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Faux Acoustic guitar build
- Thread starter gitlvr
- Start date
Thanks for the comments/compliments!
Time to join the top.
I start out by improvising a shooting board.
Basically I used an old shelving board, and a piece of 1" pine to lift the top off of the shelving board.
The plane lies on it's side, I've adjusted it for a fairly thin shaving. It's then just a matter of running it along the edges to be joined until they fit together with no gaps.
Once this is done, i place the pieces on my bench. The front piece is laid flat, and the back piece is propped up so that it's at around 25 degrees.
I use a method called the tape method to join my tops. It works like this.
With the back side propped up, I run tape(I use StewMac binding tape, but any good strong tape that doesn't lift the spruce fibers when removed will work) from one side to the other, pulling it tight,. Notice that the tape is not pressed down at the seam.
Once i get it taped I flip it and apply glue...
...flip the top over, and press the "tented" top down, adding weight.
Because the tape is actually shorter than the gap (because the back side was propped up and the tape was stretched across the gap), the tape applies clamping pressure to the joint. The weight holds the joint flat.
Time to join the top.
I start out by improvising a shooting board.
Basically I used an old shelving board, and a piece of 1" pine to lift the top off of the shelving board.
The plane lies on it's side, I've adjusted it for a fairly thin shaving. It's then just a matter of running it along the edges to be joined until they fit together with no gaps.
Once this is done, i place the pieces on my bench. The front piece is laid flat, and the back piece is propped up so that it's at around 25 degrees.
I use a method called the tape method to join my tops. It works like this.
With the back side propped up, I run tape(I use StewMac binding tape, but any good strong tape that doesn't lift the spruce fibers when removed will work) from one side to the other, pulling it tight,. Notice that the tape is not pressed down at the seam.
Once i get it taped I flip it and apply glue...
...flip the top over, and press the "tented" top down, adding weight.
Because the tape is actually shorter than the gap (because the back side was propped up and the tape was stretched across the gap), the tape applies clamping pressure to the joint. The weight holds the joint flat.
After setting up overnight, here is the top joined nicely.
When joining a top or back, it's a good idea to candle the joint(simply use a strong light from the back side to examine the joint for any gaps). Some people use flashlights. Me, i use the flourescent lighting fixture directly above my workbench. Couldn't get a pic of that, but it passed with flying colors.
When joining a top or back, it's a good idea to candle the joint(simply use a strong light from the back side to examine the joint for any gaps). Some people use flashlights. Me, i use the flourescent lighting fixture directly above my workbench. Couldn't get a pic of that, but it passed with flying colors.
O.K., time to thickness the top plate. I am not set up to build acoustics. I build electric guitars. This is my first foray into any type of acoustic building. I don't own a thickness planer, or anything else besides a good hand plane to thickness with. But the top is already at .125", and I wasn't certain I wanted to try to thickness it with a hand plane. I was worried that I might go too thin after thicknessing it with the plane, and then finishing up with sandpaper. I wanted to go at a more gradual pace, so I chose this route.
I know, this will probably not give me a super even surface. But to tell the truth, I probably wouldn't do much better with the plane. No matter which way I go, there are going to be areas of the top that are gonna be thicker or thinner than others. Nature of the beast when doing things by hand.
Which brings me to another problem. I don't own a thickness caliper. So i really can't tell how thick the center of the plate is.
My solution to this is that I will take readings with my 6" calipers in several spots along the outside edges of the top.
I know this will not give me the thickness in the center, and the edges will likely be thinner than the center(pretty much normal when using a sander like this one). But I look at it like this: This is the first acoustic top I've ever done. I don't have the slightest idea what the best thickness might be in the first place. The only thing I'm trying to do is thin the top out a little so that it will vibrate a little more freely when the instrument is played, but I don't want to take off too much and weaken it either.
After doing a little research on a couple of luthier forums, I've chosen a target thickness of around .115". And after working the top for a while, I took several measurements all around the edges. I got readings between .112 and .116, depending where I measured. Like I said, I know it's not ideal, but I'm gonna stop there.
Once I was satisfied with the thicknessing portion of this exercise, I set my template on top of the top plate, making sure that I lined up the centerline with the joint line of the top....
And drew the outline onto the top, along with a centerline.
I know, this will probably not give me a super even surface. But to tell the truth, I probably wouldn't do much better with the plane. No matter which way I go, there are going to be areas of the top that are gonna be thicker or thinner than others. Nature of the beast when doing things by hand.
Which brings me to another problem. I don't own a thickness caliper. So i really can't tell how thick the center of the plate is.
My solution to this is that I will take readings with my 6" calipers in several spots along the outside edges of the top.
I know this will not give me the thickness in the center, and the edges will likely be thinner than the center(pretty much normal when using a sander like this one). But I look at it like this: This is the first acoustic top I've ever done. I don't have the slightest idea what the best thickness might be in the first place. The only thing I'm trying to do is thin the top out a little so that it will vibrate a little more freely when the instrument is played, but I don't want to take off too much and weaken it either.
After doing a little research on a couple of luthier forums, I've chosen a target thickness of around .115". And after working the top for a while, I took several measurements all around the edges. I got readings between .112 and .116, depending where I measured. Like I said, I know it's not ideal, but I'm gonna stop there.
Once I was satisfied with the thicknessing portion of this exercise, I set my template on top of the top plate, making sure that I lined up the centerline with the joint line of the top....
And drew the outline onto the top, along with a centerline.
Once this was done, i placed my template for the body cavity on top, again lining up the center line.....
...and traced the outline onto the top.
The next step will be to lay out the locations of the bracing, saddle, and bridge plate. Thanks for watching. More to come.
...and traced the outline onto the top.
The next step will be to lay out the locations of the bracing, saddle, and bridge plate. Thanks for watching. More to come.
Time for laying out the braces. This bracing style is one that i modified from another I saw on one of the luthier sites I frequent.
At first, I wanted to do the traditional X bracing thing. But the guitar is too small, and together with it's small size and the fact that the upper bout is basically solid ash, there was just not enough room for traditional X bracing.
I then thought to do ladder bracing, similar to what was used on the little parlor I used to design this body. But I don't like the ladder bracing all that much. I wanted to have a bracing scheme that would allow me to have as large an open soundboard past the bridge as possible. So this is what I've come up with.
Pictured is the layout of two parallel braces, with one cross brace in front of the bridge plate, as well as the location of the bridge plate itself.
Here it is with the bridge laid in place.
And after the top is cut out with the jigsaw.
At first, I wanted to do the traditional X bracing thing. But the guitar is too small, and together with it's small size and the fact that the upper bout is basically solid ash, there was just not enough room for traditional X bracing.
I then thought to do ladder bracing, similar to what was used on the little parlor I used to design this body. But I don't like the ladder bracing all that much. I wanted to have a bracing scheme that would allow me to have as large an open soundboard past the bridge as possible. So this is what I've come up with.
Pictured is the layout of two parallel braces, with one cross brace in front of the bridge plate, as well as the location of the bridge plate itself.
Here it is with the bridge laid in place.
And after the top is cut out with the jigsaw.
LMI brace stock.
Which I ripped on the table saw.
Didn't get any pics of that process because there was a 10" spinning blade and I needed both hands, both eyes, and I'm quite fond of all my digits.
Braces will be 1/4" wide and around 3/4" tall, at least starting out. They'll probably get shorter in places as they are shaped.
Remember, this is a really small guitar, and an even smaller surface area of the top that will actually vibrate. I'm trying to do the best I can not to over brace. I think this is a good compromise between strength and flexibility, but only the finished product will tell if I'm right.
Next step is to notch out where I'll be inletting the braces into the upper bout. They will taper to nothing about 3/16" short of the end of the lower bout.
And gluing the first brace in place.
And a little later, the second.
Don't worry about that squeeze out. I'll clean that up.
Which I ripped on the table saw.
Didn't get any pics of that process because there was a 10" spinning blade and I needed both hands, both eyes, and I'm quite fond of all my digits.
Braces will be 1/4" wide and around 3/4" tall, at least starting out. They'll probably get shorter in places as they are shaped.
Remember, this is a really small guitar, and an even smaller surface area of the top that will actually vibrate. I'm trying to do the best I can not to over brace. I think this is a good compromise between strength and flexibility, but only the finished product will tell if I'm right.
Next step is to notch out where I'll be inletting the braces into the upper bout. They will taper to nothing about 3/16" short of the end of the lower bout.
And gluing the first brace in place.
And a little later, the second.
Don't worry about that squeeze out. I'll clean that up.
I don't have any deep throat clamps to glue the cross brace and bridge plate on, so I went down to Lowes and got a couple of 1/2" poplar dowels.
I wedged them between the brace/bridge plate and a shelf directly above my bench. The shelf has about a hundred pounds on top of it. Basically a makeshift go-bar deck. Worked well.
Center brace.
Bridge plate.
I wedged them between the brace/bridge plate and a shelf directly above my bench. The shelf has about a hundred pounds on top of it. Basically a makeshift go-bar deck. Worked well.
Center brace.
Bridge plate.
Since this has an acoustic top, and since that top has no sound hole, I need to have access to things like the bridge plate and braces, in case the instrument needs repairs, or to have access to the preamp and the pickup in the future.
So with this in mind, I've decided to put an access plate on the rear.
Here's a pic with the template attached.
Once i had the template attached I drilled a 3/8" hole in each corner, and cut the excess out with a jig saw, making sure I cut proud to the line.
And, here it is routed to the template.
Next step is to route for the cover.
So with this in mind, I've decided to put an access plate on the rear.
Here's a pic with the template attached.
Once i had the template attached I drilled a 3/8" hole in each corner, and cut the excess out with a jig saw, making sure I cut proud to the line.
And, here it is routed to the template.
Next step is to route for the cover.
This guitar will be getting the Fishman Powerjack preamp.
Link Removed
It requires a 1/2" hole.
Break out the forstner...
Done.
Link Removed
It requires a 1/2" hole.
Break out the forstner...
Done.
Using a couple of chisels and some sandpaper, I carved and shaped the braces.
This post brings us up to date on this build. Next step is to close up the box(glue the top down).
This post brings us up to date on this build. Next step is to close up the box(glue the top down).
Wow! Really great looking build so far! Looking forward to seeing [and hearing] the finished product.
Thanks, gnarlyopossum! BTW, love your username!
The top is curing after being joined to the body. I'll post update pics when I can.
The top is curing after being joined to the body. I'll post update pics when I can.
Haha. It was a randomly generated name I used in high school for writing poetry. Haha. None of it worth reading...as weird and random as the name.
As promised, here are the pics of the top glue up.
In the clamps.
And a few pics of it after it came out of the clamps.
Next step is to trim it to the sides.
Then I'll rout for the neck pocket and get ready for routing the top for binding.
In the clamps.
And a few pics of it after it came out of the clamps.
Next step is to trim it to the sides.
Then I'll rout for the neck pocket and get ready for routing the top for binding.
Nice job on the build. Looking forward to seeing the finished instrument.
I too would love to see a bass built like this. Preferably a short scale with a piezoelectric pickup in the bridge, and maybe a danelectro style pickup at the neck.
Check out the image below for what I'm getting at. The neck meets the body at the 13th fret.
I too would love to see a bass built like this. Preferably a short scale with a piezoelectric pickup in the bridge, and maybe a danelectro style pickup at the neck.
Check out the image below for what I'm getting at. The neck meets the body at the 13th fret.
Link Removed
