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To get the glue up process to deliver great results, the following must be noted:
Begin inserting two clamps at the two block ends and a clamp each at the waist of the guitar and then at regular intervals along the mold. This ensures that the glue will dry evenly . Make sure the clamps are close to perfect length before starting to glue. The finished product, when viewed from underneath the guitar should look like the following.
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Tuning / sanding the soundboard.
Flex the soundboard to get a feel for how it will vibrate. Is the soundboard flexible or stiff. When flexed, does one side appear flexible and the other less so. These are important considerations to the way the guitar will sound. As the sound board is usually around 3mm thick when initially prepared, you now need to tune the guitar according to its flexibility. It is usual to leave the area above the Sound hole which will be later covered by the fingerboard at 3mm. However, the area along the left and right hand sides of the upper and lower bout of around 4-6cm should aim for 2.5 to 2.6mm depending on the flex. If the guitar is stiff, aim for 2.5mm.
The end block area should target around 2.7mm, but 2.6mm may be more appropriate for a stiffer piece of wood.
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Once ‘tuned / Sanded”, it is time to put on the braces for the soundboard. This is not done in one stage but in two to three stages on the Go-Bar deck.
First step is to position all the braces according to the template. The braces may need to be shaped. A mortise and tenon joint needs to be cut out for the ‘X’ brace. Recommended not to use preshaped ‘X’ brace where the cut is to be completed at the point where the wood has been preshaped as this not only looks unattractive and untidy but also doesn't provide the right amount of strength. Braces are usually made from Adirondack or Sitka Spruce Split Billets.
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Perhaps an important point to note is that depending on whether the guitar is for a left handed person or a right handed person, the two braces as shown below may need to be re-positioned. The template depicts a right hand guitar, the braces would have to be positioned opposite for a left handed person as these braces affect the bass and treble sound of the guitar.
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The bridge plate should cut slightly oversize so that it can be feathered and yet still slip under the ‘X’ braces for added strength to ensure it stays where it has been glued..
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When marking the bridge plate, a shortcut to the marking is to place the piece of wood as shown below (right up flush against the left brace and over the right brace) and mark. This ensures you have enough wood to work with and that you get your angles right.
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‘X’ Bracing
Shape the ‘x’ bracing to receive the bridge plate, an angle of approximately 45 degrees on the bridge and a matching but opposite 45 degree angle on the brace so that the ‘x’ brace sits flush on top of the bridge plate.
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It is very important to prepare a mortise joint such as that shown below. This gives proper strength.
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With the braces all shaped and ready in position on the soundboard, it is now time to go to the Go-bars. Glue the bridge plate, glue the thin sound hole strips and the brace in the upper bout position as shown below. Allow to dry for at least 2hrs in the humiidty room. Always glue only when humidity is 40%-50% otherwise your guitar will crack.
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Then insert the ‘X’ brace as shown. Glue the overlapping sections of the first stage to the ‘x’; brace.
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