Well last year I decided that buying pre-made parts and painting them isn't really building a guitar so I decided to try my hands at building acoustics. My first build is like usual, fraught with perils and screwups. Well I successfully completed my first build but it still had blemishes (improperly positioned bridge so I had to reposition and that left ugly marks) My second build had perils but it works out somewhat. The second build is being done almost from scratch. That means I get a back and side set, a top set, rectangular pieces of wood that had to be cut to make braces, rectangular pieces of Sapele for necks (I ordered two so I can make heel blocks), and whatever other parts like peghead veneer and truss rods and frets and fretboard (pre-slotted) to make the guitar out of. So far I joined the back and top, bent the side, and braced the back and fabricated braces for the top. I will shape them tomorrow then glue it on. First top I thinned it too much and had to order another set from Stewmac (good thing soundboard wood is inexpensive) and routed and inlayed the rosette. I will also machine the tenon into the heel block before actually gluing it to the side, the neck will not be fabricated until the body is complete. I need the body first to fit the neck (various final dimension like heel height and stuff that could vary as I sand the side in the radius dish, and neck angle as well) . I hope this build turn out to be better than my first one. I am using bubinga as back and side and Englemann Spruce as top. I like Bubinga because it's inexpensive and it looks great (almost koa-like without the curl) and it's inexpensive but they're very hard to machine... moderately hard to bend. Neck is Sapele because they're inexpensive and not on any stupid CITES or whatever restriction. Fretboard and bridge will be ebony. I will use curly maple binding as well as tail wedge. Here are a few pictures... I am sorry I don't have more pictures of the process... I get busy enough working.
