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I'm working on an carved top guitar, my first carved top, and I just need some pointers. I have a basswood body that im glueing a maple top to, and I dont know if I should cut the maple to shape before or after i glue it? Also, what methods and tools should i use to cut it and figure it? Any suggestions would be very helpfull!

Just be warned you can no longer get a wagner safe-t planer, well not that you cant get one, but they have been discontinued. Chris's video is very good though, you can accomplish the same thing with a router and a 1/2" bit, I do this and just step it up 1/16 - 1/8" with each pass upwards to achieve the same stair step topography look that Chris does in this video, then I use my DA sander with 60 grit to do the inital shaping.

Here is a thread on my first and only carved top guitar. I did shape the back, but left a little overhang on the top and trimmed that back with a flush cut bit. One thing that I would do differently is to make a set of cross section templates - I pretty much just carved to what looked and felt good.

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/sho ... Paul/page2

Think about how you are going to do the binding - the recurve is a difficult area to index off of. Also, don't forget to get every internal cavity routed before you glue the top on - I forgot the hole for the ground wire to the tailpiece stud and had to drill it after the finish was on.

I use a 5" automotive disc sander installed in my hand drill. That with a 40 grit coarse PSA disc, and it gets the job done very well for all of my carves - tops, neck, and neck to body joints. I personally have found that I never wanted to commit to specific carved design and just kept going until I was happy.

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www.ziegenfussguitars.com

Generally speaking, it's easier to glue it on before carving rather than after. If it were an archtop acoustic, then you would have to carve it first. I usually use an ibex palm plane for the majority of my carving. I don't do the step method, probably because I just never did it. Another similar method is the "drill" method where you drill down a certain amount. It's somewhat safer than the step method because it's a little more controlled but doesn't remove as much material. It mostly just acts as a guide...when the holes disappear, you're done. The step method really removes a good deal of waste very quickly.

I've never done a carved top. I am building an ES 335 inspired guitar for a friend soon though, and I plan to simply use a rasp among other files to get the job done. Probably really dig into it with 60 grit on an orbital as well.

Oribtal sanders are good for smoothing stuff out, but not very good for carving. A rasp will also only let you do very, very, very limited portions of the top due to geometry. Angle grinder, plane(s) and/or gouges are your friends here, with a (french curve) scraper for the recurve. It's not really difficult, but using the right tools will help a great deal.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good rasp, and use it for tons of stuff. But hardly ever at all for carving tops or backs.

One "rasp" that will work (if you really want to use one) is one made from 8 or 10 old hacksaw blades (or, as mine, lengths cut from an old bandsaw metal cutting blade). Alternate direction, then bind together at the ends. You can bend it like a card scraper for the concaves. I use it a lot for necks as well.

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Dave
Milton, ON

The guy that I first learned from regarding carved top instruments made mandolins and archtop autoharps! The way he carved his tops and backs was using a stiff but flexible floor sanding disk--about 30 grit--mounted on an arbor. Worked great for him, but I never got the hang of it. He could do a nice recurve and everything else using this method though.

I think it just goes to show that the tool is secondary in importance to the technique...

Dave

I've done some forearm, tummy & thigh contours, with a few orbital sanders. I settled on an available-at-Lowe's Dewalt that has an adjustable rotate speed from 0rpm to.. whatever. It's almost perfect for this, for me. With standard oscillating, full-speed spin units I just burn through wood so fast I can destroy a contour in a heartbeat. Having that 0rpm option means the oscillating is the only action and allows me to go slow and precise. And I prefer the smaller 5" discs. Not a fan of the velcro though, I can't get crisp corners like I'd like. :/ Probably my only grievance.

Use a belt-sander bro - that's what I'm using on my next carved-top

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"Talking about music is like dancing over architecture".
See the most insane first guitar build: http://www.virgilguitar.com
http://www.youtube.com/VirgilGuitar

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars

*Double post*

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Francis Richer, Montréal
Les Guitares F&M Guitars