My wife knew a guy in San Diego who did something like this (before we met). He walked up to Taylor’s HQ/factory there in east county with it. They pretty much hired him on the spot.
But I'm willing to bet that won't happen today, so much of their work now is all by CNC machines, they get things Exactly right, with a bit skilled oversight 😊😊
Fantastic work. Thank you so much for sharing! I have even more questions about how to make an acoustic than before watching this video, but i guess that's a good thing. Thanks again!
I’m not a professional but I’d be happy to answer your questions as well as I can! I have a few other videos of acoustic builds and a few violin builds too if you’re interested in watching more. Like this one: ruclips.net/video/SCx-LdbKgIM/видео.html
That's a great build, and great to see. And sounds good, too. I'm working on one now, but probably won't make a video of the current build. So very impressive and cool that you make a good amount of the tools, too.
The sound you get out of some of these reclaimed woods is amazing. Both this and the pallet guitar looked and sounded great, which is shocking for oak. That is usually not a very resonant wood.
Great effort. There's a lot of work just making the jigs and formers. I built an acoustic guitar last year with the help of RUclips. Timbers included Tasmanian black wood back, birdseye maple sides, Douglas fir top, mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard.
I would never called this an amateur build. You’re far braver than I. I neither have the necessary tools required, nor the time to actually build a guitar from scratch. I would love to do it, but I would not be able to.
I call it an amateur build because I’m just an amateur! I do this for fun on the side and I didn’t get paid to make it. I’ve slowly built up my tool collection by getting most things used and I don’t ever buy the nicest equipment. I work in about a 12’ by 12’ corner of my basement whenever I have time and whenever I’m not worried about bothering my family with the noise!
@@dannylewisguitars All evidence to the contrary, my good sir. It’s a beautiful piece of work. I think your next challenge is to build a classical guitar.
You did a great job on the video because I was never tempted to skip to the final product. At times I wondered what the hell is he up to ? Thank you for not adding background crap music.
Wonderful video. I built a Stew Mac kit and then got most of the way through a scratch build but couldn't get the neck to fit correctly. Looking forward to getting back into this in my retirement. Your video brought back lots of fond memories. Thanks!
That was the Best guitar build proyect i have ever seen, and thats the way a like a guitar , that was an excelent job brother, God bless you, pleas keep building guitar like that one. See you later my friend.
excellent build, i have been debating on if I should also build one. I have the kinds of wood already selected Madagascar Rosewood for the sides, Indian Rosewood for back, and western cedar for top, Maple neck, Mahogany for the bracing and soundboard.. Sometimes you have to select things out of the box to see where things and sounds will take you.
Well done! I actually like the use of the tablesaw instead of bandsaw since it shows great use of the tools you already have. Enjoyed the build and looking forward to building my first one shortly.
Thanks! There’s always a way to get around not having all the right tools. And no matter how many tools you have there’s always one more that you need! Good luck on your build!
Great to see Danny,I'm from Hamilton NZ on my Wife's tablet-( SUSAN ) I just don't have the resources to have the Gear you show, but with what I do have - a drill, vise, and a grinder/sander etc.all I'm able to do ( as a hobby) is buy old but good Acoustic's and improve their sound ( bone nut and saddĺe) but it's been great to see how it's done, & who knows...😊😊😊
A beautiful thing, I just sat for 20 mins straight without skipping the video. I'm a guitar player myself, maybe one day I will order one from you 😉 you should definitely monetize your skills
@@dannylewisguitars Bolt on necks are particularly useful on Acoustic Guitars to easily correct high Sting Action by adding or removing a shim. This turns what would otherwise be a costly Professional repair of a glued on Dovetail neck into s simple fix many guitarists can do themselves in a few minutes. Taylor Guitars uses such a bolt on neck design, making their guitars particularly desirable. Congrats on your build!
A little clumsy and unorthodox at times but it turned out to be a beautiful guitar with a fantastic sound! And without further damaging the forests! Bravo!
@@davidsims1329 neither the braves or top were quarter sawn on this guitar! That’s what you get when you use all reclaimed wood. It’s still playing great though. Over a year later.
I know! I just use reclaimed wood I get for free. This one sounds pretty good with a walnut top. Also, Taylor academy series is currently being made with walnut tops. And mahogany is a hard wood that’s similar to walnut that’s been used for decades by Martin and other reputable brands.
Yeah! I just made a miter box basically. I put two parallel pieces of 3/4 plywood along another piece that the fretboard sits on. I clamped a speed square to those rails and carefully cut a slot in the rails with my fret saw. I use an online template for marking the fret distance. Just line the markings up with the slot I cut and I get perfectly straight fret slots! Let me know if that makes sense.
@@dannylewisguitars thanks for the reply! I appreciate that so much! I think I grasped most of that. Just the part about the online template and marking the slots went over my head. Maybe a link to the template website would help.
I don't know if it's me or the edibles! But by the time the build was done. And you strung it, tuned it and played it. I was in tears, to hear the fruits of his labor, being brought to life! That guitar was a work of art, and I loved it!
Building a guitar with Tightbond 2 is like welding your diff in a muscle car , hell of a commitment that can't be easily backed away from. Great planning required . Great job!
@@luckysevenairammo1217 PVA glue is rubbery, and rubbery material will not transmit sound as well in tonewood. I'm not saying it's BAD BAD, just that in small quantities it's not ideal. In large glops, it IS bad.
@@Bob_AdkinsPVA is pretty much the industry standard. A tour of the Taylor or Martin factory will show that (there’s plenty of videos here on YT of such tours). Independent luthiers who don’t use hide glue (or fish glue) use PVA (usually Titebond III).
@@koine2002 My thoughts are that it deadens the transmission or tone wood because it's pretty soft, but I suppose very tight joints have very little of it.
Thank you for this beautiful series of videos! That is one VERY FINE, gorgeous looking guitar!?! Can I ask a small question? The neck looks very thick - is there a reason for this? (As a guitarist, and fiddle player, I used to think I preferred skinny necks but, as I get older, I'm favouring a slightly thicker neck, such as traditional vintage Telecasters.... but yours looks very thick.) It could be just the camera angles but I'm guessing you have a very good reason? (I'm also a great fan of the pallet wood ethos, BTW. Please take a look at the Crazy Jack 9 Volt Pallet Wood Amplifier on RUclips?) Beautiful! Looking forward to getting my workshop set up and building my first PW guitar! Great stuff Danny! Thanks!
It must be a camera angle thing! I measured my Taylor guitar for the neck thickness and matched it to that. I also just kind of make stuff up as I go so it’s not exactly the same as the Taylor. But definitely not noticeably thicker when playing! Thanks for the kind words! I enjoy using all reclaimed materials. It makes things cheaper but also adds a bit of a limitation that is fun to creatively work around. I’ve never made any pallet wood instruments but this barncaster I made is kind of in that vain! You might like it: ruclips.net/video/8fOqnMJgDTw/видео.html
I am not planning on selling this one but I have made a few custom guitars for people in the past. Very few! I’ve only done this for a couple years. Email me if you’re interested Danny.Lewis.guitar@gmail.com
This was so impressive & enjoyable to watch ... excellent job ... "The Lewis Guitar" ... made by "Lewis The Luthier" ... After you're dead & buried ... your daughter will be telling her kids ... I helped my dad make this guitar when I was a kid ...
Thanks! I built this ukulele for her, so she’ll hopefully hold on to that someday after I kick it. ruclips.net/video/l70HN4hChA4/видео.htmlsi=toj8BsiV1xy-2yaY
tbh it was done pretty well. just gotta get some good top wood (spruce, cedar, redwood, etc) and maybe drop the thickness down by 1/5th of that. thin out the bracing more as well. but good job otherwise.
Yeah, I just use what I have. I'm just a guy in a basement making it up as I go. I do know that walnut isn't unheard of as a topwood. Taylor's new Academy Series are solid walnut guitars. And walnut isn't dissimilar to mahogany which has been used on tops, backs, and sides for decades by martin and other reputable builders. It would be cool if I had done something completely new but, alas, I am unoriginal.
My wife knew a guy in San Diego who did something like this (before we met). He walked up to Taylor’s HQ/factory there in east county with it. They pretty much hired him on the spot.
But I already have a job.
But I'm willing to bet that won't happen today, so much of their work now is all by CNC machines, they get things Exactly right, with a bit skilled oversight 😊😊
Did he give her a good strumming
A2 5@❤257i8l9il875689ñ3
He sounds cool
Wow wow wow!!! I love how you let the kids get involved, too!
Thanks! They usually have no interest in getting involved so when they want to I let them! Unless I’m using power tools.
Twenty minutes of my life well spent. And the end result sounded sublime. Good one!
Quería saber si haces guitarras por encargo soy de Uruguay,me gustó el topo de vetas del frente de la muestra es genial
I love the little details like all the bindings and cut edges on the fretboard. Cool
My hat's off to anyone who can build an acoustic guitar from scratch. Very nice job!
We’re you actually wearing a hat? What kinda hat?
Every time I watch these videos I really want to make my own. Love the plain binding and soundhole etc. Really lovely looking guitar.
Beautiful build, with simple yet effective jigs! It turned out great. Congratulations! Good thing that you re-purposed such nice wood!
Thanks! The jigs took almost as much time as the guitar! I didn't film the making the radius dish but it was a very dusty process.
I love the finish of the wood.
Thanks! All I did was wipe on poly. The wood grain did most of the work!
What a pride building your own guitar, congratulations!
You & me both. I mostly made Ukuleles but have made a couple of 3/4 Guitars. Nice job you're doing. Well done. It sounds beautiful.
Fab video , really well shown , love it. Thankyou ☘️🕺🏻
The maple was a good find. Well-seasoned, and should be very stable.
I was pretty thrilled to find it!
Fantastic work. Thank you so much for sharing! I have even more questions about how to make an acoustic than before watching this video, but i guess that's a good thing. Thanks again!
I’m not a professional but I’d be happy to answer your questions as well as I can! I have a few other videos of acoustic builds and a few violin builds too if you’re interested in watching more. Like this one:
ruclips.net/video/SCx-LdbKgIM/видео.html
That's a great build, and great to see. And sounds good, too. I'm working on one now, but probably won't make a video of the current build. So very impressive and cool that you make a good amount of the tools, too.
Very beautiful build, and sounds lovely. Your craft is reall inspiring.
This is absolutely FANTASTIC!! You only used more basic tools for the job too which is doubly impressive.
Good maker and nice work.. Beautiful guitar.. Can you make me one of this bro...
Great looking and sounding guitar! Cracks while bending sides also make me crazy, that't why I love florentine cutaways :)
The sound you get out of some of these reclaimed woods is amazing. Both this and the pallet guitar looked and sounded great, which is shocking for oak. That is usually not a very resonant wood.
The thickness of the material might influence resonance, not just the type of wood. ;)
I can always appreciate when a glue up ends up looking like a torture machine. Amazing work!
I built an electric guitar 7 years ago... I've always wanted to make an acoustic guitar... this was a great inspiration for me to start making one 🎸
You should go get started!
That guitar is GORGEOUS, man. 🤟🤟
Thanks!
Great job as usual! I like how you got use from the leftover scraps. Very inspiring!
Thanks! It’s all reclaimed lumber actually. The walnut was from a headboard. Why pay for lumber when you can get old furniture for free?
Hi Danny,did you make the radius dish and what size is it?
Awesome man! Really impressive build! I enjoyed the whole video.
Thanks man! I really enjoyed your Florentine build.
Great effort. There's a lot of work just making the jigs and formers. I built an acoustic guitar last year with the help of RUclips. Timbers included Tasmanian black wood back, birdseye maple sides, Douglas fir top, mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard.
I would never called this an amateur build. You’re far braver than I. I neither have the necessary tools required, nor the time to actually build a guitar from scratch. I would love to do it, but I would not be able to.
I call it an amateur build because I’m just an amateur! I do this for fun on the side and I didn’t get paid to make it. I’ve slowly built up my tool collection by getting most things used and I don’t ever buy the nicest equipment. I work in about a 12’ by 12’ corner of my basement whenever I have time and whenever I’m not worried about bothering my family with the noise!
@@dannylewisguitars All evidence to the contrary, my good sir. It’s a beautiful piece of work. I think your next challenge is to build a classical guitar.
Very great work, beautiful sounds, Gretting to France.
Thanks, France!
An absolutely beautiful guitar! I like how you made many of the jigs needed and the go-bar is perfect. Nice work all around.
Thank you very much!
A blessed and perfect hand work.
God bless you!
Excellent work Danny,,, outstanding details,,, enjoyed every bit,,, from India
Thanks a lot! I made one to match for my daughter, you should check it out: ruclips.net/video/SCx-LdbKgIM/видео.html
You did a great job on the video because I was never tempted to skip to the final product. At times I wondered what the hell is he up to ? Thank you for not adding background crap music.
Thanks! I tried to keep the pacing quick enough to maintain interest but not so fast that it was super confusing. Fine line to walk.
“I don’t even like cut aways” had the same thought with my own build but luckily I caught myself in the planning phase lol
Yeah, I’m gonna try again someday. Maybe with some straighter grain wood!
That was awesome!
Wonderful video. I built a Stew Mac kit and then got most of the way through a scratch build but couldn't get the neck to fit correctly. Looking forward to getting back into this in my retirement. Your video brought back lots of fond memories. Thanks!
This was extremely impressive! It also sounded fantastic!
That was the Best guitar build proyect i have ever seen, and thats the way a like a guitar , that was an excelent job brother, God bless you, pleas keep building guitar like that one. See you later my friend.
What a beautiful job. Very well done. One of the betters tutorials to build a guitar.
Thanks so much! I didn’t think of it as much of a tutorial. More of a “this is what I did”. I’m no expert!
So far this gutar is the best ive seen from other videos
Really great job Danny. The guitar looks amazing and the tone is really fantastic.
Nice job, super kool. if only I were younger I might give that a try.
Why not try when you’re not so young?
excellent build, i have been debating on if I should also build one. I have the kinds of wood already selected Madagascar Rosewood for the sides, Indian Rosewood for back, and western cedar for top, Maple neck, Mahogany for the bracing and soundboard.. Sometimes you have to select things out of the box to see where things and sounds will take you.
Go for it!
Looks nice sounds lovely.
Sounds naturally awesome.
Thank you! Naturally.
impressed, nice looking guitar, good design, sounds pretty good too considering those scallops were a bit chunky!
Thin all the sharp bends on the sides thinner than the rest of the side. Helps a lot. Plenty of water on those areas as well.
Thanks! I’ll try that next time!
Sounds amazing.beautyful
thanks!
Very Impressive..... and it sounds real good !🎯
Well done! I actually like the use of the tablesaw instead of bandsaw since it shows great use of the tools you already have. Enjoyed the build and looking forward to building my first one shortly.
Thanks! There’s always a way to get around not having all the right tools. And no matter how many tools you have there’s always one more that you need!
Good luck on your build!
All around awesome build, but the particular piece that stands out to me is the bolt through neck. What a fantastic idea using threaded inserts!
Thank you! It was definitely not my idea. But it is a good idea!
Great to see Danny,I'm from Hamilton NZ on my Wife's tablet-( SUSAN ) I just don't have the resources to have the Gear you show, but with what I do have - a drill, vise, and a grinder/sander etc.all I'm able to do ( as a hobby) is buy old but good Acoustic's and improve their sound ( bone nut and saddĺe) but it's been great to see how it's done, & who knows...😊😊😊
You should conduct a masterclass to teach, step by step, how to make a guitar. I would be delighted to be your virtual student.
Very beautiful guitar! 🙌🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🤩
Amazing work
Thank you! It was fun to build.
I wish I could do the job like you do.....super good.....
Work's for me better than my first attempt.... Very pretty as well...
In fairness, it was my third acoustic! My first one was not great. But mistakes are how we learn.
really nice man. Good clean job.
Nicely done!
Thanks Steve!
Nice build & great sounding acoustic...
Thanks! It’s probably my favorite build so far.
Fantastic!
Beautiful job sounds great
Beautiful. Nice job!
Excellent workmanship...it was a pleasure watching you work!
Thank you! Check out my other videos too! You might find some more you like.
Nice work. Better than I could do. Well done!
Great job brother! Enjoyed the video
What a lovely video to watch. Sound is mint as well. Good on yer.
Very cool video, nice to see that mire mortals can get it done. Inspiring
Steve Ramsey of Woodworking for Mere Mortals would be proud.
Beautiful guitar, dude!!!
A beautiful thing, I just sat for 20 mins straight without skipping the video.
I'm a guitar player myself, maybe one day I will order one from you 😉 you should definitely monetize your skills
Thank you! RUclips probably paid me about 16 cents for your view. Monetizing skills!
Great job, very impressive.
Thanks!
whaou ! great job great vid 👍👍👍 thx for sharing your work
Thanks for watching!
She's a beauty!
That turned out really nice. I am thinking of trying to build a guitar
You should do it! I wanted to build one for a long time before I just got started and I wished I’d started years ago. It’s a pretty fun hobby!
Excellent skill and workmanship. Why did you glue the fretboard to the top, when the neck is a bolt-on design?
That’s just how I’ve seen other people do it. I don’t plan on taking the neck off. But I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it I guess!
@@dannylewisguitars Bolt on necks are particularly useful on Acoustic Guitars to easily correct high Sting Action by adding or removing a shim. This turns what would otherwise be a costly Professional repair of a glued on Dovetail neck into s simple fix many guitarists can do themselves in a few minutes. Taylor Guitars uses such a bolt on neck design, making their guitars particularly desirable. Congrats on your build!
I love a cutaway, but it seems to make it loads more difficult to build. I'll appreciate mine more from now on 😄
Great job. I'm looking for something less challenging. Maybe a flute. I could just burn the holes. I don't even have a drill
very good work.
Thanks!
D.Lewis&Co D 28 est 2023 is born. Excellent craftmanship. Martin,be very afraid.
It’s more of a OM body shape than a Dreadnaught. But thanks!
A little clumsy and unorthodox at times but it turned out to be a beautiful guitar with a fantastic sound! And without further damaging the forests! Bravo!
Looking like a high quality guitar.
Looks great. Sounds sweet....
Thanks!
Wonderful, great!!!
Very nicely done
What a cool guitar build!
You do a great Job, one thing the braces should be quarter sawn like the top.
@@davidsims1329 neither the braves or top were quarter sawn on this guitar! That’s what you get when you use all reclaimed wood.
It’s still playing great though. Over a year later.
I like all the effort you put into this build but there are good reasons why soft woods are used for string instrument tops.
I know! I just use reclaimed wood I get for free. This one sounds pretty good with a walnut top.
Also, Taylor academy series is currently being made with walnut tops.
And mahogany is a hard wood that’s similar to walnut that’s been used for decades by Martin and other reputable brands.
mesmerizing
Very nice!
Beautiful! I'd love to own that guitar!
Awesome build!
Thank you! It was a blast to make.
Epic! Very inspiring! Nice to see a regularly equiped woodworker pull this off! Can you explain your fret slotting jig/setup?
Yeah! I just made a miter box basically. I put two parallel pieces of 3/4 plywood along another piece that the fretboard sits on. I clamped a speed square to those rails and carefully cut a slot in the rails with my fret saw. I use an online template for marking the fret distance. Just line the markings up with the slot I cut and I get perfectly straight fret slots!
Let me know if that makes sense.
@@dannylewisguitars thanks for the reply! I appreciate that so much! I think I grasped most of that. Just the part about the online template and marking the slots went over my head. Maybe a link to the template website would help.
Outstanding
Amazing
Great craftsmanship, Great video
Where did you buy those threaded inserts for the neck joint?
I bought them at Lowe’s!
Espetacular lindissimo trabalho .
Muito lindo ficou show
I don't know if it's me or the edibles! But by the time the build was done. And you strung it, tuned it and played it. I was in tears, to hear the fruits of his labor, being brought to life! That guitar was a work of art, and I loved it!
I think it’s the edibles, my friend.
I wasn't blitzed and thoroughly enjoyed the video as well. Didn't cry though, so almost positive it was in fact the edibles.
Nice job 😎
Building a guitar with Tightbond 2 is like welding your diff in a muscle car , hell of a commitment that can't be easily backed away from. Great planning required . Great job!
Pretty sure it muffles tonewood too!
@@Bob_AdkinsNo it doesn't lol, thats been completely debunked. It also comes right apart just as easy as original with some heat.
@@luckysevenairammo1217 PVA glue is rubbery, and rubbery material will not transmit sound as well in tonewood. I'm not saying it's BAD BAD, just that in small quantities it's not ideal. In large glops, it IS bad.
@@Bob_AdkinsPVA is pretty much the industry standard. A tour of the Taylor or Martin factory will show that (there’s plenty of videos here on YT of such tours). Independent luthiers who don’t use hide glue (or fish glue) use PVA (usually Titebond III).
@@koine2002 My thoughts are that it deadens the transmission or tone wood because it's pretty soft, but I suppose very tight joints have very little of it.
Thank you for this beautiful series of videos! That is one VERY FINE, gorgeous looking guitar!?! Can I ask a small question? The neck looks very thick - is there a reason for this? (As a guitarist, and fiddle player, I used to think I preferred skinny necks but, as I get older, I'm favouring a slightly thicker neck, such as traditional vintage Telecasters.... but yours looks very thick.) It could be just the camera angles but I'm guessing you have a very good reason? (I'm also a great fan of the pallet wood ethos, BTW. Please take a look at the Crazy Jack 9 Volt Pallet Wood Amplifier on RUclips?) Beautiful! Looking forward to getting my workshop set up and building my first PW guitar! Great stuff Danny! Thanks!
It must be a camera angle thing! I measured my Taylor guitar for the neck thickness and matched it to that. I also just kind of make stuff up as I go so it’s not exactly the same as the Taylor. But definitely not noticeably thicker when playing!
Thanks for the kind words!
I enjoy using all reclaimed materials. It makes things cheaper but also adds a bit of a limitation that is fun to creatively work around. I’ve never made any pallet wood instruments but this barncaster I made is kind of in that vain! You might like it:
ruclips.net/video/8fOqnMJgDTw/видео.html
Your guitars look and sound REALLY GOOD. I'm curious to know if you sell any of these.
I am not planning on selling this one but I have made a few custom guitars for people in the past. Very few! I’ve only done this for a couple years.
Email me if you’re interested Danny.Lewis.guitar@gmail.com
This was so impressive & enjoyable to watch ... excellent job ... "The Lewis Guitar" ... made by "Lewis The Luthier" ...
After you're dead & buried ... your daughter will be telling her kids ... I helped my dad make this guitar when I was a kid ...
Thanks! I built this ukulele for her, so she’ll hopefully hold on to that someday after I kick it. ruclips.net/video/l70HN4hChA4/видео.htmlsi=toj8BsiV1xy-2yaY
tbh it was done pretty well. just gotta get some good top wood (spruce, cedar, redwood, etc) and maybe drop the thickness down by 1/5th of that. thin out the bracing more as well. but good job otherwise.
Yeah, I just use what I have. I'm just a guy in a basement making it up as I go. I do know that walnut isn't unheard of as a topwood. Taylor's new Academy Series are solid walnut guitars. And walnut isn't dissimilar to mahogany which has been used on tops, backs, and sides for decades by martin and other reputable builders. It would be cool if I had done something completely new but, alas, I am unoriginal.
wow just found your channel love the build
Thanks! This one is my favorite so far. Feel free to share it with all your friends!