Walnut and cedar OM acoustic guitar

Walnut back and Western red cedar top.  It will be the smaller profile, an Orchestra model size instead of the Dreadnought size.

Fitting guitar sides to the classical neck

The traditional classical guitar sides are fitted into slots in the neck, which makes the whole guitar a single, indivisible unit once the top and back are attached.

Rosette making, side bending - short scale flamenco guitar

A side form made of mdf with fence staples, carriage bolts, and some other stuff.

The rosette plank jig and some of the planks that go into a rosette log.

Making a classical guitar rosette

A pattern is mapped out on a ten by eight grid.  Then each 10 piece layer is glued together using colored sticks.  After all eight layers are created, they are glued together in order, creating a log of mosaic tiles.  The log is sliced into tiles a little thicker than 1mm.

Side slots and the neck profile are cut.

Santos fretboard on a Spanish cedar classical neck

Santos mahogany is harder than rosewood and rings like japanese bells.

flamenco guitar neck construction

Some Spanish cedar lumber came in today, so the neck of the Jose Ramirez I youth guitar can start.

Freeform guitar neck heel glueup

Because the guitar is being made from one slab of walnut, every piece has to be utilized, since there is no extra wood to waste.  So the heel stack is made of different sized blocks.  As it is, the heel is 3 7/16" tall, but another block will make it 4 1/4", which is tall enough to be trimmed down to final size.  Also, a heel cap is not necessary since the wood is so beautiful.

Planning out the guitar neck

After a little sanding, the 15 degree scarf is cut at the neck end.  The scarf is leveled and squared, then laid together to look at the scarf joint fit.
Some other parts were cut, including the fretboard. heel material, maple veneer and binding.

Walnut and maple guitar neck

In order to get the width needed for a guitar neck and to provide stability, the stock was ripped 1 1/4" wide and glued together with a 1/4" maple strip in the center.

Claro Walnut small body guitar back and sides

Here's some figured claro walnut cut up for a guitar.  Back, sides, neck, veneer and binding out of one billet.  I used a 1/2" woodslicer blade from Highland Hardware.

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Left handed cutaway baby dreadnought acoustic guitar

The bridge is glued on and the saddle and nut are cut and adjusted.
After curing up overnight, the guitar will be brought up to correct intonation to be played and further adjusted.
The neck is bolted on but not glued yet, it needs a heel cap, and the body will get a rubdown with rottenstone.  Then it will be completed.

French polish

After rubbing on a few coats, FFFF pumice is used in a slurry of alcohol and the applicator.  Rubbing the finish in a circular motion, the shellac is rubbed off and forced into the grain.  Afterwards, more coats of shellac followed by rubbing with only alcohol in the applicator to smooth out the finish.