1st acoustic guitar build - video added 3/15/24

[difalkner]

I wasn't certain where to post this so mods please move if needed.  I took a ton of photos during this build but I certainly won't bore you with all those and I have a few videos but none in presentation form.  The build is well documented and I may do a video compilation one day if I have time.

I've mentioned this many times over the last couple of years and it's finally to a point where I can post photos.  Over the last 30 years or so I have replaced tops, backs, done fret jobs, inlay, glued braces and lining, refinished, made bridges, saddles, and nuts, replaced tuners, and all kinds of repairs, etc. but this is the first guitar I've built from scratch. 

I cut all the wood for this including resawing the back/sides/top, cutting the binding and bracing from lumber or billets, etc.  Along the way I've designed and built my own modular cantilever side bending fixture that will accommodate sizes from Jumbo down to 0, possibly smaller like a Ukulele. I'll post photos of the side bending fixture later and also built all the forms, fixtures, templates, and jigs for the build.  I started the build a couple of years ago just working an hour in the evening, sometimes two, and some on weekends, but I put it aside and didn't touch it for about 8 months.

I'll tell you ahead of time that it sounds good, is bright, has great sustain, and plays very easily with good action.  But it may be a while before I make a video of it being played.

Back and sides - Honduras Mahogany
Top and bracing - Sitka Spruce
Neck - African Mahogany with Maple and Honduras Mahogany center pieces 
Headstock, rosette, arm bevel, heel cap, and tail wedge - Walnut burl
Headstock inlay - Zebrawood
Fingerboard, bridge - East Indian Rosewood
Binding, purfling - Zebrawood and Maple
Sound port lining - Macassar Ebony
Solid lining - Honduras Mahogany
Side braces - Honduras Mahogany
Finish - Shellac (French polish), measured just over 1 mil at the bridge

The neck is bolted on and I devised a way for it to be completely removable.  It can go from tuned to pitch to neck off in about 5 minutes.  In the week that the guitar has been tuned to pitch it is holding its tuning as good as my other guitars.  The intonation still needs some minor tweaking but I'll play it a while before working on it again. 

Assuming I like it enough to play in church I'll install a K&K Pure Mini pickup.  If I decide to just play it at home and with friends I'll save the pickup for a future guitar.

In the meantime, here are a few photos of the build and some of the finished guitar. 
Back bracing with Padauk glue strip -

Top bracing -

Gluing the back in place -

Finished guitar.  I didn't want a super high gloss finish but rather decided to do an old world vintage patina.  Nothing against the super high gloss finishes but I have 5 guitars with high gloss finish and wanted this one to be different.  Now that I've done it this way I like it even better than I thought I would.

So feel free to comment, ask questions, critique.  I have about 1,500 photos of the build and good documentation but these few photos tell the story just fine, I think, so I'll spare you the copious extras.

Enjoy!
David

[Coop]

Super, super cool David. Well done! 

[wdwerker]

Definitely a cool project. I've never seen holes in the sides of a acoustic guitar before. Do they make it sound different or louder maybe ?

[difalkner]

That's a sound port and enables the player to better hear the instrument. Most of the sound is normally projected out of the sound hole and away from the player. But the sound port allows the player to hear without leaning over and further deadening the sound with his/her body (smothering the guitar inhibits vibration which kills sound).  There's a noticeable difference if you cover the sound port so I guess it works.

David

[wtnhighlander]

Beautiful instrument! I love the details you added, like the sound port and eased edge of the lower bout. Very nice!

[mat60]

Id give you 10 likes for this if I could.

[Mick S]

Beautiful job, David!

 

[RichardA]

Beautiful workmanship.  Damn well done.

[pkinneb]

Very nice! One question how did you make the bevel in the last pic?

[difalkner]

2 hours ago, pkinneb said:

Very nice! One question how did you make the bevel in the last pic?

Thank you!!  Honduras Mahogany veneered in Walnut burl -

Cutting a new line for the bevel and trying a test piece of Walnut burl -

Arm bevel profile -

Fitting the Zebrawood binding to the Walnut burl -

David

[pkinneb]

Thank you sir!! I was really curious how you did that. I don't nor do I have any ability to play but I still want to make a guitar some day.

[Tom King]

Awesome!!!!

[curlyoak]

Very fine work. Thanks for sharing!

[Coop]

I’m impressed. Great work! 

[Chet]

That is one fine looking project I like some of the details you added to make it better/unique.  I am very impressed.

[difalkner]

I realize this is an older thread but since this video pertains to the thread this is the best place to post it, even if I did complete the guitar almost 5 years ago (doesn't seem like it's been that long).  This is mostly about French polishing the top but there are some additional photos and the video is short, less than 3 minutes long.

 

 

[difalkner]

I had the honor getting to hear Doyle Dykes play my first guitar this week; gotta' say it was pretty cool. I may never play it again, though! LOL!

[wtnhighlander]

That IS cool! Dikes is a fantastic guitarist.

[Coop]

Yep, that is cool! What were his comments? 

[difalkner]

On 3/8/2024 at 7:24 PM, wtnhighlander said:

That IS cool! Dikes is a fantastic guitarist.

He's not only a fantastic guitarist but a truly nice guy.  Even during his little concert during a particularly fast run on one song he looked at me and said, "Whew, David, that was fast!" and never missed a beat - we just laughed (men's event at a local church, about 70 people there and we sat front and center about 10' away).

On 3/8/2024 at 7:39 PM, Coop said:

Yep, that is cool! What were his comments? 

He played it for about 5 minutes and his first comment was that he really liked the finish, asked what it was.  I told him French polish and that's what he thought it was, said again that he loved the finish.  He liked the arm bevel and sound port, too.  After playing he simply said, "Nice, really nice."  He asked how many I had built and I told him that was the first one; he said he's played guitars from guys who had built 50 that didn't play or sound this good.  He was very complimentary.

After his concert he made it a point to find me and tell me again how much he enjoyed my guitar and thanked me for letting him play it, to which I replied that the honor was mine.  

[difalkner]

I decided to upload the short video of Doyle playing my guitar.  For now, this video is unlisted meaning you'll need the link to see it; it won't show up on my channel page though I may change that later to make it public. 

 

[Von]

Impressive all around.

[difalkner]

On 3/16/2024 at 8:37 AM, Von said:

Impressive all around.

Thank you so much!  Given the room and iPhone recording it did sound pretty good, but then again, look who's playing - he's a master for certain. 

[Coop]

I think the two compliment each other! 

[difalkner]

On 3/17/2024 at 12:38 AM, Coop said:

I think the two compliment each other! 

Thank you, Coop!  It's about 90% Doyle, though.