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Current Production -- General - Page 3

The photos on this page are of my current production batch (I generally make 10 - 12 guitars in a batch) This page will have the photos that are generic to all of the guitars (such as making the rosettes.) At the bottom of the page are links to the page showing the entire batch and to each of the individual guitars. It is probably useful to look at each page as some photos which are "generic" are only on the individual pages.

The photos are thumbnails. Click on the photo and you will automatically go to the full image.

I have started the binding process. I do the backs first and then on to the tops. On guitars with a cutaway, that is always done first.

Side purfling, especially on the back is hard to get looking clean so I put it in by itself and clamp it in place to get a good clean look

an end wedge - note that the back purfling is mitered at the end wedge.

The back binding is now all on (on all guitars). Next comes the tops.

Taping the top decoration and binding in place.

More of the same

I use a file to level the binding to the level of the top.

Looks a bit messy here.

Some of the bodies are now in the spray booth.

Some of the current batch have abalone borders. Here is how I (and everyone else) do this: First, after cutting the appropriate channel, I lay in the binding and purfling I want. I the place where the abalone strips will be, I glue in a piece of polyethylene which is the exact thickness of the abalone strips (i.e. .063")

The poly strips (teflon is often used) does not stick to glue and after the binding/purfling is solidly glued in and leveled, I can easily remove the poly strip.

I then start laying in the strips of abalone (these days most of us use a product called Abalam which makes very uniform strips both in size and color. A slight bit of sidewise pressure will cause the strip to break as it goes around curves. The greater the curve the more "breaks" necessary to go around the curve but the finished look is very good.