jaycee

Here's his site you tube has a lot of acoustic build videos, and it's also worth checking out the larger acoustic manufacturers web sites for video's on there, taylor, martin for example.

Thanks Truck, I have been fretting (no pun intended) over this a little bit, but with the other guys input as well I am pretty sure it will go well. Whilst I have your attention guys, being that you have made acoustics, can you tell me what you think of this idea I really want to do it. My only reservation is that the tension will be to much and that a glue joint may not be sufficient. I would set it up so that the lighter strings are coming through the back of the bridge and the heavier ones using the bridge pins, (which would also act as an anchor for the bridge as well)

Have a look at This thread

Scale length is from the nut to the 12th fret doubled. So that would be the yellow line in the first picture, where the string breaks from the nut. Looking at the 2nd pic if the yellowline was straight that could be the scale length measurement i.e 25" but because the guitar needs to be intonated the saddles could end up being in the position marked by the blue line. You measure from the nut to the 12th, then from the 12th toward the bridge, (not from the bridge to the 12th) I know on paper there is no difference but in practise it makes more sense to do it this way.

Nice one guys, I'll be able to cross reference my results now and make sure I get it right I just checked my Tanglewood and the scale length is 640mm, the saddle is at 640 mm on the treble E side, using the Stewmac calc it is more or less 2mm to close to the nut, but I guess that's where compensated saddles come in.

I have Cumpiano's book and I understand how he works out where to place the saddle slot. What I would like to know are the different methods you guys use so I can cross reference the idea's and see which way works best for me.

The fretboard came out well, so I decided to semi profile the neck. Being that a lot of guys use a rasp I decided to try it for myself. I cut a 25mm rebate across the neck at the nut end to give me the correct thickness of the neck and marked the wood with a black marker and make sure it was still there when I had finished,I then profiled the neck at the nut end and the heel with the rasp. That turned out pretty good. Time now to "join the dots " so to speak, back to more familliar tools now, the spokeshave After the spokeshave I got the scraper onto it and then sandpapered it with 120 grit "shoeshine" fashion I knew that would work well and I am well pleased with the result. I will leave the neck for a few days at least, so if any movement because of the reduced stock is going to take place it will be done before the fretboard is levelled and the frets are in.

Thats looking good GP. Do you have a close bond with your Estwing.....as it's in most of the pics...or is it there in case you get into trouble

That I do like very nice

The binding went ok. The sides dipped in at the top so by the time I scraped off the overhang on the binding it was about 1mm thick. Anyway here is the fretboard clamped and glued on. The two wooden clamps have blocks either side of the neck which keep the fretboard flush with side and stops any movement. You just fit the cauls as snug as you like then slide them up the neck until they bite. I have the rosewood block for the bridge, just have to choose my final design for it. I will try and have the 6 main strings secured the traditional way with bridge pins and the lighter ones entering the back and through the top of the bridge rather like a classical.

A couple of wooden plugs glued into the screw holes may help if the screws have been pulled out. Something I have wondered about is if you can get a bolt and bush small enough to use in situations like this? They are used when fitting kitchen units, where you bolt two together albeit a larger size. Hope it goes well

Yes, - Sometimes Drednoughts do shrink eventually into OM's or 000's. Thats where they come from..,If you use too much water, they can shrink into a Mandolin. It happened to my mates double Bass. he now uses it as a violin

I have two mop dots just behind the string holes on my Tanglewood, which I assume are covering two bolts or screws, the strings however do come from the rear of the bridge like a classical which would make sense. The bridge in your pics are are pins, which wouldn't really need any extra anchoring in my opinion, that's not to say they aren't screws or bolts. On the surface of it, it seems like a striaght bridge gluing job. But on the other hand when you start to take things off, that crack may go a little further as it depending on the rest of the glue joints inside the guitar. But if it's unplayable and no resposnibilty on you if it goes pear shaped then give it a go.

I COULD DO THAT...eventually if I lived for a very long time and practised 14 hours a day.........Craig that is stunning I love the Sperm Whales on the bridge.

This may help Takamine site

Is there a reason why the neck joins the body at the 14th or 12th fret other than it has to join at some place? My join is between the 13th and 14th, the bridge is not on so as long as the bridge placement is correct I can't see why other than aesthetics the neck/body join won't be a problem

Beat me to it

If your going to buy a book this is the one to get Guitars builders bible If you are buying a neck, get it first and adjust the neck pocket dimensions to suit

I think the inlays are about 2mm thick. If you were to do a full fret scallop you would probably sand the dot away, have you thought of a partial fret scallop? where only the top 3 strings have it.

I run a bead of superglue on the tang, press them into the slot, put a radiused caulmade from mdf over the fret and knock that with a pin hammer, tap the end of the fret once and put a spring clamp on the fret for 15 min.

And yes Melvyns book will answer many of your questions.

There will be a minimum thickness that a trem needs. I wanted to put one a 32mm thick body but found that the springs and bridge/block assembly needed extra thickness

They don't look like filler to me, the colour is not consistent between the three and it even varies within the one blemish, it could be a knot or just some imperfection in the wood. If you can live with it then keep it as there is no guarantee the replacement will be as nice as that piece. Also it is being painted albeit translucent and that will help them fade into the background.

RFR I want to build one of these. I am normally an F hole serial hater but there have been some lovely ones built recently and seeing this gives me a reason to plan a tele build, like way on down the line, poss 4th or 5th. Do you have a pic of the body topless so I can see the hollowing out , or is it just a case of keeping say 5mm for the sides and a solid piece running throught the middle for the neck pocket pups etc. Oh and I hope you don't mind me copying it

Long hair, Ha i'd just like hair