Acoustic build w/my son *Update 5/13/24*

[thepezident]

Great first class. It's running every Tuesday from 6:30 - 9:30p

This is my back. We used a template to mark a hole at each end that lined up with the middle of the board.
Then we pinned it in the jig and overlay a template and marked it with wax pencil.

We cut out the back on the band saw.

You dont have to get exact. You can leave the tags at the top and bottom for now.


Sanding the back with 80 and then 120 grit...

Here we cut the sides on the bandsaw.

Then we put the sides in a jig and use the table router to do the final cut.
Note the sides are tapered. Larger in the bottom part....(no pun intended..)
Thinner near the neck.

Next we put one side in between 2 pieces of thin steel. There is a heater blanket sandwiched
in there. You squirt the wood with water, cover it in aluminum foil and place that in between the steel.
You insert a thermal sensor and snug it into the jig.
Wait until the ends start to flop, the temp wises and then attach the clamps.


Once it heats up, attach the wood clamps to the springs and pull the clamps down over the wood.

Wait till the wood cools to 120 degrees. Then remove and put into mold.

Last step was to glue a brace into place down the middle.
Then use these yellow rods to apply pressure.

Stay tuned for another update next week.

[uwmcscott]

Subscribed!

This is on my bucket list, very cool that you are able to do it with your son too, the memories ( and the guitars ) will be epic. We have nothing like this close to me but someday hope to find a place to do it.

[tonebender]

Very cool, both the build and sharing the experience with your son.

[thepezident]

Subscribed!

This is on my bucket list, very cool that you are able to do it with your son too, the memories ( and the guitars ) will be epic. We have nothing like this close to me but someday hope to find a place to do it.

They run a week long class during MusikFest here in Bethlehem (in August). Sign up, get a hotel room, build a guitar during the day and see a world class music festival at night.
You could even hang out with thepezident - a treat in and of itself

[sabasgr68]

Awesome, Love this!

nothing better than guitars&sons!

[andrewsrea]

They run a week long class during MusikFest here in Bethlehem (in August). Sign up, get a hotel room, build a guitar during the day and see a world class music festival at night.
You could even hang out with thepezident - a treat in and of itself

Is that the Martin factory? It looks like it.

[thepezident]

Is that the Martin factory? It looks like it.

Negative.
Is at a satellite campus of the community college I work for.
https://www.northampton.edu/student-exp ... index.html
https://www.northampton.edu/student-exp ... ourse.html
Bil is the one teaching this class.....

The wood we're using are 2nds from the Martin factory though. We have a very tight relationship with Martin.
Chris Martin is a very generous donator to our college.
I see him many times a year..

[thepezident]

No class Tuesday the 13th.
We had a bigly snowstorm in NorthEast PA.

[thepezident]

Class was canceled last week due to snow.
This week....

We took the sides out of the jig but not before lining up the mid point and making a mark.

We cut the sides to exact length on the bandsaw

Then we sanded the insides.

We cut blocks for the butt and for the upper part of the guitar.
These were pre-cut except for length. The block at the neck has a taper to it to allow the neck to sit flush.

Glued into place

Next, we took some pine? and used the plastic jig to mark and then shape the wood into what will be the back bracing.
The "back radius" block has sandpaper on the other side.


Spencer sanding the back bracing to the appropriate radius.

We lined up the placement of the bracing and marked it.

Next, was to chisel out the mid-brace to allow the side bracing to fit.

Glue the side bracing in to place. The yellow rods are longer than the distance between the top and bottom plates.
This allows for the rod to bend and apply downward pressure to the glued brace.
Also to note....the base is carved out to allow for the back radius...

We glue in and clamp the --whatever these things are called....The back will sit on these.

[tonebender]

I can hardly wait to see and hear the finished product.

[thepezident]

@tonebender Fly up here and take a week long class yourself!

But yeah...I'm excited.

[thepezident]

Removed the clamps and used a planer to even up the kerfing.

Then we used the 15 degree sanding block to finish sand the radius.


We used a gauge to roughly mark the angle of the brace.

Then we used a planer again to shave down the angle.

Back to the sides....We used this custom built pencil to mark the overhang of the bracing.

We cut that off and also used a chisel to scoop out the kerfing.
it was very tedious checking for fit and finish....

Apply some Titebond glue.


Attach the back and apply the clamps.


All clamped up

[nomadh]

This is so cool. It's been a dream of mine to build an acoustic. The only way to top that would be if my kid would build it with me. A big disappointment I had was that my kids hs had a guitar building class where Taylor gave you a kit to build. I so wanted my kids to take the class and I would check in at lunchtime to see progress. Between band and ap classes they never did it. A nephew did and I checked in on him a few times but we had a strained relationship. He did give me the guitar though.
You are one lucky guy pez

[thepezident]

@nomadh Come to Bethlehem, PA for a week long class and build one!

[thepezident]

Struggled through getting over Covid for this weeks build...

We took the body and flipped it over and attached kerfing to the top..

While that was drying, we took our tops and planed them down.

Then we ran them through the joiner to get everything nice and matched up..


Then we cut end piece to 8"

Applying the Titebond..

And gluing together. We use the water filled liquor bottles to keep the 2 pieces from buckling up as we crank them together.


While that was drying....we used a jig to cut the slots for the frets.
We used double sided tape to attach the fretboard onto a metal jig/marker....
Then we lay that down in the wood sled. The sled had a pin that the metal piece sat into.

- I made a booboo and didnt lift the wood out of the way when pulling the sled back.

[thepezident]

Our tops pre-glue

Obligatory kid on phone.....Actually, he's been really good about paying attention and being involved...
I think he's enjoying it.

[BatUtilityBelt]

92 proof weights, nice! Seriously fun stuff.

[thepezident]

A bit of a short class last night....
Made a punch location in order to align the template.

Then we drilled out the hole.

Lay down the template to the drilled holes and trace it out.

Cut out rough shape on the band saw.

Affix the top to the Rosette Routing Fixture.

Measure and adjust the air-powered routing tool

Rout the channel for the rosette.


Deposit Duco Cement in the channel

Insert rosette

Use templates to mark wood for bracing.

[thepezident]

Started the night cutting out the soundhole.

Then we glued the fingerboard to this contraption. Check the video.
It swings over some sandpaper to get a 16 degree radius.

Here you can see the radius

Here we trace the angle of the fretboard.

That got cut on the bandsaw and then true'd up on the bench sander.

Then we took the template to mark for the inlays.

We drill out the holes.


Then glue in the dots.

[tonebender]

Still awesome and getting more awesomer.

[uwmcscott]

Def want to put this on my bucket list, thanks for taking us along for the ride.

[jimbocaster]

Very cool!

[thepezident]

Class was on the shorter side last night.
Ran the tops through the thickness planer to get them down to their final thickness (or thinness)
Amazing how the much flimsier the spruce tops are to our myrtlwood..

Then we laid out the brace template and marked the locations.

Shaping the X-bracing

Placing the braces to mark the cut location

Cutting the X brace slot


Dialing it in with a chisel

Braces are placed and glued.
Now we use the rods to apply downward pressure


Everything in place

Then we sanded the glue off the inlays.

[tonebender]

Man, there is a lot of work that goes into one of these babies. I wish I had those kind of skills.

[tlarson58]

Such a cool project - and it's father-son to boot.