This is my 50th guitar build. I am building this guitar for a friend, Mark, who has spent time researching and playing guitars to find that perfect size and wood combination for his custom guitar. Mark has decided on my G-45 slope shouldered Dreadnaught. He has picked a beautiful Adirondack top and East Indian Rosewood back and sides.
Below is a picture of the sides before sanding. Mark chose these sides knowing that when they were sanded they would display some awesome coloring. See next picture below:
First side ready to be bent
Bending at 300+ degrees
Both sides in the building form
Heel and tail block glued to sides
Kerfed lining glued to bottom edge of sides
"Driving the bus" - Sand paper is placed in the radius dish and turned back & forth to sand sides and kerfing to a 15' radius
Top and back of sides & kerfed linings sanded to 30' and 15' radius.
Side reinforcement strips installed
Using a hand plane to true the two sides of the back so they will fit together tightly
I try to take off about 2 one-thousands of an inch of material every pass to work the two pieces of East Indian Rosewood until they fit perfectly
Back pieces and zipper back strip glued together
Back & soundboard joined
Back braced, carved and mated with sides
Sound board rosette: black/white/black outer ring and Pau blue abalone inner ring
