I have already built the figured Sitka Spruce soundboard, complete with braces, so now I prepare the back and sides to receive it.

After trimming the excess back wood from around the lower edge of the sides, the tops of the sides are scribed and trimmed to receive the top.  Then I fit the top lining and notch the lining on either side to to receive the brace above the soundhole.  I check the fit of the top to the sides plus linings, adjusting where necessary; then lacquer the inside of the body.

The back brace ends showing through the sides will be routed away with the binding channel and hidden by the binding.

Now it is ready for me to glue the soundboard in place.

And here is the soundboard in place, trimmed to match the sides and coated with shellac lacquer.  This ensures wood is not pulled from the grain when the binding tape is removed, and will be scraped off later.

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Here the back is clamped (using state of the arc clamps) and glued in place, having been turned over for cleaning up of the join.

During his recent visit (described below), Massimo Raccosta and I discussed building a very slim guitar optimised for use with a pickup.  He showed photos of a very slim classical guitar made by Hauser, though this went further than just having a fitted pickup.  In the back of the guitar was a removable panel giving access to not only the pickup but also a tiny amplifier and loudspeaker.

Not having heard this in action, I can’t give an opinion as to how it sounds.  But in any case, this isn’t the concept we settled on.

To start with, I prepared sides from Malaysian Blackwood, which works so well on my Steinbeck guitars.  But I reduced the depth drastically.  The sides are shallower than standard at the neck, but not too much so as body rigidity here provides stability for the neck.  But towards the tail the sides are much shallower.

The picture above shows the sides joined by neck and tail blocks, cut down to receive the back, and with the back lining fitted, and lining and sides notched to receive the back braces.

The famous Sycamore tree

Massimo standing by the famous Sycamore tree.  If you saw the film ‘Robin Hood Prince of Thieves’ you will have seen this same view. It was supposedly on the route from France to Sherwood forest. Hmm.

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Go Bar Jig

Said to have come from Japan via the US, this is a wonderfully simple and convenient way of gluing complex arrangements such as struts and braces. The springy rods (colour coded according to length) push up against the roof of the jig and down against the part to be glued.

No actual clamps are needed, allowing good access for cleaning up any surplus glue.

Here German spruce struts are being attached to a Malaysian Blackwood New World guitar back.

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My latest Steinbeck S.  Bearclaw Sitka soundboard, Malaysian Blackwood back and sides, Wengé neck, ebony fingerboard and bridge, Gotoh 510 tuners with black buttons.

Strung just 48 hours ago and it already sounds absolutely lovely.

Hand tools, drill bits, measuring calipers and general bric a brac.
Including items not quite thrown away over the last 40 years.

Bubble wrap jacket protects newly laquered latest Steinbeck S while bridge is glued on and frets and fingerboard are checked and cleaned.  Because the jacket moves along with the guitar there is no possibility of scratches.  And any sharp particles that might get in fall into the gaps between the bubbles and can cause no damage.  Very simple and very effective.

Gluing the soundboard on my latest African Blackwood and German spruce MS S model development guitar, with modified bracing and soundboard. I love the cam clamps, such simple technology but lightweight and effective.

Steel spring clamps holding bottom lining in place while glue dries.  Fixing linings is the only process I use them on; useful here but I don’t love them.