High grade European Spruce
Cut- away side in the bending form. Always a little nervous bending these tight radiuses
Top joined
Back joined
Nice set of Indian Rosewood
Sides thicknessed to around 2 mm. cutaway down to around 1.8 mm
Sides bent . Top and back thickness sanded close to final dimensions. 3.1mm and 2.5mm respectively
Queensland Maple neck blank. Should be seasoned by now. 🙂
Back side of body tapered 19mm from tail to neck join. Time to glue in the neck block and tail block
Neck block glued in.
Tail block glued
Linings being glued in for the back. They provide gluing surface area to attach the back plate and extra support for the sides
Kerfed linings installed
Back is sanded to a 15 ft radius using this concave sanding disc..
15 ft radius..
Back plate channel routed for zipper back strip.
Back strip glued in go bar deck.
Decorative zipper back strip installed and leveled.
Back center reinforcing strip glued in
Back braces marked to follow 15 ft radius of back plate. This curve will be planed and sanded to fit the curve of the dish.
Back center reinforcing strip cut to accept back braces.
Back braces glued to back plate in 15ft radius dish
Back braces carved and cut to length. The kerfed linings will be notched to fit snugly over the ends of the braces
Top routed for traditional herringbone rosette.
Rosette glued. A five kilo weight and some 6mm perspex hold it in place while it dries
X brace and upper transverse brace glued in. I glue the top braces on a flat surface. The humidity is very important at this stage and I try to maintain 40% or lower during this process.
Main top braces marked for trimming and notching of top kerfed lining.
Top bracing rough shaped before final tuning.
Back lining notched to accept brace ends.
Back plate taped in position on 15 ft radius dish ready for rim assembly to be glued.
Rim assembly glued to back plate in 15ft dish.
Inside of the back and sides coated with a thin coat of shellac. Ready for the top to be attached.
Pane of glass with sandpaper attached used to level the top kerfed lining.
The linings forward of the arrows have been sloped down 1,5mm to allow the fingerboard extension to transition smoothly to the body of the guitar
Top sealed with a coat of shellac. Ready to be glued.
Top plate glued and clamped in go bar deck.
Box closed . Starting to take shape now.
Box closed back view.
Sides sanded in preparation for routing the binding channel.
Neck rough cut and truss rod channel routed.
Sides are scored with a binding and purfling cutter prior to routing the channel.
Purfling cutter. Edges of top coated with shellac to prevent the binding tape pulling out the top grain.
Binding and purfling channel routed ready for flamed American Maple binding and traditional herringbone purfling.
Top binding and perfling installed
Binding and purfling installed back view.
Binding and purfling installed front view.
Body sanded . Ready for porefilling.
Back and sides porefilled using Timbermate water based filler. Messy but necessary part of the finishing process.
First coats of nitrocellulose lacquer sprayed front view.
Back view . Looking much better now.
Side view.
Neck drilled for 6 mm threaded metal inserts
Neck tennon cut .
Headstock thicknessed to close to final dimension.
rough shaping
checking neck angle. Plane of neck should project approx 3 mm above top at bridge location.
Sanding 16 inch radius to top of ebony fingerboard.
Locating pins installed in neck to stop fingerboard movement while gluing.
Fingerboard glued .
Ebony headplate glued.
Neck carved. Just need to install frets and drill tuner holes then finishing begins.
Finishing process has begun . On the homeward stretch now.
Spraying finished. Just need to leave the lacquer to dry some more before wet sanding and buffing.
Wet sanding body with 1200 grit wet and dry paper.
Bridge outline scribed on lacquer.
Lacquer carefully removed with micro chisel
Masking tape used to stop bridge from moving around when gluing.
Bridge glued.
Neck fitted and fingerboard extension glued to soundboard.
Strings on. Always an exciting event. Once it settles in for a few days the action will be adjusted and pickup installed.
Finally completed !!! . On its way to QLD tomorrow.
Szabadics Guitars 