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What is your first step you feel is most important when starting a new build (i.e. neck and neckblock, or bending sides, etc)?

What are the reasons for this being the first step?

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Bro. Matthew A.
Oklahoma

The FIRST step is getting off my duff:) After that,I make a set of sides. Of course,the real first step is to choose the woods.

My first real step (not counting planning) is thicknessing the back halves and and top halves in prep for joining, and the sides in prep for bending.

My 1st step is planning... You would be amazed at how long it can take to finally decide what the heck you are going to build.... Scale length, which fret the body will join at, body size/pattern, and type of neck joint... All that stuff has to be decided and written down before you do much else.

My 2nd planning step is to check out my tools, jigs, fixtures, and supplies to make sure I have what I need for the 1st few steps.. There is nothing like slathering glue all over something and realizing you ran out of wax paper and the clamps are all in the Storage Unit across town!

My 1st building steps so far are jointing the top and back. If those were particularly rough from sawing... I would plane/sand them a little to knock down the saw marks and flatten them for gluing first.

Good luck with your build.

John

I don't use templates or plans to lay out the braces, soundhole ect. My first really important step, after I've chosen the woods and joined the top is to actually make the fingerboard. I use it to lay out the top, including the location of the soundhole, bridge and bridgeplate location, X-brace location ect. I could just measure all this stuff, but using the actual fingerboard helps keep me from making mistakes. If the guitar is a cutaway the actual fingerboard is also helpful to position the cutaway insert properly in my mold so the edge of the fingerboard is even with the edge of the body.

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

Woody -

Fascinating... makes sense, too.

When you say you "make the fingerboard" - how far do you go with it? I assume you cut the fret slots - do you taper it? radius it? Press the frets? Thanks.

Thanks for the insight! I have acctually made a few kits and am planning a scratch build. I have always been so scared of the dreaded neck set that makeing a neck from scratch is what I fear the most right now. After thinking a lot about it, the neck and neck block (mortise and tenon) would be one of the first steps, wouldn't it? After bending the sides your neck block must be pretty accurate angle wise correct?

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Bro. Matthew A.
Oklahoma

Pick the wood.

My first step is selecting and cutting down the tree.

Yeper

After planning I like to clean the shop and organize tools and workspace and check my mental state. That contributes to a calm and happy state of mind, which, in my case, is why I build in the first place. I like the sense of meditation I get when working with my hands/mind. It also assures that I am working safely - both in the sense that I am not going to hurt myself and in the sense that I am not going to ruin a nice piece of wood. If I am not feeling happy and focused, I don't build guitars, which is an amateur's prerogative, I know.

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"Building guitars looks hard, but it's actually much harder than it looks." Tom Buck

First thing I do is come up with a goal or two. What style of guitar do I want to make, sound I want it to produce, types of wood I'd like to work with on this project or step(s) I want to learn how to accomplish. These are often formulating and changing while I'm working on the current guitar. My first one was from a kit, also. Many of the steps previously completed that I was grateful not to have to overcome.

The second one is now underway and completely from scratch. Read more, built more jigs along the way and have thoroughly enjoyed this build so far. Several steps, like the neck you mentioned, have been the most satisfying and easier than I made it out to be in my head. Much more relaxing build.

Take the plunge and just get going!

Howard

I do cut fret slots, bind and taper. Sometimes I do more, sometimes not.

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

Hey 000 -
Let me answer a question with a question -
What book(s) are you using, if any? Your question about what's the first step made me wonder whose guidance you're following for your build.

Needless to say there are many out there - and Ervin Somogyi's latest collection "The Responsive Guitar" and "Making the Responsive Guitar" is fantastic - I'm just getting through it now, but in case you don't have a good text, we've all got some advice, I'm sure.

My own favorite for a first build is Jon Kinkead's book - what he doesn't cover can be found here in the archives.

Hey all:
My thanks for a timely reply from Woody. I'm starting my first cutaway. I started with the fingerboard. double checking my plans I drew up. I've been worried about the edge af the fingerboard meeting the side of the guitar. I feel that if I get that edge right the rest of the guitar will fall into place.

Plane sides to rough thickness, sand to bending thickness, bend.

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God, Family, Carreer

As of now, I am about to finish #2 (kit) and am just starting to plan my next build. I have not read anyone in particular, not a single book anyway. I have the stewmac manual, Bill Corey's martin manual, and the never ending river of information here. When I order my wood/parts/etc from LMI, I was thinking about getting the O'brien DVD "Build a Steel String Guitar". I don't want to get it though if it has a kit mindset. Has anyone seen this DVD?

I will definately check the Kinkead book out again( I got it but was so new to building I don't remember much about it). It is more scratch build minded, correct?

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Bro. Matthew A.
Oklahoma

First step, figure out what the guitar is going to be used for (fingerstyle, strumming, smaller person etc..)after that, the size can be determined, after that the woods selected.

First step in building for me is to get the sides ready to receive the top/back plates. I don't touch the top or back till the sides are ready as I don't what them to sit any longer braced up than they need to be. Things can change (humidity will do that), dings can happen. So for me, it's get the sides thicknessed, pre-shape, bend, glue in head and tail blocks, liners, final radius rim edge.

Than it's the back (back strip if it has one, braces), than the top (rosette, soundhole, braces), glue them to the body ASAP after bracing is done. I bind the guitar next, get the body nearly ready for finish.

Than it's the neck and fretboard. When the material is together (either one piece, laminated or scarf joint headstock, stacked heel etc..) I cut the truss rod slot first (carbon fiber slots too if needed), than I rough set the neck angle (with a jig, gets it about 90% there), then I install the truss rod (CF bars too) glue on the headstock veneer, thickness the headstock, cut it to shape, than I rough shape the neck to about 90%. I then get the set of the neck done before I glue on the fretboard, I find it much easier to do this way. Make the fretboard next, but don't install the frets (I use to but I like to wait till the body is together now), than glue it to the neck. I final shape the neck now and get it ready for finishing.

Then it's onto finishing. When the finish is curing, I make the bridge.

That should get you through to Christmas

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

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Yea, Christmas of 2010

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Bro. Matthew A.
Oklahoma

Planning. Although the "NO NOthing Build is an exception.

Light candle, burn some incense, ask for clarity of mind and heart while building. Ya, me that kind of guy.

Then its select and break out the wood.

On to the neck and sides as I usually build one piece wishbone style construction.

Bend the ribs and do the kurfing,

Then carve the back and top. Brace.

Then close the box and do the banding.

On to the fingerboard, and finish carving the neck.

Do any fancy treatment to the head stock or elsewhere.

Then the tailpiece, make the bridge and install tuners.

Sting her up in the white. Make another bridge, fidget some more.

De string, fidget and fuss some more with it before the finishing.

Now some wheres in the above process I am already planing my next build or two.

All of the above is dovetailed between 3 to 6 builds running concurrently as I often like to take breaks between the various stages, move onto a new build or return to an older one. Very seldom do I built from start to finish.

Don't really know why you would ask this question as you can see by the replies, we all do things differently.

Blessings
the
Padma

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