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I built a few Martin kits in the 90’s and followed the rather spartan directions as well as the StewMac video for their kits sanding bars, and no outside mold.

When I switched to an outside mold, radius dishes, and go bars it actually simplified the process greatly for me and improved accuracy and symmetry. That’s just me. Many paths to the same end. Hans Brentrup didn’t use dishes and some pretty amazing stuff came out of his basement.

Early on I attempted to make my own dishes with a router jig. Best done outdoors! Two years later I was still finding MDF dust when I mowed the lawn!

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Don't worry about the curve. I glue mine in a radius dish on a go bar deck but by the time I'm ready to string them up the guitar has already moved and a plastic radius gauge is no longer an exact fit. No biggie.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"