Acoustic Guitar Construction

Here is the second set of photos on the "Success Kit OM". Thanks so very much for the supportive posts and excellent reference threads in the site. Good stuff here, truly.

Spent some time reading up on the popsicle brace debate and decided to stay 100% orthodox on the first build. I am through glueing and trimming the front and getting ready to trim the back braces and fit the back.

As you can see, I used a router table and a downward spiral trim bit, which was a spectacular success for a nervous first timer.

NICE MOMENT: I was moving the body with the glued up top from one spot to another. Had the tunes going in the shop and the top vibrated to the music in my hand. Very responsive, so it was a nice moment.

Great idea on the kerfing. Looks good all around. enjoy!

Okay, moving right along. Kerfling and lining cut and installed, box closed, neck fretted. Learned a lot about patience when I was fitting the mortise and tendon joint. Still meditating on the finish but doing some staining to get the mahogany somewhat closer to the rosewood. Thanks for the support!

George K

Wow that is coming along nicely!

Thanks, John!

Looking great! Nice work.

Hey, y'all! Just wrapped up this build. Top finish is shellac, sides and back are General Finishes High Performance. Letting finishes harden significantly, then going to do final touch-up, repair, and general mistake hiding before doing heavy duty buffing. Had a (another) period of pure hysteria when the blue tape used to mask for the final top scrape and bridge installation destroyed multiple coats of carefully layered shellac.

Many thanks to the group for the help and many times to Ken, who was patient when I discovered a mystical new scale by neglecting to cut the scrap from his meticulously cut fretboard supplied with his kit.

I am waiting several weeks for "settle in", but right now the instrument sounds...well, spectacular. When the guitar settles okay, I will do the intonation, adjust the bridge and maybe notch the nut a bit more (I was conservative).

Anyway, have already ordered and received kit two. We are migrating from the wildes of Indiana to Oregon, so I will start reporting once I get my shop set up out there. In the meantime, here are the final pixs.