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.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Curves


Well, I'm finally getting around to making a new form for the sides of the guitar, which will be maple laminate. This one will have plenty of room to work with and I'll be working on the outside of the curve, rather than the inside. The form is much wider than the actual guitar sides will be.

I'm using a material called Task Board to build the sides out of. This is cool stuff. It's like heavy stock cardboard, but you wet it lightly with a spray bottle and form it into curves. When it dries, it stays in the curve. It's not strong enough by itself to hold up to the pressure of forming, but I have plans to make it stronger. This is where my experience with polyurethane resin comes in to play. More on that, as I progress.

The messy looking pic with the yellow sheet at the bottom is the process of sealing the Task Board with polyurethane. This is a two part resin (1:1 mix ratio - you can only see one bottle in this pic though) that hardens within several minutes into a white plastic. Generally, I use this product for casting things from silicone molds, but for this purpose I simply spread it on the Task Board and let it saturate in. When it hardened it became a strengthening agent, as well as providing a moisture barrier to the card stock.


The surface on which the side form is glued is MDF. I used it because it is generally much more flat than other sheet products that are strong enough for the job; plywood is strong, but almost always has a bow in it. For purposes that require flatness I recommend MDF.

April 23 - The form is now complete, having the upper bout ends closed off, and ready to have the open side closed off with a second sheet of MDF (a la sandwich style). This will add more strength and provide a "trench" for the veneer and bending apparatus. It is now black because I have sanded it several times and sealed it with paint. It looks a mess, but the working surface is nice. Looking forward to starting a new post about laminating the sides with the curly maple veneer I have patiently waiting for the job.













April 26 - The open side is now closed off. Yes, that's just some heavy reading piled on top of the thing while the glue dries. I'm a low-tech kinda guy.













And with a new coat of paint make it smooth and all sealed. I went with white this time.


















After I get a few other things done I 'll be starting the lamination of the sides.
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