1st scratch build (Walnut OM)

[Darryl Young]

Sorry I can't see the pics. If your top is that thickness everywhere, it is on the thin side. What size is the body? Not as bad to be that thin on a smaller body.

[Coach]

I don't know what's up with that image hosting service. I did edit to include pic attachments, with the 2 last pics here.

I presume it's okay to glue on the bridge when the top isn's attached yet. Would be so much easier.

[Coach]

It was supposed to be a OM sized guitar, but the width only measures 14 5/8 inches at the widest.

[Darryl Young]

No, you don't want to glue on the bridge till after the box is closed, the neck is set, and finish applied. If the top shifts slightly when gluing to the sides, your bridge will be incorrectly positioned. Also, depending on how you have to sand and adjust the neck angle, you may make the neck a bit shorter and then the bridge will need to be further back. Adding finish moves the neck slightly and typically, the final neck angle adjustment is done after finish so best to wait till after these are done to glue the bridge.

Top looks pretty good. I personally wouldn't increase the height of the finger braces right where they meet the x-brace but that's just me. Good clean work from what I can see on my cell phone.

[Coach]

Those pics are now visible on previous page.

The height of the finger braces isn't increased. They just aren't rounded off there.

Any thoughts on using a cedar neck? (anyways, that's what I think it is).

[Coach]

This guitar won't be anything fancy, so it'll stay as it is, no bindings. Will just nicely round the edges.

When tapping either the top or back, the guitar gives off a nice long vibrating ring. It really sounds like the back works in concert with the top, responds rather than just reflects sound. That's what I'm thinking anyways, because the vibratory ring is almost totally deadened if you have your hand on the back while tapping the top (same thing, deadened, if you have your hand on the front while tapping the back).

One concern I do have is the brace back of the sound hole. I had to take out a fair chunk to get the truss rod to fit through. Am wondering if I should add something to beef it up there.

[Coach]

After 3 coats of tru oil.

[Coach]

One more. Looks very similiar to the Rosewood I have.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Thats turning out really nice, very purty.

Kevin

[Coach]

I've made a bridge and slotted it. So, for a 1/8 to 3/16 saddle height, how far back from the slot should I drill the holes for correct downward pressure on the saddle? Am planning to have all the bridge pins an equal distance from the saddle, so they'll be at the same angle as the saddle.

Another question: i don't have any suitable clamps to attach the bridge. Would it work okay to glue on the bridge by clamping with bolts running through the 1st and 6th holes, and the go-bar deck to help at the wings?