Tenor no 19 Build Gallery

Here’s a gallery I’ll continue updating as I work through the construction of a new sugar maple and adirondack spruce TG-0-inspired tenor guitar.

Material selection

Fitting the pattern on a sugar maple back bookmatched set.

Look at how the figure pops on the quartersawn Adirondack spruce!

This top shows lots of silk, and will look incredible under shellac.

A nicely quartersawn sugar maple neck billet.

Laying up binding materials to find the right combination.

Creating and installing the rosette

Bending the hormigo and maple strips for the rosette and sound hole binding.

Cutting the sound hole and rosette rings.

The flattened rosette. — A simple multi-line rosette in hormigo and maple.

Bracing the top and back plates

Cutting braced for the tenor's soundboard. — Cutting braced for the tenor’s soundboard.

Cutting braced for the tenor's back plate. — Cutting braced for the tenor’s back plate.

Gluing the braces in place using go bars in a radiused dish.

Totally gratuitous spruce shavings photo.

Testing out the Doolin-esque adjustable neck joint

I’m planning to use a new, fully adjustable neck joint on this guitar, inspired by the work of (former) luthier Mike Doolin. This enables easy adjustment of playing action by changing the angle of the neck, rather than changing the height of the saddle at the bridge. I’ve been using a fully bolt-off neck for some time, so this is the next logical step, right?