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My last Grandchild is getting a guitar

Posted: Fri Apr 18, 2025 11:57 pm
by Kevin Sjostrand
My 10 year old granddaughter told me she wants to learn to play guitar. She has been studying piano fir over 5 years and violin also that long.
I have no doubt she will catch on to the guitar in short order.

So I get to make a other one for a grandchild. #5

She wants a classical so I'll be making another, so 2 back to back.

I've chosen East Indian Rosewood for back and sides. This set I actually brought back from India in 2014....my last set from that trip. Maple binding and probably some BWB purflings.
The top will be Sitka spruce AA grade. Neck Spanish cedar, fretboard and bridge EIR also brought from India 10 years ago. Most likely Nickle silver frets and tuners. Headstock overlay may be EIR or maybe Madagascar rosewood. I'll put some kind of veneer on the backstrap.

Here is the pile of wood. Now it's time to get started!

Re: My last Grandchild is getting a guitar

Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2025 7:24 am
by Srick
“Some assembly may be required…”

Have a great time creating this special guitar!

Re: My last Grandchild is getting a guitar

Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2025 10:38 am
by jread
Awesome. What a gift and opportunity for you too. Life long treasure. love these kinds of stories

Re: My last Grandchild is getting a guitar

Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2025 10:23 pm
by Kevin Sjostrand
I got started!
Cut the scarf joint for the headstock, trued it up and glued it up. Then I thicknesses the headstock to final 18mm on the top surface using a Stanley #5 hand plane. Then I ran the top surface of the neck shaft across the jointer to bring the nut line back to where it's above the glued joint on the back of the scarf joint.

Next I glued up the back plates in my fixture. I went ahead and did this now so I could cut out the profile and use the cut offs for a headplate on the neck.

I'll how that in the next set of picks

Re: My last Grandchild is getting a guitar

Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2025 10:04 pm
by Kevin Sjostrand
Here's what I've done so far since the last post.

Glued the back halves together with a maple strip between.

Glued on headstock front and back veneers. Cut out the slots and drilled the tuner holes.

Glued on the heel block and cut slots for the sides on the table saw.

Trimmed down the width of the neck shaft and cut away some of the extra wood at the heel.

Thicknessed the sides and cut them down close to final height.

Bent the sides and clamped them up in the mold. I use spreaders and lots of clamps since there was a bit of springback. This way when they're good and dry they'll fit the mold near perfectly.

I have also bent some maple bindings. They will sit in the bender overnight.

Re: My last Grandchild is getting a guitar

Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2025 10:08 pm
by Kevin Sjostrand
The back is also thicknessed to .110"

Pic to come