Acoustic Guitar Construction

While doing the finish on my maple 00, I started in my first scratch build (except for the neck and fretboard). I've already glued the back and top and thinned to size. Sides were thinned to .078". I pre-bent he waist curves on my pipe bender. Went quite well. I then misted them with distiller water, sandwiched them between parchment paper and topped by an aluminum slat. Into the preheated bender. Lined up the matching waist caul with my marks and tightened down. Slowly finished the ends and let it sit on heat for about a half an hour. Let it cool for an hour or so and then moved them to the mold. Both sides developed a small crack in the upper bout near the waist. I used ca glue and clamped. Hope they will be stable. Glued in a tail block of half inch baltic birch plywood.

First attempt at a rosette. I had a pre made rosette that I was going to use but I routed the top too big. Got ahead of myself. So anyway I just went ahead and made one. Turned out pretty nice. Layed out the size on paper and divided the circle up. I glued some abalone strips to the paper with ca, added some maple strips on either side and then fit wedges of wenge. I then routed the size ring I wanted. Adde some purfling to finish it off. Ran it through my drum sander to nearly level then used a palm sander to finish.

Nice! -- Clever process.

Kerfed linings going in. I used reverse mahogany. Spanish cedar for the side bracing.

Lookin good from here!

Tail wedge time. First I cut one large wedge and then I cut that in half. I tape the two pieces together and sand the edges flush and straight on some sandpaper glued to a piece of slate. Check all pieces for a tight fit and then glue together in a work board with shims to tighten it all up. Brazilian rosewood, maple, and padauk.

Beautiful rosette and I like the way it relates to the end wedge.