First Classical - Back To School

[brian d]

As I mentioned on another thread, I'm currently building a classical guitar at the Thomas Lloyd School of Guitar Building.

It's a 10 day course which I'm doing one day a week (there are also intensive summer programs). Today I finished day 3. Here's a brief rundown of what I'm doing.

1st day, chose back and sides...I chose Blackheart Sassafrass. I jointed and thicknessed the back.

While the glue was drying I shaped the fitting surfaces of the back braces on a radius board.

Then cut out the basic shape of the back and glued the back braces to the back.

While the glue was drying, I bent the sides on a bending jig (like a fox universal bending jig) and then glued the neck and tail blocks to the sides.

By the end of day 1, already had something looking like a guitar.

Day 2 started with shaping the braces

then finalising the curvature and levelling the back of the sides

I then bent the solid linings for the back using the same bending jig

and kerfed more lining on the band saw. I glued on the solid lining first and then the kerfed lining.

finished the day routing a channel at the tail for the tail strap (is that the correct term?) and glued it in. It is Jarrah and Huon pine - the binding will match

I was pretty pleased with the result.

More later.....

Brian.

[oz tradie]

I 'd crossed my fingers in hope that you'd post some revealing pics.

Any text books that you recommend or are using in combination with the course?

That's golden, Brian

[brian d]

Hi Stu,

We're not using any text book, but I have read Cumpiano and Natelson's book a while ago (I borrowed it from our local library, but I may have to buy it eventually) and from what I remember from the book, so far it seems that the steps are the same as in the course. The course is very much like a live text book with Chris explaining the steps in an interactive way that a book obviously can't. It's so much more time efficient than trial and error learning.

The book explains how to make all the moulds, jigs etc, whereas they're already ready at the school.

Regards,

Brian.

[NJD]

the below book is A1! it is super comprehensive and with 392 pages it's amazing. i'm building electrics at the moment but i use this for reference constantly. it simply caters for those of us without whole machine shops to hand. they even use planes - yes, actual hand planes (something that's missing in a lot of the other guitar making books electric archtop and acoustic)! it's ideal for the likes of me, they build a classical and steel string guitar side by side.

i cannot big up this book enough

http://www.amazon.com/Guitarmaking-Traditi...0726346?ie=UTF8

Alternatively if all you want to do is build something parrot fashion then this book covers the bases - comes with full size templates too.

http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Makers-Manual...1266400?ie=UTF8

EDIT:

I've read good things about this one but not being a rich person i can't comment first hand

http://www.amazon.com/Making-Master-Guitar...0726346?ie=UTF8

Edited October 24, 2006 by NJD

[myguitar]

Hi Brian,

Fiona (Myguitar)here. Love the pics. It gets me all excited about making another one in the new year. Possibly now an acoustic bass or classical. I would prefer a bass. More my style.

I am looking forward to more pics. It is amazing how quick the guitars come together with chris teaching. And it is all hand work except for drum sander, drill, router and sanding belt. The rest there is a lot of wittling and sanding and grinding of the neck.

The neck is the best, cos once you have that sucker shaped the whole guitar becomes alive.

Looking forward to seeing the real thing at the end of year BBQ. For student show off time! Yippee.

Chat soon.

[brian d]

OK, here's an update from yesterday's class.

Yesterday I fit the back. It's a long demanding procedure. I clamped the back, marked the sides where the braces cross, notched the sides to fit the braces coming across, reclamped, remarked, filed a bit more over and over again for what felt like 100 times (maybe it actually was) until the back fit neatly on the sides. It was quite a task, but very gratifying when it was done.

Then it was glue time.

There was a clamping caul following the outline of the guitar on the back. I didn't get a pic of it as we turned the whole shebang upside down straight away to check the joins and clean the glue.

While waiting for the glue to dry, I got started on the scarf joint for the neck. The neck is Queensland maple, which is apparently very similar to mahogany (not in looks, obviously).

Then it was time to take her out of the mould and trim the outline of the back with a flush cut router bit. Take a look at the curve on the back of that baby (that's Chris' hand holding the straight edge). I'm really pleased with the progress so far.

If you have a close look at the edge of the guitar on pic from the side, you can see where the braces cross through the sides and have been trimmed flush with the sides. Of course this will be covered by the binding later forever to hide the accuracy of my fitting.

Regards,

Brian.

PS, Fiona, an acoustic bass would be really cool. Must be one of the coolest instruments.

[myguitar]

Brian, what timbers did you choose?

Glad u r enjoying the process.

[brian d]

The back and sides are Blackheart Sassafrass, the neck is qld maple, bindings are like yours - Jarrah and huon pine. I haven't chosen the soundboard yet, but I'm thinking spruce as it will give a bit more brightness - the sassafrass is apparently a "warm toned wood and I want to avoid getting a muddy tone from having a warmer soundboard. (Although there's a sassafrass/king billy pine guitar at school which sounds sensational).

I like the look of the Engelmann spruce, I think the paler colour will go better with the colours of the other timbers.

Regards,

Brian.

[myguitar]

Dont you just love how the timbers are the magic behind the guitar. Obviously the bracing is important as well but to know you can custom build according to timber ,and the beautiful grains adding to the overall look. Wait till you oil that baby. Woohoo.

[brian d]

Week 4:

I started the day by smoothing the face of the headstock following the scarf joint.

then it was fitting the side braces. I had to add a couple at the lower bout as I had a split in wood of the side and I wanted to re-inforce the area.

and then gluing on the headstock veneers (one at a time) while waiting for the glue to dry.

The neck is Queensland Maple and the veneers are Huon Pine, Indian Rosewood and Blackheart Sassafrass. I wanted to match the headstock veneers to the bindings. We didn't have any Jarrah for veneers, and the rosewood was a pretty close match.

I then glued the pieces for the heel block

and fitted the centre back braces from King William Pine

I glued the braces in with go barsmarked out the neck taper

and glued the heel block to the neck

finally I routed the truss rod channel and then cut out the neck taper on the bandsaw

Another very productive day. No class next week as it's Melbourne Cup Day holiday - Only in Melbourne do you get a public holiday for a horse race.

Regards,

Brian.

Edited November 1, 2006 by brian d

[myguitar]

Looks great.

You've done a great job on finishing the timber and bracing.

Having to wait a week will send you mad!!!

Enjoy.

[brian d]

Back to school after 2 weeks.

I chose Alpine Spruce for the soundboard, jointed and glued the board.

then went to work on the headstock while the glue was drying. I trimmed the sides of the headstock and marked out the centre of the slots and the holes for the tuning machines.

and then drilled the holes.

I slotted the headstock with a router. I think next time I would predrill the rounded areas with a forstener bit, but it came out well after a bit of cleaning up with files. (pic before files)

Back to the soundboard. I inlaid the rosette, and then thicknessed the soundboard, and cut out the soundhole

I bandsawed around the outline of the soundboard and after starting to prepare the fan braces I called it a day.

By the end of next week's class the top should be on. Stay tuned....

Edited November 14, 2006 by brian d

[brian d]

Update:

Last week was bracing the soundboard:

and a quick shaping of the headstock crest

Today I notched the sides for the soundboard bracing and glued the top onto the back and sides:

Then I slotted the fretboard on a bandsaw with a LMI slotting template, tapered the fretboard, bent the bindings:

Flush cut the top, routed the binding channels (check out the fit of the braces visible in the binding channel, I'm very proud of that), glued in the timber bindings, sanded the bindings smooth:

and somewhere in there I started shaping the heel area of the neck

More next week!

Brian.

Edited November 28, 2006 by brian d

[brian d]

It's been a while since my last update due to school holidays with my 4 kids, moving house over the summer and problems with the computer. Anyway, better late than never. Here is what I've been doing in the last few classes:

i finished shaping the heel and cut the dovetail.

then glued the neck in. after that I glued the fretboard on.

hammered in the frets and nipped the endsI finished shaping the neck after that.

I made a bridgeand glued it ononly to decide that I hated the bridge. Thanks to Chris for allowing me to learn from my mistakes, we removed the bridge, and I made a new one that I'm really happy with.It works well with the design elements in my personalised headstock crest

here is the guitar prior to final sanding

Since then I sanded her, then took her home and oiled her. Last tuesday I gave her a final polish levelled the frets, made the saddle and filed the nut, put her altogether. I hope to take more photos of her tomorrow to show you the final result.

Brian.

[jammy]

Excellent work mate, honestly. It looks great!

I Especially Love the headstock Idea - cutting through to expose the wood underneath is inspired, and I fancy trying it to make my logo

WELL DONE!

[brian d]

Thanks for the kind words Jammy.

Here's the finished product:

and a few more pics:

[Maiden69]

If you already posted here! Why start a new thread about it???