulously captured how I build guitars. He also offers offers some additiona perspective, which is a bonus for the These handbooks have become
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
For
About the Author
Denny Brown discovered discovered fine woodworking in 2007 after retiring from a career as a general surgeon. surgeon. He found one of the premier premier woodworking programs programs in the United States just forty-five minutes from home. His passion for fine craftsmanship and det led him to Robert O’Brien’s guitar-making classes. Denny builds both steel string an classical guitars. He is a teaching assistant for O’Brien’s guitar building classes in Denver, Colorado. He is also the author of Construction of Construction Notes for a Classical Strin Guitar and Guitar and writes the “My Guitar Notes” blog at www.flatironfrets.com at www.flatironfrets.com.. Denny lives i Boulder, Colorado with his wife and children.
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Table of Cont
Table of Contents Chapter Chapter 1: Sides Dimension the Sides .................................................. ........................................................................... ......................... Joint the Sides Cut the Sides to Width Safe-T Safe-T-Planer -Plane r Set S et Up Thickness the Sides Set Up for Bending Make a Side Template Layout and Taper the Sides
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Cr ack ack Repair .................................................. ............................................................................ ...................................... ............
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Table of Cont
Prep Prep the End Block Bl ock Prep Prep the Heel Block Cut Sides to Length Glue the Sides to the End and Heel Blocks
Clean Up the Sides ............................................... ......................................................................... ............................... .....
Radiusing Radiusing ................................................... ............................................................................ .......................................... .................. Radius Radiu s the th e Top Top Radius the Back
Install the Kerfing ................................................. .......................................................................... ................................ ....... Shape the Kerfing Glue up
Str uts uts ............................................... ......................................................................... ................................................... .........................
End Wedge .................................................. ............................................................................ ......................................... ............... Sign up to vote on this title
Make the End Wedge Cut a Wedge in the Body
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Chapter 1: S
Chapter 1: Sides •
See “Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course”: Intro (free) The LMI Kit (free) Kit (free) Relative Humidity (free) o o o
Dimension the Sides •
•
See “Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course”: Cutting Sides to Width See “Luthier Tips du Jour”: Band Saws
Joint the Sides o
Bookmatch the two sides and fold together Bookmatching is placing the two sides beside each other in a mi image format, left to right Look at the grain figure and consider what edge will be at the top of th guitar and what edge will be at the back Account for the back edge of the upper bout being cut away slightly in a taper Sign up to vote on this title See Make a Side Template, Template below Not useful , Useful Select the edge that will that will be the top top of the guitar sides to joint Tape the opposite edges together together with two pieces of tap §
o
§
•
o
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Chapter 1: S
Safe-T-Planer Set Up •
•
•
See “Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course”: Thicknessing See “Luthier Tips du Jour”: Safe-T-Planer Note: In 2012, production of the Safe-T Safe-T-Planer was discontinued. A similar product is the Drill Press Planer o o
Put Safe-T-Planer in the drill press Tilt the table very slightly downhill so the exit side of cutter is wider tha the entry entry A folded piece of sandpaper under the in-feed side of the table enough Set the depth to 2.7 mm Set the drill press speed to 2000-2500 RPM Make sure the table is clean so the board is not lifted by debris and cu too thin Test cut Feed a piece of scrap under the Safe-T-Planer and measure the thickness of the cut Adjust table as needed and redo test cuts until correct §
o
o o
o
§
§
Thickness Thickness the Sides •
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See “Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course”: Scraping
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Chapter 1: S
With one person, push the board in as far as possible using a hold dow block, then pull the board through with a hold down block on the ou feed side Final thicknessing options o
•
o o o o
Thickness Sander (preferred) (preferred) Scraper Hand sander See “Luthier Tips du Jour”: Scrapers Thickness Sanding Sides §
§
•
Thickness sander The target point is 2.2 mm and flexibility suitable for bending (a good indicator is the beginning of flex transversely) transversely) Measure the thickness of sides, tops and backs with a dial calip Send sides through sander at 30o angle to avoid overheating the sand san belt A single pass without changing the setting may be all that is needed to fine-tune the thickness Measured final thickness of sides = ______ mm o
§
o
o
o
Sign up to vote on this title •
useful is set up, Consider thicknessing the back pieces now while the Safe-T SafeT-Planer Useful Not Chapter 3: Back
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Chapter 1: S
Make a Side Template •
•
See “Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course”: Tapering the Sides
Considerations The markup measurements can also used directly on the sides without making a template Use anything thin, such as paper, plastic, ¼” MDF or fiberboard Dimensions Cut a piece of material 80 cm long 11 cm (110 mm) tall o
o
•
o
§
§
↓
“End Line”
↓
B U T T
110 mm
K C A B
TOP
46 cm
O cm o
W A I S T
T aper ↓
↓ K C E N
“End Lin
95 mm
74 cm
Mark up Measure 3 cm in from both ends and draw square lines (“end lin Sign two up toline voteshould on this title The distance between these be 74 cm Not useful Useful For a mark up directly on theguitar, use this lengt and position the space over the most desirable §
•
o
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Chapter 1: S
Along the side with the tapered side, mark “BACK” Along the uncut straight edge, mark “TOP” “TOP” Do not get these backwards! ba ckwards! Label the template “STEEL STRING”, in case you later make classical guitars Transfer all of the labels l abels and lines to the opposite side Cut ¼” notches at the ends of the each line to aid marking the §
§
•
§
o
o
Layout and Taper the Sides •
•
•
•
Bookmatch the sides and lay the two pieces side by side Select the desired outside surfaces Fold the sides together with the desired outside surfaces on the ou outside tside of th sandwich Mark the layout orientation Use white pencil on the outside of both pieces Select and mark the neck and butt ends Remember that the neck end will be tapered ta pered Mark the jointed edges as the top Align the side template on the sides so the top edge is flush against the top (jointed) edge Use the side template to mark locationsSign ofuptheto waist, neck end and but vote on this title ends Useful Not useful Mark the waist on the edge, too Mark the front taper o o
§
o o
o
§
o
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Chapter 1: S
Crack Repair •
•
•
•
•
•
See “Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course”: Crack Repair Cracks can and will occur, particularly in the sides Most cracks are 50 mm, or less, but they can also be very dramatic The rescue is frequently CA glue, plus accelerator Dark wood cracks, especially with the grain, tend to hide well Do NOT use CA glue for tops Light colored woods stain with CA glue o
•
•
•
In all cases, the principle is to get the wood on either side of the crack lined up and held in place while glue sets Another pair of hands might be handy, if using CA glue with accelerator Minor Fixes §
§
§
•
Get the wood lined up Let thin CA glue flow into the crack Apply accelerator and hold until set
Major Fixes - for example, a long split in the side Identify the length of the crack and mark each end Sign up toitvote on this title Get the two sides lined up precisely, whatever takes Useful Not useful This is critical Let thin CA glue flow generously into the crack along its entire length o o
§
o
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Chapter 1: S
Bend the Sides •
See “Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course”: Bending, Part 1 Bending, Part 2 See “Luthier Tips du Jour”: LMI Side Bender Side Bending by Hand Making Forms o o
•
o o o
Super Soft •
•
•
An optional step Spray the sides with Super Soft, as instructed on the bottle Let dry between paper under a weight overnight
Set up •
•
•
•
•
Obtain or make a guitar gui tar form for your plan Set up bending machine with the correct bending profile Lay the guitar form on the bench in line with the bender, i.e. i .e. neck end in the sa direction as the bending machine is set up Mark the up side of the guitar form “BACK”, and the other side “TOP” using tape Sign up to vote on this title Usefulwiththe Notoutsides useful Lay the sides on top of the guitar form on thetable up, the back edges to the center and the neck /butt oriented in the same directio the form and bending machine
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar •
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Chapter 1: S
Position the wood Put the first sheet of spring steel in the bending machine Line up the spring steel parallel to one side of the bending form Spray wood lightly with water Put one guitar side outside up on the spring steel and line up the top (jointed) edge parallel to the edge of the spring steel Position the waistline of the guitar side in the center of the bending machine Add the heating pad, then the second sheet of spring steel Double check positioning Spring-clip the sandwich together When bending Do not walk away from the bending machine Avoid distractions distractions such as conversations, telephones Heating moves very fast and can quickly lead to a disaster o
§
o o
o
§
§
§
•
o o o
Bending with a Thermometer Thermometer •
•
•
•
There are several bending routines that work well, this is just one Tighten the waist clamp just enough to flex the wood and hold it in place Put handles on springs Place a thermometer between the heating pad and the spring steel sheet Make sure the thermometer is set on FAHRENHEIT FAHRENHEIT Sign up to vote on this title Useful Not useful Connect the heating blanket to the timer andturn on thetimer Heat to 200-250o F o
•
o
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar •
•
Guitar making guide _ Jon Sevy
Luthier - Guitar - j Willians - A Guitar
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Chapter 1: S
Cool and remove the side Place the side in the guitar form
Bending with a Thermocouple •
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•
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See “Luthier Tips du Jour”: Heating Blanket Temperature Controller This uses a specialized piece of equipment Tighten the waist clamp just enough to flex the wood and hold it in place Put handles on springs Place the thermocouple probe between the heating pad and the wood Set thermostat to 300o F Heat to 200-250o F Bend waist Slowly bend the large bout then the small bout Hold at 300o - 325o F for 5 minutes (Optional) leave side in the bender at 260o F for 15 minutes Cool and remove side Place the side in the guitar form o
•
•
Placing the Side in the Guitar Form o o o
Place the bent side in the form top sideSign down, with table top up toflush vote on this the title table Insert the spreader Useful Not useful Apply cam clamps where there are are gaps
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Guitar making guide _ Jon Sevy
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Chapter 1: S
Heel and End Blocks •
•
See “Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course”: Heel and End Blocks See “Luthier Tips du Jour”: Heel and End Blocks Hand Planes Sharpening o o o
Prep Prep the End Block •
•
Orient the grain horizontally Band saw the block to these dimensions 76 mm (wide) 21 mm (thick) 108 mm (tall) Sand the rough sides of the block and bring them close to final dimensions Finished dimensions will be 76 x 19 x 102 mm The ends of the block do not need to be sanded The height of the block will be brought to size when the guitar is radiused later in this chapter Plane a bevel on the two vertical cornersSignthat will be on the inside of th up to vote on this title guitar Useful Not useful This is cosmetic, be careful of blow out Mark centerlines on both ends of the block o
o
o
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o o
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o
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o
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Chapter 1: S
Prep the Heel Block •
•
Orient grain horizontally Band saw the block to these dimensions 70 mm (wide) 34 mm (thick) 88 mm (tall) Sand the rough sides of the block and bring them close to final dimensions Finished dimensions are 70 x 32 x 82 mm The finished thickness MUST BE 32 mm for the neck bolts to fit A little less is okay, more is not The ends of the block do not need to be sanded The height of the block will be brought to size when the guitar is radiused later in this chapter Plane a bevel on the two vertical corners that will be on the inside of guitar This is cosmetic, be careful of blow out Mark centerlines on both ends of the block o
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Cut Sides to Length •
See “Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course”:SignCutting the Sides to Length up to vote on this title
•
Useful
Place one of the sides, top side down in the form Insert the spreader
Not useful
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar o
Luthier - Guitar - j Willians - A Guitar
Chapter 1: S
Band saw the sides just short of the lines Save cutoffs for cauls Finish to the line with a sander Replace sides in the guitar form in the correct orientation Reinsert the spreader Clamp sides to the guitar guita r form to eliminate gaps around the lower bout §
o o o o
Glue the Sides to the End and Heel Blocks •
•
See “Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course”: Gluing Sides to Blocks See “Luthier Tips du Jour”: Glues Part 1 Glues Part 2 o o
•
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Sand the inside of the sides to 180 grit where the end block will be glued, plus 5 cm to either side Tools o o o o o
o
8 - C-clamps 4 - Cam clamps Spring clamp Wax paper Sign up to vote on this title Rosewood cutoffs for for cauls (from the last step) Useful Not useful
If there aren’t aren’t enough clamps, or a more relaxed two-step pace is
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar •
Luthier - Guitar - j Willians - A Guitar
Chapter 1: S
Glue up Set up the clamps with a dry run, this has to move quickly if both ends being done simultaneously o
o o o o o
Place wax paper on the bench under where the blocks will be Apply glue to the correct face (marked midline) of either block Position the block flush with the bench Align the centerline with the form using the marked lines Clamp sequence Use wax paper beneath the outer cauls, if needed Clamp one corner with a spring clamp to hold the cauls Watch for skating of the end block Clamp both back corners firmly, removing the spring the clamp a the first C-clamp is applied Position clamps towards the outside outsi de of the block bl ock for a flu fit Check the block for square to the bench §
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Repeat this sequence with the other block bl ock Remove the sides from the form Use a spring clamp to hole the cauls in place Sign up to vote on this title Add clamps to the top corners of both blocks Useful Not useful Clean glue squeeze out Add two cam clamps to the center of each block
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Chapter 1: S
Radiusing •
•
•
See “Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course”: Radiusing See “Luthier Tips du Jour”: Closing the Box
Radiusing is putting a curvature on the top and back of the guitar to create sl domes in the top and back when are glued to the body It is very easy to become disoriented disori ented and make mistakes in this process Pay attention to having the dish with the proper radius (15’ or 30’) working on the correct side (top or back) of the guitar. o
o
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Authors Note: I radius the top first first and the back second, the reverse reverse of Robert’s method. I find it keeps me out of trouble. The end and heel block heights will need to be finalized while radiusing. radiusing. Th should be done from from the back side. I find that if I radius the back first, I am tempted to make any final height adjustments from the top, since the back is already finished. Making adjustments from the front risks taking the top edge of parallel with the grain figure on the sides. There is a significant taper on the th back upper bout of the back, so parallel grain is not expected there. This is purely cosmetic, so it is of no functional importance.
Radius the Top •
Sign up to vote on this title
Take out a 30‘radius dish with sandpaper Useful Not useful Clamp the dish to the th e bench with cam clamps, leaving room for sanding o
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar •
Guitar making guide _ Jon Sevy
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Chapter 1: S
Sand in the 30’ radius dish with a twisting motion Use chalk on the side edges and the produced sawdust in the dish for guide in sanding, until there is no gap Additional planing can be used gingerly to speed the process o
o
•
If desired, kerfing can be added to the top, top , now, and the back radiused after glue has dried
Radius the Back •
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Put away the 30’ radius dish Take out a 15’ radius dish with sandpaper Clamp the dish to the bench with cam clamps, leaving room for sanding
Put the form TOP TOP SIDE DOWN on the bench and be sure the top of the guita lies flat With a white pencil, mark in three places on the sides si des where they meet t form, for reference reference if the guitar slips in the form and needs repositioning Turn the form BACK SIDE DOWN and put p ut pieces of blue tape aroundthe to Sign up to vote on this title edges Useful Not useful Anything that keeps things oriented is good When radiusing, the blue tape should be up o
•
o o
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar o
Luthier - Guitar - j Willians - A Guitar
Chapter 1: S
Make sure there is enough of the sides protruding from the form in bac radius without inadvertently sanding the form Wrap fingers around the form If they touch the sandpaper, adjust the form higher If an adjustment has been made, flip the body top side down and sure the edges are flush with the table top §
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Put the guitar BACK SIDE DOWN in the radius dish and assess assess for gaps Turn the form over and plane down the proud points Plane towards the heel block to avoid splitting spl itting Recheck for gaps Repeat planing until the sides are close to the desired radius of the dis Sand in the 15’ radius dish with a twisting twisting motion Use chalk on the side edges edges and the produced sawdust for a guide in sanding, sanding, until there is no gap Additional planing can be used gingerly to speed the process o
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Install the Kerfing •
See “Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course”: Kerfing More radiusing and Kerfing Sign up to vote on this title See “Luthier Tips du Jour”: Kerfing Useful Not useful o o
•
The kerfing will be the glue surface for the top and the back
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Guitar making guide _ Jon Sevy
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Chapter 1: S
Shape the Kerfing •
•
Wet kerfing and let outer surface dry Clamp kerfing to the outside outsi de of the body with a few kerfing clamps and let dry Make sure the kerfing is oriented correctly With reverse kerfing, the flat side of the kerfing will be against agai nst the outsi surface of the side o o
Glue up •
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Break off the kerfing to about the amount that is needed Lay the kerfing on a flat surface and apply glue to entire strip, blot, bl ot, don’t don’t spre Position the kerfing 1-2mm proud of the side edge Begin at the heel block (front) and get as flush to the block as possible Bunch kerfing together if it breaks Apply kerfing clips flush next to each other as you go Lean clips forward into the body interior After the left lef t and right strips are applied, apply 4 cam clamps to the corners the form with arms up, then flip the th e form onto the arms Alternatively, clamp the form upright in a bench vise Remove the spreader and inspect the kerfing for gaps Adjust clips or add small spring clamps where the kerfing is not flush with the sides Sign up to vote on this title Let glue set up a bit bi t and scrape gross glue squeeze out Useful Not useful Clean kerfing gaps with a razor blade o
•
o
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•
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar •
•
•
Luthier - Guitar - j Willians - A Guitar
Chapter 1: S
Otherwise, shape the kerfing and do the glue up exactly as was done on the fi side Sand kerfing to 180 grit Touch up any sanding on the inside
Struts •
•
See “Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course”: Side Struts
Struts are strips of wood that are glued to the sides vertically between the They are decorative, structural and, perhaps, tonal They will help limit the length of a split in the side, should one oc The struts further stiffen the sides and may help project tone Struts can be made from scrap wood, such as cut offs of back and brace woo Some builders make immaculate laminated strips of various woods to a to the decorative value Use three to four struts One on the upper bout, one behind the waist and one or two in the low bout Make the struts 2.5 - 6 mm thick Thicker strips can be scalloped or tapered ontothe transition do Sign up voteends on thisto title to the kerfing Useful Not useful Position the struts symmetrically from left to right o be precise, count kerfing spaces along the side o
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o
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar o
Luthier - Guitar - j Willians - A Guitar
Chapter 1: S
Position them straight up and down Use a square from the top, if desired Clamp in place with spring clamps Watch for skating Clean the squeeze out §
o o o
o
Clamp time 30 minutes
End Wedge •
•
See “Online Acoustic Guitar Building Course”: End Wedge See “Luthier Tips du Jour”: End Grafts
Make the End Wedge •
Select a piece of wood long and a nd wide enough for the end wedge with plenty o extra length A piece of curly maple is often used Even a scrap piece of the rosewood back works very well Select a bevel angle that looks good and set it on a sliding bevel Mark a centerline on the back side of the end wedge, extending full len Optionally cover the wood with tape and put the markings on th tape Decide how wide the graft is going to beSign up to vote on this title Mark symmetrical lines on the wood piece on both sides of the centerli Useful Not useful using the sliding bevel Make sure the end graft piece is longer than needed o
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o o
§
o o
o
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Guitar making guide _ Jon Sevy
Luthier - Guitar - j Willians - A Guitar
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Chapter 1: S
Cut a Wedge in the Body •
•
Remove the guitar body from the form Mark the centerline on both ends of the end block Apply masking tape over the end block to facilitate marking Orient end wedge up or down, it doesn’t matter Place the end wedge with the centerline face down to line up with the centerlin marks on the end block Hold the end wedge tightly in place or with spring clamps, or use an extra pair hands Mark the outline of the wedge on the guitar body o
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Hang the guitar body on a board suspended from a bench Use a block of wood with a square edge as a saw fence Position the block on a triple-folded-over piece of sandpaper just outside of of the marked lines and clamp it in place Saw on the marked line only through the side wood The sawdust will change color as soon as the side wood is fully cut Repeat on the other side Chisel out the side wood, checking the graft fit Flatten rough spots on the exposed end block o
•
•
•
•
An alternative method for cutting, which is particularly useful fortitlecurved end Sign up to vote on this Useful Not useful pieces: Hold the end wedge tightly in place or with spring clamps, or use an ex pair of hands o
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Chapter 1: S
Glue Up the End Wedge Wedge o
o o o
o o o
Place glue on the back and sides of the graft and on any veneer accen being used Slide the end graft and veneers snuggly into place Spring clamp both ends 20-30 minute clamp time After the clamps are off, band saw or hand saw the excess off Plane/scrape the end wedge flush with the body Return the body to the form making sure the top is flat to a bench
Notes:
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Construction Notes for a Steel String Guitar
Chapter 1: S
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