2008

We have a winner — Chris and Jascha from Warren, VT...

The guitar on display at the Sunday brunch at L.A.C.E.  ...

Since the last post...

Off camera, lacquer has cured for several weeks.  Larry has wet sanded neck and body   and buffed...

The glue is allowed to dry overnight.  Here we see the...

Andy is shown cutting the string leads in the bridge with a...

A bone saddle blank has been fitted to the saddle slot and...

The bone nut blank is being fitted to the neck.  Each one of...

Once the shape of the nut has been formed and it is...

Once the two outside strings have been located, the...

Here we go! This is like being in the delivery room at the...

What do you think Andy? 

It’s a Froggy!Later today we’ll take her to our...

The body and neck of our SJ prototype have been completed. ...

A new guitar is born....

When we decided to create a new model and offer the prototype guitar to L.A.C.E. in Barre, VT for a...

Andy smiling at the fret press, installing the frets in the...

All necks are rough carved on the CNC router. Final carving...

The heel is carved first, then the headstock transition...

The binding channel on the headstock was routed and the trim...

The headstock is scraped with a cabinet scrapers to  level...

Here we see Petria Mitchell working her magic with her...

Here we see acrylic paint being added to the etching. Ah,...

Our heelcap is shown in an intermediate stage; the Vermont...

L.A.C.E. who?

L.A.C.E.: Local Agricultural Community Exchange, located in the former Homer Fitts Building on Main...

Today we pick up our SJ neck, already in progress. Our first...

After being certain that the neck blank is perfectly flat,...

The small bandsaw is used to trim the excess stock from all...

She’s starting to show her personality now! After a thorough...

Another view at the  same stage, showing the sides. Please...

Imagine  coating your guitars’ rosewood back and sides with...

Off camera, Andy has been in the spray booth. After masking...

Our jig for routing the end graft inlay channel. After...

This is the same process at the other end of the guitar...

The completed end graft.

The completed heel grafts

Our wall-mounted laminate trimmer, used to route the various...

All the routing is done; now comes the handwork. There are a...

Mitering these purfling joints takes time, patience, and a...

Mitering the purfling lines on the back center seam inlay.

Once the purfling has been cut to the perfect angle and the...

The fit of all pieces must be perfect before gluing,...

Too much of this can lead to a severe case of “purfler’s...

A thin graft of cross-grain spruce has been glued to the...

The back braces, curved, but still rectangular in...

Another view of the clamping of braces as the process...

Andy is using a small block plane to carve back braces to an...

A paring chisel is being used to feather the brace ends...

Braces have been carved and sanded. The back is now ready to...

The arch on the back of our guitars is critical to the...

The crown of both upper and lower bouts is being feathered...

The back has been carefully positioned, orienting it to the...

When everything has been checked, double-checked, and the...

The back is glued to the rim, clamped with cam clamps and...

The back completely clamped in place will dry for several...

Clamps have been removed and the assembled body removed from...

The bent sides ready for kerfed linings.

Kerfed mahogany linings are glued to the sides.  These will...

The various top braces are glued to the top and carved in...

The final carving of the braces, often referred to as...

Michael has suspended the top on his finger so as not to...

The braced top is attached face down to a building stand. ...

The first clamp on each side is located at the waist; the...

Once the sides are properly positioned on the upper bout,...

When four sets of clamps with cawls have been placed across...

Four C-clamps are used to fasten sides to the tail block. ...

Day 1

Off camera, we’ve selected the wood for the guitar, highly figured Brazilian rosewood for the...

A “set” of wood: the top, back and sides for the...

Michael cutting the SJ mold.  This will be used to bend the...

Andy has taken the side out of the hot water “bending...

Eric has routed the channel for the inlay on the seam of the...

Detail of the center seam inlay on the back. After the glue...