Acoustic Guitar Construction

John, I have a work board made with a radiused area for the top, lower bout. To set the negative neck angle, I set the body over the top that has been fitted, but not glued, set the back on which has been fitted and ready to glue and I put a 2mm spacer under the top to raise the body up, then when I pull the neck shaft down and clamp it to the work board, it puts that 2mm negative angle in when the back gets glue on. (This is how Robbie shows doing it in his video course)

The back has been radiused to 15 ft in my radius dish, the top and back kerfing is installed, and the top kerfing is made flush with the sides.
Next is to radius the back again to bring the proud kerfing down flush with the sides, then I'll start working on the back plates.

This is kerfing that I made!

Looking good Kevin. I used my own kerfing in my current build. It's funny how it feels good to use your own parts rather than using ready made!
Hey I tried your trick of getting the angle on the headstock veneer prior to gluing it on. Like it. Works good.

I will be getting back to this guitar this week. The goal is to have it done by September 21 and take it to its owner in Boise, ID.
I have a lot to do, so I better get to it. My daughter and her family have been with us the last 18 days but are leaving today so I can get back in the shop.

So I finally got back on this build. I now have a nice AAA Engleman spruce top plate joined, and the back plates joined with a 1/8" wide back strip of EIR, and cut out to shape with the back brace locations marked. I'll be putting in a birdseye maple center strip, and the braces on the back will be Honduras Mahogany.
The rosette going into the top is lovely, Russian made from LMI.

the braces on the back will be Honduras Mahogany

I think that's a nice touch, I've built classical and steel strings using HM brace material.

Got the back braced and fit to the rims, the curly Koa end wedge installed, the rosette installed, top thicknessed and the bridge patch glued in place. Off we go!

And as I was thicknessing the top on the BACK side, guess what showed up....a pitch pocket beneath the sound hole....just like in Robbie's video series....thankfully mine was on the inside. The outside is okay as long as I don't sand it much anymore.

Last night I planed the bridge patch down to about 1.3 mm, and I sealed the rosette with CA glue and sanded it back down flush. Hoping this helps maintain the color in the rosette when I do the shellac FP