Radio Jazz Box: March 2012

Welcome to my Archtop Guitar Project Blog

The Archtop, or "Jazz Box", is a unique style of guitar. It has a complex design, and a sound that one might say can only come from such a design. Having never built a guitar of any kind before (unless you consider a ukulele to be a guitar) I have decided to jump right in up to the neck and start with the archtop. When I tell this to people, the normal response is something like, "have you ever built a guitar before?" or "so, you have a pretty good idea how to do this, right?". My usual reply is, "nope". I do, however, make a point to assure them that I have built many kinds of things, using many different materials, and I consider all constructions to have a logical and understandable process.

So, if you're interested in "newbe" projects like this, then grab a fresh cup of coffee or tea and follow along. The earliest post shows the design I'm going for.

**UPDATE TO INTRODUCTORY TEXT** You will see as the posts progress from earliest to newest that a few modifications and compromises have been made. As with all learning experiences, this project has allowed me to work out any problems with a design that have not been foreseen on paper. I also welcome any input from readers/followers who have some experience in either building or playing guitars that will point out potential problems.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

The Flip Side

Well, after rather a long period of time, I finally got back into things. I recently received a new tool. It's a convex spoke shave. The rounded bottom makes carving contours ever-so-nice. And the fact that it's a well made tool means that I can actually draw the thing along the surface and expect it to cut nice little curls of wood. I've only started on the outer contour of the guitar back, but already you can see the shape I'm going for.

I'll update this post with progress pictures.

March 17 - More definition, getting closer to the desired depth at the edge.

April 23 - It looks more like this.

April 26 - no new pictures, but the carving is still being worked on. It doesn't look much different now than it did in the April 23 entry, but the over all thickness is getting very close to my goal, which is to say 4mm. When I started, the whole laminated block weighed about four pounds. Now it weighs less than a pound.