Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm interested in hearing what everyone's building process is (mostly after the box is closed).
I'm curious if I'm doing some things like fretting, intonating, etc. out of order.

I'll take a shot

Bend sides and attach Rims
Join top
Cut soundhole in top & install rosette
Brace top
Join back
Brace back
Attach top to rims
Attach Back to Rims
install end graft
cut binding channels & install bindings
Rough shape neck
set neck angle & Cut M&T in neck & body
cut truss rod slot
Make & Install headplate
slot fretboard
install fretboard
Drill Tuner holes
Make bridge
bolt bridge to body
install frets from top of neck down to body
make nut
final shape neck
level fretboard
install tuners & string guitar
attach intonator to guitar to locate saddle
remove strings & tuners
cut saddle slot
make saddle
remove bridge and finish guitar body and neck
attach neck to guitar & glue fretboard extension
install frets over the body
crown and level frets
glue bridge
install tuners and strings
intonate guitar while shaping saddle
Final setup

_________________
Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."

That's a pretty good list Blain and better than I could do. I think that I am in the camp that just does what comes next and what comes next can vary widely.... perhaps that's the problem..

What I wanted to add to your very good list though is this: prior to any new guitar that I build I get out all of the materials and lean them on a wall on a bench in my shop and look at them for a couple of weeks. I try to do this before I am done building the current guitar so no time gets wasted.... If after a bit it looks like a guitar screaming to be built we try to make it happen. If something looks wrong say the bindings don't match in reality as well as they did in my vision others get laid out and looked at. I guess that for me it's a visualization process. Then I dive in.

My process is close to yours.
I join my tops at any time. Usually a long time before I have plans to use them. I don't join my backs in advance, since they may end up having a back strip, a wedge ect.

My first step is the fingerboard(slotted tapered and bound), especially with a cutaway. I'll use the fingerboard to locate everything. I don't use plans or templates, since every guitar is usually different. Having the actual fingerboard made helps keep me from calculating or measureing stuff wrong. I'll work on stuff like cutting out the neck blank, gluing up a lamanated neck, making a bridge ect while glue is drying on earlier stuff.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

Like Hesh said good choice there. I work in batches of 6 so maybe little different as I am organized in a unorganized way. At Bourgeois there was more of a process because each person had a main duty (mine bodies) but did other things also, IE: for me thickness plates, make braces for next weeks batch etc.

At Bill Moll's he is organized, but with just him and another person, going from one thing to another and bumping into each other often. As glue drying say in linings, might go to something that is going to be the next task also. It would appear unorganized, but with some planning and knowing what wanted or needed to was quite organized. You have to be with two guys doing 30 or more a year plus all the other stuff that has to be done. He may come up with a new idea for a tool, fixture, jig whatever that makes the process better and so running around on those projects also, plus repairs that need done. and when he had that job running on fumes for ASIA. Add in the phone calls from other builders, clients etc. He is the man. I went to college on working with him how do work a shop.

My thing is I am now in a smaller space so it is clean an hour work for an hour, then clean for the next part of projects.

Of course this list is just in generalities and leaves out lots of fine details and does not consider having to deal with issues that arise.

Thickness and profile sides
Rough thickness and back plates
Plane and joint top and back plates
Fabricate neck and tail block
Laminate neck structure
Rough shape neck profile
Plane neck/fretboard and peghead surface
Rout neck tenon, neck block mortise and truss rod channel
Shape neck and install peghead laminates
Drill tuner holes
Fabricate fretboard, slot and inlay
Bend sides and attach rims assembly
Install end graft
channel and install rosette
Scrape rosette flush
Fabricate rough braces and internal components
Fabricate bridge
Brace top and back
Carve and tune bracing
Attach Back to Rims
install makers label
Attach top to rims
cut binding channels & install bindings
preliminary neck set alignments and
Install fretboard to neck
Basic prep sand and scrape body
Attach fretboard to neck
Temp attach neck assembly and prelim level fretboard and second neck alignment check
Pore fill and spray body finis
press frets
make rough nut and saddle
Pore fill and apply neck finish
Rub out finish
Attach bridge
Final neck flossing
Level frets if needed
Final finish rub out and buff
temp Install tuners and strings (includes pin hole reaming)
Intonate and set up
remove hardware and final buff
Reinstall hardware double check set up and intonation

Thanks guys. Looks like I'm not too far off from being more productive.

Michael, great detailed schedule. I think I can see some areas where I can use what you have to save me some steps. Also, I didn't notice that I had put that I attach my top before I attach the back, but it's actually the opposite order.

I think I need to put the strings on a lot later in my schedule because I find it hard to take them back off to actually make a saddle. It's just too much fun hearing the guitars voice for the first few times. Or few hundred times.

_________________
Thanks,
Blain

http://www.ullrichguitar.com

"89.67% of all statistics are made up on the spot."