I like your work I watch many luthiers on You tube and I cannot stand their attitudes of so many act like some sort of gurus and don`t impress with their work results. You are a true craftsmen and a gentleman. A pleasure to watch work and deliver a excellent result Thank you..
I think part of the enjoyment from watching these videos is just seeing the guitar come together. Even if we are watching things you've covered before, it's cool to see the guitar appear from the raw materials. This tutorial style video is cool too!
Man, there are endless 'how to' vids on here for guitar making but yours are the best by far, at least in my book. You make it look so easy...a real pro. Thanks for sharing.
Just wanted to let you know that you're the reason I can build guitars now! Thanks so much for your videos! I've gotta build your scarf joint sanding jig soon! Thanks a million!!!
Discovered your channel last week and watched your entire playlist and bought myself a DIY kit to start out. Just wanted to say thank you for the fantastic videos. Really great work. Cheers from Germany.
Thanks for sharing another excellent video. Look forward to the video on the string-thru ferrules. Your series on the Strat build gave me the confidence and inspiration to leave the kits behind and build from scratch-- so much more satisfying to build exactly what you want, instead of working around someone else's ideas.
A sincere thanks for all of your time and effort in sharing your considerable skills and experience. I really enjoyed this and your Strat build videos. Keep em coming.
Hi Mr Fletcher!! So amazing!!! This one is gonna be wonderful! The neck is very interesting and beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing! Cheers from Sweden!
Great video. I'm looking at making a similar type of body with a laminate top and you have answered quite a few questions and helped on ways to do things without big power tools, oh and the vacuum bag is a great idea. Thanks.
Fantastic idea getting the thin book matched top square using the level, genius. Will be stealing that idea mate, had murders in the past with thin tops !!! Awesome vid too Dave, hope you upload the finished result. All the best.
Love the black veneer, maple in the scarf, and the headstock shape. I know the neck was supposed to just be an add on to the video, but it stole the show for me :) great piece !
Awesome! Just a note on the binding. In previous videos, you did binding on flat-topped guitars. I would have loved to see how you routed around the arm contour for the binding on this one.
ABSOLUTELY , ONE OF THE TOP GUITAR BUILDERS IN THE WORLD. THANKS FOR TEACHING UR ANCIENT SECRETS OF MASTERING THIS FINE CRAFT! IF I HAD THE MONEY I WOUID LOVE TO COME DOWN UNDER FOR TRAINING. DO U HAVE A WAITING LIST ?///? PLEASE!
I would love to see a detailed video of the painting of a quitar, not just laquering it. Also would not mind seeing general build video's of your regular builds. Love the work your doing keep it up!
I'm glad i found your video,as this is what i want to do,i've rebuilt and refreted two junk guitars,they have plywood bodies,but now play really great,they were an excersise in case i could get a decent strat or LP,one is a kay LP,i doweled the bolt on neck with 6 hardwood dowels,fitted stainless jumbo frets,fitted a cheap bigsby from china,chigsby?,reworked its mechanics,used bearings,it works great,the usual LP headstock tuning problems are there,but plays great,the strat is a kimaxe strat copy,same deal,only a floyd rose copy,again reworked and stiffened some parts,mostly due to ply not being great to rout,or much strength,fitted a proper locking nut,hendrix dive bombs 'till the strings waggle being so slack,it returns to perfect tune,also no damage to LP neck binding. So i bought two necks from china,the uncut paddle headstocks,so i can position the tuners in line with the string grooves on the nut. I have been looking for maple and mahogany to do what you did here,though i may have to make a two piece body and the same with the cap. The method of vacuum clamping is just superb mate,can you tell me where you got that vac bag,it looks pretty hefty,most i see are for pork chops or laundry,i'm in the UK(SCOTLAND),but if i need to get one from the antipodes "no worries". I want the LP tone but not the crappy headstock design,at least fender got that right. Such a nice look,and the natural edge bind look is so nice. I think i'll be watching how to make the neck now,after seeing what you made for this body. Really great finish,without a finish coat yet. But then with your name,woodwork should be in the genes,without to fine a point. johnamptech.
Hey David. Beautiful job. The neck is gorgeous. I was thinking that, if you notched the inside corners of the two cap pieces before you glue them together you would end up with the center being perfectly notched after gluing. You mentioned that it can be tough to find the centerline, but with this technique you could easily see it and even use a snap line to mark it.
Yes i have, i think the lacewood is just a harder wood, because even flexing it by hand it felt much tougher. I have a cousin who wants to make a crossbow and mentioned there there is another method using high pressure air. Maybe next time ill look into that. Im still happy with the vacuum bag but it didnt provide the pressure i was hoping for. Thanks for the video though, i like how you glued your book match that was nicely done and it worked like a charm for me too, i used gorilla glue for the book match seam though..
Wow... Getting ahead of myself, but my 4th self made guitar will definitely be a strat with a laminated top... 1. Modified Thinline Tele, 24 frets 4×2 tuners, custom inlays, custom f hole shape, single coil at neck, Humbucker at the bridge, with a potential coil splitting switch 2. Les Paul, Reclaimed wood, vinyl record (with something stronger underneath) as a pickguard, classic LP wiring and layout othewise... 3. Jazzmaster all black, active pickups (HSH), 6 position rotary switch, concentric pot (volume up tone down), a strat audio jack, Floyd Rose tremolo, Iron Age LED killswitch, the neck will be black as well, red or white side dot, no inlays (unless I come up with another custom shape) and a carbon fiber pickguard (tho not from the start... first is gonna be a generic black one with drilled hole gonna make a few attempts with a water cutting machine first and when the pickguard will match at 100%, I'll have it made following the same file as the one cutted with water...) 4. Will be a Beautiful Strat, flame mapple laminated top, beautiful burst (similar to Warmoth's custom bodies "Black Cherry Burst" finish), black pickguard, a tremolo (notnsure which one tho... Would be neat a floyd but already one planned for the jazzmaster maybe Ibanez's Edge?), 3 single coil sized humbuckers, not sure about the wiring... but black knobs, and a cream/parchment knob on the 5 way switch... 1 piece mapple neck, black trapezoid inlays... Man I wish I was rich... I'd just order the strat from Warmoth xD but too rich for my blood... with the change rate, shipping and customs would most likely end up costing me a shit load...
Hi Fletcher! I still learning with your vídeos.. and thank you so much for the support as well... my dought is about the finish of the corners of the frets... Can You Tell me How you preffer to do It?
Very informative many thanks from the UK, i have some slight cupping on my 2 pieces of 1/4 maple tops i am proposing to use for my project, any tips on how to flatten without removing material?
Nice shop!! Do you build anything other than guitars? Drum sander is very expensive and usually found in cabinet shops. Would like to see the finished guitar... It is looking great!
Hi, I see you used the titebond glue, was it the white or the tan kind. I was told to use the white. I had done my first build last year and had a problem with joint where the cap met the body, of course I just used wood clamps and not a vacuum bag. I really appreciate the videos just an extraordinary job.
Hello there ***** ! Your work is just marvelous mate. Impressive I must say! I'm starting to build my own guitars... I've already assembled 4 of them. But now I'm into making them from scratch. Can I make a few questions? 1 - Can I stain the top before glueing it to the body? So I can clear coat everything together without having to mask the body to stain the top... 2 - Can I route the top just like you did using a Dremel Router Table? The cheap one you attach to the table then you attach the other tools to it, so it can route. 3 - You make make the bodys from the template using only the router? You don't use any CNC? Real skills you've got there, respect! Thanks a lot for the video, God bless you mate.
would like more info on the vacuum bags are they the ones you see advertised on tv for clothes. or are these a designed for wood workers. if special for wood workers where to purchase them
Hi, I love your videos, and even for pure entertainment. Thanks. I was wondering whether you have tried this process to put a cap over the body contour side of the guitar - that is carving the body contour and then putting a cap over top of it. I'm guessing it wouldn't work due to the complex nature of that curve.
Hey! I was wondering if you are using a special type of vaccum bag. Is it like the ones we can buy for clothes? I'm looking to get that kind of tool to put carbon wrap on guitar like parker. Thanks :)
Hi, this idea using a vacuum bag is absolutely ingenious!!! Is there a certain vacuum bag you would recommend? Also, what was the purpose of the black mesh?
I understand that this is custom so there is no right or wrong, but did you undersize the body to compensate for the extra 3-4 mm or just let it be a little fatter than usual. Did you have to extend the arm contour more so that the result would be a bit closer to original strat dimensions?
Hey Fletcher. I finished my first build last month. Thanks in large part to your LP jr videos. I'm starting a strat build and want to cap it. Would the cap take a round over equal to the back round over.....or would it tear out? Thanks for documenting and posting your videos. They've been a great help to me.
I like the idea or thining the top at the bending location, but I'm not sure why you remove material on the "inner face" of the top. Doesn't it affect the evenness of the gluing surface? Why not removing material on the "outer face" were it would only have a little affect on the figure/look? Thanks for this great video!
where would I get a vacuum bag/apparatus like that?, I'm learning to build my first guitar in a shop, building a very similar guitar, and they don't seem to have a method to bend the top for the arm contour.
Gorgeous instrument! The end with the neck had me very intrigued! All the laminates and the fretboard were absolutely amazing. Where did you acquire your vacuum bag? Is that a just the typical bag you see on infomercials for clothing and blankets and what not, or is it from a luthier site? Thanks so much for this video and the helpful narration.
Hi, the bag is readily available from Roarocket - the bags are marketed towards skateboard builders but they are perfect for general woodworking too. You do not need the huge bag I have, get one more suited to a guitar body size ( assuming your only using it for guitars of course ;-) )
I really enjoy your videos. They're incredibly informative. Only thing is, you really need a better microphone. I have to crank the volume up on all of your vids in order to be able to hear you properly. :) Thank you so much for all you do!
So how much does a vacuum bag, like the one you used in this video, cost? I don't want to buy something inferior and get bad results. That's an amazing glue up!
stupid question, but do you have to use a separate piece for the cap? like, if you have a 1.75" single piece blank, would there be a way to shave the top off of it, and then reattach it later (so you can chamber the body, then have the cap line hidden under binding)? would that be possible/worthwhile? or is getting another piece the only way around it
if I understood your question, then yes, I have done it with a large band saw and s guide rail. But only do it on a body that's a but thicker than you Want to Finnish with, as a band saw is not very precise when you cut tall pieces. you will have to flatten it and you will lose lots of thickness.
Excellent Vid! Is there a certain type of vacuum bag you prefer to use? I've been wanting to try this method out for a long time but never got around to buying a bag and such.
Hi David. Did you use a strat template to create this guitar and just let the top flat or is it a totally different design? Thanks for uploading your work and explaining it in such detail. You make an impressive job. Regards from Argentina.
Hey mate, where do you get your timber from? Being from wollongong too, are their any good timber yards to get good timber from? Escpecially in the illawarra. Also where do you get the the maple cap, or blackwood cap or other type of figure timber to use as the top piece? Thanks!
The two halves joining method is very interesting, simple and efficient - I'm stealing this immediately :)
I like your work I watch many luthiers on You tube and I cannot stand their attitudes of so many act like some sort of gurus and don`t impress with their work results. You are a true craftsmen and a gentleman. A pleasure to watch work and deliver a excellent result Thank you..
Absolutely LOVED The Hand Finishing video, showed what a little TLC and elbow grease can do w/ the proper wood. Thanks. Will now enjoy the above vid.
My god, that gluing technique is so genius in its simplicity... Absurd... I love this guy!
Also, please let us have a look at this beauty when it's done. Gorgeous.
Yeah I will for sure
That's awesome. Looks like an Aerodyne..but clearly much prettier:-) Can't wait to see it.
I think part of the enjoyment from watching these videos is just seeing the guitar come together. Even if we are watching things you've covered before, it's cool to see the guitar appear from the raw materials.
This tutorial style video is cool too!
I subscribed to your channel after seeing what you did at 12:55!! so simple yet efficient!! great work fletcher!!
Man, there are endless 'how to' vids on here for guitar making but yours are the best by far, at least in my book. You make it look so easy...a real pro. Thanks for sharing.
+Beargrizzly76 Thankyou, glad you enjoyed it
It´s the concrete meaning of "build from scratch"! Pretty nice and very good knowledge transfer, again! Thanks for sharing. Cheers from Brazil.
Thanks....just unsuccessfully tried using my #7 to joint two pieces of quilted maple and this was just what I needed.
Just wanted to let you know that you're the reason I can build guitars now! Thanks so much for your videos! I've gotta build your scarf joint sanding jig soon! Thanks a million!!!
Nice !! Thanks :-) Build the jig, it's useful
Discovered your channel last week and watched your entire playlist and bought myself a DIY kit to start out. Just wanted to say thank you for the fantastic videos. Really great work. Cheers from Germany.
Awesome !! Great way to start, good luck
Thanks for sharing another excellent video. Look forward to the video on the string-thru ferrules. Your series on the Strat build gave me the confidence and inspiration to leave the kits behind and build from scratch-- so much more satisfying to build exactly what you want, instead of working around someone else's ideas.
A sincere thanks for all of your time and effort in sharing your considerable skills and experience. I really enjoyed this and your Strat build videos. Keep em coming.
Thanks Keith , glad you enjoyed it
Hi Mr Fletcher!! So amazing!!! This one is gonna be wonderful! The neck is very interesting and beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing! Cheers from Sweden!
Love the vacuum bag idea!!! I'll be using that one for sure.
You are an amazing builder. I enjoy learning from you.
Great video. I'm looking at making a similar type of body with a laminate top and you have answered quite a few questions and helped on ways to do things without big power tools, oh and the vacuum bag is a great idea. Thanks.
This will be a beauty when it's done! Nice to see a video from you again. Looking forward to see some images of the end result.
Wow that is going to be amazing when finished. So much detail.
Thanks for sharing this. I love watching you work!
Very nice work you have done. Congratulaions to you. That will be a very unique guitar...
I love how much time you have spent adding pretty bird sounds in order to elevate the whole experience :)
I'm thinking about capping my basswood Squier Strat. Love that bag technique. great video!
Hey man, great to see you posting again :)
Looking forward for more videos
That neck looks incredible, it's going to be awesome when it's finished
dude this is a great video, lots of cool tricks. awesome work my friend!
Fantastic idea getting the thin book matched top square using the level, genius.
Will be stealing that idea mate, had murders in the past with thin tops !!!
Awesome vid too Dave, hope you upload the finished result.
All the best.
Cheers Rufus !
Never thought of using vacuum before, that's brilliant. You make me miss working so much. Cancer sucks.
I'll say it again... You're a true artist! Great work and keep those vids coming if you have the time! :) All the best...
Love the black veneer, maple in the scarf, and the headstock shape. I know the neck was supposed to just be an add on to the video, but it stole the show for me :) great piece !
Wealth of knowledge you have sir! I've been taking notes
Another great video!!!
Those birds in the background are soo relaxing! I would love to work in there!
just beautiful David!
Thank you for the video sir. Beautiful work
Thankyou
Squaring up the board with the mdf sheet was clever. I'll have to try remember that one.
You are a true craftsman. Ppl like me can only admire your work and know that we are better off buying the finished product. Ha.
Nah, you'd be surprised at how easy it is. Thanks for watching !
Awesome! Just a note on the binding. In previous videos, you did binding on flat-topped guitars. I would have loved to see how you routed around the arm contour for the binding on this one.
check this out - Binding An Arm Contour
I've been through your videos like a dozen times now. lol How did I miss that one? Thanks! Great stuff as always!
I know this is an older video but it is still pertinent and a great instructional piece!
Great video, still :D amazingly simple method to join the tops halves, gonna do the same soon. Thx!
Thanks a lot for the instructional vid. Well done.
Thank you, you addressed one of the things I was most worried about.
Thanks for videos you make some great guitar
ABSOLUTELY , ONE OF THE TOP GUITAR BUILDERS IN THE WORLD. THANKS FOR TEACHING UR ANCIENT SECRETS OF MASTERING THIS FINE CRAFT! IF I HAD THE MONEY I WOUID LOVE TO COME DOWN UNDER FOR TRAINING. DO U HAVE A WAITING LIST ?///? PLEASE!
looks bloody awesome mate!
Brilliant video as usual...;-)
Always great vids, mate!
great video! i would have really loved to see the build of the neck too, it's lovely
I would love to see a detailed video of the painting of a quitar, not just laquering it. Also would not mind seeing general build video's of your regular builds. Love the work your doing keep it up!
awesome work
One of the nicest strats I've ever seen and it's not even complete!
I'm glad i found your video,as this is what i want to do,i've rebuilt and refreted two junk guitars,they have plywood bodies,but now play really great,they were an excersise in case i could get a decent strat or LP,one is a kay LP,i doweled the bolt on neck with 6 hardwood dowels,fitted stainless jumbo frets,fitted a cheap bigsby from china,chigsby?,reworked its mechanics,used bearings,it works great,the usual LP headstock tuning problems are there,but plays great,the strat is a kimaxe strat copy,same deal,only a floyd rose copy,again reworked and stiffened some parts,mostly due to ply not being great to rout,or much strength,fitted a proper locking nut,hendrix dive bombs 'till the strings waggle being so slack,it returns to perfect tune,also no damage to LP neck binding.
So i bought two necks from china,the uncut paddle headstocks,so i can position the tuners in line with the string grooves on the nut.
I have been looking for maple and mahogany to do what you did here,though i may have to make a two piece body and the same with the cap.
The method of vacuum clamping is just superb mate,can you tell me where you got that vac bag,it looks pretty hefty,most i see are for pork chops or laundry,i'm in the UK(SCOTLAND),but if i need to get one from the antipodes "no worries".
I want the LP tone but not the crappy headstock design,at least fender got that right.
Such a nice look,and the natural edge bind look is so nice.
I think i'll be watching how to make the neck now,after seeing what you made for this body.
Really great finish,without a finish coat yet.
But then with your name,woodwork should be in the genes,without to fine a point.
johnamptech.
Hi John, the vacuum bag comes from Roarockit. Search on google and you will find them, cheers
wow ingenious! saw this done at usacg, nothing beats the bag!
Yeah they are handy to have around the shop !
Hey David. Beautiful job. The neck is gorgeous. I was thinking that, if you notched the inside corners of the two cap pieces before you glue them together you would end up with the center being perfectly notched after gluing. You mentioned that it can be tough to find the centerline, but with this technique you could easily see it and even use a snap line to mark it.
Thanks Jamie, that's a great idea
Glad to help. Really enjoy watching you build these beautiful instruments. Do you build semi-hollow or hollow bodied guitars as well?
B. E. A. Utiful. Amazing guitar
gracias por enseñarnos saludos desde Ecuador
Yes i have, i think the lacewood is just a harder wood, because even flexing it by hand it felt much tougher. I have a cousin who wants to make a crossbow and mentioned there there is another method using high pressure air. Maybe next time ill look into that. Im still happy with the vacuum bag but it didnt provide the pressure i was hoping for. Thanks for the video though, i like how you glued your book match that was nicely done and it worked like a charm for me too, i used gorilla glue for the book match seam though..
Wow... Getting ahead of myself, but my 4th self made guitar will definitely be a strat with a laminated top...
1. Modified Thinline Tele, 24 frets 4×2 tuners, custom inlays, custom f hole shape, single coil at neck, Humbucker at the bridge, with a potential coil splitting switch
2. Les Paul, Reclaimed wood, vinyl record (with something stronger underneath) as a pickguard, classic LP wiring and layout othewise...
3. Jazzmaster all black, active pickups (HSH), 6 position rotary switch, concentric pot (volume up tone down), a strat audio jack, Floyd Rose tremolo, Iron Age LED killswitch, the neck will be black as well, red or white side dot, no inlays (unless I come up with another custom shape) and a carbon fiber pickguard (tho not from the start... first is gonna be a generic black one with drilled hole gonna make a few attempts with a water cutting machine first and when the pickguard will match at 100%, I'll have it made following the same file as the one cutted with water...)
4. Will be a Beautiful Strat, flame mapple laminated top, beautiful burst (similar to Warmoth's custom bodies "Black Cherry Burst" finish), black pickguard, a tremolo (notnsure which one tho... Would be neat a floyd but already one planned for the jazzmaster maybe Ibanez's Edge?), 3 single coil sized humbuckers, not sure about the wiring... but black knobs, and a cream/parchment knob on the 5 way switch... 1 piece mapple neck, black trapezoid inlays...
Man I wish I was rich... I'd just order the strat from Warmoth xD but too rich for my blood... with the change rate, shipping and customs would most likely end up costing me a shit load...
fantastic video thank you!
Beautiful top I definitely want to see the finished results.
Thanks for sharing it, very usefull.
Your welcome :-)
very interesting way to clamp the 2 pieces together. ive usually used sash clamps, but I think yours is very secure
what a top! I want that guitar... :P
very informative video, thank you.
warren buitandag Your welcome Warren
That neck is gorgous!
Great video, and techniques. Can you tell us where to get that bag and pump system?
what is that hand vacuum pump called @17:37 i couldn't find any like that. and in the video you just used vacuum cleaner and that pump, right?
Hi Fletcher! I still learning with your vídeos.. and thank you so much for the support as well... my dought is about the finish of the corners of the frets... Can You Tell me How you preffer to do It?
Very informative many thanks from the UK, i have some slight cupping on my 2 pieces of 1/4 maple tops i am proposing to use for my project, any tips on how to flatten without removing material?
Slight cupping should not really be an issue - It will flatten when you clamp your drop top to the body.
Many thanks
Nice shop!! Do you build anything other than guitars? Drum sander is very expensive and usually found in cabinet shops. Would like to see the finished guitar... It is looking great!
Hi, I see you used the titebond glue, was it the white or the tan kind. I was told to use the white. I had done my first build last year and had a problem with joint where the cap met the body, of course I just used wood clamps and not a vacuum bag. I really appreciate the videos just an extraordinary job.
Hi, I always use Titebond Original
Hello there ***** ! Your work is just marvelous mate. Impressive I must say!
I'm starting to build my own guitars... I've already assembled 4 of them. But now I'm into making them from scratch. Can I make a few questions?
1 - Can I stain the top before glueing it to the body? So I can clear coat everything together without having to mask the body to stain the top...
2 - Can I route the top just like you did using a Dremel Router Table? The cheap one you attach to the table then you attach the other tools to it, so it can route.
3 - You make make the bodys from the template using only the router? You don't use any CNC? Real skills you've got there, respect!
Thanks a lot for the video, God bless you mate.
would like more info on the vacuum bags are they the ones you see advertised on tv for clothes. or are these a designed for wood workers. if special for wood workers where to purchase them
+Mark Bryant The bag I use is made by Roarockit www.roarockit.com/
thanks for responding to my Question.and i have learned a lot watching your videos.
Hi, I love your videos, and even for pure entertainment. Thanks. I was wondering whether you have tried this process to put a cap over the body contour side of the guitar - that is carving the body contour and then putting a cap over top of it. I'm guessing it wouldn't work due to the complex nature of that curve.
Mark Inman Hi Mark, I've never seen that done and I don't think it would work to be honest.
Hey! I was wondering if you are using a special type of vaccum bag. Is it like the ones we can buy for clothes? I'm looking to get that kind of tool to put carbon wrap on guitar like parker. Thanks :)
Hi David, Its a Roarockit bag generally used for skateboard veneering. Check out their range, plenty of sizes to choose from
Do u have a video on how u route the binding channel on a sloped body like this?
Thank you!
Nice. I wan't one of those bags.
Hi, this idea using a vacuum bag is absolutely ingenious!!! Is there a certain vacuum bag you would recommend? Also, what was the purpose of the black mesh?
How much would it be (about) for a sunburst tele with humbuckers and a quilt maple top
I understand that this is custom so there is no right or wrong, but did you undersize the body to compensate for the extra 3-4 mm or just let it be a little fatter than usual. Did you have to extend the arm contour more so that the result would be a bit closer to original strat dimensions?
Hey Fletcher. I finished my first build last month. Thanks in large part to your LP jr videos. I'm starting a strat build and want to cap it. Would the cap take a round over equal to the back round over.....or would it tear out? Thanks for documenting and posting your videos. They've been a great help to me.
Hi!
Can you please tell me the name/brand of your vacuum bag?
Really enjoy your videos! Very informative!
Hi, the brand I use is Roarockit
I like the idea or thining the top at the bending location, but I'm not sure why you remove material on the "inner face" of the top. Doesn't it affect the evenness of the gluing surface? Why not removing material on the "outer face" were it would only have a little affect on the figure/look? Thanks for this great video!
where would I get a vacuum bag/apparatus like that?, I'm learning to build my first guitar in a shop, building a very similar guitar, and they don't seem to have a method to bend the top for the arm contour.
Hi , the bag came from www.roarockit.com/
awesome! thanks!!
Gorgeous instrument! The end with the neck had me very intrigued! All the laminates and the fretboard were absolutely amazing. Where did you acquire your vacuum bag? Is that a just the typical bag you see on infomercials for clothing and blankets and what not, or is it from a luthier site? Thanks so much for this video and the helpful narration.
Hi, the bag is readily available from Roarocket - the bags are marketed towards skateboard builders but they are perfect for general woodworking too. You do not need the huge bag I have, get one more suited to a guitar body size ( assuming your only using it for guitars of course ;-) )
Excellent videos mate. Very helpful and informative. Where do you get your Maple billets from?
Nice way to clamp.
I really enjoy your videos. They're incredibly informative. Only thing is, you really need a better microphone. I have to crank the volume up on all of your vids in order to be able to hear you properly. :) Thank you so much for all you do!
Yeah I agree. I have now got a lapel mic which is a HUGE improvement
So how much does a vacuum bag, like the one you used in this video, cost? I don't want to buy something inferior and get bad results. That's an amazing glue up!
Hey what grit did you use on the top halves? I've read conflicting reports on the smoothness of the joint - should it be smooth (200+) or more coarse?
Is the vacuum bag a regular bag that people use for clothes storage or is it a special one for doing things like this? Loving the new videos.
Hi Lee, No its a proper woodworking vacuum bag. I got it from Roarocket.
Amazing video. Quick question...if you don't have the arm contour...Can you glue the square top to the square body blank and then route the shape?
Yes you can
stupid question, but do you have to use a separate piece for the cap? like, if you have a 1.75" single piece blank, would there be a way to shave the top off of it, and then reattach it later (so you can chamber the body, then have the cap line hidden under binding)? would that be possible/worthwhile? or is getting another piece the only way around it
if I understood your question, then yes, I have done it with a large band saw and s guide rail. But only do it on a body that's a but thicker than you Want to Finnish with, as a band saw is not very precise when you cut tall pieces. you will have to flatten it and you will lose lots of thickness.
I personally would just get another piece. Much less waste material and much easier
Excellent Vid! Is there a certain type of vacuum bag you prefer to use? I've been wanting to try this method out for a long time but never got around to buying a bag and such.
Hi, the bag I use is from Roarocket. Does the job nicely. Get a smaller bag than mine though, its way overkill.
Awesome, Thanks for the info!
Whats the best glue for doing this...
Hi David. Did you use a strat template to create this guitar and just let the top flat or is it a totally different design? Thanks for uploading your work and explaining it in such detail. You make an impressive job. Regards from Argentina.
+Pablo Santomé Hi Pablo, Yes it is a Strat template
Hey mate, where do you get your timber from? Being from wollongong too, are their any good timber yards to get good timber from? Escpecially in the illawarra. Also where do you get the the maple cap, or blackwood cap or other type of figure timber to use as the top piece?
Thanks!
Hi Tom, A lot comes from Anagote Timber but all my figured stuff comes from overseas
Awesome. Ill have to go have a look! Thanks
How did you make the thin slices for the top? What tool do you use for this, please? Thanks
Flame Maple billet re-sawn on the bandsaw and then thicknessed in a drum sander
@@FletcherHandcraftedGuitars Thank you. It's a fantastic build as always. Keep up the great content