A classical guitar for Wayne!

Take us through building your guitar step by step. Post pictures and tell us what you're doing.
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Kevin Sjostrand
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Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

I have a good friend in Idaho who I'm going to build a classical guitar for next.
He wants it to be birdseye maple back and sides with a light contrasting binding scheme, probably either curly mahogany, or curly koa, with an Englemann Spruce top.
I am excited about this. I'm hoping to obtain a 8/4 billet of the birdseye maple that I saw in a specialty wood store in a neighboring town, if he still has it when I can get up there. From what I remember, it was a beautiful piece with tons of eyes, and virtually no blemishes. It should yield 4, and maybe 5 sets, and at 48" long, I'll get some extra for headstock plates and end wedges too! It will be at least 3 weeks before I get started, but I will try and do a good job of posting as I build this one. It should be fun!
Diane Kauffmds
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Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

Can't wait to see it Kevin
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Talladam
Posts: 123
Joined: Mon Sep 21, 2015 9:43 pm

Re: A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by Talladam »

Does birdseye bend easier than flame maple? I'm going to build a mandolin someday...
Diane Kauffmds
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Joined: Sun Mar 09, 2014 8:13 pm

Re: A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

Kevin, you might want to consider the high figure quilted sapele binding that RC Tonewoods offers. When you get it, even when you put naphtha on it, you may not be impressed. However, polish it with shellac and you get a truly amazing 3D quilted dark mahogany, with flashes of gold/rose gold, that African figured mahogany doesn't have. The contrast and polychromatic properties would complement the maple to a T, plus you could play up the colors in your choice of purflings.

RC has run out of this binding before, and it took them a long time to get it back in stock. I'm so impressed by it that I'm ordering some to keep on hand.

My second choice would be African pomelle mahogany, but I really urge you to consider the sapele. I wish a photo would do it justice. It's the binding that I used on Delilah (00 cherry).
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Kevin Sjostrand
Posts: 3712
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

The sapele does look nice Diane but it might be too dark for my friend. I will lay some sapele next to the maple when I get it, I have some quartered sapele binding I made from side cutoffs.

I haven't bent any maple yet, but John says "no problem" :)
Kevin Sjostrand
Posts: 3712
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

Okay I purchased the billet and it is pretty nice. It is flat sawn, and at 10" wide the biggest concentration of eyes is down the middle 6 to 8 inches, and the lessen out toward the edges of the board. Also, one face is loaded, the other face has probably 50% less eyes on, so I expect as I cut it up, the slices will show less and less eyes.
The board shows no discoloration and no knots on either face. I'm pretty excited. Ordered a new Woodslicer blade from Highland Woodworking.
I have to true up one face first and I'm thinking I will probably just get 4 sets out of it, but if I cut well, I can get 10 slices and the last two can give me another classical/OM size set, so I'm hoping for that.
Diane Kauffmds
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Re: A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

Kevin, what kind of saw do you have for resawing? I'm assuming it's a bandsaw. How big is it? Specifically, what kind of blade do you use?
Diane Kauffmann
Country Roads Guitars
countryroadsguitars@gmail.com
Kevin Sjostrand
Posts: 3712
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

Diane, I have a Steel City 14" band saw with a 1 1/2 hp motor. It has a 12" high resaw capability. This saw is a clone of the old Delta design, but it has a granite table instead of cast iron. Also the lower wheel is granite....kind of unique. I don't think they are selling this saw anymore. I got it a few years ago on a really good last day of the year sale, less than $650 shipped with no tax, couldn't pass it up.

I've used the 1/2" Woodslicer blade from Highland Woodworking thus far to do my resawing, and it works really well. My saw is supposed to support a 3/4" blade, but the folks at Highland told me that they have not noticed any appreciable benefit using the 3/4" over the 1/2" blade, so I opted for the 1/2" and it likely puts less strain on the saw.

I may be resawing the birdseye maple this weekend of my new blade arrives by Friday. I'm thinking I will only cut enough for this guitar I'm going to build now and leave the rest of the billet for later, but we will see. I may want to sell a set or two and thus will go ahead and cut it all up.
Kevin Sjostrand
Posts: 3712
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

Yesterday I set up my saw with a new 5/8" Super Cut resaw blade. I cut two slices which will yield the set of back and sides. I ran the slices through the drum sander to clean up the saw cuts. Final thickness in will be done after the back as sides are cut out. The wood is quite beautiful.

I also took a neck blank of mahogany, laid out the scale length and cut the scarf joint for the headstock and the blocks for the stacked heel. There is no Spanish heel on this neck, just a 1" deep heel block.

I picked out curly Koa for the bindings, headstock and end wedge. The single purflings will be indian rosewood. I picked out indian rosewood fretboard and bridge blank. Not sure yet, the fretboard may be ebony.
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Kevin Sjostrand
Posts: 3712
Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

more pics
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