A classical guitar for Wayne!

[Kevin in California]

I have a good friend in Idaho who I'm going to build a classical guitar for next.
He wants it to be birdseye maple back and sides with a light contrasting binding scheme, probably either curly mahogany, or curly koa, with an Englemann Spruce top.
I am excited about this. I'm hoping to obtain a 8/4 billet of the birdseye maple that I saw in a specialty wood store in a neighboring town, if he still has it when I can get up there. From what I remember, it was a beautiful piece with tons of eyes, and virtually no blemishes. It should yield 4, and maybe 5 sets, and at 48" long, I'll get some extra for headstock plates and end wedges too! It will be at least 3 weeks before I get started, but I will try and do a good job of posting as I build this one. It should be fun!

[Dave Bagwill]

I will follow that with interest. And keep my eyes on it.

[Kevin in California]

Okay I purchased the billet and it is pretty nice. It is flat sawn, and at 10" wide the biggest concentration of eyes is down the middle 6 to 8 inches, and the lessen out toward the edges of the board. Also, one face is loaded, the other face has probably 50% less eyes on, so I expect as I cut it up, the slices will show less and less eyes.
The board shows no discoloration and no knots on either face. I'm pretty excited. Ordered a new Woodslicer blade from Highland Woodworking.
I have to true up one face first and I'm thinking I will probably just get 4 sets out of it, but if I cut well, I can get 10 slices and the last two can give me another classical/OM size set, so I'm hoping for that.

[Herman]

Yeah! Kevin, pics pics.
Herman

[Kevin in California]

I will try and do a good job of journaling (is that a word?) this construction with lots of pics for my buddy Herman :)

[Kevin in California]

Yesterday I set up my saw with a new 5/8" Super Cut resaw blade. I cut two slices which will yield the set of back and sides. I ran the slices through the drum sander to clean up the saw cuts. Final thickness in will be done after the back as sides are cut out. The wood is quite beautiful.

I also took a neck blank of mahogany, laid out the scale length and cut the scarf joint for the headstock and the blocks for the stacked heel. There is no Spanish heel on this neck, just a 1" deep heel block.

I picked out curly Koa for the bindings, headstock and end wedge. The single purflings will be indian rosewood. I picked out indian rosewood fretboard and bridge blank. Not sure yet, the fretboard may be ebony.

[Kevin in California]

More pics coming, I'll down size that first one too.