New acoustic guitar build...questions/help please

[beginner]

I would imagine these are really basic/simple questions but i've read a lot of posts, watched a number of videos but still unsure.

1) I'm starting a basic acoustic guitar kit build. I routed out the slot for the truss rod and have a nice fit. The routed slot extends longer than the whole of the neck as it extends from just below where the nut would be and continues on to the heel. The truss rod adjustment is to be accessed from within the body of the guitar through the sound hole.

As the truss rod length is shorter than the neck length...is it best to err on biasing the rod so that it extends further toward the head of the neck....or is it preferred to bias a bit more toward the body of the guitar? I imagined that if/when the neck requires adjustment that it would be best if the bias was toward the headstock as the neck is thinner there? Of course i will make sure that i can access the adjustment nut from within the body.

2) I'm pleased with the truss rod route, i chose a 2 way truss rod from StewMac and it fits snug in the groove. Is there a consensus regarding adding a little glue as well? The rod is covered in a polymer coating and I plan to cover it with a thin piece of wood and tape under the fret board.

3) I made up some shellac for French Polishing. A simple 1 lb cut. I was wondering, would it be wise perhaps to put a layer or two on shellac onto the body and neck in advance of doing much of the build? I've got the top and bottom and sides all glued together so it looks like a single unit guitar body now. I thought that some measure of early stage shellac sealant might protect and seal the wood a bit and as I continue the build to the point of more refined sanding etc. with the sealant would already be in place?

I hope that makes sense.

[Diane Kauffmds]

I place my truss rods a bit down from the nut, for soundhole access. Depending on the length of the rod, I place the top between the 2nd and 3rd frets. The area of adjustment is the center of the neck, because you'll see the string tension bow in the center.

If your rod is snug, the top piece of wood is sufficient. You can add a little glue if you notice movement to prevent rattling. But, I've never had to use glue and I've never had a rattling truss rod.

I french polish my guitars. Here is how I do it:

1. Make absolutely sure that there are no sanding artifacts on the guitar. If you used a palm sander, you have to sand by hand to get the tiny swirls out. I use naphtha to clean it, and I look closely for anything that needs to be sanded further. Never sand with sandpaper in your hand; use a sanding block. Prep is everything, because any boogers will show up under the finish.

I seal the guitar with shellac, usually 2 coats. Make sure it gets into the pores. I use 320g sandpaper to lightly sand if needed. Clean with naphtha.

2. When dry, I pore fill. I've used all kinds of pore filling materials. I prefer Aquacoat. I put it on and push it into the pores, removing the excess with a squeegee. Make sure the wood is sealed first, or you'll be doing this forever! If applied thinly, it only takes about an hour to dry. But make absolutely sure it's dry! I sand, using 220g, lightly. You don't want to remove any out of the pores. You MUST make sure it's really dry first. If you start to see white specs in the pores, you have to sand and start over again. Since you're new to this, I'd let it sit overnight before sanding and reapplying. Usually 2-3 coats of Aquacoat is enough.

2. I sand to 320g, making absolutely sure there are no sanding artifacts. If everything looks good. I french polish, using a 1# cut of shellac.

BTW, I finish my guitars when the body is done and the neck is done, but before setting the neck and before installing the bridge. It makes a much cleaner, professional finish. It can be hard to finish a guitar around the neck, fretboard, and bridge.

Also, I've chosen to use hand-rub satin finish polyurethane on my necks. I french polish the bodies. I do this because the neck takes a beating with constant hand movements. My clients like the feel of satin over high polish on the necks. Even with the polyurethane, I seal the neck with shellac, then pore fill. The shellac imparts that in-depth look, even under polyurethane. Shellac works well under all finishes.

[beginner]

thank you so very much. i'm learning so much from your posts....very grateful

just to clarify.

you seal first with the 1 lb cut shellac

and then follow by

several layers of Aquacoat each with a day to dry

and then use the 1 lb shellac for the subsequent french polishing.

thank you again for taking the time to help

[Diane Kauffmds]

thank you so very much. i'm learning so much from your posts....very grateful

just to clarify.

you seal first with the 1 lb cut shellac

and then follow by

several layers of Aquacoat each with a day to dry

and then use the 1 lb shellac for the subsequent french polishing.

thank you again for taking the time to help

Yes.

You should be able to pore fill with 2-3 applications of Aquacoat. It dries in an hour. Just make sure it's 100% dry before continuing.
.
You don't pore fill spruce, cherry, maple, or ebony, to name the most common guitar woods. These woods have no pores, or very few.

[beginner]

thank you....i just ordered some. very grateful for the help.

[MaineGeezer]

I like to put a coat of shellac on everything at the beginning, to keep dirt out of the pores. Examples of "dirt" include ebony sanding dust from sanding down the purfling and binding. Then when the time comes to finish, that initial coat gets sanded off. (It also helps to scrape or plane the binding down to final height, vs. sanding it down. The shavings are bigger than sanding dust and don't make as much of a mess.)

[beginner]

really interesting,

I would imagine that it might be beneficial to shellac/seal the truss rod cavity as well?

also, should one seal the wood on the inside of an acoustic guitar?

...my inclination is perhaps a very thin coat as moisture intrusion is so often a concern....but I honestly do not know.

I called a local guitar shop for their advice but they weren't sure.

[MaineGeezer]

The guy who taught me to build guitars recommends sealing the inside with a coat of shellac.

I don's seal the truss rod channel, but I guess it wouldn't hurt anything if you did. Just keep it off any surface you plan to glue.

[MaineGeezer]

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[MaineGeezer]

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