MIMF

Eddielee I can't remember his name but he used to or still does work for a guitar company in Northern California, Santa Cruz Guitars, and also does guitar finishing in his own shop. When showing at a Healdsburg festival I saw some of the guitars he finished for some builders and the work was excelle...

Philip I know this doesn't answer your question but something to consider. About 15 years ago I switched to a bolt-on neck design and am grateful I did. I would never go back. It takes some work to get set for it but very much worth it, IMO. The bolt-on neck design I settled on is super strong and m...

Gordon

What are you looking for? I have an extensive supply.

I don't sell wood as a business but, if you like, you can send me a private message and see if I can get you started on a build at a very reasonable cost.

Joel Nowland

I have an 8" x 8" x .028 thickness piece of firestripe, celluloid pickguard material. Enough for two martin size/style pickguards.

It's full depth resin celluloid (not printed). Protective plastic on one side, no adhesive.

$25.00 plus shipping.

It's true you can do it by hand with success. But having done it both ways the machine I built is much more precision especially with elaborate bindings and around the points of a cutaway. I have the room and like building jigs, machines and tools almost as much as guitars. The big tail stock in the...

Here is the one I made and been using for 10+ years now. Very simple, super strong, solid and smooth running. Four linear bearing in an aluminum block riding on two hardened linear shafts mounted between two aluminum angle brackets. The guitar body is supported on four hard rubber lined, adjustable ...

This buffing method always raises eyebrows but it reeeeeeeally really does work much much better than the traditional buffing method. Large wheels for top and back and main side areas, small wheels for waist and cutaway areas. It's 4 arm, swing arm buffer with 4 motors, one for each wheel. My origin...

To make sure you are getting fresh glue check batch numbers on Titebond bottles. Numbers begin like this for example

#A309, etc..

The A means made in America. The 3 means 2013. The 09 means September. So this batch was made September 2013.

Joel

Mike is right.

You don't cut through the lacquer, you just score it well. The lacquer comes away at the score line when you peel up the tape.

Joel

It sounds like a lot of steps but it is actually easier than routing off the finish. I have done both ways. You don't need a router table, just a small router or laminate trimmer held in a vise or make an extra large router plate for your router and attach it to the edge of a bench. Use a 5/8' or la...

First off, give up the wet sanding. It's old technology. Dry sanding abrasives are soooooooo much better. Wet sanding is like using an Apple-1 computer from the 80s rather than the present day I-Mac. use either 3M 216U Gold 800 grit or Carborundum Red 800 grit to a 95% level then final sand with 120...

Eric many years ago, while doing antique restoration, we used a product called Wool-Wax or Wool-Lube. It's not wax. It comes in a thick liquid or gel. It's designed as a rubbing lubricant for 0000 steel wool to clean and produce a satin luster on old furniture rather than refinishing. We also very o...

Nate

if you go with a mill, I would strongly suggest a square/box column mill rather than a round column.

The box column maintains position if you should need to move the table up and down during a process.

Joel

You shouldn't have to use a router at all. Lacquer/solvent resistant tape works fine. This is how I do it. -Route a 3/32" wide relief around the bottom of the bridge the depth of the guitar's finish thickness. -Clamp the bridge in it's proper position on the guitar top and drill and taper fit a...

As far as production guitars, Years ago built a few walnut soundboard guitars both custom and production. I don't know their tonal qualities.

Joel

One AAA set of Carpathian spruce, Romanian Picea Abies. Perfectly quartered, nice silk and bright tap tone.

Picture does not do it justice.

$55.00 plus shipping.

Joel

Two Primavera jumbo sets. Cut into sets from the same board in 2007.

One set show, both sets nearly identical.

$65.00 total for the two sets together, plus shipping.

Joel

I have 20+ routers mostly 3hp models from Makita, Porter Cable, Hitachi, Ryobi. 3 or 4 years ago I bought a 2hp Ryobi plunge router $100.00 or so and I think it's as good as any and works great at any price. The best is easily the Makita 3hp plunge router with soft start and quick stop. Built like a...

American sycamore makes wonderful necks the problem is finding flat sawn stock. I have used quartered stack laminating it, sawing the blank down the center and then center laminating. I also laminated the back of the head when stack laminating. Does anyone know a good source for flat sawn American s...

What radius do you want?

Joel