Category Archives: Design

All, Design, Guitar Making, Guitar Repair, Jigs, Q & A, Tools, Uncategorized, Videos

Q&A | Side Bending Tips, Joining Bookmatched Pairs, Controlling Shop Humidity and More!

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I answer YOUR questions!

Questions/Topics:

– Introducing my new “Florentine Cutaway and Advanced Binding/Purfling Methods” Workshop! (https://ericschaeferguitars.com/florentine-cutaway-and-advanced-binding-purfling-methods-workshop-build-options/)

– I have Wenge for sale! email me at eric@ericschaeferguitars.com

– Where to find prefab materials like bent sides and slotted fretboards

– side bending tips to avoid splits or scorching

– recommended thicknesses for bending sides

– alternate jigs to joining boards – How to control humidity in your shop

– How to control humidity in your guitar showroom

– Removing frets without a soldering iron

– Finding parts for building a side bender – Using fiberglass arrows as gobars

– Question of the week: Is there a specific tonewood that blows your socks off!?

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 8 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Design, Guitar Making, Jigs, Q & A, Uncategorized, Videos

QA | Refretting with Larger Fretwire, Buying Go Bars, Wild Grain and more!

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I answer YOUR questions!

Questions/Topics:

– Should you use Carbon Fiber Rods and a Truss Rod?

– Making your own bulk binding strips

– wild grain versus homogenous grain

– Buying go bars

– Changing fretwire size when refretting

– Where to buy a gramil?

– Issues with small soundholes

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for a 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Design, Guitar Making, Uncategorized, Videos

The Most Important Gram of Wood in a Guitar

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, we talk about the function of the X-brace cap and how it restores structure to a critical part of the bracing pattern. Then I demonstrate a simple method for attaching the cap with tape.


🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Design, Guitar Making, Jigs, Q & A, Tools, Uncategorized, Videos

Q&A | Taptuning Tops, Tonewood Myths, Best Guitar Brands, and More!

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I answer YOUR questions!

Questions/Topics:

– Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show

– Favorite Guitar brands/companies

– Fret slotting saws

– Marketing your guitars

– How many pounds of pressure do go-bars produce?

– Inlaying into dark woods as opposed to light woods

– Lazy builders

– Jim Lill debunking electric guitar tonewood debate

– Neck profiling jigs do accomodate all profiles! (I got this wrong in last QA!)

– Am I going to build a 12 string?

– What notes/pitches do you listen for when taptuning?

– What is a leg tapering jig?

– What ‘YMMV’ means and why I can’t keep up with the internet

– Why nobody is watching my Refretting Masterclass video that I worked so damn hard to make!?

– Buying instruments for the aesthetic value of the wood/materials

– Johnson Paste Wax and the Everything Shortage caused by that which shall not be named!

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Design, Guitar Making, Uncategorized, Videos

Using Teflon to Install a Mother Of Pearl Rosette | Guitar #116

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I discuss some design considerations for my new, florentine cutaway parlor build, Guitar #116. Then we walk through the process of cutting a rosette channel and inlaying two fiber purfling strips and a teflon “place-holder” for the Mother Of Pearl, which will be installed later.

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for a 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Design, Finishing, Guitar Making, Guitar Repair, Jigs, Q & A, Uncategorized, Videos

Q&A | Purfling Depth, Instrument Glue Recommendations, Mold Making and More!

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I answer YOUR Questions!

Questions/Topics:

– hide glue vs. titebond

– fish glue

– how deep should purfling be inlaid?

– inlaying turqoise

– The “Best” Guitar show

– Using waxed wood strips like Teflon strips

– Top thickness

– french polishing and tru oil

– fastening latches to molds

– the neutral zone for a dual action truss rod

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for a 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Design, Guitar Making, Jigs, Q & A, Tools, Uncategorized, Videos

Q&A | Resonating vs Reflecting Backs, Top Thickness, Scrapwood uses, and more!

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I answer YOUR questions!

Questions/Topics:

– What do you do with your scrap wood?

– Buying pre-bent sides

– Best heating blanket for side bending – radial rosettes – thicknessing backs as a resonator or a reflector – Thicknessing tops

– Plate gluing jig

– laminated sides

– inlaying Opal for fret marker dots

– What is the purpose of a shooting board

– modifying an existing guitar to increase the bass response

– inlaying mother of pearl without teflon strips

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Design, Guitar Making, Jigs, Tools, Uncategorized, Videos

Making a Florentine Cutaway Mold for Guitar #116

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I build a mold for a florentine cutaway parlor guitar model. I cover the process of stacking and duplicating the pieces of the mold on the router table, fine-tuning the cutaway with a chisel, and making the best out of your latch mechanism so your mold lasts a lifetime.

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Design, Guitar Making, Jigs, Uncategorized, Videos

Let’s Make a Radial Rosette from Black Walnut!

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I am using the Radial Rosette Maker jig to create a radial wood pattern rosette for a student’s guitar.

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Design, Guitar Making, Q & A, Tools, Uncategorized, Videos

Q&A | Chisel Sharpening, Mesquite for Fretboards, Happy Accidents and more!

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I answer YOUR questions!

Questions/Topics:

– Chisel Sharpening

– source for dyed purfling strips

– bridge wood

– amp repair

– mesquite for fretboards?

– happy accidents

– what to do with “mistakes”

– the role of patience and focus in nut slotting technique

– bird’s eyes on silver maple – why does sugar maple burn so easily?

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://ericschaeferguitars.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/