Making_Guitar

Making the shape of the guitar accurate When it comes to cutting out the shape of the guitar it is very important that you get it accurate so that it is the right size to go with the sides or it will have to be done again which would cost time and money. In the above picture it shows how in the industry they use a mechanical press which works like a giant cookie cutter, cutting each piece to the appropriate size. In the second picture it shows how different the way is in which I have to use to make mine accurate and to the appropriate size. Instead of using a press which cuts it to the perfect size straight away, I have to cut out the shape of the marked line with a bandsaw or jigsaw. Then when that is finished I clamp it down to the bench on top of my template then I used the router to go around the whole thing which then makes it the same size as the template. So from the pictures and information that I have showed you can see that in the industry it is a lot quicker and easier to cut out the right shape. Bending the sides of the Guitar The way that most guitar factories bend the sides for there guitars are shown in the above pictures. They use boiling water where they sit the sides to soak for a few minutes depending on the type of timber being used. They are then taken straight to a heated mechanical press which they get laid in. when the top comes over it compresses it sucking the moisture out in just a few minutes which makes them stay in that shape. The way that I have to do it at school is similar in some ways as I will have to soak it in boiling water. After I have let it soak for around five minutes I am going to take it to my bending jig that I made from mdf. I got the idea from the video that I have provided the link to. This is where it is different I wont be using a heated press, I will be using a hand held steamer working my way around the jig slowly using clamps making sure not to snap the timber. When I have finished this I will have to let it sit to dry for a few days so that it dries out making sure it keeps it shape. From the pictures and video that I have provided you can see that again it is a lot quicker and easier if you have the proper tools to use for that specific job. Lining the neck up with the body One of the most important jobs in making a guitar is lining up the neck with the body accurately if this does not happen for any reason it can result in many problems, from the guitar not sounding properly to even having the strings off centre to the neck. In the industry they have a special machine that does all the hard work of lining the two parts together and even drilling the holes for the latter joining of the two parts. Where as at school I will have to trust myself with lining up and measuring the neck and body so that they fit together properly, centred and in line with the bridge. So from the three processes that I have selected, it is easy to see that with the appropriate tools and machines it is a lot easier and time consuming. http://www.youtube.com/watch'v=-XfBRdxzshI