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Guitar-Building Basics

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Videos in the Series

Build a Guitar Kit

If you've always wanted to build your own guitar but feared the specialty tools and techniques, consider a kit.

Why Build a Guitar Kit?

Learn how building a guitar from a kit provides a woodworker with a shortcut to success.

What's in a Guitar Kit?

Learn what to expect from a guitar kit, the parts and pieces involved, and how they'll be used.

Guitar Jargon

Learn the anatomy of a guitar before you begin the building process.

Install the Interior Bracing

Learn how to give your guitar a voice by properly installing the instrument's interior bracing.

Align Top to Body

Learn how to properly align the guitar's top to its body before glue-up.

Glue the Top to the Body

Learn how to glue and clamp your guitar's top to its body.

Prepare the Neck

Learn how to prepare your guitar's neck for attachment to the instrument's body.

Install the Truss Rod

Support your guitar's neck by installing a metal truss rod.

Glue on the Fretboard

Learn how to glue your guitar's fretboard in place, for an instrument with perfect pitch.

Flush Trim Your Top

Break out your router and flush trim the guitar's top to the body.

Routing for Binding and Purfling

Learn how to perform precision routing for your guitar's decorative binding and purfling.

Glue Binding and Purfling

Learn how to glue-in your guitar's decorative binding and purfling.

Trim Binding and Purfling

Learn how to trim your binding and purfling flush with a little help from a simple card scraper.

Locate the Bridge

Learn how to properly place the bridge on the guitar body for perfect pitch.

Drill and Ream for Bridge Pins

Learn how to drill, and then ream your guitar's bridge pin holes with a conventional file.

Crown the Fretboard

Crown your guitar's fretboard with a simple jig and some sandpaper.

Finishing Your Guitar

Learn about the types of finishes that are appropriate on a guitar.

Guitar Setup

Fine tune the action of your guitar for maximum playability.

Post your work in The Gallery

Built a guitar, or completed a similar instrument project? Post your photos in our online Readers Gallery. Upload a photo and tag it with the phrase "instrument".

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