See the Steps in the Guitar Building Process

This pictorial essay illustrates the construction of a pair of walnut guitars by luthier Mark Hendrickson. The walnut wood used for the neck, back and sides was milled by my grandfather, Frank Klosterman of Platteville, Wisconsin. The walnut was most likely milled sometime before World War II. The guitars will be a musical heirloom for my children, reflecting their great grandfather's love of cabinet making and my love of acoustic guitars.

Mark holding some of the boards which will become the back of the guitar. As I sorted through the available lumber for this project, there was one board which yielded the proper quarter sawn grain for both the backs and the sides of the guitars.

Here on the workbench are the completed neck blanks and the cedar tonewood for the tops. The necks have been glued up from bookmatched halves in order to counteract any warping tendency. A channel for the steel truss rod has been routed and graphite reinforcement strips have been installed. The tops are master grade western red cedar.

This is the clamping operation for the headstock overlay glueup. The graphite reinforcement strips are visible in this picture as well.

This neck blank has the headstock overlay already glued. The rough edges of the headstock are marked in chalk. The headstock overlay is figured walnut crotchwood. This crotchwood is from a tree which I milled myself. It grew in my parents backyard on Church Street in Evansville, Wisconsin.

Mark getting the jig ready to bend the sides into their proper shape.

Mark is checking the bending setup. The metal/wood sandwich is visible in the foreground.

The side bending jig fulfilling it's function. Heat from the lamps encourages the wood side to assume the proper guitar shape.

The top has been rough cut and the abalone rosette installed.

Closer view of the abalone rosette.

Here the bent sides have been place in the guitar mold and in the back ground braces are being glued to the top.

Mark is gluing the end blocks inside the guitar body.

The X bracing is being glued to the back of the top. The vertical wood strips apply pressure to the braces as the glue sets.

After the glue has dried, Mark shaves down the top braces with a plane.

This is the top after the braces have been shaved down and the bridge plate and the mahogany neck block brace have been installed.

Here Mark is using a sanding pad to remove a small amount of material from the braces and round them over slightly.

Clothespin clamping of the ledger strip.

These are the sides with the end blocks, shelving and side braces glued in.

The sides are reinstalled in the mold in preparation for the sanding operation which forms the proper radius for top and bottom attachment.

Mark is getting ready to install the sanding wheel on the "axle".

Mark has set the sanding wheel in place and checked for alignment.

Mark spins the sanding wheel repeatedly with different radii.

Once the sanding-shaping operation is complete, the sides are laid on the top to check for fit.

Here the ends of the braces are marked for trimming, in order to fit inside the guitar.

Once the braces are trimmed and everything fits together properly, the sides are clamped into the mold and glue is applied to attach the top.

Here Mark is checking that everything is lined up and clamped properly.

The binding has been ledgered into the body and it has been wrapped to clamp the glue.

Finished box "Bottom"

The endpin Inlay

Here Mark is getting ready to install the truss rod and glue the fingerboard on the neck.

The neck "top" is masked to protect the surface from sealant which is used to fix the truss rod in place.

The truss rod is sealed in place and Mark is scribing the nut "receiver" square. The fingerboard at bottom will be glued on the neck top after the masking tape is removed.

Here is one of the guitars after the neck has been assembled to the body

Finding the proper site for bridge placement.

Assembly completion is close. Prone guitar.

Closeup of the headstock overlay - Walnut crotchwood from Evansville, WI

Mark uses a sanding pad to rub down the finish before gluing on the bridge.

Mark sets the bridge and begins stringing the completed guitar.