There’s some decent inexpensive kit guitars out there that don’t require more than an IKEA-level handyman, and some basic tools you’ve probably already got lying around the house.
Take a look around and you’ll be surprised what you’ll find. Stewmac has a simple cigar box kit going for ~$100 right now. Not a shill, they just have quality stuff. You can definitely find stuff much cheaper on eBay and the like, but Stewmac has great customer service and guarantees all of their products. Plus they have a surplus of reference videos and articles on their site that can guide you through the toughest dovetail.
Awesome! What kind of body wood are you using? Also, what sort of bracing pattern do you plan to follow?
Hope you can find the time to make some dust soon, and make sure to document your progress to share with the rest of the class!
I highly recommend working through the process at least once. There’s a lot guitar building can teach you about woodworking in general, but my favorite part is learning about the crazy custom tools, jigs and fixtures that different luthiers use to achieve essentially the same goal.
Continued from previous posts. As usual, it took longer than expected, but here are the rims all bent and blocked up. Next steps will be getting the tops and backs all braced up and voiced. After that I’ll install the kerfed lining and side braces, do some final bowl sanding, notch the lining and finally put the boxes together. Simple as that.
Should have more to share in the coming weeks.
Thanks for the support! Happy to answer any questions!
Steel string flat tops. Standard X-bracing for the most part.
Just wait til I show off my buttwedge
They’re all guitars.
From left to right: OM, slope shoulder OO, slope shoulder dread.
Those “corners” are tabs for machining. Location references for other jobs later on.
Bubinga, Plum, and Walnut (yes it’s 4 pieces; I had to get creative and it’s getting color so you’ll never notice 😄)
Bubinga, Plum, and Walnut (yes it’s 4 pieces; I had to get creative and it’s getting color so you’ll never notice 😄)
Thanks! I’m hoping to get the rims bent this week, and hopefully blocked up. Maybe if I say it on the internet then it’ll actually happen…
Gladly! It’s been a long time since I’ve had any work to share, so it’ll be great to have a community to share it with again!
It’s all Sitka. Back and sides to follow.
Everything is Sitka. Back and sides will follow shortly. I’m what you might call a professional.
I believe the suspect that the police have identified was a firearms instructor at a military base down in Saco.
I haven’t read anything about it, so I can’t say for sure, but I work in the Lewiston area and I’ve heard both the bowling alley and bar to be more “local” oriented businesses.
The Walmart distribution center is a weird one though, because it’s not really a store front.
Whatever his motivations are, it breaks my heart to see it happen in our neck of the woods.
As someone in New England whose extended family lives on the Idaho/Montana border, I’d remain blissfully boned for travel options.
Otherwise, love the design.
Sounds like an incredible build. I love when folks use wood with a story to it.