Current Production -- General
The photos on this page are of my current production batch (I generally make 8 to 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 pages for the guitars.
This is the first of the "General" pages for this batch - it shows pictures of steps that are generic for every guitar in the batch. There are several such pages. See also PAGE 2; PAGE 3; PAGE 4; .
The photos are thumbnails. Click on the photo and you will automatically go to the full image.
After selecting the wood the first step is making/installing the
soundhole rosette. Here I have glued in place the koa for one of
my new wood/abalone rosettes.
cutting the grooves in the koa with a fly cutter
Leaving this.
Then the appropriate purfling is inlayed - all this is done with
traditional hot hide glue which is (these days) all I use on my tops.
There is some reason to think that this makes them sound better - tho of
course there is no scientific test to prove this.
The white area in the center is teflon - which will later be removed to
leave a channel for the abalone.
I use a variety of Plexiglas templates to lay out the top and the
bracing.
Gluing the two pieces of the X brace together.
After the X is installed (I forgot to take a photo of that), the next
brace installed is the bridge plate.
More braces being glued in place.
After that, I carve the braces for best tone. (I hope)
More brace gluing
this jig
and this router
cut slots in back center strip for the back braces - like this.
Leaving this
Wood burning my logo in the back center strip.
Like this
A pile of back braces.
Gluing back braces in place
Leaving this
Side bending jig - a combination of moisture and heat is the way to bend
wood. Really it is one of the easiest parts of the process.
Bent ribs (sides)
Gluing on the linings. These wonderful clamps come from the Taylor
guitar company who invented them.
More of the same
Sides ready for final profiling - to build in the arch of the back.
the tool to do this is a curved (domed) sanding disc, like this.
Doesn't look all that exciting but it works very well.
Clamping the back onto the sides.
More of the same.
Back and sides are together here and the back has been trimmed to shape.
Other side.
More on the binding process HERE.
This website and all of its content, text and images are copyright ©1997-2008 by Charles A. Hoffman. All rights reserved.
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