Construction of the Competition Guitar

During this year's Classical Guitar Retreat, organised by guitarist Matthew Mcallister in the picturesque coastal town of St Andrews, Scotland, I will be presenting one of my guitars as the first prize in the 2025 Competition. To celebrate the event, I will chronicle the making of the prize guitar on this blog.

Tops joined

These old western red cedar tops are being glued using the string and wooden wedge to apply the pressure while the glue cures.

Marking out the brace positions

The triangular shaped "cartabon" has all the various positions of the top and back braces so I can easily mark out where I want to glue each brace.

Gluing the soundhole patch

Here we see the soundhole patch, a reinforcing plate of the same species of wood as the top being glued, the thick plate under the clamps is a caul which allows pressure to be spread across the patch ensuring even clamping pressure.

Cutting the neck wood to create the headstock

The table saw and jig are shown here. The jig holds the neck blank in place to allow cutting at the correct angle.

Headstocks being glued

When I prepare necks I usually do them in batches, this shows the "scarf" joint being glued which gives me the angled headstock.

Western Red Cedar top and Indian rosewood back ready for bracing.

Rosewood sides fitting the neck

Fitting the braces to the cedar top

Using thin rice paper to checkbthe final fit.

Final braces being clamped in place

Bracing comolete and ready for assembly.

The top is glued to the neck, the start of assembly.

Assembly of all the component parts in the mould.

Fitting the peones to attach the sides to the top.

Peones fitting and in place.

Cutting the kerf slots in the lining strios to allow them to bend round the guitar sides.

The kerfed linings hold the back of the guitar to the sides.

These spring clips are perfect for clampingbthe kerfed lining in place.