Acoustic Guitar Construction

I am building a mahogany and spruce J185 and was wondering if you can fill the mahogany with filler prior to putting on the top. I know the filler is a pain to keep off of binding as well as the spruce top. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks, Tim

Hello Tim. Personally, I wouldn't, because I like to do that at the finishing stage. I've never had a problem keeping pore filler off the binding or top. I use Zpoxy and it has never wandered far onto the top, but if a little bit sneaks onto the corner of the binding, I just lightly wipe it off with a rag dampened with denatured alcohol.

There is a lot of sanding that happens after the top goes on that will probably remove the pore filler from the back and sides, which you will then have to pore fill again anyway. I'm not saying you can't do it, but it might be an exercise in futility.

Grain filler is not a pain to keep off if you properly mask and seal areas that you don't want it to get on. I suggest that set your mind to doing a very, very good finishing job. Which takes time -- short cuts generally will lead to future uncomfortable explainations of what went wrong. The great news is you don't have to do anything more than the rest of us --- follow a proven process -- using compatible chemicals that have given good results and you will do just fine --- check out the wonderful work by our members in the gallery and construction logs.