DIY Guitar Making Videos

Q&A | Fixing Finish Runs, Installing Mylar Pickguards, Making Cutaways and More!

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

Questions/Topics:

– What is the best way to fix a finish drip?

– How to install a clear mylar pickguard without bubbles

– The most expensive lutherie tool yet!

– Go bar rods from home depot

– Building a cutaway as a first guitar

– Radial offset rosettes

🔴 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/

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/

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/

Rosette Making and Brace Carving on Guitar #116

I’m working again on Guitar #116, the all maple, 13 fret cutaway Parlor model. In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I install the Abalone into the rosette channel, and I carve the soundboard braces, discussing carving technique along the way.

🔴 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/

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/

Q&A | Sizing Fretwire, Neck Profiling Jigs, Electric Guitar Tonewood Myths and More!

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

Questions/Topics:

– Do headstock templates include space for the nut?

– A jig for profiling necks with a router

– An audio example of a student’s guitar

– Choosing fretwire with the right tang size for your fret slots

– Leg tapering jigs for the bandsaw

– A case for titebond over hot hide glue

– Bevelling fret slots

– Why Strats and Les Pauls sound different

🔴 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/

Refretting a Guitar with a Bound Fretboard | Masterclass

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I have a repair to execute on an electric guitar with pitted frets that need replacing. This is a good opportunity to replace with Evo Gold! I cover heating and pulling the old frets, levelling the fretboard, prepping the fret slots, prepping the fretwire, hammering the frets, pressing the frets, applying glue, levelling the frets and finally fret dressing.

🔴 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/

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/

Prepping Guitar Plates and Prepping Brace Blanks for Guitar #116

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I am back to work on Guitar #116! I cut the bookmatched pairs of the back and soundboard to shape on the small bandsaw and thickness the plates. Then we talk about bracing stock and grain orientation and other important factors to consider when prepping your brace blanks. Lastly, we cut some blanks out and sand a radius into their mating surfaces.

🔴 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/

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/