Box assembly Question

[MaineGeezer]

I asked Carter this morning when I saw him for my weekly "lesson." His immediate response was, "Whichever one I've got done first, which is usually the back." Considering the question a bit more,he did think of one reason it's adventageous to glue on the back first, but it's purely cosmetic. He seals the inside of his guitars with a coat of shellac. By putting the back on first, he can apply shellac to all surfaces. If he glued on the back last, he would have to leave a strip around the edge to allow for gluing, and a narrow band of that unshellacked strip would show through the soundhole. He does leave a bare strip around the edge of the top so it can be glued on....but on the top, it doesn't show.

[ruby@magpage.com]

A question:
If the shellac does not cover part of the top, why should it cover any of the top? Is it to keep dust down? Is it for sound?

Ed

[MaineGeezer]

I assume to slow down moisture transfer in and out of the wood. With a gap at the edge it's not a complete seal, but it wouldn't be a totally impervious seal anyway, even if the top was fully covered. With care one ought to be able to achieve a gap of 1/4" or less. No much of the top would be exposed.