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 Want to really learn more!? Take a class with Eric Schaefer and build your […]
Category: Design
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 chew #5 buying tools in bulk #6 skipping the dry run #7 using dull edge […]
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 the bridge pin holes so that they are evenly spaced and parallel to the saddle […]
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 box and lay out the other dimensions of my plans in preparation for marking out […]
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 with Eric Schaefer and build your own guitar in 8 days! Or Join The Online […]
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 Guitar Making Tips from DIY Guitarmaking Want to really learn more!? Take a class […]
Template Duplicating Solutions Part 2 – Router Bit Options
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 Guitar Making Tips from DIY Guitarmaking Want to really learn more!? Take a class […]
The Story of Nick’s Guitar
Resawing Veneers and Using Bookmatching to Enhance Headplates, Rosettes and Other Appointments
In this episode of DIY Guitarmaking I mill down a board of katalox and explain how some simple planning and the use of the bookmatching technique for something other than tops and backs can really up your craftsmanship. Questions on this topic or anything else related to acoustic instrument construction? Please e-mail eric@ericschaeferguitars.com with the […]
Katalox for Fretboards and Bridges
In this episode I investigate an alternative tonewood for fretboards and bridges: Katalox. Then I show how I pull the fretboard, the bridge and the headplate from a single board. Want more of this? Subscribe below for Weekly Guitar Making Tips on “The Small Shop Luthier Blog” Want to really learn more!? Take a […]