Cherry parlor guitar, project #2

[MaineGeezer]

One drawback to making things up as you go along is that details get overlooked...like where the end block is going to go on the top. As you can see, the tone bar interferes with the end block. What would you do about this? I can think of three solutions:

1. Move the tone bar so it misses the end block.
2. Notch the end block for the tone bar.
3. Cut the tone bar short so it butts against the end block.

I suspect those are in order from most to least desirable. What do you think?

Since this bracing scheme was laid out by guess and intuition originally, there is nothing magic about the current location of the tone bar.

[MaineGeezer]

And the decision was....
...to remove and replace the tone bar. Since it was glued on with hot hide glue, removal was fairly easy with a hair dryer to heat the joint and a thin knifeblade to encourage separation. It took less than ten minutes.

Now to make a new, longer, tone bar.

[Diane Kauffmds]

With the x-brace design, the end of the tonebar(s) don't touch the kerfing or end block. Will the end of the tonebar touch anything in this design?

[MaineGeezer]

I've reinstalled the tone bar so it misses the end block. For this brace design I don't know the thinking on whether the tone bar should end short of the kerfing, or go under it. I've left it long for now and will ask Carter on Monday. I also still need to do some cleanup on the underside of the top

The bridge plate is fitted, but not glued in yet.

I've glued on the side braces, 1/4" square spruce.

[BradHall]

Beautiful wood. Can't wait to see the finished guitar.

[MaineGeezer]

I saw Carter yesterday, for the first time in three weeks. He generally approved of what I'd done, but I have to shave down the braces some more and lengthen the end ramps. We cut the recess for the end wedge, and this morning I glued that in. It's African blackwood. The bridge and fingerboard are also going to be African blackwood.

[Kevin Sjostrand]

Oooh I think the light and dark is going to be fantastic!

[MaineGeezer]

Oooh I think the light and dark is going to be fantastic!

Well, it is in my imagination. We'll see how it actually turns out! :D

My first guitar (See "A More-or-Less Copy of a Martin OM") has a dark walnut body and light-colored fingerboard, bridge, head cap, etc. This will be the opposite: a light-colored body and dark trimmings. That one also has abalone bling; this one will have fancy wood purfling (Bruce Petros' "Purflex") but no bling.

[Diane Kauffmds]

Wow! That blackwood is stunning.

[MaineGeezer]

I glued the braces on the back during a period of high humidity. Now that it's beginning to dry out a bit, the back shrank across its width. The braces didn't shrink (much) along their length. Net result: the shrinking back pulled the braces so much the back became concave. A 12' radius convex back became about a -12' radius concave back. It was amazing.

There was nothing to do but take off the braces, which I've done. I'll let the back sit for a couple of weeks in a dryer environment (Carter's contolled-humidity shop), then make new braces and glue them on.

Another reminder: humidity levels matter...a LOT!