ACOUSTIC — BUILD TIMELINE

How the acoustic came together.

Start to finish, in the order it actually happened. It took 100+ hours to build, under the guidance of Chicago luthier Bruce Roper.

  1. Stage One

    Choosing the wood

    I used sitka spruce for the top and sapele for the back and sides. I chose them for their vibrant colors and quilting patterns, and for their classic usage in some of my favorite historical acoustic guitars.

    Rough guitar wood boards taped and stacked in the workshop

  2. Stage Two

    Planing and marking the wood

    I planed the wood down to an even thickness, then marked out the body shape on it. The shape is based on a 1930s Gibson-style parlor guitar.

    Sitka spruce top halves with the parlor guitar body shape drawn in pencilSapele back inside the body mold with the sides bent around it

  3. Stage Three

    Cutting out the top and back

    After bonding the wood together, I carefully used a bandsaw to loosely cut out the shape of the back and sides.

    Sapele back and spruce top cut to shape on the workbench

  4. Stage Four

    Designing and installing the rosette

    Then, I carved out a canyon in the wood and installed a rosette that I had designed. The rosette is made of a fake turtle-shell material salvaged from a bracelet, along with some wood that was dyed blue.

    Rosette channel carved into the spruce top with the rosette ring set in placeSpruce top with the finished rosette and soundhole cut out

  5. Stage Five

    Carving and installing braces

    From the leftover spruce, I carved braces for the top and back. Then, each brace was carefully placed and glued into its spot on the body.

    Spruce brace stock clamped upright over the guitar back in the workshopCarved spruce braces laid out on the guitar top before gluing

  6. Stage Six

    Installing the bridge plate

    After the brace glue finished drying, I carved out a small wooden plate to go under the top to provide more support for the soon-to-be-added bridge.

    Braced spruce top with the dark bridge plate positioned beneath the X-brace

  7. Stage Seven

    Making and bending the sides

    Next, I took some of the sapele and soaked it in water to soften the fibers. Once the wood was completely waterlogged, I bent it using a nearly red-hot metal cylinder, which caused the wood to stay bent as the water evaporated. To ensure the wood's shape was correct, I then clamped the sides and left them overnight in a shape mold.

    Bent sapele side standing in the body mold on the workbenchSapele sides clamped into the body mold overnight

  8. Stage Eight

    Binding and bonding the body

    Now that all the body sections were complete, I added wooden binding strips to all the edges. Then, I glued and clamped the whole thing together.

    Braced spruce top and kerfed sides assembled into the guitar body on the workbenchGuitar body glued and clamped in the workshop with tools on the wall behind

  9. Stage Nine

    Trimming the body

    After everything had dried, it was time to trim off the excess wood.

    Assembled guitar body standing on the workbench with pencil marks around the edgesTrimming the excess wood from the guitar body edge with a handheld router

  10. Stage Ten

    The neck pt. 1

    Using the other board of sapele, I cut out the shape of the neck in thirds.

    Sapele neck board on the workbench beside the assembled guitar bodyThree sapele neck sections cut to shape and laid out on a towel

  11. Stage Eleven

    The neck pt. 2

    After cutting the pieces, I clamped and glued them together. Then, a space was routed in the center for the truss rod.

    Neck pieces glued and clamped together on the workbenchGlued sapele neck blank with a channel routed down the center for the truss rod

  12. Stage Twelve

    The fingerboard

    I then installed each fret individually onto a piece of rosewood.

    Rosewood fingerboard with fret slots cut, resting on a workshop matRosewood fingerboard with frets installed, clamped near the saw

  13. Stage Thirteen

    The neck pt. 3

    Now it was time to finish the neck by installing the truss rod and then gluing the finished fingerboard onto the neck. It was glued, clamped, and left for several days to ensure it was completely dry.

    Fingerboard glued and clamped to the sapele neck on the workbench

  14. Stage Fourteen

    Making it beautiful

    After the neck was complete, it was time to add external binding to the body and add a small, differently colored piece of wood to the bottom for the strap pin to screw into.

    Guitar body taped up along the edges while the binding glue setsDarker wood wedge inlaid at the bottom of the body for the strap pin

  15. Stage Fifteen

    Sanding, sanding, and more sanding

    Once the glue had dried, it was time to sand the whole body down to a smooth finish.

    Sanded sapele side of the body with cream binding along the edgeSmooth sanded spruce top standing on the workbench

  16. Stage Sixteen

    Finishing the body

    Wood varnish was then applied to seal the pores and give the instrument a beautiful shimmer. The sapele was chosen specifically for its famous, vibrant patterns, visible after the varnish is applied.

    Varnished sapele back showing vibrant grain patterns in the workshop

  17. Stage Seventeen

    The headstock

    Next, I glued a piece of rosewood to the top of the neck and slowly carved it by hand into the desired shape. Then holes were drilled for the string posts before the neck was varnished.

    Rosewood headstock carved to shape on the workbenchVarnished headstock with holes drilled for the string posts

  18. Stage Eighteen

    The bridge

    I then carved the bridge out of leftover wood from the body. Like many other steps in the process, this one also ended in some glue and clamps.

    Hand holding the carved wooden bridge with string holes drilledBridge glued and clamped to the spruce top of the guitar body

  19. Stage Nineteen

    Finishing touches

    Now it was time for the last few steps. The neck was bolted onto the body, and I designed an inlay for the headstock based on my initials. I also designed a truss rod cover, which I carved out of plastic. Then I installed a pickup, jack, nut, and strap pins.

    Headstock with the initials inlay being fittedHand-carved plastic truss rod coverFinished headstock with tuners, nut, strings, and truss rod cover installedBolted neck joint and strap pin on the finished sapele body

  20. Stage Twenty

    The guitar (at last)

    At last, after 100+ hours and months of work, the guitar was done.

    The finished acoustic guitar laid out on a patterned rug