Things You'll Need:
- Lathe Router Power saw Epoxy Hand drill Sander Rubber mallet Tuning keys Bridge plate String pins Molding Wood stain Frets and inlays Guitar specifications
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Step 1
Choose your wood. Different woods have different tonal qualities and weight properties. For an acoustic, you want something that won't be too heavy but will still produce a rich sound. The standard choice for the body of an acoustic is spruce, which gives a nice balance of weight and good sound. Maple or mahogany with an ebony top is a good choice for the neck.
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Step 2
Start by cutting the neck of your guitar from a single piece of wood. Cut off a block of the wood for your headstock. You can find specifications for your guitar from a manufacturer or purchase them from a luthier's supply shop. Use a wood lathe to cut the shape of your acoustic guitar neck.
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Step 3
Cut and shape the headstock with the lathe. Use a hand drill to drill six holes for your tuning pegs into the headstock. Use a routing bit to groove a seating trench around each of the tuning peg holes.
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Step 4
Cut a piece of ebony to match the neck of your guitar. Glue the ebony fretboard to the neck of your guitar and let it dry for several hours before proceeding to the next step. You can add pearl inlays before you glue the top to the neck or purchase a fretboard with the inlays already in place. Cut the groove.
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Step 5
Cut slots for your frets with a power saw. Once the slots are in place, insert each of the frets and apply pressure until they are seated. You can use a small rubber mallet to tap each fret securely in place.
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Step 6
Cut the front, back and sides of the guitar with a power saw and glue them together. Cut lengths of wood for inner bracing and glue them to the inner side of the guitar's front and back soundboard. This will add additional support to the instrument. Use clamps to hold them in place until they are fully dried.
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Step 7
Give the neck and body of the guitar a smooth finish with light grain sandpaper. Do this by hand, taking care not to sand too hard. You want to keep all surface areas as uniform as possible.
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Step 8
Cut the neck slotting at the top of the acoustic guitar body, apply epoxy, and fit the neck in place. Let this dry for several hours. You can add screws and a metal plate for further reinforcement when the epoxy has dried. Cut a notch at the top of the guitar's neck and glue the nut in place.
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Step 9
Brush the guitar with the wood stain. You can stay with a traditional wood look or you can paint the guitar any color you like. If you apply a coat of paint, follow it with a glossy coat of water-resistant sealer for the finishing touch. Let the guitar dry thoroughly before you finish up. Screw the bridge onto your guitar after the painting has been completed.
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Step 10
Apply molding to the contour of the body and along the sides of the fingerboard. The molding, made of plastic and purchased in a luthier's supply shop, not only gives the acoustic guitar a finished look, it provides additional reinforcement to the body of the guitar.
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Step 11
Mount the bridge on your guitar with screws and glue on the pick guard. Put strings on the guitar and use an electronic tuner to bring the strings up to pitch.
