John How Guitars

A new guitar for Susan

2011-10-15T09:25:00.001-07:00

A ladder braced concert model, Mahogany back and sides and a red spruce top.

The back almost ready, just tune up the braces with the small finger plane.

Joining the top halves.

Top with rosette installed.

Ready too ned some sides.

Loading the side sandwhich into the bender and heating it up

All tightened up and cooking

A freshly bent guitar side.

The sides are in the assembly mold and I'm clamping the blocks in

Adding some braces to the top.

Glueing in the kerfed linings.

And yet another mahogany and red spruce ladder for Mike

2010-12-08T05:22:00.000-08:00

The third Curly mahogany and red spruce guitar in a row, we must be on to something here!!!

Here is a pile of guitar wood that will soon shape up.

Joining the back

Joining the top.

Installing the rosette pices.

Installed and ready for leveling.

Closeup of the rosette

The top is ready for braces.

The side all ready for the bend.

First I spritz then with a little water to keep from scorching them.

Then wrap them in foil to keep then from stainging and to keep the hot steam on them for a while.

The bending sandwich goes like this from the bottom to the top. Spring steel slat, side wrapped in foil, another spring steel slat, silicon heating blanket, galvanized spring-loaded slat on the top.

First I bend in the waist after the temp gets to around 250 deg or so with the waist caul under spring tension. After the waist is bent, I spring up the ends of the galvanized slat and put it under tension.

Finally as the temp approaches 300 deg or so, I bend the bouts around and tie them off. I let the temp climb to 325 or so and then switch from full power to cycled power. after the side cools to around 150 deg or so I bring it back up to 250 and then let it cool. I usually leave the side in the bender over night and it is ready to go the next day.

This cool little jig allows me to put a certain radius on the top edge of the sides to accept the top plate. Some builders do this with a sanding dish but I find this method works very nicely and I can put a nice flat area in the upper bout so that the fingerboard doesn't form a hump as it transitions over the sound box. I have different guides for the different radi that I use. typical are 30' for the top plus a flat upper bout and a 15' for the back.

Getting ready to prebend a set of linings. You can install these without bending them but this makes for a nice tension free install.

Bending the linings using the side bender.

The sides are masked off for glueing in the crack containment tape.

Crack containment tapes are in

The linings are installed and ready to accept the top & back.

Doing a little work on the headstock, this is the front

And the back

Glueing on the back braces.

Installing the back seam reinforcement and the label.

The finished back ready to go on the box.

Adding braces to the top.

I glued the back on and soon will close the box.

Finishing up glueing the braces.

Get'n my Mojo workin!

The top is finished.

Glueing on the top, of course it is at the bottom of the stack against the top form.

Fresh out of the form.

A few shots of the assembled box

Next up doing the purfling and binding. This one gets the deluxe vintage treatment.

Routing the channel for the purfling and binding.

Managing the strips

This is the deluxe vintage style purfling

All taped up

All scraped up and looking good!

The fingerboard and neck getting some binding. Next I will cut the dovetail for attaching the neck.

Cutting the dovetail mortise in the sound box.

Cutting the dovetail tenon in the neck.

About to do a little fine tuning of the parts so that they press together and lock.

Test fitting the pieces.

The fingerboard is one, the neck has been shaped.

Just some fine sanding to do in readiness for the finish!

Attaching the neck.

I'll be glueing on the bridge tomorrow and will string her up on Monday!

All ready for some pickin!

A very nice piece of curly mahogany

And a red spruce top

A way cool bridge!

A traditional torch inlay for the headstock and snowflake fingerboard markers.

With a nice brown Cedar Creek case.

Billy is getting a ladder braced concert as well!

2010-11-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

And guess what, it is Adirondack spruce and curly mahogany too!!

Here is the back being joined

And the Adirondack spruce top ready to make the joint.

Joining the top halves with a little hot hide glue.

The back with back trim installed.

Closeup of back trim.

Glueing braces to the back.

The back is almost finished

The top is ready for braces.

Close up of Rosette.

The sides are ready for bending.

Brace glueup

And the bridge patch.

Sides in the mold, glueing in the blocks.

Adding some crack containment strips.

Pre bending the kerfed linings make for an easier installation.

Tuning up the braces.

The top and back are ready to go onto the sides.

Adding the linings to receive the top & back.

Attaching the back.

Sides with linings and crack container tape.

Readt to recieve the top and back plates.

A couple of necks coming along.

Glueing on the top, it is at the bottom of the stack here.

Fingerboards slotted on the table saw.

The box is closed.

Form the back.

Binding on the fingerboard.

Adding the top trim pieces.

The box is about ready for the neck.

The trim is all scraped down and ready for some serious sanding.

Shaping up a neck with a modified V profile.

Inlaying the logo.

Testing the fit.

Looking like a guitar huh!

Puting in some side fret marker dots with a fat one at the 12th fret.

A pair almost ready for the spray booth. Billy's is on the right.

Filling the pores is the forst step of the finish.

Add a little shading and a little oil varnish.

Nice and shiny but still a lot more work ahead.

All finished spraying. The finish needs to cure for at least a few weeks and then lots of sanding and buffing before final assembly and setup.

Wet sanding the sound box before the buff out.

Clearing off some finish to glue the neck and fingerboard on.

Glue and clamp the neck.

Installing frets

Tap tap tap.....

I glued the bridge on this morning and should be able to string her up tomorrow!

These pics were taken with a flash so it is not quite as bright in person as these last four pics show.

David is getting a new LBC for his daughters graduation

2010-11-02T17:12:00.000-07:00

David is getting his daughter (who is a fan of country blues) a ladder braced concert guitar for her graduation from college. Congrats to both of you.

The guitar will be Adirondack spruce on top and curly mahogany back and sides. We are going for a nice vintage look so we will use some split herringbone and colored (green) lines in the purfling and traditional iveroid binding. The finish will be a hand shaded/aged look under oil varnish.
Stay tuned for more pics of the build.

A custom Karura case.

A pretty sharp color scheme huh!

Curly mahogany back and sides.

Having bent the sides, I am glueing in the blocks.

Here I am joining the Adirondack spruce top.

A little crack suppression tape to add some color.

Glueing in the lining for the top.

The side are about ready for the top and back.

Closeup of the Rosette.

And the top.

Glueing in the braces with hot hide glue.

Marking out a couple of necks from this hunk of mahogany.

Cutting out the blanks at the bandsaw.

Two neck blanks ready for some more whittlin'.

Glueing on the back braces.

Back braces are shaped and installing the label.

Glueing on the back

The top is also ready to go on.

Glueing on the top (even though it is the back visible here).

The box, fresh out of the assembly mold.

From the back.

This jig hold the router shaft exactly vertical and rides up and down guided by the surface of the top at the edge. It also has a bearing that references the side of the guitar. The guitar carriage lets me keep the guitar sides vertical for a proper binding channel cut.

A view of the cut binding/purfling channel. A little clear shellack around the edge helps make a clean cut.

The same being done for the back.

Sorting out and attaching the purfling pieces.

All done with the top

Repeating the process for the back

The trim is on and now for some finish sanding.

A closeup of the binding/purfling.

Working on the neck.

The fingerboard is next.

Just cut the fret slots, using the table saw and special blade.

A couple shots of the completed box

Cutting the dovetail mortise in the box. This jig allows me to fine tune the neck angle.

And then the tenon in the neck.

Both pieces ready for fitting.

Still some more fitting to do but you get the idea now!

Shaping up the neck.

Neck shaping tools.

Adding some cheeks for the modified V.

Test fitting the neck.

Looking like a guitar!

Adding some side view dots.

A nice pair of guitars ready for finish, David's is on the left.

Filling the pores in anticipation of finishing.

Add a little color shading and some oil varnish to make it shiny.

Almost ready for curing.

All of the spraying is finished. I have put this guitar away to cure for a few weeks and we'll pull it out and start sanding and buffing before we do the final assembly and setup.

Wet sanding the sound box after finish curing.

Clearing finish where the fingerboard extension goes.

Ready for the neck.

The neck is glued and clamped.

A couple shots with the neck on.

Cleaning out the fret slots.

Tappin' the frets in. Coming up, the bridge, the tuners and pickup installation.

I'm gonna put this in the mail today so just a few parting shots.

Shop visitors

2010-04-23T00:25:00.000-07:00

Today these guys came by the shop. They live just down the hill in a pond on the creek that runs by a couple hundred feet down the hill in the woods.They walked across my back lawn and down the drive past the shop. These pictures were taken from inside my shop door so I wouldn't disturb them.

Denis is getting a new guitar

2010-02-20T16:43:00.000-08:00

Denis is getting a new LBGC of curly european maple and red spruce.
24.9" scale and 12 frets clear of the box. The finish will be a amber/tobacco burst. The trim is a split herringbone style with green accents.
Here are some pics of the progress.

Here, the headstock underlay is being attached. This neck had been roughed out prior to being assigned to this guitar.

The back halves being joined.

The sides ready for bending.

Nice even figure in this wood.

A side sandwich.

In the bender, getting warmed up.

Bending at the waist.

Hooking up the bouts.

All tied up and cooking.

Side 1, fresh out of the bender.

One side ready to go into the mold.

Joining the top.

The back has a center trim strip and is cut to shape.

Closeup of the back center trim.

The second side fresh from the bender, still wrapped in aluminum foil.

Sides in the mold, glueing in the head neck and tail blocks.

Adding a little side reinforcement, actually these are not so much reinforcement as they are to control a crack should one start.

A little color for the insides.

Contouring the sides to accept the plates.

Clamping in the linings.

Finishing up the back.

Getting ready to final shape the braces.

After shaping nd tuning the braces.

Top & back inside view.

Top & back outside view.

The Rosette.

Headstock front.

Headstock back.

Glueing on the back.

Label closeup.

About to close the box.

Sound box assembled

Binding/purfling channels cut.

Installing the binding and purfling, Half of a herringbone plus some green and black accents.

Detail shot of the mitered purfling. Sorry about the blurry closeup but I tried several and this was the best I could do.

Fingerboard and headstock, Madagascar Rosewood with Yellowheart inlays. I tried to go with phases of the moon leading to and away from the full howl'n wolf moon.

Headstock with logo.

Howl'n Wolf and nickname.

Start'n to look like a guitar now!

Kristian's LBC

2009-11-11T23:51:00.000-08:00

Mahogany and Adirondack Spruce ladder braced concert guitar
Trimmed in my vintage style with Madagascar rosewood fingerboard, bridge and headstock
13.5" wide with a 24.9" scale.

Prepping sides for bending

Side sandwich inserted into bender and heating up

Sides bent and cooking

Headstock choices

Bookmatched Koa is selected

Joining the back

The neck and tail block are in

Installing some colorful crack restraint

Installing the kerfed linings

Machining the sides to the proper contour to accept the back

Clamping the back braces in the go bar deck

Trimming the sound hole

Completed Rosette

Shaping the back braces

Matching back trim

Back strip closeup

The top is aboiut complete and the back needs a few more pieces

The neck and fingerboard in progress

The back is one

Top ready to go on too

Glueing on the top, it is on the bottom of the stack

putting the pieces together

Binding is on

Tpo all cleaned up

Back all cleaned up

Trial fitting the neck and fingerboard

Attaching the fingerboard to the neck blank

The color is on but still unmasked

Neck shaded

Unmasking the trim

Final neck fit.

Removing the finish under the fingerboard

The neck is on, tomorrow I fret it and maybe get the bridge on as well.

Small abalone position markers are in and frets are ready to install.

Frets are in.

Pic showing your sound port

Pics of the finished guitar

John How's X-braced concert guitar

2009-11-08T23:04:00.000-08:00

Some time ago I was lucky enough to win a really nice set of Curly Claro Walnut from my friend Bob Cefalu of RC & Sons tonewood. He does this about once a month in a drawing. I figured that since this set of wood was a gift from Bob, I should build myself a guitar with it. I looked around for a suitable top and found a beautiful set of sinker rosewood. Walnut and Redwood is one of my favorite combo's so here is the story of my new guitar.

Specs:
How Concert size, 13.5" wide
Scale 24.9"
13 fret neck joint
X-braced
Sinker redwood top
Curly Claro Walnut back & sides
Mahogany neck
Madagascar Rosewood fingerboard, Bridge & headstock
Curly walnut bindings with maple & Walnut purflings with maple side purflings
Addy Spruce braces on the top & Mahogany braces on the back
The bindings on thos guitar are almost 1/4" wide so that I can use a 1/8" radius bit to round over the guitars edge for a very comfortable feel when paying it. It will be finished in clear gloss, no burst on this one. The tuner buttons will be matching curly walnut.

Joining the redwood top

Joining the walnut back

Prepairing the sides for bending

Loading the side bender

Hooking it up and heating it up

The side is bent and cooking a bit

Fresh from the bender

Clamping in the blocks

Some colorful side crack control, hopefully just for looks

Clamping on some braces to stiffen up that top

Clamping the top to the sides

Bracing the back

Adding some braces around the sound hole

Shaping the back braces

Bindings and purfling strips all bent and ready for instalation

Shaping the neck

Finishing up the back with a label and a reinforcement strip

The box from the top with purflings and bindings freshly attached

The back before binding

Neck and fingerboard

Finishing Curt's XGC

2009-11-06T15:11:00.000-08:00

Finishing Ryan's ladder braced parlor

2009-06-29T23:26:00.000-07:00

Sanded and ready for pore filling

The pores are filled and ready for finishing

First step in the burst is a nice amber coat

Top burst

Back burst

Completed box and neck will cure for a couple of weeks before buffing and assembly

Finishing Jeff's LBGC

2009-06-29T21:05:00.000-07:00

Sanded up and ready for pore filling.

The mahogany box after filling the pores

A coat of amber tinted finish is the first of the color coats, in the burst.

Sunburst

Back of the box

The finished box and neck, curing before buffing and assembly.

Getting set to remove the finish under the fingerboard extension.

Finish removed and almost ready for glueup.

Mask around fingerboard to aid in glue cleanup

The neck is on

Next step, level the fingerboard and install frets.

The frets are in

I will install this bridge today!

Well I forgot to take pictures of the bridge instal but here is the completed guitar!!

Update, Curt's XBGC

2009-06-13T20:10:00.001-07:00

Bracing the top

Carved Braces

Finished top & back

Glueing on the back

The label

Closing the box

Gluing on the top, it's on the bottom of the pile

The box

Nice Koa!!! I can't wait to pop this stuff!

Neck block marked up to cut the blank.

Rough cut neck blank

Managing all the pieces of trim

Top trim

Back trim

Headstock overlay is on

Top trim

Back trim

Rosette

Cutting the dovetail mortise in the box

Cutting the dovetali tenon in the neck

Fitting the neck to the sound box

The parts almost ready

Binding the fingerboard

Locating and aligning the fingerboard

installing he fingerboard on the neck

A trial fit, next I'll shape the neck and then it about time for some finish!!

Shaun's XGC is finished!

2009-06-07T23:15:00.000-07:00

John S - Ladder braced concert guitar finished!

2009-06-07T23:08:00.001-07:00

John D's Ladder braced GC is finished!!

2009-06-03T22:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry that I seem to have missed pictures on a few construction sequences but sometimes I just get into building and forget to photograph.
Anyway, here are some pictures of the finished guitar.
Western red cedar with walnut back and sides. 25.4 inch scale, 12 fret ladder braced.

Curt's X braced Grand Concert

2009-05-28T22:52:00.000-07:00

This one uses an extreme set of on fire Koa and a Lutz spruce top.

This set of Koa is on fire!!!

Joining the back halves

Getting a side ready for bending

Making the sandwhich

Loaded into the bender and heating up

First the waist is bent

And then the bouts

And fresh out of the bender

Glueing in the blocks

Some color added for reinforcement or crack control, heaven forbid.

The box is not closed, the back is just posing there for the camera, but it's cut to shape. Braces to come soon.

Contouring the side to the proper radius for fitting the back.

Installing the linings

Bracing the back

Shaping the back braces

Gling in the back reinforcement strip and label

Joining the top halves

The top has been thinned and the rosette is in

The rosette

Jeff's Ladder Braced Grand Concert

2009-05-10T23:07:00.001-07:00

Jeff is getting a Ladder bradced grand concert guitar with a Red Spruce top and Mahogany hack and sides

The back is joined.

A side loaded into the bender and heating up to about 300 degrees.

The waist is bent.

And now the bouts are bent.

Gkueing in the linings

Adding the braces to the back

Shaping the back braces

Glueing on the back

The top braces are on and carved

Just before the box is closed

Glueing on the top, it's on the bottom of the stack

Cutting the purfling/binding channels

Ready for binding and purfing

Installing the trim

Now that's done and the neck will be next.

Slotting a fingerboard

The dovetaik

Attaching the fingerboard

A trial fit

Ryan Ladder Braced Parlor Continued

2009-05-10T22:44:00.000-07:00

More pictures of Ryan's Ladder Braced Parlor

Barcing the top

Bracing the back

Working the back braces

The top and back ready to attach to the sides

Closing the box

Sound box from the front

Sound box from the back

Installing purfling and binding

Binding cleaned up and the box is pretty much finished.

Dovetail done

A trial fit

Finishing Shaun's XGC

2009-05-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

The top has been stained and shaded.
The camera does not quite capture the true color though. Here is a shot in the door of my shop and another in the shop with no flash. Flash tends to wash out everything.

The front Hanging in my shop doorway, no flash

The back Hanging in my shop doorway, no flash

Hanging in my shop under fluorescent lighting, no flash

Clearing a place for the fingerboard

Attaching the neck

Installing frets

The frets are all level and dressed, installing the bridge is next.

Glueing on the bridge using a vacuum clamp.

Healdsburg 09 continued

2009-04-16T11:52:00.001-07:00

More pics of my Healdsburg entry for 2009

This guitar is a x-braced concert model, Zebrawood back & sides and bearclaw sitka top with yelloheart trim. Here is the Moon wolf headstock inlay

Eboony fingerboard with yellowheart trim.

Shaun C's XGC continued

2009-04-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

More of Shaun's guitar coming together

Routing a channel for the top purfling, a herringbone with a green stripe down the middle.

Installing the purfling and the binding on the top.

Glued and taped

All leveled and looking right.

The back has only a center strip and binding.

The wedgy.

Cutting the dovetail mortise in the soundbox.

And a watching tenon in the neck

Ready for final fitting

Dry fit, now we shape the neck.

Neck shaping by hand plus powertool

Just a little more sanding and we'll be ready for finish.

X braced concert guitar for the Healdsburg 09 Festival of Guitars

2009-03-02T19:12:00.000-08:00

Here is a guitar I am putting together for this years show. It is an X braced Concert size with Zebrawood back and sides and a nice bearclaw sitka top. It will also feature Yellowheartand black trim.

Here I am installing the top prufling. In this case it is scraps from the back. Each piece has to be fitted to the curve of the back and then trimmed so that the outer purfling and binding can be installed.

The next few of these pictures show the installed purfling. Zebrawood and yellowheart with ebony accents.

Ryan M's new ladder braced parlor

2009-02-28T10:47:00.000-08:00

Ok Ryan, here we go. I have assembled a group of parts and will be getting started real soon. Watch here for updates in the coming weeks.

Ryan is getting a ladder braced parlor with an adirondack spruce top, mahogany back & sides and madagascar rosewood bridge, fingerboard and head-plate.

Some of the raw materials.

The sides all trimmed to length and marked out, ready to bend.

One of the sides is in the bender.

The Mahogany back being joined.

The top is joined and will be getting a rosette very soon.

The side in the mold with the block glued in ready for some side reinforcement tape.

the linings are going in

Some trim options for Shaun's XGC

2009-02-25T11:29:00.000-08:00

Here are some options for your trim. If you wanted to use one of these maybe we could do the rosette with the rings and then just the herringbone with the matching color around the edge with the iveroid binding and then the same herringbone up the back strip. I could also substitute a colored strip for the white in the small rings but that may be too much color.
I know it looks a little strange to view the rosette with four different colors but hopefully it'll give you an idea. Let me know what you think and don't be afraid to say no if you don't like the ideas as that's all they are.

Blue

Green

Yellow

Red, as if you couldn't tell but I thought I needed to write something.

Sample rosette

Here are somesample backstrip cominationas and you can change them around to suit yourself if you dpn't see anything you like or have another idea. Keep in mind that these are just examples that I came up with playing around with the different strips. Personally, I think I like the ones without the herringbone for the backstrip. Also the different strips will be very tightly installed on the real back but appear kinda loose here.
1

2

3

4

5

6

Shaun C's X-braced grand concert

2009-02-20T23:36:00.001-08:00

Raw materials. Madagascar Roasewood

Joining the back

Lutz Spruce top

Mad Rosewood sides

Side bundle in the bender, heating to 300 deg plus

The side is bent and cooling

Just out of the side bender

A freshly bent side

In the mold with the blocks installed

Glueing in the linings

Top in the go=bar deck getting braces installed. Tomorrow we will try to loosen it up a bit.

Trimming it up a bit.

The finished top

The back strip

Back strip closeup

Bracing the back

The back has been attached to the sides.

The top goes on next.

The top is on, the box is closed up and ready for binding after a little sanding.

John D's Ladder braced Grand Concert Guitar

2009-02-09T22:36:00.001-08:00

John's ladder braced grand concert of walnut and western red cedar.

Sides loaded into the side bender and warming

Sides heated, bent and now cooling

The sides have been fitted into the mold and the neck and heel blocks have been glued in.

Back with center strip installed.

Kerfed linings clamped in.

Colorful side reinforcement.

Top and back plates.

Back braces clamped in the go-bar deck.

Bracing the top.

Finishing up the back braces.

Installing purflings and bindings

Installing purflings and bindings

Ready for scraping and sanding

The box is pretty much done now and I'll be starting on the neck.

Purfling/Rosette closeup

John S, Ladder braced concert guitar

2009-02-04T20:02:00.001-08:00

Hi John, here are some pics of your LBC in progress.

Top all braced up

Side and back minus the top

Label

the back

Colorful side reinforcement

Rosette

The closed box

Ready for binding

All ready for finish

Next step is adding a bit of color.