This Drawing or Drawings Are To Used For OneUse Only And Not Reproduced For Any OtherPurpose Than Construction Of This ParticularInstrument.

Reproduction, Distribution or Sales For Any OtherUse Is Strictly Prohibitied And Falls Under U.SCopyright Laws For Ultimate Guitar OnLine 2010

Sheet Number

Revisions:

Date: Feb 15, 2010

Note: These Plans AreDrawn Full Scale Are AreLabeled in mm & FractionalInches

A

A

A

A

A

A

63

.5

152

.4

19.0

12.7

44

.4

41.3 41.3

39.041.341.3

645.2

9.5

54.6

34.6

37.1

41.3

41.3

38.5

63.0

19.0

19.0

51.7

35.5

22.6 6.0 22.6

51.2

4.5

12.0

4.8

57.5

49.3

79.3

26.3

23.1

101.7 95.0 88.9 101.5

12.0

6.0

9.7

5.0 2.5

389.0

12.0

9.7

10.0

10.0

12.0

106.2

8.0

8.0

6.0

8.0

388.8

3.0

5.0

3.5 102.0 7

6.0

3.0

5.0

8.0

2.0 31.0 20.4 36.0 7

8.0

25.4 11.4

20.1

152.4

32.1

12.0

64.2

12.0

32.1

10.9

10.9

10.9

10.9

10.9

65.8

35.5

81.5

35.5

3.6

6.6

20.1

152.4

65.8

35.5

81.5

35.5

3.6

6.6

25.4

32.1

6.8

81.5

32.1

10.9

10.9

10.9

10.9

10.9

82.5

3.0

9.0

59.3 148.4 59.3

267.0

1.2

4.8

3.0

9.0

3.5 27.1 206.6 29.1

8.0

90.1

266.3

3.0

9.0

1.2

4.8

3.5 27.1 204.6 29.1

264.3

8.0

3.0

7.0

9.0

8.0

156.3 8.0

145.9 8.0

9.2 40.5 110.2 181.5 47.5

3.0

7.0

3.0

7.0

9.0

9.2 52.8 67.9 59.3 152.1 44.0 3.8

20.8 16.0

12.1

8.0

5.2 234.8 5.2

245.2

11.8

12

.012

.0

2.4

2.7

7.0

62.1 137.5 62.1

261.7

261.7

2.3 257.2 2.2

8.0

2.0

2.8

7.0

61.5 122.3 61.5

245.2

67.1 209.4 67.1

3.4

3.5

5.0

6.0 331.4 6.0

343.5

4.0

3.2

4.8

73.3 202.0 73.3

348.7

343.5

4.7 339.3 4.7

348.7

19

.019.3

479.2

361

.2

274

.7

645.2

63

.5

76

.2

36.2 34.2 32.3 30.5 28.7 27.1 25.6 24.2 22.8 21.5 20.3 19.2 18.1 17.1 16.1 15.2 14.4 13.6 12.8 12.1

63.0

27.5

57.1

4.8

139.7 19.0 4.8

104.7

4.6 21.7 25.0 26.7

19.5139.8

357.8

10.0 39.3

4.6 21.7 25.0 25.0

30.0

32.4

10.0

22.0

19.0

22.0

63.0

R 4,686.3

R 140.5

R 48.3

15.11°

10mm x 16mm L Brass CrossDowels.

2" Brass Connector Bolts

Brace Key Numbers. Refer ToBrace Diagram Plan ForBracing Layouts

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Neck Width At The Nut Is Another Dimension That VariesPer Each Players Specifications. Standard Nut Width Is1-3/4" or 44.4 mm As Shown Here. Fingerstyle Guitarist'sPrefer A Nut Width Of 1-7/8" Or 47.6 mm. There Will BeInstances Where The Player May Require Even WiderWidths. By The Way A Classical Guitar Nut Width Is2-1/8" or 54 mm.

Re-Constituted Ivory Or Excellent QualityBone For the Nut.

String Slots Should Be Filed Out WithGaged Nut Files To Precisely Match TheString Gages.

Fret Wire Detail

The Top Trim For The Headstock Is Traditionally Made FromThe Same Wood As The Back And Sides. It is UsuallyLeftover Stock And Is About 2.2mm Thick. Glue Maple OrMaple/Ebony Veneer Beneath For Additional Detail - This IsA Personal Preference. Glue These Pieces Before AnyHeadstock Work Is Started.

Rosette Reinforcing BeneathThe Concentric RossetteInlays To Strengthen The TopPlate. Round Edges WhereThey Join The Top.

Back Block or Butt Block. Vertical Grain Cedar Or SpruceMinimum 20 Grains/In. Some Luthiers Shave This Block orAngle It Away From The Top As This Block Often Gives AGuitar A "Hump" In The Top And Can Cause Cracking.

Note: Most Luthiers Make A Template From Either Wood OrPlastic With The Neck Profile, Heal Shape And Interior NeckBlock And Foot Profile - All In One Template. Make Another CopyOf This Plan To Make Your Own. Just Use Spray Adhesive ToAttach The Pattern And Cut It Out With Your Band Sand. Cut ALittle Big (Away From The Line) And Finish Sand With A SpindleSander Right Down To The Line

Longitudinal Section

Back Block or Butt Block. VerticalGrain Cedar Or Spruce Minimum20 Grains/In. Some Luthiers ShaveThis Block or Angle It Away FromThe Top As This Block Often GivesA Guitar A "Hump" In The Top AndCan Cause Cracking.

Guitar Top Plate. Usually Braced Dead Level (No Arch) Use Only #1 or AAA Top Materials -This Is The Single Most Important Piece Of Wood Used In A Guitar.

Materials Vary Quite A Bit, But Usually Consist Of Spruce Or Cedar From Many DifferentRegions. Spanish Cedar, Canadian Red Cedar And Many Others. Must Be Vertical GrainWood With No Run-out, Even Grain Across The Top And 20 Grain/In Minimum. Spruces CanBe Englemann, Sitka Or European.

Top Thickness Varies As Well And Is A Function Of Top Stiffness And Wood Density. ForInstance Cedar Will Usually Need To Be Slightly Thicker Than Spruce Because The SpecificDensity Of Cedar Is Less Than That Of Cedar. A Good Starting Place If About 3.2 mm OrAbout 1/8" Thickness.

Quite Often It Looks Great To Use A Contrasting Wood On ThePeghead For Some Extra Detail, Such A Burled Wood, Bird'sEye Wood Or Pleated Grain. Most Luthier Supply Houses HaveA Wide Variety Of Wood You Can Select From

If You Decide To Place Binding On The Edge OfThe Fingerboard, Make Sure You Follow TheDirection On UGOL Website On Fret Repair.www.ultimate-guitar-online.com/fret-repair-part1.html Where There Are Extensive Fret RepairAnd Installation Articles, Tools Required AndMethods For Installing Frets On Fingerboards WithBinding.

Mother Of Pearl Position Dots Are A Matter Of Each GuitarPlayers Taste And Varies From No Position Dots At All ToPosition Dots At The 3rd, 5th, 7th, 12th and 15th Frets To VeryElaborate Vines And Other Inlays.

To Install Round Position Dots, Mark The Center Of Each DotWith A sharp-Pointed Scratch Awl.

Chuck -Up A Brad Point Drill Bit In Your Drill Press And DrillHoles For The Dots As Close To The Depth Of The Dot AsPossible. Usually Try To Have The Dot Just A Bit Above TheFretboard Surface.

Mixup Some Ebony Sawdust With 2-part Epoxy Into AToothpaste Consistency. Take A Bit On The Tip Of Your FingerAnd Work It Into Each Dot Hole. Now Take Each Position DotAnd Work It Down Into Each Filled Hole. Wipe Away The ExcessWith Your Finger, But Make Sure You Don't Scoop It Out Of ThePosition Dot Cavity.

Let Dry Thoroughly And Sand Smooth With A Power Sander OrSanding Sticks, Until The Dot And Fretboard Are Level.

Special Precaution: Do Not Inhale Any Of The MOP Dust. WearA Good Dust Mask. The Dust In A Carcynogyn And Is Very AVery Dangerous Health Risk.

Inlay Position Dot Tutorial

Certain Luthiers Tune The Top By Making The TopProgressively Thinner As It Reaches The Guitar EdgeAnd Remain Full Thickness At The Top. If You DoThis Do Not Reduce The Edges More Than .5 mm.

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Acoustic Guitar RosettesAre Usually Handmade ByThe Luthier. Form ThemAround Small WoodenDrums And Glue With PushPins Holding The LayersTogether.

A Lot Of Acoustic Guitar Makers Reinforce TheGuitar Sides With Cloth Tape, Dipped In Glue AndAheared The The Guitar Sides. This Will HelpReduce Cracking. I Prefer To Use Small MahoganySide Braces, 6mm Wide x 3.2 mm Thick. ChamferAll Edges And Space Around The Top. I've NeverHad A Side Crack To Contend With - Besides TheyLook Really Cool!

3mm Thick Top Reinforcement ToPrevent Top Cracking AlongsideFretboard. Typical Each Side OfFretboard.

Drill These Holes Only After You HavePurchased Your Tuning Machines. MakeHoles About 1mm Larger Than The Roller.Drill These Holes First To Minimize Tear-OutOf The Tuner Slots.

#1 Quality Hondurous Mahogany NeckSelect Only Vertical Grain Wood For YourNeck.

Drill Holes In Head With Drill Press. To PreventTear-Out Place A Scrap Piece Of Wood BeneathExit Hold Of Drill. Make Sure To Pre-purchaseYour Machine Heads To Get The Hole DiameterExact.

Many Luthiers Trim The Perimeter Of ThePeghead With Multi-layer Purfling of Wood OrPlastic. I Prefer Wood.

Make Sure To Use High Quality Tuning MachinesSuch As Grover or Schaller. Good Plating IsEssential To Resist Weather And Perspiration

A Nice Touch Is To Counter-Sink TheWasher Portion Of The MachineHeads Slightly Into The Guitar Head.Use A Forstner Flat-Bottom Bit ForThis Operation and Chuck It In A DrillPress. Be Sure To Drill TheCountersink Before The Hole For TheMachine Head Posts.

Typical Acoustic Guitar "Belly Bridge" With Saddle,Saddle Channel, And Bridge Pins. This Shows AnOption Of Countersinking The Bridge Pins Into TheBridge For Addtional Detail. The Amount YouCountersink Is A Person Preference.

Try To Keep Your String Angle From The Pin To TheSaddle At About 20 Degrees Or So.

The Bridge Plate Is One Of The More Important PiecesOf The Guitar Top Plate To Get Right. First Glue All TheTop Braces To The Top, Cleanup The Glue And ShapeAnd Sand The Braces. Then Fit The Bridge Plate InVery Carefully. It Should Be A Hardwood Plate, Approx3mm Thick. Grain Should Run 90 Degrees To The Top.

Back Braces - Vertical Grain Minimum 20 Grain/In.Cedar Or Spruce #1 Quality. Cope Out Ends OfBracing.

Side And Back Material: Many Different Woods Can BeUsed. For Bright Tones Go With One Of TheRosewoods Such As Indian Rosewood or BrazilianRosewood. Koa Is Bright As Is Zircote And MadagascarRosewood. For Warm Tone Use Walnut. MostTraditional Acoustic Guitars Are Constructed FromIndian Rosewood Or Mahogany.

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Heavy Dashed Lines Indicate Single CutawayUsed By Many Luithers. This Allows The GuitarPlayer To Reach Approximately 3 to 4 Frets HigherOn The Fretboard Without The Guitar BodyBlocking Their Left Hand

Optional Fretboard Support. SeeSection Below For Detail

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Neck Block. This Is A VeryImportant Structural Element.Construct From Vertical GrainHonduras Mahogany

Typically Acoustic Guitars Have A Radius On TheTop Of The Fretboard. This Is Optional. FingerstyleGuitar Players May Prefer A Flat Fretboard AndFlatpickers May Prefer A Radius Fretboard. I BuildAll Of My Guitars With A Flat Fretboard, UnlessThe Guitar Cliet Wishes Otherwise.

The Intersection Joint Of The Major Structural Braces or The "X" BraceIs Usually Constructed By Running One Of The Braces Through AndButting The Other Brace On Either Side And Glueing. Then Cloth DippedIn Glue Is Wrapped Around The Joint. I Feel This Is An Inferior StructuralJoint For Such An Important Brace. I Prefer To Cope Out One Brace AndProvide A Tongue And Groove Joint Here This Allows Both Braces ToRun Though And Gives A Large Glueing Area For The Braces. Refer ToThe Bracing Diagrams For This Technique.

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There Are Two Basic Ways To Introduce Reinforcement ToThe Guitar Neck. The First Is With A Hardened AluminumBar Of Aircraft Quality - See The Neck Detail For That.The Second Method Is With An Adjustable Truss Rod. IWould Recommend A 2-Way Adjustable Rod. TheInstallation Instructions Will Come With The Rod Assembly

Re-Constituted Ivory Or Excellent QualityBone For the Nut.

Acoustic Guitar Bridges Are UsuallyCalled A Belly Bridge Because TheyHave A Rounded Belly Shape On TheBottom Of The Bridge. Try To MatchThe Bridge Wood To The FretboardWood - Usually Ebony. Refer To 2Style Included Here Under TheTemplates Page Of This Document.

Laminate Honduras Mahogany Left Overs FromThe Neck Blank (Before You Rip The Blank DownThe Middle). If you like you can provide adecorative centerstripe down the center of theneck (a classical guitar technique) for a uniquelook for your acoustic guitar.

Heel trip cap wood is usually ebony. Thicknesscan vary and you can add multi-layer maple androsewood/ebony veneer to add some detail.

The Neck Thickness Varies Quite A Bit FromGuitar To Guitar. Typically A Thinner Neck IsFaster, In That It Plays Easier - The Tradeoff IsThat A Thin Neck Is Weaker And Is More Likely ToGive You Neck Warpage Issues Than A ThickerNeck.

Position Dots In The Side Of The Fretboard. TheMaterial If Available From Luthier Supply HousesIn Long Sticks. Just Drill The Proper Sized HoleAnd Trim and Sand The Dots Flush.

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Neck Section At NarrowPoint Of Heal

Neck Section At 7thFret

Solid Ebony Fretboard or IndianRosewood.

If The Fretboard Is To Be Bound WithPurfling, Use Wood Veneer WithMulti-Layer Colored Banding Such AsRosewood, Maple, Ebony Etc.

This Neck Shows A 6mm x 12mm BarOf Aircraft Aluminum In The CenterOf The Neck. You Can Also ChooseTo Use An Adjustable Truss Rod.

When Fretting An Bound Fingerboard Cut BackTang Of Frets To Back Side Of Purfling. See TheFollowing Article:www.ultimate-guitar-online.com/fret-repair-part7.html

If Using The Aluminum Bar, Epoxy The Bar InPlace At Put An Aluminum Stop At Each End OfThe Bar To Prevent The Bar From Moving

Methods - Continued:Now you should assemble the guitar neck. I recommed Honduras Mahogany because it is light andstrong. Cut the portion to be used for the neck right down the center and flip the pieces so the grainis opposed on each half. Add your center strip if desired and glue up. Cut the neck shape utilizingthe template provide in these documents with a band saw first. Prepare this joint so it is perfectlytight. Next, cut the blank to size and capture any blocks you can to glue to the heel/foot assembly.

Gule the stacked Mahogany pieces to the neck for the guitar heel. Be sure to allow enough for thedovetail or tongue of the neck.

Glue Your Headstock trim to the head of the guitar, including any wood laminate banding beneaththe trim.

Next rough-cut the heel and dovetail/or tongue/endblock shape of the neck on the bandsaw,keeping things true and plumb. Remember to always cut a bit outside the lines to allow for slighterror. Now rough cut the head after tracing with your headstock template. Sand the sides to finalshape and size and drill you machinehead holes in the head. Now countersink the top of the headfor the machine head washers.

If you wish to trim out your headstock with purfling, now is the time to rout that channel and installyour wood purfling trims. Glue up with rubber bands or elastic upholstery tape. After it is drycarefully sand or scrape the edges.

Next rough-shape the neck with a 4-way rasp, using the rough cut blade. Get the neck to withinabout 1/16" of final thickness and width. Carefully shape the heel, constantly checking yourprogress against the template you made.

Once the neck fits in the sides precisely, trim the butt joint of the sides and glue the butt block onthe bottom of the sides. Make sure to carefully fit the butt and neck block to the contour of the sidesand make sure the blocks are vertical grain. Once the blocks are in place, cut your kerfing for thetop and back and glue them in place with small clamps or wooden clothes pins with rubber bands.Sand the top of the kerfing dead level with a large sandpaper block. Glue the top down to thekerfing with rubber bands, elastic tape or spool clamps. Do not use too much force as everythingmust fit precisely.

Final fit and glue the neck. Check the latteral and vertical positioning of the neck as this isextremely important at this time. The foot and top of the block may need some additional trimmingwhen the back and top are fit.

Rout the channel for either the aluminum reinforcing rod or the adjustable truss rod - your choice.Epoxy the aluminum bar in place including the shaped end pieces as shown in the neck section.Allow the rod to be recessed slightly below the surface of the wood as it is tough to sand this metaldown.

With the sides rough-cut to contour, glue in the lining to receive the back plate. This lining can beeither kerfed lining or solid pre-bent lining. Glue with wooden clothespins with rubber bandswrapped on them to strengthen their tension or use mini spring clamps. Make sure you have evenglue squeeze out and clean it up as you did on the braces.

Now fit the back to the sides and neck with the side following the contour of the inside form. Sincethe braces for the back are slightly arched (about 4 to 6 mm ) carefully mark the trim marks for thesides. This will vary with every aspect of the guitar beause the inherent nature of it's shape.

Materials:

Assemble the proper materials before you begin your project. If you don't have your tone woodalready, there are several great suppliers including LMI (Luthier's Merchantile) which has a widerange of top and back and side wood available. If this is your first guitar, you may want to try woodthat is a bit less expensive for your first try, such as mahogany for backs and sides or walnut, whichis about 50 to 33% of the cost of the Rosewoods etc. A popular choice for a great flatpick acousticguitar is a good set of Hondourous Mahogany with straight grain - this was used on the classicMartin D18's and is still popular today. A bonus is thay Mahogany is easy to bend, sand, finish andstain - plus it's rather inexpensive. So this is a great choice for a first guitar, or second, or third.....

When you order wood make sure you order wood that is at least 1" oversized in each direction soyou can eliminate splits etc. 2" is even better and quite often accomodated with tone woodsuppliers. Make sure the tops and backs are bookmatched for grain pattern.

Neck blanks can be most any hardwood but it seems that Genuine Mahogany is the most popularchoice for it's strength to weight ratio. This is a very lightweight but very strong wood. Fretboardsshould be clear Ebony, Rosewood is quite often used on lesser priced guitars, but I like the strengthand smoothness of the Ebony.

Most suppliers will have brace wood available, which is split from to log so there isn't any runout inthe wood - look for this in the literature. Also look for 16-20 lines/inch of grain.

You will also need additional wood to make up the purfling around he edges and you will needmaple or some other type of white wood if you want white stripping accents at your purflings.Usually the outer layer of purfling or binding is thickest - 2mm or more and is made from the samewood as the guitar back and sides.

We did not get into the details of how purfling is put on this guitar as that is more of a constructionissue and not a guitar plan issue. Any number of guitar construction books will guide you in theproper techniques of installing purfling, where it should be and how to laminate it and bend it.

Buy good fret stock with at least 18% silver content. Steward MacDonald has a good assortment offretwire as does LMI. Sizes are noted on plans.

Nuts and Saddles? Bone, bone or bone. No plastic. Only use the best quality bone you can get.

Buy good tuning machines. Make sure they have good plating on them and the metal is a heavygauge. Either sealed gears or open gears are suitable for a good guitar. I like Schaller or Grover.

Bridge: I prefer to make my own out of Ebony to match the fretboard. Bridge Pins? Ebony of coursewith mop dots is a nice touch. Bridge shape is a matter of taste. The standard belly bridge is hard tobeat for strength and tone qualities as shown on these plans.

Interior blocking for neck and butt blocks - Use Genuine Mahogany or Honduras Mahogany as it ismore commonly kinown. Grain should be vertical and no knots. This can be obtained at specialtylumber suppliers and those that specialize in instrument woods.

Methods:Start by sanding your top plate, back plate and sides to rough thickness (within 1mm of finalthickness). Carefully glue the center joints of the back and sides together. When gluing the back,you will want to insert your decorative center strip at the same time. This should be pre-assembledif you have multiple colors.

To prepare the joints, sand carefully with sandpaper glued to a perfectly straight edge. I like to useadhesive backed sandpaper in rolls and stick it to the side of a 24" metal level. Trim the sandpapercarefully. Use 120 grit paper and do not use a lot of force. The plates are joined most easily with acam-action jig while using a piece of wood on the top to keep things in alignment. Of course usewaxed paper wherever you risk having your wood stuck to the jig - or coat the jig with wax.

Once glued (If you use Rosewood, be sure to get all of the resin out of the wood with acetonebefore you glue anything. Trace your top and back on the wood - use a white pencil for dark wood.Then run the top and back through a wide stationary belt sander - or use scrapers and handsanding methods.

When I started out making guitars, I couldn't afford all the expensive stationary sanders etc,, that makes the work so simple now. I used to get one side of the plate completely flat, then I would chuck up a small bit in the drill press and set it to stop at the desired thickness of my plate. I would then drill dimples over the entire surface of the unfinished side and simple sand until all of the dents were gone - pretty slick!

After you have your thickness completed on the top plates. trace the guitar contour and carefully cutthe outline out. Make the cut line at least 1/8" outside the line to give you some give.

Get the sides bent, either with a bending jig or on a bending iron. You can also boil the sides andclamp them to an outside form for a few days to a week. Be sure to overbend a bit to allow forspringback.

While the sides are curing, rout the channel for the rossette trim in the top plate and insert and gluethose pieces. I use a dremel router with a steel stud sticking up through the center of the soundhold(the sound hole is not cut out at this point.) Once the rossette is installed, rout out the soundholewith the router too.

Now is the time to install all of your bracing on the top and back. As I mentioned I use a dowel jig. Iplan on detailing these jigs in an upcoming book on guitar construction, but do not have plans onthe jig at this point. It works fast and really secures the bracing evenly and uniform. It also gives youa lot of fingerspace to allow gluing all of the braces in a single operation without a lot of clamps towork around.

Typically the braces are only roughed-out for their final shaping is done after they are glued. Afterthe glue is mostly dry, remove the plate and get all of the glue squeeze out off the bracing and platewith a sharp small chisel. The glue should be dry enough to not be liquid but not fully adhered to thewood.

Once the braces have had at least a couple of hours to dry, shape them and round them with smallplanes, finger planes, chisels and sanding sticks. Final shape and sand them with 220 sandpaperuntil satin smooth.

Tips and Techniques:Always make sure your tools are razor sharp and not dull. Buy good sharpening stones orsharpening grinders such as the Tormek sharpener. It is also important to knock off the burr on yourchisels and other hand tools.

If you use stationary tools, make sure the blades on your bandsaw, tablesaw, jointer etc. are alsovery sharp and you do not have to force wood through the machines. If given a choice, always usecarbide-tipped blades. Some of these hardwoods are tough to cut without a good carbide blade.Setup of power tools is extremely important too - follow included direction or obtain good books onproper setup of bandsaws, table saws etc. You can't believe what a difference this will make.

You can never have enough jigs, templates etc. in guitar-making. If you plan to continue beyond thisguitar and make several others, templates and jigs are a must more making your work a lot easier.

If you are starting from scratch, building guitars, make sure you make excellent quality forms foryour guitar. Both inside and outside forms for the body assembly. Look at LMI's side bendingmachine. It works great and you can pump out a lot of bent sides in a short time.

Put together the templates we have shown here at a bare minimum. You should have a template totrace your basic guitar boddy shape, your top and back brace locations, Your neck and foot profileand the headstock layout, showning all the drilling locations for the tuning machine rollers and stringslots. Also it comes in handy to have back brace curvature templates, brace scalloping patterns, fretslot location templates and bridge templates.

There are a lot of great little tools and gadgets available for Guitar Lutherie - Here are a few:Thumb Planes - Available from Luthier supply houses - they are primarilary used for violins.Spindle Sander - This is a tabletop stationary tool.Dremel Router with roller bearing bushings - or other small hand-held mini-routher.

Note Stewmac has a lot of adapters available for the Dremel such as purfling routers, bits etc.

Fret cutting jig - this is available from Stewmac also. Give you precise control over fret sawing.Make a jig to glue your bracing. This consists of 2 plywood plates with dowel supports at eachcorner. The braces are glued using bent dowels that span between the two plates.

Make sure your shop is held an a very constant humidity level all year long. Never vary more than5% between 45 and 55%. This will minimize cracking, shrinkage and give overall durability toguitars you plan to sell or gift.

Some of the other great little tools I love are: Japanese Saws that cut both ways Lots of the German Cam Clamps - both 6" and 8" 1" Spring Clamps - A whole 2# coffee can full of these A great set of instrument maker's chisels in 1mm 2mm 4mm and 6mm sizes Fret file, dovetail saws, fret end dressing tool, fret rocker etc. see my fret repair series for detail on these and a lot more tools

Look at www.ultimate-guitar-online.com/woodworking-hand-tools.html for hand tools required and:www.ultimate-guitar-online.com/woodworking-power-tools.html for stationary tools recommended.

Above all else make sure everything fits together perfectly before gluing. Do not force anything asstress is a guitar ruins the tone. When in doubt take a few extra hours of sanding trimming and pre-assembly to get everything as perfect as you can.

Edge Purfling. I Prefer Solid Wood OverPlastic As Plastic Is An Insulator. TheEdges Of The Guitar Need To Be RoutedAnd Stepped To Receive The Levels OfPurfling And Trim. Round The Edges Of AllPurflings To Remove All Sharp Edges AndAllow Finish To Adhere.

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Back Block or Butt Block. Vertical GrainHonduras Mahogany. Some LuthiersShave This Block or Angle It AwayFrom The Top As This Block OftenGives A Guitar A "Hump" In The TopAnd Can Cause Cracking.

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Kerfed Lining Made From Either Basswood OrMahogany. Make This Lines On The Bandsaw With AStop Jig Set Up So Your Kerfing Looks PerfectlySpaced. Attention To Detail - Always Important.

The Soundhole Reinforcing Plate Is Made From The SameMaterial As The Top Plate (i.e. Spruce) And Is SlightlyLarger Than The Rossette Size (About 1/8"). Glue It SoThat The Grain Runs 90 Degrees To The Top. Fit It AfterThe Top Bracing Is In Place, To Fit It Perfectly Around TheBraces.

Side Braces: Made From Honduras Mahogany. 6mm x3.2mm. Chamfer All Edges And Glue To The Guitar Sides

Optional Fingerboard Support. I Use This ToProvide Additional Support To The FretboardWhile Allowing Easier Installation Of Frets InThis Area And Reduces Fret HammerBounce.

Use Either A Neck Dovetail Joint At TheNeck/Body Or A Tongue And Groove WithThrough-Drilled Dowels For A Better Fit.

Tone Bracing For Top. Spruce Or Cedar. VerticalGrain, No Run-Out. Min. 20 Grains/Inch.

Side Braces: Made From Honduras Mahogany.6mm x 3.2mm. Chamfer All Edges And Glue ToThe Guitar Sides

Edge Purfling. I Prefer Solid Wood OverPlastic As Plastic Is An Insulator. TheEdges Of The Guitar Need To Be RoutedAnd Stepped To Receive The Levels OfPurfling And Trim. Round The Edges Of AllPurflings To Remove All Sharp Edges AndAllow Finish To Adhere.

To Cover Up The Center Seam Inside The Guitar Body And Give TheJoint Additional Strength Use A Strip Of Maple 3mm Thick. Run BetwenThe Braces And Round-Off As Shown. The Best Way To Install This IsAs One Long Piece And Carefully Cut And Chisel Out The ChannelsFor The Back Braces.

Arch The Back Of The Guitar For Sound Reflectance Quality And ToAllow Some Tollerance For Humidity Changes. This Arch Should BeApproximately 4 to 6mm Across The Wide Part Of The Back Plate

Take Care To Shape The Butt And Neck Blocks To Carefully FollowThe Curvature Of The Back Plate.

Kerfed Lining Made From Either Basswood Or Cedar.Many Spanish Classicals Use Solid Kerfing For TheBack Plate Attachment. If You Choose To Do ThatMake Sure The Kerfing Is Pre-Bent Prior To Gluing. DoNot Introduce Stress Into The Guitar

Often The Coped Ends Of The Top And Back BracesAre Cut Through The Guitar Sides. Make Sure YourPurfling For The Top And Bottom Plates Will Cover ThisChannel Adequately Though.

Round The Back Edge Of TheBridge. Refer To LongitudinalSection

A

B

C

D E

F

G

(2) Of These Braces Are Required. Make ThemMirror Images Of Each Other.

(2) Of These Braces Are Required. Make ThemMirror Images Of Each Other.

Coping Out This Brace Is Optional. It Weakens The StructureOf The Guitar, But Gives Slightly Better Sound Production.

Cut This Channel Very Carefully And Precisely. It Is EssentialThat This Be A Very Tight Joint - Only Enough Room For Glue.Cut Out With A Dovetail Saw With A Depth Stop

Bridge Plate Template

Belly Bridge Template

Round The Back Edge Of TheBridge. Refer To LongitudinalSection

Belly Bridge Variation

Neck Block. This Is A VeryImportant Structural Element.Construct From Vertical GrainHonduras Mahogany

Back Braces - Vertical Grain Minimum 20Grain/In. Cedar Or Spruce #1 Quality.Cope Out Ends Of Bracing.

Back Material: Many Different Woods CanBe Used. For Bright Tones Go With OneOf The Rosewoods Such As IndianRosewood or Brazilian Rosewood. Koa IsBright As Is Zircote And MadagascarRosewood. For Warm Tone Use Walnut.Most Traditional Acoustic Guitars AreConstructed From Indian Rosewood OrMahogany.

Back Plate Layout & Brace Layout

Dark Line Indicates OutsidePerimeter of Guitar. Light Line IsInside Of Sides.

&*""#$%#-%./01&'""#(%#-%/+01

&*""#$%#-%./01&'""#(%#-%/+01

!""#$%#-%2&01&,""#(%#-%/+01

!""#$%#-%2&01&,""#(%#-%/+01

&*""#$%#-%./01&'""#(%#-%/+01

&*""#$%#-%./01&'""#(%#-%/+01

!""#$%#-%2&01&,""#(%#-%/+01

!""#$%#-%2&01&,""#(%#-%/+01

To Cover Up The Center Seam Inside The Guitar Body And Give TheJoint Additional Strength Use A Strip Of Maple 3mm Thick. Run BetwenThe Braces And Round-Off As Shown. The Best Way To Install This IsAs One Long Piece And Carefully Cut And Chisel Out The ChannelsFor The Back Braces.

Arch The Back Of The Guitar For Sound Reflectance Quality And ToAllow Some Tollerance For Humidity Changes. This Arch Should BeApproximately 4 to 6mm Across The Wide Part Of The Back Plate

A

B

C

D

A DCB

Back Block or Butt Block. VerticalGrain Honduras Mahogany. SomeLuthiers Shave This Block or AngleIt Away From The Top As This BlockOften Gives A Guitar A "Hump" InThe Top And Can Cause Cracking.

Bridge Plate

Drill 10mm Holes Through HeadBlock And Tenon For Cross DowelInstallation

2 1

5/3

2"

3/4

"

2 1

/2"

14 3/32"

6"

3 1

/4"

3/4"

1/2

"

1 3

/4"

2 1

/2"

25/32"

5 1/2"

1 5/8" 1 5/8"

1 17/32"1 5/8"1 5/8"

3"

25 13/32"

1 15/16"

3/8

"

2 5

/32

"

3 1

/8"

1 1/32"

1 3

/8"

4" 3 3/4" 3 1/2" 4"

5 1/2" 3/4" 3/16"

1 15/32"

1 5/8"

1 5/8"

1 1/2"

13/16" 5/8"

1 7/16" 1 11/32" 1 9/32" 1 3/16" 1 1/8" 1 1/16" 1" 15/16" 29/32" 27/32" 13/16" 3/4" 23/32" 11/16" 5/8" 19/32" 9/16" 17/32" 1/2" 15/32"

29/32"

3/1

6"

2 1

5/3

2"

1 3

/32"

3/4

"

2 1/32"

3/16" 27/32" 31/32" 1 1/16"

1 1

3/3

2"

7/8" 1/4" 7/8"

2"

3/1

6"

15/3

2"

3/1

6"

1 29/32"

184 1/2"

2 1

/4"

2 1/4"

4 1

/8"

15/3

2"

1/3

2"

3/1

6"

1/4

"

1/8

"9/3

2"

3/8

"

3/16" 3/32"

1/8

"11/3

2"

1/8

"11/3

2"

15/3

2"

3/8

"

1/8

"9/3

2" 11/3

2"

1/8

"9/3

2" 11/3

2"

13/3

2"

13/3

2"

1/8

"11/3

2"

15/3

2"

1/3

2"

3/1

6"

1/8

"3/1

6"

5/1

6"

5/1

6"

5/1

6"

7/3

2"

1/4

"

1/8

"3/1

6"

5/1

6"

2 11/32" 5 27/32" 2 11/32"

10 1/2"

15 5/16"

3/8" 2 3/32" 2 11/16" 2 11/32" 6" 1 23/32" 5/32"

15 5/16"

1/8" 1 1/16" 8 1/8" 1 5/32"

10 1/2"

1/8" 1 1/16" 8 1/16" 1 5/32"

10 13/32"

1/16" 1 7/32" 13/16" 1 13/32" 1/32"

3 9/16"

1/8" 4" 1/32"

4 3/16"

5/1

6"

5/1

6"

5/1

6"

5/1

6"

6 5/32" 5/16"

5 3/4" 5/16"

3/8" 1 19/32" 4 11/32" 7 5/32" 1 7/8"

1" 7/16"

25/32"

6"

1 1

/4"

15/3

2"

2 1

7/3

2"

15/3

2"

1 1

/4"

7/1

6"

7/1

6"

7/1

6"

7/1

6"

7/1

6"

2 1

9/3

2"

1 1

3/3

2"

3 7

/32

"1 1

3/3

2"

5/32"

1/4"

25/32"

6" 2 1

9/3

2"

1 1

3/3

2"

3 7

/32"

1 1

3/3

2"

5/32"

1/4"

1"

1 1

/4"

9/3

2"

3 7

/32"

1 1

/4"

7/1

6"

7/1

6"

7/1

6"

7/1

6"

7/1

6"

5 17/32"

15/3

2"

10 5/16"

9 21/32"

2 7/16" 5 13/32" 2 7/16"

2 13/32" 4 13/16" 2 13/32"

2 5/8" 8 1/4" 2 5/8"

1/8

"1/8

"3/1

6"

3/3

2"1/8

"9/3

2"

3/3

2"3/3

2"

9/3

2"

15/3

2"

15

/32

"

13 23/32"

5/3

2"1

/8"

3/1

6" 2 7/8" 7 15/16" 2 7/8"

15

/32

"

13 17/32"

3/32" 10 1/8" 3/32"

10 5/16"

5/1

6"

5/1

6"

7/32" 9 1/4" 7/32"

9 21/32"

1/4" 13 1/16" 1/4"

13 17/32"

3/16" 13 11/32" 3/16"

13 23/32"

3/4

"3/4

"

18 7/8"

14

7/3

2"

10 1

3/1

6"

25 13/32"

Methods - Continued:Next is the time to trim the plates, rout purfling grooves around the edges of the guitar and fit thepurfling. With groove cleaned out, nice tight fit and everything cut to length, glue on the purfling.When using wood prufling, be sure to prebend the wood so it will fit with as little stress as possible.

Glue the purfling with your glue, and bind to the channel with the same upholstery tape as wasused for the top and back. This can also be done with the guitar inside the inside form if you desire.

Rough sand the sides, back and top plates and round the edge of the purfling.

Next sand the fingerboard to thickness, cut to correct width and final sand the edges on a stationarybelt sander. Cut the fret grooves and locate the fretboard on the neck. Lightly clamp it and drill 2small holes down through the fret groove at the body and nut ends of the fretboard. Place smalllocator nails in the holes and double check the fingerboard location before gluing. Double check allthe latteral and vertical locations with a precise straight edge. Now install any edge binding on thefretboard that you may wish to install. Final sand everything and make sure the fretboard is deadlevel. Glue the fretboard in place.

Final shape the neck to the fretboard size, shape the heel and finish sand. Place a heel trim on thebottom of the heel. Dry-fit the tuning machines and make any adjustments so there is no binding orforcing in place. Fit the nut and bridge. Mark the bridge location with a light pencil or scribe mark.Install masking tape over the bridge location and cut it to shape using the bridge. You finish theguitar without the bridge in place, remove the masking tape and glue the bridge. A great tip to locatethe bridge is to drill down through the outside bridge pin holes and secure the bridge with 2 stovebolts, tighted with finger pressure only.

Give all wood surfaces a final sanding with 220 grit sandpaper, install the frets and prepare to installthe finish.

There are many different opionions on finish material from urethane to varnish to lacquers. Do yourresearch and decide on what suite you best. Remember the thinner the finish the better sound youwill get with a solid wood guitar.

Finishing is a whole different operation in and of itself is too lengthy to discuse in this format. Isugguest you get a good book on instrument finishing from one of the suppliers.

This was a quick overview of guitar construction and I have not had the room to go into any greatdetail on anything. At Ultimate Guitar OnLine, we plan on publishing an ebook on guitarconstruction in the near future, so watch for that.

Good Luck and most of all HAVE FUN!

Check Us Out At:

www.ultimate-guitar-online.comhttp://ultimate-guitar-building.comdavid@ultimate-guitar-online.com

Our sites have a LOT of tips on such things as fret installation, neck adjustments andrecommendations etc. Check out the articles and come back often as we are adding content all thetime.

Scale Length

Alternate Neck Connection Method Using2" Bolts & Brass Cross-Dowels - Plan

These Are The Tone Braces. This Is WhatReally Prohibits An Acoustic Guitar FromBeing Easily Changed From A Right Hand ToA Left-Handed Guitar. Refer To TheReference Photo, Which Indicates aStandard Right Handed Guitar Placement

Lateral Section

Hex Truss Rod Adjustment Nut

Truss Rod Cap

2" Brass Connector Bolts

Access Hole ForTruss Rod Nut

Alternate Neck Connection Method Using2" Bolts & Brass Cross-Dowels - Elevation

Guitar Sides

Guitar Neck Block. Vertical Grain HondurousMahogany.

Neck Heel. Same Wood As Neck. This Is TheContour At The Narrow Point Of The Heel. QuiteOften This Contour Changes Depending OnLuthier Construction Method.

Dashed Lines Indicate Wood Dowels PlacedThrough The Neck Block And Tongue Portion OfThe Neck.

Dashed Lines Indicate Outline Of Heal At Back OrBottom Of Heel.

Guitar Sides

Guitar Neck Block. Vertical Grain HondurousMahogany.

Neck Heel. Same Wood As Neck. This Is TheContour At The Narrow Point Of The Heel. QuiteOften This Contour Changes Depending OnLuthier Construction Method.

Dashed Lines Indicate Outline Of Heel At Back OrBottom Of Heel.

Dashed Lines Indicate Two-WayTruss Adjustment Rod. Cut ChannelAs Per Truss Rod Suppliers Specs

10mm Diamter Holes For BrassCross Dowels - 2 Required

Outline of Heel

Shaded Areas Are Hardwood Laminate PiecesEpoxy Glued To the Tenon. Run Grain 90Degrees To The Neck Grain