Author: Eric Schaefer

Guitarmaking Q&A for August 3rd, 2018

Today’s topics include: carbon fiber inserts and truss rods, intonation and compensation, hiding fractures and splits in the plates, building your own thickness sander and more… Want more of this? Subscribe below for Weekly Guitar Making Tips from DIY Guitarmaking

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How a Truss Rod Actually Works

See what a truss rod actually does when you turn it clockwise and counter clockwise! I talk about single action and double action truss rods and I show how the truss rod functions inside your guitar’s neck, whether the adjustment

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14 Mistakes to avoid when building your first acoustic guitar

I talk about some of the mistakes that beginner luthiers make on their first acoustic guitar. #1 using woods of opportunity or reclaimed wood #2 using expensive wood #3 using highly figured wood #4 biting off more than you can

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Creating a Unique Bridge Design: Part 2

I walk you through the process of designing a unique bridge shape for my new model of guitars. In this second part, I mark out the saddle location, locate the bridge in the guitar, widen the saddle slot and set

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Creating a Unique Bridge Design: Part 1

I walk you through the process of designing a unique bridge shape for my new model of guitars. In this first part, I draw out the bridge shape with french curves, trace out copies of the design on a light

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Extensive wood repair beneath a Floyd Rose bridge

Someone brought a Stratocaster to my shop with extensive damage beneath the tremolo bridge. Watch as I remove the split and damaged wood and patch in new wood to restore this guitar to playing condition!   Want more of this?

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Six Guitar Playing Tips from a Guitar Maker

Let’s take a break from guitar building and talk about playing! I share some tips for optimizing the sound of every note you play. #1 Don’t smother the back #2 Don’t restrict the right hand to one area #3 Consider

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How Guitar Sides Affect Tone

What is the role of the guitar’s sides in the acoustic system that is the soundbox?   Want more of this? Subscribe below for Weekly Guitar Making Tips from DIY Guitarmaking   Want to really learn more!? Take a class

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Why I like Evo Gold Fretwire

What’s the difference between EVO Gold, Nickel Silver, and stainless steel frets? I talk about the aesthetic appeal, the hardness, the longevity, and the tone of Evo Gold fretwire versus the others. Want more of this? Subscribe below for Weekly

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Template Duplicating Solutions Part 4 – Curves and Corners

This series looks a improving your results when duplicating patterns in the shop. This is especially important for luthiers as we use templates for headstock, bridge, guitar body, and fretboard tongue shapes. Want more of this? Subscribe below for Weekly

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