The koa guitar

Documentation on this build will start pretty much at the beginning and show more of the earlier gritty details than the 000 guitar.  The two will get synchronized eventually.  (perhaps)

This guitar is being built for Lyndsay Wojcik who is an exceptionally talented song writer and performer in the Asheville area.  I encourage everyone to get her CD (I started to write album because I am old school) titled "Local Honey".  Such a great title, I would buy it for that reason alone, but the songs are enchanting, and memorable with lyrics that are fresh and unexpected.  I like it.  Enough groupie talk. On with the build.


Here is my bending form.   I get lots of questions about how the sides are bent.

So, you can see a sort of sandwich of metal slats wood sides and a silicon heating blanket.

A close up of the sandwich.  The metal slats support the wood during the bend and help keep it from cracking.  The silicon blanket gets very hot.  It could ignite the wood if left in contact too long.

Timer switch for the silicon heating blanket.  This helps prevent shop fires.

When the wood is hot, the top screw is tightened down, and that forces the waist of the guitar to pinch in.  The form below the screw limits the bend to the desired shape

This shows the lower bout wrapped around the form and held in place with a spring clamping device.

This is repeated on the front bout and the side is bent into a half guitar shape.   Obviously these steps are repeated for the other half.

Here are the sides clamped in an outside mold.  Starting to look more guitar like already.

This a the heel block that is glued inside the guitar.  It holds the sides together and forms internal support for the heck.  This particular heel block is walnut with maple joint reinforcement.

The other side of the heel block shows rosewood veneer.  The veneer helps reinforce the block grain to prevent cracking.  Its like an exotic piece of plywood.

Gluing in the end and tail blocks.  Takes lots of clamps.

More to come as progress permits