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Waiting for the finish on my violin and Koa guitar to cure, I got back to my second classical guitar. I had finished the bracing for both the top and the back, radiused the sides and kerfling and was waiting to put it together,

I like to work on a radiused solera with a mold that can be bolted to the solera. With a classical guitar made with the Spanish method the neck is attached to the rims early in the process. Ken makes and sells a perfect mold for this with a removable block to allow the guitar to fit in with the neck. After building my steel string guitar I really liked to be able to pick up the guitar still mounted in the mold to place it on the back or top when marking where the braces tuck into the kerfling and setting the length of the braces. So I modified the mold to allow me to take it off the solera with the guitar still clamped in. I got the slots routed into the kerfling for the back and top, nicely fitted the back. Unfortunately I forgot measure twice cut once, treble from bass, right from left … Whatever I cut one of the braces too short when making what should have been a final adjustment on the other. I was thinking of kludging some fix or another, but ultimately I planed and chiseled the brace off, cut and glued a new one . So now I am waiting for the glue to try as well as my finish cureing.
Time for a glass of wine.

Hurry-up and wait!

David L

A few more pictures. I can only do three at a time:)

John, you are a guitar making machine!

Ken

Ken C wrote:John, you are a guitar making machine!
Ken

I admit I am addicted to making instruments. Starting next year I am an empty nester, my youngest off to college. I have been a computer\software engineer for 33 years designing both computers, and operating system software, I have risen in the field to the point I am not allowed to make things anymore. Designing and actually making things was the reason I became an engineer. Luckily guitar making is proving to be a challenging and rewarding pursuit. I love it. The classical guitar I am making now is for me, but I have requests for two guitars and a ukulele (my brother and two friends) who are willing to work with me to specify custom instruments. They will buy wood and hardware; I am not ready to charge anybody for the time yet.

I glued the top on my classical guitar. I will see how it works, but I used the center line finder to make sure the neck was properly aligned. I just clamped over it, I know my neck is fairly well aligned. .

The back is ready to glue as well, but I think I will wait until I cut the end graft.

I just love seeing that classical go together. It looks odd (to me) seeing everything assembled with the neck installed, don't get to see many classicals go together, mostly steel strings.

David L

I like constructing spanish style, I have such a hard time keeping the cheeks of the heel of a steel string guitar straight when setting the angle. This way I have slots for the sides in the heel. I push shims in the slots on the inside of the guitar to push the rims up tight against the heel block making a perfect looking joint between the neck and the body.

It is also super easy to set the neck angle. I set it dead level with the upper bout of the guitar; the upper bout is flat. Only the lower bout is radiused to 25'.

Having the neck and the fret board on is a pain when finishing the guitar as there are all of the right angles to finish around. I will french polish this guitar.

Do you try to do most of the finish sanding before you install the neck permanently? Seems like it would be a pain to do very much sanding with the neck installed.

David L

The neck is installed so early, before the bindings and purflings so it is not possible to finish sand.

Almost a guitar (not) I did close up the box. Everything looks good and is properly aligned. I get to put away my solera and classical mold!
It is a little late to cut the binding channel but I am ready.