Guitar Project Update

[john whittaker]

Just started actual work on my first steel string acoustical guitar. Spent the last 6 weeks reading and learning how this is done. Time to jump in head first so here is my first progress report. FYI - If anyone is interested in doing this, I'll be happy to help in any way, or at least point you in the direction of some great web sites and books on the subject. Many folks have helped me and I would jump at the chance to pay it back.

The guitar could not be assembled in my shop (garage) due to climate/humidity concerns. I put together a small work table in a spare room (first pic)
The guitar kit came with the sides bent almost to proper shape. You can see in the next two pics a form made to proper size to keep the guitar shaped during some of the assembly procedure.

Head & tail blocks are glued in and support kerfing is glued all around the perimeter of the rim (body)

The last pic shows some of the X bracing and other braces used on the top sound board.

I decided to buy (gift from LOML) a kit from Martin Guitars so some of the harder shaping is done already. The kit is mostly an assembly process and ANYONE with some good woodworking experience can handle it without much worry.

I'll post progress pics from time to time....I figure I'll be at this for several months.

Thanks for looking and please don't hesitate to e-mail or PM me with any questions....or just post here.

[john whittaker]

A little more information.
This guitar will be :rolleyes: or at least I hope it will look like an old Martin D-16 Dreadnought. The D-16 is a full sized body with good base response. It is not heavily decorated with inlay work. Just enough to get my feet wet. The sides and back are Brazilian rosewood (laminated) and the top is Sitka spruce. Mahogany neck and ebony finger board complete the wood species list.

As I said, the guitar kit is mostly an assembly project. The inlay and other decorative bindings are where artistic styling come into play. Making these from scratch takes much more knowhow...shaping the neck and bending the sides etc...but again, must woodworkers could probably handle it if they had the desire to learn and patience for the meticulous work.

There are a few specialty tools required but woodworkers will already have most of them. And some you can make. And some you can buy from luthier supply stores. (including Grizzly)

Certain books and web sites are a must for the beginner, but fortunately they are both readily available.

This has been a dream of mine for some time. I've been playing for + 35 years...It's about time I learned how they work. It is a fantastic journey.

[Vaughn McMillan]

I'll be watching closely, John. I'd like to build guitars, and I'm really interested in the solid body electric kits Grizzly sells. Thing is, right now I'd rather put $400 towards equipping my shop than spending it on yet another guitar. (I've already got way too many.) Someday I'll do it, though. I'd also like to do an acoustic, but like you, I'd go the kit route, especially for the first one.

What do you plan to use for the finish? Sprayed, padded or brushed? I figure I can handle the woodworking aspects of either electric or acoustic guitar-building, but the finish would be my downfall. ;)

- Vaughn

[Peter Mc Mahon]

Very interesting. How much is a kit like yours worth? Peter

[Brad Kimbrell]

Have you fellows seen "Handmade Music" on DIY channel? I think the luthieers name is Dudenbostle? He builds a guitar from scratch over about 5 episodes. Very cool!

They also have another guy that makes a banjo and it's very nice also.

It is surprising the detail that goes into either undertaking.

Good luck and happy playing.

[Doug Shepard]

John
Looks good so far. Keep the pics coming as you get it done and let us know how it sounds.


Have you fellows seen "Handmade Music" on DIY channel? I think the luthieers name is Dudenbostle? He builds a guitar from scratch over about 5 episodes. Very cool!
...

Brad - unfortunately I dont get DIY so I've missed the Dudenbostel series. But I wasn't aware he made guitars. I know he's pretty well known for his mandolins though. He's got a pretty cool mando making writeup you might be interested in if you liked his DIY shows.

http://www.thefishnet.com/makemandolin/newmake.htm

[Craig Feuerzeig]

I'll be watching also. I've done an electric but acoustic always seemed a bit of a stretch for me, althought I'm starting to think it might be fun. If you get a chance, I would highly recommend this book.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743266358/002-3062930-1252806?v=glance&n=283155

I just finished reading my autographed copy (major gloat). If I may paraphrase Wayne's famous quote about guitar making:

"you start with a good piece of wood and a sharp whittling knife... and you cut away anything that does'nt look like a guitar".

Another paraphrase from the book: "The best acoustic guitars are on the verge of blowing themselves up". Apparently to much bracing will give it the tonal quality of a deck chair.

I'm so not worthy.

Best of luck.

[Jim Becker]

This looks like a great project...I'll also be peeking in as you progress to the finished product! (And you'll have to post a WAV file of said finished product in action!)

[john whittaker]

Thanks for the encouraging comments.

Vaughn – The most popular finish now-a-days is lacquer. But old school is French polish…Lacquer is the best for protection but is hard and reduces the sound board response. I’ve never done French …(polish);) but this is a project full of firsts. I’ll be consulting the SMC finish forum on this one. I’m leaning towards a more flexible finish and going for the best sound possible.

Peter, Most kits cost between $300 – $500. Some higher some a little lower. They come in a variety of styles, wood species and level of completeness. BUT the cost of gearing up your shop with the proper tools and jigs adds to the cost. It totally depends on how many tools you already have and the quality of tools you want. Once you are set up to build, the cost of the wood, while a bit high, is nothing compared to the cost of your time. To me it makes sense to buy a high quality kit or wood blanks. The time spent is the same no matter what the quality of the wood is.

Brad, I’ve taped the DIY show and it has been helpful.

Craig, Wayne Henderson is a very highly respected luthier up in Grayson Co, VA. Throughout my web searches, I have run across his name many times. BUT, I did not know about this book….THANKS for the info…. It is being order today. I really like his work.

Jim, posting a WAV file will be ANOTHER first for me. I may ask for your help when the time comes. Is it any harder then French polishing???:D

Thanks again for looking and all the comments.

[Lars Thomas]

This is on my list of projects to do. Thanks for sharing your progress. lars

[Corvin Alstot]

I would go with the french polish. It forgiving and seeing your progress on the guitar, it should not present any difficulty.


What books and reference materials did you have when you started the project?
How much does the proper tools and jig cost to get started? I seem there are many specific tools required for the assembly.
What do you estimate the required time for assembly and finishing?Keep up the good work.

[Matt Lillie]

First post. Is the rosewood Brazilian? I am under the impression it is VERY expen$ive. Something about waiting for a tree to fall down, 'cause it's illegal to cut one down...

[john whittaker]

Corvin & Matt:

I’ll try to answer your questions and say that if anyone is considering trying this project, check out this reference list:

The book considered the “bible” of guitar making is “Guitarmaking, Tradition and Technology” by William Cumpiano & Jonathan Natelson. Hard to find in a library but available at all the traditional on-line outlets. There are other books that many recommend but this one is ALWAYS at the top of anyone's list. The book Craig mentions above looks very interesting…It is on order so no first hand knowledge.

The most popular places to buy specialized tools, guitar parts and kits are luthiers Mercantile International (lmii.com) Stewart MacDonald (stewmac.com) and Martin Guitar (martinguitar.com). These sites are packed with information and links to many other informative sites. HOWEVER...Guitar building is a process and there are very many ways to "skin a cat". It is important to figure out what needs to be done during every step and then determine for yourself how you plan on accomplishing the task and what tools to use. My point is that there are many specialized tools available but you certainly do not need them all. You probably already have tools that will perform most tasks and can find info on how to build the ones you don't have. There are some special tools you will be better off buying.

Here's a very basic list of tools I will be using:


Band saw, chisels, small files, fine cut hand saws, accurate measuring & straight edge tools.
Clamps clamps clamps...some things never change. You will need plenty of clamps. Deep reach clamps.
Router or trim router or Dremel tool. (The new Bosch Colt is on my list of tools to buy) There are a few specialized attachments you can buy for routing & inlay work but you need to pick the type of router you will use before you buy the attachments.There are many personal web sites where builders post tutorials on how they do things. IMHO Kathy Matsushita has the best site for this. She has developed many different techniques, and explains them with words & many pics. Do a search for her site and many others by Googling guitar building or guitar builders. She is incredibly talented in both luthier work and computer skills.


Matt – Yes it’s Brazilian which is extremely hard to come by. But the kit included laminated sides so it is a VERY thin piece of Braz laminated on a sub-straight of mahogany. Opinions vary on how a lamination will affect the sound. Some say it does not matter much…others disagree. But an old vintage Martin, which I am trying to emulate, had Braz rosewood which is darker than the African rosewood common these days. Braz is a protected species and you are correct about the expensive, hard to come by fact. Most guitar makers using solid Braz today have a private stash that they acquired years ago. And the $$$ for the finished guitar is normally + 15K. But in my case the Braz laminate was about the same cost as solid African.