Installing Frets Over the Body: Part 3 Questions on this topic or anything else related to acoustic instrument construction? Please e-mail [email protected] with the subject line: DIY Question And I may answer your question on a Q and A episode of DIY Guitarmaking! Want more of this? Subscribe below for Weekly Guitar Making Tips [...]

Installing Frets Over the Body: Part 2 I demonstrate fretting techniques over the body, as opposed to fretting the fretboard prior to attaching the neck. This is the ideal way to fret the board because it allows you to radius and level the fingerboard in place, before fretting. I break this down into 3 [...]

Installing Frets Over the Body: Part 1 I demonstrate fretting techniques over the body, as opposed to fretting the fretboard prior to attaching the neck. This is the ideal way to fret the board because it allows you to radius and level the fingerboard in place, before fretting. I break this down into 3 [...]

Resawing Veneers and Using Bookmatching to Enhance Headplates, Rosettes and Other Appointments In this episode of DIY Guitarmaking I mill down a board of katalox and explain how some simple planning and the use of the bookmatching technique for something other than tops and backs can really up your craftsmanship. Questions on this topic [...]

Katalox for Fretboards and Bridges In this episode I investigate an alternative tonewood for fretboards and bridges: Katalox. Then I show how I pull the fretboard, the bridge and the headplate from a single board. Want more of this? Subscribe below for Weekly Guitar Making Tips on “The Small Shop Luthier Blog”   Want [...]

Much Ado about Superglue: Part 2 The Glue Looper: A tool I will be reviewing soon. Glue Delivery Strategies Being careful and meticulous, almost surgical, with the way you deliver water thin CA to the workpiece is the key to a long and happy relationship with  water thin superglue. If you aren’t careful you will [...]

Much Ado about Superglue: Part 1 Student David Shelley loves his guitar so much that he glued his finger to it with superglue. Superglue can be a luthier’s best friend or worst enemy. Technically called Cyanoacrylate glue, or CA, in most cases it cures with effectively no wait time. The thinnest viscosities have incredible [...]

Hand Carving the Neck It has been a little while since I posted a new video so for ep #39 here is a video on my process for hand carving necks with rasps and files. This is a free excerpt from The Online Guitar Building School, so check that out if you haven’t already, and sign [...]

Extensive wood repair beneath a Floyd Rose bridge Someone brought a Stratocaster to my shop with extensive damage beneath the tremolo bridge. Watch as I remove the split and damaged wood and patch in new wood to restore this guitar to playing condition!   Want more of this? Subscribe below for Weekly Guitar Making [...]

Installing Binding and Purfling This episode is another free video excerpt from The Online Course. I demonstrate the way that I like to install binding and purfling with binding tape and superglue (CA glue). Was this useful? I would love to hear your questions or comments! I try to answer every e-mail I receive, so please [...]

Making the Most out of the Robert O’Brien Mortise and Tenon Jig Episode #37 is an excerpt from The Online Guitar Building School. This video is about a jig that I absolutely love! The Robert O’brien Mortise and Tenon Jig (AKA Neck Angle Jig). There are alot of things about using this jig, however, that [...]

Roughing out the Bridge Another free excerpt from The Online Guitar Building School. In this lesson, I make a rough bridge from a rosewood bridge blank. This includes routing the shape, tapering or contouring the wings, and drilling the bridge pin holes. Was this useful? I would love to hear your questions or comments! [...]