Roger Williams - Guitar Luthier

Construction Method

• Preparation
• Prepare Neck
• Assemble Heel block
• Shape & Finish Headstock
• Assemble Heel & Neck Shaft
• Finish Heel
• Prepare Front
• Finish Front
• Prepare Back
• Finish Back
• Prepare Sides
• Finish Sides
• Prepare to Assemble
• Glue-up Assembly
• Prepare to fit Back
• Fit Back
• Bind the Body
• Prepare the Fingerboard
• Finish the Fingerboard
• Make the Classical Bridge
• Position & fit Bridge
• Finish the fingerboard & Neck
• Finish wood surfaces
• Lacquer Finishing
• Final Fitting

Preparation

• Establish design and define spec.

• Start a “Build Record”

• Select materials for major components and decide decoration

• Retrieve any oversize material for other use e.g. bindings from sides  [Top]

Prepare Neck

• Select Neck blank and saw into Neck-shaft and Heel-pieces

• Square up Neck-shaft (thin to 25 mm if necessary)

• Saw (scarf cut) Head-stock from Neck-shaft piece

• True gluing faces

• Glue Head-stock to Neck-shaft

• Flatten top of Neck-shaft.

• True-up top of Head-stock flat

• Knife mark centre-line to top, nut back and front and body-join.

• Mark and rout Neck re-enforcement slot

• Prepare Neck re-enforcement

• Epoxy the Neck re-enforcement

• Glue the ply cover and plane the cover and neck dead flat  [Top]

Assemble Heel block

• Number and cut Heel-pieces to size

• Flatten gluing surfaces

• Glue Heel-pieces together  [Top]

Shape & Finish Headstock

• Join and thickness Headstock veneer(s).

• Shoot Head-stock angle on front edge (Single veneer only)

• Dowel and glue Head-stock veneer and trim overhang

• Scrape and sand Head-stock veneer

• Mark Nut-width and +reduce neck width to +2 mm each side of nut

• Mark Head-stock and Neck C/L and Head-stock shape (knife)

• Cut the Headstock outline (+ 1 mm)

• Mark depth and rout back of Headstock to thickness (nominal 20 mm - check tuners)

• Final shape the Headstock outline (belt + drum sander)

• Re-mark C/L to underside

• Mark Tuner hole positions;  mark and drill end-holes for the slots

• Drill the roller holes (10.2 mm x 35 mm deep, c’bore 11.0 mm x10 mm deep)

• Rout the slots

• Check fit of tuners and relieve holes if required

• Shape and ramp the slots

• Cut Nut back-face (if needed)  [Top]

Assemble Heel and Neck-shaft

• Flatten gluing faces and glue Heel-block to Neck-shaft

• Mark centre-line on base of heel block and mark width-to-cut (Join width +2mm)

• Band-saw heel (++) and neck-shaft (2+) to width;  clean-up sides of Heel

• Reduce neck block height to depth at peak of Slipper-Heel

• Mark Heel-Neck side profile and scribe front of Nut and Join

• Cut inner and outer Heel shapes.  [Top]

Finish Heel

• Mark wedge-slot widths at top and base of Heel with knife

• Saw wedge slots to depth; saw across top of neck for Soundboard recess

• Remove waste

• Mark and cut Inner-heel widths (taper-cut on band-saw)

• Finish inner Heel

• Gouge trough in front of Heel (F9 1/2) and under F1 (++)

• Thin the Neck between troughs (++)

• Scribe precise widths of Neck at body-join on top and base of heel

• Shape outer Heel ramps and finish on Neck/Heel width.  (+ at top of Neck)

• Finish Heel shape (side-view)

• Make trough at Heel into “neck-profile”

• Carve outer Heel primary facets (++)

• Carve secondary facets

• Carve and sand outer heel to near-final shape

• Finish outer Heel that butts to Sides (on-size at base, + at Fingerboard face)  [Top]

Prepare Front

• Clean-up, match grain and join the Front plates

• Mark and cut to the template outline

• Select top and thickness-sand top face

• Select Rosette

• Mark C/L and Sound-hole centre

• Position and tack Rosette;  scribe round Rosette

• Cut Rosette channels

• Inlay the Rosette

• Scrape and sand Rosette

• Cut Sound-hole part through

• Scrape and sand outer surface of Front to finish (240)

• Thickness-sand inner face of front, and fan braces, reinforcements etc. (see spec.)

• Graduate thickness of Front  [Top]

Finish Front

• Select the Front Brace-blanks and cut to size and length +10 mm

• Plane and sand the Braces to size

• Plane the curvature on front and waist bars

• Glue reinforcements and flat plates to Front

• Glue Fan-braces, cut-off bars and small braces to Front

• Shape Fan -braces

• Cut through and remove Sound-hole

• Glue Fingerboard and waist bars to front to Front

• Shape Front bracing

• Tune the top  [Top]

Prepare Back

• Clean-up plates and select outer faces.

• Join the Back plates

• Mark and cut Back to the template outline (+ 5 mm)

• Thickness-sand outer face

• Scrape and sand outer surface of Back to finish

• Thickness the Back inner-surface  [Top]

Finish Back

• Select the Brace-blanks and cut to size and length +10 mm

• Plane and sand the Braces to size

• Plane the curvature on each bar (sand to fit in hollow form)

• Cut, shape and glue Back-seam re-enforcement

• Mark and rout for Back decoration

• Glue and scrape Back decoration

• Shape, sand and relieve Back-seam re-enforcement at Brace positions

• Glue Braces to the Back

• Shape bracing (scallop later)  [Top]

Prepare Sides

• Select Heel and Tail, inner faces and top edges and mark.

• Thickness-sand the outer faces

• Scrape and sand outer-faces of Sides to finish;  remark outer faces

• Thickness-sand inner-faces to finished size  [Top]

Finish Sides

• Shoot soundboard edges of Sides

• Mark Side template outline and trim to size

• Set-up building fixture (pillars and curvature template)

• Bend Sides and clamp into fixture  [Top]

Prepare to Assemble

• Make:  Wedges, Tail block, Tentellones, Kerfed back lining, Top Brace-end side struts, Side stiffeners

• Check Neck-angle and make F1 plate (Neck-angle + rise in curvature)

• Mark centre-line on inner face of front and sand outline to fit into fixture

• Relieve brace-ends for Side thickness

• Mark and cut Sides at Heel and Tail to fit into Heel slots and fixture

• Fit the Wedges to the Neck and actual Sides and cut to length (- 3mm)

• Place Front face down in fixture

• Align Neck on centreline

• Assemble sides and wedges and check fit

• Mark heel and Tail-block heights on sides

• Reduce height of sides at Heel and Tail  [Top]

Glue-up Assembly

• Glue Neck onto Front (rubber wedge under soundboard)

• Glue Sides into slots and (lightly) drive-in Wedges

• Clamp sides to posts and down to Front

• Align and glue Tail-block.

• Glue Brace-end Side-braces

• Glue in the Tentellones  [Top]

Prepare to fit Back

• Saw-off wedges

• Mark side profile from template; plane to line

• Reduce Heel and Tail blocks to height (watch angles!)

• Glue taper-block to slipper-heel if required

• Plane and Sand to shape with Hollow-Form

• Glue linings to the sides

• Glue Side stiffeners

• Sign and date the Front inside  [Top]

Fit Back

• Check fit of Bridge-gluing caul on Front

• Plane and Sand Sides/Linings to fit Back curvature (hollow-form)

• Centre Back on assembly and mark Brace-ends and Kerfing

• Cut back the braces ends to fit side thickness

• Scallop the Back-braces

• Relieve cross-banding at Heel and Tail-blocks

• Notch the linings to accept the brace ends

• Glue the Back onto the assembly  [Top]

Bind the Body

• Plane, scrape and sand Front and Back edges flush with Sides

• Sand any flats from Sides

• Select Binding materials and glue bindings (if required) and scrape to size

• Bend Bindings

• Determine Binding ledge sizes

• Mark Binding ledges with cutting gauge

• Rout and level the binding ledges

• Cut ledge for the Tail-graft

• Cut Binding recesses at Heel

• Make and glue Tail-graft and purfling

• Trim Tail-graft to height; allow for mitres

• Cut Bindings to length and chamfer inner and outer edges.  Check fit

• Mitre end graft and binding and glue and tape in place

• Glue and tape the Bindings

• Scrape the bindings flush

• Shape and glue heel-cap  [Top]

Prepare the Fingerboard

• Select the Fingerboard and gluing surface

• Mark top with outline, best centreline, Nut and end of Fingerboard positions.

• Mark width (2+;  less bindings if bound Fingerboard) and cut to size

• Plane scrape and sand gluing surface

• Thickness-sand to final thickness  [Top]

Finish & Glue Fingerboard

• Drill Fingerboard underside for screws and attach to slot-sawing carrier

• Saw the fret slots

• Taper the Fingerboard to final width

• Cut and true Fingerboard at nut and end slots

• Bind the Fingerboard

• Prepare Nut blank to size

• Fit Fingerboard against Nut

• Shape the Sound-hole end of the Fingerboard

• Align Fingerboard on neck and drill dowel holes

• Flatten Soundboard under Fingerboard

• Check Bridge height obtained

• Glue the Fingerboard to the neck

• Remove waste from sides of neck shaft flush with Fingerboard  [Top]

Make the Classical Bridge

• Measure required Bridge height and establish Bridge size

• Select billet.  Select glue face, top and front edges; mark outline.

• Flatten gluing surface (base) and mark

• Plane front square to base and mark

• Saw and plane to width

• Thin blank to required thickness (allow for curvature)

• Shape underside to exact fit of top.

• Mark centre-line, Bridge Saddle slot, tie-block and string-holes

• Centre-pop and drill string-holes

• Trim ends to length and square-off

• Rout saddle slot, tie-block etc.

• Remove waste & shape final plan contours

• Drill 3 mm location-dowel holes in saddle slot

• Finish and polish outer faces and wings  [Top]

Position & Fit Bridge

• Mask Front

• Locate the bridge (saddle position) on the soundboard

• Attach and lay-out outer string lines

• Confirm saddle position and correct compensation.

• Clamp in place & scribe the bridge location

• Drill two location-dowel holes through Front

• Final fit bridge to top

• Make dowels and glue into Bridge

• Apply thin film of glue to Soundboard at Bridge position  [Top]

Finish the Fingerboard & Neck

• Surface the Fingerboard, add relief and sand

• Clean and check depths of fret slots

• Decorate the Fingerboard

• Fret the Fingerboard

• Profile and polish frets and Fingerboard surface

• Finish Neck shaping  [Top]

Finish Wood Surfaces

• Sequence:- Headstock, Neck/Heel, Back, Sides, Front, Bindings, Sound-hole.

• Fill in random gaps with stick shellac or cryo/sawdust

• Fill end-gaps under frets

• Initial sanding (240) (only hold with gloves from now !!)

• Chamfer and round the bindings, Sound-hole, Head-stock and Fingerboard edges

• Final sanding (320)

• Raise grain on spruce/cedar

• Sand again to 320  [Top]

Lacquer Finishing

• Mask Fingerboard and Bridge area

• Apply two wash-coats of lacquer all over; lightly sand and inspect for flaws and correct them

• Apply base-coats of lacquer and let dry two days

• Flat-out completely with 360 W&D used dry; clean-off

• Apply Body-coats of lacquer and let dry two days

• Flat-out with 600 W&D used dry; clean-off

• Apply Finish-coats of lacquer and let dry seven days

• Flat-out with 600 and 1200 W&D used wet; clean-off

• Polish  [Top]

Final Fitting

• Remove masking and clean-up the Fingerboard

• Remove lacquer from Bridge area

• Check Bridge alignment and glue-on Bridge

• Make and fit Saddle to slot

• Measure finished Bridge and Saddle height required and modify bridge-height if required

• Bevel lacquer on any corners and fitting areas

• Fit tuning machines

• Fit Nut and Saddle

• String-up

• Set action at Nut and Saddle.  Check intonation.

• Polish and oil Fingerboard

• Apply maker's label

• Final polish

• Re-string and tune  [Top]