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

Re: A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

I now have the bindings and purflings glued in and all scraped/sanded down. I had a little trouble with a binding joint at the butt end ( I won't show you that), but otherwise it turned out pretty good. I used original Titebond, and I like this glue, but man for bindings, it just gets tacky too fast. I really liked the old LMI White glue for this reason, not as thin, and didn't get tacky so fast.
Next, on to the fretboard.
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Kevin Sjostrand
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Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

and a close up
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johnnparchem
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Re: A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by johnnparchem »

That looks good! On to neck carving?
Kevin Sjostrand
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Joined: Sat Feb 09, 2008 8:06 pm
Location: Visalia, CA

Re: A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

I glued the fretboard on Friday night and actually did carve the neck on Saturday, but didn't take a picture yet. There is some fine tuning to do but most of it is done.
Going to Hume Lake cabin this week so won't get anything else done this week.
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Diane Kauffmds
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Re: A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by Diane Kauffmds »

Boy, the guitar is beautiful. You're doing a great job.
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 »

I do have the neck mostly carved now, just some clean up to do, and I've started fretting. I'm having lots of trouble getting the frets to go in straight on this African Ebony board. Same size slot I always use, but the fret wire I'm using for the first time is the one LMI sells for nylon strings. I'm having to file the nubs down on the tang and I'm beveling the tops of the fret slot, and the thing still want to roll over going in. I'm making it but it is really slow.
I'll take a pic and post once all the frets are in.
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 »

I was able to get the frets installed and the bridge almost completed this weekend. The frets were a bugger to get in. I used the softer wire for classical guitars and the tang barbs are different, like little bumps, and I had to file them almost all the way off to get the wire to go in. I won't use that again, I'll just use the regular wire for steel string guitars as I have before. While I was roughing out the bridge blank, I went ahead and made a template, and roughed out 2 extra blanks. This is EIR I picked up in India when I was there in 2014. Beautiful stuff, dark purple, red, straight grain, dense.
I still have to bevel the wings on the bridge, do a final sand and put a few coats of shellac on it and steel wool it smooth. The frets still need to be leveled and recrowned.
Getting close to the finishing stage! Yah!
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Kevin Sjostrand
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Location: Visalia, CA

Re: A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by Kevin Sjostrand »

I started the french polish last night on the birdseye maple classical I've been working on for, like, forever.
After about two hours, its looking pretty good. I try and follow Robbie's technique, but now on my fourth FP job, I've found I like the results if I spirit off and smooth the surface a little more often.
I'm going to do a couple more sessions on the back tonight. I will be level sanding and hand polishing when the FP is done and cured so I will put a little more shellac on then I think I need....
seems I always end up not having enough anyway. So it sure is pretty under the finish.
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johnnparchem
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Re: A classical guitar for Wayne!

Post by johnnparchem »

Looks good. I like you also spirit off a bunch.
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 »

I finished the FP last night on this one. The grain tear out on the top filled just fine, so all is good there.
One picture of the back really shows the curl along with the birdseyes that this maple has. Quite beautiful
I used medium blonde shellac on the whole guitar and this imposed a yellow tone to the maple and the spruce; not what I expected but it is just fine.
My FP technique still leaves much to be desired, but I plan on dry sanding with Micro Mesh and rubbing out with polish.
I hope one day to be able to be done after the last FP cycle, but not this time.
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