Part 2: How I make a guitar
A couple of pre-glued pieces are chosen for the two body parts-
these are both Douglas fir, reclaimed from eighty year old roof rafters.
Both pieces, the body and center plate, are rough sawn to shape...
... and finished using a template and flush trim router bit.
I make a large component cavity in the body by first drilling out most of the material...
... and again finishing with the router.
Once more to the drill press for the output jack cavity on the bottom edge of the body.
The three main pieces about half way finished.
I use a template to cut a very shallow neck pocket...
... and I cut through both the center plate and body at the same time.
Look ma, a hand tool! Cleaning out the corners of the pocket.
Neck fits perfectly.
Initial location of the bridge using a template and careful measurements.
Drill the string ferrule and piezo adjustment screw holes.
Start to shape the body with a grinder...
... smooth out the grinder marks with a bladder sander...
... and finish with sandpaper. Depending on how hard the wood is,
the entire shaping / sanding operation can take several hours.
Black stain makes the grain pop on this Douglas fir. I always stain or paint the front of the body
before the neck is glued on to get a perfectly clean neck joint.
Time to glue - typically an epoxy glue here..
... screw the neck in place...
... and plug the screws with bungs. I stain or paint the back after the bungs are sanded flush.
Neck and body are now as one, and never the twain shall part.
With the neck and body glued together, time for final placement of the bridge on the center plate.
The center plate can now be cut and shaped in the same manner as the body,
starting the pick-up holes.
Holes and electronic cavities are finished...
... time for the same old grinder / sander routine.
All pieces ready for oil.
I use my own oil formula, but it is about the same as Danish oil, or polymerized linseed oil.
It takes a few days for the oil finish to harden up, this is a good time to spin the pick-ups.
Soak the pick-ups in wax.
After the oil is dry, a final high polish for the frets.
Paint the cavities with conductive shielding paint.
Wire it up.
Test the electronics.
Final assembly.
String it up, cut the nut and tune it.
Another beautiful guitar.