A Great Build! – Wells Guitars

This student probably took more photographs than any student that has come to my shop. He built a beautiful 000 guitar. I hope you enjoy seeing his photographs as much as he and I did creating them!

Gluing Headstock overlay

Will's Wood — Will’s Wood

Hide Glue Cooking

Fretboard Fret Template

Ready to attach to template

Fretting Sled

Fretting

Fretboard Bound

Neck Blank

Neck Blank glued

Finished Tenon

Angle on Tenon

Angle on cheek of neck

Neck and Fretboard

Fretboard Crowning Jig

Fitting fretboard to neck

Trimming excess from neck

Back glued to rim

Fretboard pinned

Wetting side for bending

Jig for tapering neck

Drilling tuners

Atlantic Mold

Top drawn and hole drilled for positioning

Better view of positioning hole

Drawing out rosette

Rosette installed

Gluing in blocks

Laying out top braces

Top bracing layed out

Shaping top braces

Jig for shaping braces

Linen side liners installed

Ready to fit top and back

Fitting top

Fitting top

Fitting top

Installing linings

INstalling back linings

Vacuum Press

Vacuum Pump

Back in vacuum press

Bottom of jig

Gluing top bracing

Gluing top bracing

Top braced, final shaping to follow

Inletting liners

Fitting top to rim

Marking brace ends

Rim ready to accept top and back

Back glued to rim

Neck fit

Back glued to rim

Shaping top braces

Finished X Brace

Gluing top to rim

Gluing top to rim

Gluing top to rim

Sanding top rim

Sanding sides

Shellac the back

Jig for back wedge

Wedge to be inlaid

Cutting binding channels

Cutting binding channels

Channels cut

Bidning glued in place

Preparing to cut mortise in body

Preparing to cut mortise in body

Preparing to cut mortise in body

Mortise jig

Mortise jig with attachment holes

Mortise cut (see alignment holes)

Fitting neck to body

Playing the new guitar (no finish)!!!

Neck fit

Slot cut

Trimming neck blank

Clamped fretboard to neck

Clamped fretboard to neck

Fitting heel overlay

Making the bridge

Making bridge

Making bridge

Bridge before shaping

Shaping jig

Bridge pins in top

Shaping neck

Shaping neck

Shaping neck

Shaping neck

Shaping neck

Shaping neck

Shaping neck

Shaping neck

Shaping neck

Shaping neck

Shaping neck

Preparing to cut body mortise

Preparing bridge location for removal of finish

Gluing bridge to body

Preparing body for fretting

Preparing body for fretting

Chalking the board for leveling

Rounding the edges of the fretboard

Fretting commences!

Clamping frets

Leveling frets

Cleaning fretboard

Double checking for level

Radiusing the saddle

Saddle fit

Fitting the nut

Locating the string slots

Cutting the string slots

Cutting the string slots to a known depth

Drilling out the holes in the bridge

Cutting the slots in the bridge

Reaming the holes to fit the pins

Bridge just about ready

Filing the nut edges

Final cutting of the nut

The new guitar's rosette and decoration — The new guitar’s rosette and decoration

Top Glued

Cutting Tenon

Crowning Fretboard

Bender

Sanding back rim

Jig for cutting back brace inlets

Back ready to accept bracing

Back fit

Back fit

Body out of mold

Preparing to glue back binding

Top binding & Purfling glued in place

Sanding

Alignment tool

Cutting Mortise

Neck fit

Cut for truss rod

Neck and truss rod fit

Checking fit

Gluing fretboard to neck

Gluing overlay to heel

Fitting bridge to neck angle

Pinning bridge to top

Shaping neck

Final checking bridge alignment

Preparing to cut body mortise

Preparing to cut body mortise

Body mortise cut

Body mortise

Prepare fretboard for tenon

Tenon material

Ready for inserts

Glued to fretboard

Drilling holes in mortise for bolts

Making the saddle