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Well, I guess I won't be buying a kit for my first acoustic guitar build. My neighbor passed away a couple years ago and his wife found this bin in their garage and passed it on to me.

Now to sort out what it all is exactly, and how far along he was...

Conor--

Even here in West By Gawd Virginia, we try to wear shoes in the shop. Just sayin'. Over in Kentucky, where I grew up, you might have to check a pair out from the shoe library (regional joke).

You have an electric side bending hot pipe, a torch-heated side bending hot pipe, a mess of cam clamps, a building form and workboard, a guide book and some half-constructed parts. It's a pretty good start!

Haha, this is what it's like living on the west coast...

Also it's only my shop about a third of the time, otherwise its my guitar lesson studio.

looks like a double 0 12 fret. Great for a first. Are the sides bent yet?

Ed

Score!

And may your neighbor rest in peace.

Nice score. That looks like a Roger Siminoff book (but I don't recognize it), and a combination of an outside mold and a work board. This will be interesting to see how you build it out. Did you get sides and a neck?

The book is the Jim Williams book, which includes some of the building methods advocated by Charles Fox.

Don, when I lived in Covington and worked in Ohio my co-workers used to ask if it was difficult putting my shoes on as I crossed the bridge. Now I live over here in the big city, but I work from home so I'm barefoot most of the time again!

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Sweet score!

Awww. It's a little sad he never realised his dream. But the legacy lives on. You'll have to name it after him!

Yup there was a neck too...

Mostly carved and fretted already. But I"m nut sure what's on the end of the truss rod. Is it just waiting for the allen key socket to be screwed on?

(there was actually a mandolin neck and a half in there too!)

No sides. I assume the wood he had ear marked for it wasn't bent yet and went somewhere else when they cleaned his shop out.

This looks like Mahogany to me, can someone confirm? Also if so, any recommendations on where to go to get some wood for the sides shipped to Canada?

Yep - looks like mahogany, and pretty nice stuff too. Now you need some orphaned sides, as they are usually sold together with the back. It might be worth asking your neighbor to check the garage again for some in case they are lying around and got overlooked. Prior to bending they won’t look guitar-like!

It won’t be hard to find some similar mahogany from one of the tonewood suppliers, and most of the bigger sellers would have some spare sides to sell. I would be calling RC tonewoods, or LMI or StewMac. You are going to have fun!

If RC Tonewoods, LMI, or StewMac don't pan out for orphan sides and you are an ebay user, there are two African mahogany (Khaya) sets listed now (not mine) for $14.99 plus shipping for a set. They have some of that same ribbon figuring your back has so they might make a decent match. I wouldn't be surprised if that back is African mahogany.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AFRICAN-MAHOGANY-Book-matched-Sides-Acoustic-Luthier-Wood-Tonewood-AMSDS-006/223076017535?hash=item33f05de57f:g:UfgAAOSwDw9bMZFh:sc:USPSPriority!98021!US!-1

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AFRICAN-MAHOGANY-Book-matched-Sides-Acoustic-Luthier-Wood-Tonewood-AMSDS-005/323367001829?hash=item4b4a2cdee5:g:vqEAAOSwSzpbMZEf:sc:USPSPriority!98021!US!-1

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I think LMI keeps a Canadian warehouse in order to ease CITES and shipping issues. They might have orphan sides there.

Drop Josh House a line at Canadian Luthier Supply. https://www.canadianluthiersupply.com/ Josh has Hog back and side sets so he might have orphan sides as well.

Bob

Why do the two end blocks appear to be glued to the top? In what scenario is a benefit?

Ed

I suspect that this guitar was in the midst of a Cumpiano/Natelson style construction, which calls for the blocks to be glued to the top, then the sides are glued on, etc. but, there is also a body mold in the bin, so there is definitely some incongruity in the construction method.

Better?

Much! In fact, you would fit right in here in Appalachia.

Judging from the solera in the picture, I suspect this guitar was being built in the classical style. They would clamp the soundboard to the solera and basically slowly attach everything to the soundboard. It usually happens with a Spanish heal neck, but I guess it could work as shown.

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