New build: Finger style acoustic!

[Cabinet]

Over the next couple of weeks I'll be building a finger style acoustic guitar. All by hand save for some power tools like the band saw, drill etc...

I'll update the progress every week to save consistency and not flood you guys with the entire process via pictures.

This is just after week 1:
Sides have been finished including the sound hole on the side.
Back is finished, braces are scalloped.

Top bracing is complete.

Lattace bracing

Next up is fitting the bracing into the kerfing and sides before I can think about gluing it all together

 

[DistinguishedPapyrus]

Very cool looking so far, I have considered doing an acoustic for a while but I live in a fairly humid area and I'd have to have really well seasoned wood to do it... that and I just like playing electrics more.

 

[Daf57]

Cool project! In for the updates!

 

[vansinn]

Very cool looking so far
Nice bracings; I see you've gone for a lattice grid on the large part of the deck, and would like to know the reasons for this choice.

I don't understand the plate behind the soundhole/X-cross; is it for strength or for controlling resonances?

 

[Cabinet]

It's for strength, yes
We're going to voice it, too.

 

[Cabinet]

Got the end wedge fitted.

This will be the binding

This is the inside of the body after it was all glued together. I just put a lamp right over the top and snapped the photo, no filter required!

We also got it voiced this week. Essentially the top had small amounts of wood carved off from the bracing to match an appropriate frequency with the back. 1940s Gibsons and Martins did this, which is one reason why they sound so amazing

 

[muffinbutton]

How do you go about doing that voicing thing?

 

[Cabinet]

How do you go about doing that voicing thing?

Magic luthiery dust

 

[Cabinet]

This week has been plenty of neck work.
Here's how it started.

Got the tongue extension glued on and the truss rod fitted

Glued on the fingerboard and the ebony overlay, also flushed the neck with the fingerboard

It's going great! Next up is doing the tuning pegs and rounding it.

 

[Solodini]

Looks sweet! You built many acoustics before?

 

[Cabinet]

Thanks! And nope, this is my second.
Not much to show this week, the final sanding is complete and it's ready for the spray room!

We also had to do the neck set, it was really...frustrating hahaha!

 

[Senaeth]

look nice any plans for inlays in the fretboard

 

[Cabinet]

I'm probably just going to take some side markers and do something simple since I don't actually know how to inlay.

I want to find the center point at the 12th fret and then have 4 small dots equally spaced around it. Might look cool, and it'll be simple and minimal, which I really like.

Final neck prep before the spray room!

 

[psikoT]

I'm probably just going to take some side markers and do something simple since I don't actually know how to inlay.

I want to find the center point at the 12th fret and then have 4 small dots equally spaced around it. Might look cool, and it'll be simple and minimal, which I really like.

Too late for inlaying, IMHO... I mean, with frets and so on, it would be a living hell... just keep the fretboard clean, it will looks very nice as well.

 

[ElRay]

Nice start.

"finger style acoustic guitar" -> Wide Nut. Yes? No? If so, how wide?

Ray

 

[rikomaru]

For some odd reason, i'm all excited like I'M the one getting this lol What are you planning for the finish? French polish perhaps?

 

[Cabinet]

Nitrocellulose lacquer finish, french kissing it would probably rub off after just playing it for a bit haha!

As for the inlay, I meant that I would just have side markers drilled and glued into the 12th fret, I don't plan on having anything too extravagant on the fingerboard.

 

[Cabinet]

Bumping! It's almost done, just have to make the B bump saddle, make the nut, do a fret job and do a final wet sanding.

Somehow when I leveled the neck I took it from a 16" radius to a 9.5
I hope it still plays awesome hahaha!

 

[Cabinet]

Almost finished, except for the truss rod cover!

 

[Vostre Roy]

Very clean work!