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The way I replace a top is to start out by making the replacement, at least as far as thickness and inletting the rosette. Then I clamp it to the guitar (take off the fretboard if it's in the way) and scribe the outline on the lower surface of the top. This gives you the _exact_ shape to cut to. Trim the new top _perfectly_ to shape.
Now rout off the old top (sob!). Set your router up with an edge guide so that it will cut along inside of the binding and purfling. You can cut all the way through inside of the liners, or you can cut _almost_ through the top over the liners, but leave the binding alone.
Clean the bits of leftover top off the liners, and take at least some of the purfling lines off too, but leave the binding.
Use a marking gauge to scribe around the outline of the new top by the width of the bindings and any purfling you will be keeping, and trim it to the line. The new top should now drop in and sit nicely on the liners.
Brace the new top up, cut the inlets into the liners and fit it as well as you can. I glue it on with spool clamps.
With luck it will be pretty tight all the way around. If there are unsightly gaps you can use the marking gauge to scribe the top and clean out a groove just wide enough for a line or two of purfling. This will cover a multitude if sins. Level off the top surface.
The beauty of this is that, while it takes a certain amount of 'mighty preperation' and precision, when your'e done you don't have any finish touch-up to do on the sides, I like to French Polish the tops, but whatever floats your boat is fine.
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