How do you get from a stack of wood to a finished guitar?
That's the number one question we hear at festivals. Since one picture is worth a thousand words, take a look.
Book-matched wood is joined and thinned for the guitar's top and back. On the top, the soundhole is cut out and a channel routed to inlay the rosette around the soundhole.
Mahogany blocks are glued in at the top and bottom of the guitar. Kerfing strips are glued in and slots cut to accept the braces for the guitar top and bottom. Side support strips are glued in to add rigidity and minimize side cracking. At this stage of building, stretchers keep the sides pressed to the correct shape at the guitar's waist. They will be removed when the top and back are glued on to the sides.
Braces are glued to the top and back and shaped. The choices of bracing pattern and brace shape play key roles in how the guitar will sound.
The straight guitar sides are cut to size, dampened and steam-bent using either a heated bending machine or a bending iron. After bending, the sides are placed in a mold to finish drying.
