17" Archtop Jazz Guitar finally starting it 5 years late!

[Kevin Sjostrand]

So I purchased all the materials for this build 5 1/2 years ago thinking I was going to get right into it. Ha!

Since then I've built 3 OM guitars and completed 2 Violins with a third just waiting for the finish.

So now I finally get to make MY Archtop guitar.
I'm building off the Benedetto plans using his video series class and book. Should be fun.
I've read the book a couple of times and viewed some of the videos over the years. This will be a new challenge, but the arch carving is not much different from the violin carving so I have a better understanding how that will be done.
This will also be my FIRST dovetail neck joint. I've always done bolt on M & T necks except for two classicals done traditionally. I have the jig and templates for the dovetail so I'm not too concerned about it but I will practice on scrap first!!!!

Today I traced the body outline off the plans and made an MDF template to make the mold. The template is made so next step is to make that mold.

I'm pretty sure this will be the only Archtop so I won't bother with making a bending form for the Fox style bender and just bend the sides by hand on my old handmade electric hot pipe.

I should be pulling out the wood for this guitar tomorrow and I'll take some pics for you all.
I have a Benedetto pickup for this with volume and tone controls so it will be ELECTRIFIED!

Wish me luck. I'll try and be good about posting with pics as o go along this journey.......Don't Sop Belive-in!!! 😀

[TEETERFAN]

This should be interesting to watch. I guess you won’t be “fiddling around” for a while. Ha! Good luck.

[Dobroguy]

This will also & definitely be interesting for me to watch. One of my jam buddies has made two archtops. Another jam buddy has started assembling the wood for his winter archtop build. He has the advantage of using all the jigs & mold from the first two guitars. There are four of us in the small town where I live who build stringed instruments.
Dennis

[Kevin Sjostrand]

No progress but here are some pics of the materials.
Master Grade flamed maple back and sides and stock for bindings, headplate and pic guard (if I want a maple pickguard) Maybe maybe not.
The englemann spruce top is really nice too. Tight grain almost dead quartered.

The neck block has less flame but still nice.
I probably don't have the purfling I'll use. Tradition calls for bwbwb. I have bwb. Tuners are gold grovers. No clue on strings to use but I'm a long was from that.

I hope I can do it justice.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

One more

[jread]

oooh, really looking forward to following on on this one. thanks for sharing.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Today I cut up some MDF and laminated 3 pieces of 3/4" to cut a mold from. I actually did cut out the mold at the end of the day. I'll take a pic of that in the morning.

Then I used my shooting board and #6 size Millers Falls plane to joint the spruce edge top plates for fitting and gluing. If the fit is good minimal clamping is needed when gluing. I clamped one plate in the bench vise, applied Titebond to both edge surfaces. Then slid them together and applied slight clamping pressure via tied cords. I could have just stacked the two plates with glue and no clamps as I've been doing with the violin construction but since the boards are much longer I figured I'd clamp to be sure the joint is tight.

That was all today. I'll work on the mold more tomorrow and finish it up the start working with the top plate.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

More pics

[Kevin Sjostrand]

The mold is almost done. I used MDF because that's what I had on hand. It is heavy but easy to smooth out the interior for the sides. Ive used it for my classical guitar mold too snd it held up great for two builds. I will give it a coat of varnish.

I ran the joined top plates a few passes in the thickness sander and then used the mold to trace the body outline.
At this stage the mold is more accurate than the template.

[TEETERFAN]

Looks like a great start. You’ve been busy!