You may think that building a guitar is beyond your skill. With patience and perseverance, it may come as a surprise that you built one. It does require time and several steps for a project to complete. But, you are sure to be happy with the outcome.
A. Acoustic Guitar
Materials used
• Wood (Sitka Spruce or Cedar for top and Rosewood or Claro Walnut for back and sides)
• Lemon oil
• Sealer
• Sandpaper
• Clamps
• Rotary tool and router
• Circle cutter
Instructions
Step 1.
Join the sound board and back wood together with a glue and secure with clamps. Sand the edges until they end up flat. Sand the wood to its thickness: 2.5 mm for the top and 3 mm for the bottom wood. Repeat the process with the side wood until you reach the proper thickness.
Step 2.
Mark the sound hole center on the top board, fix with a tack, then drill a pilot hole. Do the same for the scrap plywood and set up the attachment for the inside diameter of the rosewood and rosette.
Cut the outside diameter, the inside diameter, all the materials in between then cut the sound hole. You can now glue the rosette inlay on the inside diameter. Next, place the strip inlay on the back of the guitar to cover the seam.
Step 3.
Trace the bracing pattern on the back side of the bottom and top body, measure for accuracy, use clamps then glue the bracing.
Step 4.
The mold fixture holds the top, sides, and back of the guitar together. Make the mold with two sheets of plywood separated by spacers.
Soak the wood in water and steam before bending the sides. When done, carefully clamp the first side into the mold fixture and continue with the other side. Let dry for a few days. Trim the side to its length and glue with the neck and bottom block.
Step 5.
Soak the strips in water for several hours for more flexibility then work on the kerfing slots. Glue the strips on the edge of one side of the guitar, making sure they protrude by 1 mm. Clamp with clothespins every one-half inch to hold the strip in place. Do the same with the other side. Trim the protruding strips so they run flush with the sides.
Step 11.
Cut the panel wood which covers the neck block mortise, then dry-fit. Mark the place for the two holes on the neck’s tenon and the neck block, drill the holes in the tenon and check for fit. Drill clearance holes in the neck block for the bolts. Embed the truss rod in the neck and cut the rod to length and thread.
Step 12.
Assemble the body starting with the top side. Lay the body sides on the sideboard’s back with center lines aligned. Mark the places where the bracing meets the kerfing and cut any protruding bracing. Repeat the process with the bottom part.
Step 14.
To attach the neck, cut the neck’s butt to length then trace the shape into three pieces of wood. Next, lay out the location of the tuning pegs, mark the hole locations, and drill the pilot holes. Check for fit, and then apply the stain.
Step 15.
With your pre-slotted fret board, cut and match with the neck profile. Bind the sides with glue, clamp to the fret board, and level the binding with sandpaper.
Step 16.
For the fret wire, cut each fret to length with 1/8” to spare. Make a slight bevel on each slot and tap the wire down to hold it in place. Next, trim the wires flush with the fret board binding. When all is done, attach the fret board to the neck.
Step 17.
Before attaching the bridge, measure the distance from the nuts and the spread of strings across the fret board. Set the bridge on the sound board with the saddle. Check for action height by with a string held from the nut to the saddle. Do the same for all the strings.
Step 18.
Apply finishing coats, doing light sanding with each layer. Apply several coats until you are satisfied with the finish. Let dry for a few days.
B. Electric Guitar
Tools and Materials
• Router and router bits
• Drill and drill bits
• Jig saw
• Clamps
• Soldering iron and solder
• Flux and wire
Parts and Electronics
• Premade neck
• Body blank
• Bridge
• String ferrules
• Tuners
• Screws
• Ferrules
• Pick up and rings
• Plastic
• Control knobs
• Potometers
• Capacitors
• Input jack
• Control switch
Instructions
Before working on your guitar, it is best to know the scale length. To determine the scale length, you can do it manually or use a Fret Calculator. Also, you will prevent errors by pre-planning the design concept and doing it on paper. When done, lay it on a poster board and draw the body shape. You can then plot out the pieces and cut the poster board. This now is your template. For the template you may use a hard board, but acrylic lasts longer.
Step 1.
Once the template is done, you can start with routing the edge, the neck pocket, and the body cavities. When routing, be careful to stay within the lines.
Step 2.
You can now drill the holes and shape the body. Drill holes on the neck, bridge, ferrules, pick up rings, cavity, and control plate using your hand drill. Make sure you have the right size bit that would fit the screws. And, when drilling the neck hold it in place with a clamp.
Step 3.
Shape the body following your template. Shape the body with different types of sander: belt sander for the arm contour, dremel tool for the curve under the neck, a 6 inch sanding disc for the body contour, and a mouse sander for the neck area.
Step 4.
Test fit all parts to check if everything fits before you prep and paint the body.
Step 5.
Plug the pores with a wood filler to prep the body using a plastic spreader. When the filler dries, sand the body to make for an even flat surface. Use your hand to sand hard to reach areas and the rounded edges. Repeat the process if you still see pores and gaps. Remove the dust with a tack cloth.
Step 6.
If you plan to use lacquer for a finish, do not mix it with water-based paint as this results to a cracked finish. Use instead the lacquer based paint. Spray on a tack coat and wait for 45 minutes before spraying the thicker coats. Be sure to hold the can six to eight inches from the body when spraying with paint. Let the paint dry for a few days.
Step 7.
You can now assemble everything, including the wiring and electronics. Start by bolting the neck, followed by the tuners, bridge, and pick up with wires in place.
Having succeeded in building one guitar, you may want to build more. And with each guitar made, your expertise grows. So is the challenge to move on to more challenging projects.
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