Eric Schaefer Guitars’ Online Guitar Building School This is a free video from the “Building an OM Acoustic” Course. Click here for more free video tutorials. Was this useful? I would love to hear your questions or comments! I try to answer every e-mail I receive, so please be patient with me eric@ericschaeferguitars.com Want […]
*This is an inside look at The May 2015 Acoustic Guitar Workshop at Eric Schaefer Guitars. The class is an 8 day intensive course in Guitar Making with a maximum of only 2 students to a class. For more information on the courses go to Guitar Making Classes. In May of 2015 Chris (left) and Jim(right) built […]
In part I of “Acoustic Guitar Design: An Insight into the Choices Made by Luthiers” I discussed body dimensions, scale length, string spacing, fretboard radius, neck profiles, fretwire size, wood selection and bracing. It was a very superficial glimpse into a number of complex topics. So much so that it is worthy of this disclaimer: *Disclaimer: This […]
Spoiler alert. The correct answer is… You can never have too many! This is no longer a statement of opinion, but rather a statement of fact, as evidenced by this trucker hat: It is safe to say that the question of “how many clamps” is not a point of contention in the woodworking […]
This article is intended as a basic primer into some of the acoustic, structural and aesthetic choices one must make when constructing a steel string acoustic guitar. The following includes notes on body dimensions, scale length, string spacing, fretboard radius, neck profiles, fretwire size, wood selection and bracing. Guitar players and woodworkers, amateur and professional alike, will […]
Functionally, A lightbox is nothing more than a translucent, backlit work surface. Ordinarily this takes the form of a wooden box which houses a light source and has one face of clear Plexiglas or acrylic. This box can be pulled out when needed and stowed away for later use. Installing a backlight directly into your regular worksurface, however, has the advantage […]
Measure out and mark the center of the soundhole on the soundboard. I do this by tracing the outline of the form on the soundboard and measuring (in this case, 149 mm) from the top of the outline down the glue joint of the bookmatched pair. The jig on the left side of the picture is […]
*Note: The jig used in this tutorial can be constructed using the plans provided at this link: Radial Rosettes: Building the Radial Rosette Maker. Or it can be purchased here: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/ I cut my scrap material (In this case, Zebrawood) into 2″ strips. I prefer the material to be approximately 1/8″ in thickness, give or take […]
Also see: Radial Rosettes: Making a Basic Pattern Before we get started, if you want to save yourself the hassle you can purchase this jig here: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/ Otherwise, read on: Whether following plans from a kit or building from scratch, the rosette is an opportunity for the luthier to be creative and flaunt their artistic skills. […]
Jointing the centerseam of the soundboard is often the very first thing I like to do when I receive parts from a tonewood supplier. There is no better way to get acquainted with your soundboard-to-be than taking thin, wispy shavings off of it with a handplane. Here I am going to show you a simple […]
