As well as building my own classical and flamenco guitars, for the past 10 years I have been running guitar making courses, enabling students to build their own guitars to their specifications. Currently I am running courses in Spain for people who would like to make their own guitars. The students I have taught have completed their guitars to a very high standard beyond their own expectations in a relaxed and productive environment.
This year I have launched an online guitar making course, a step by step video series available to stream online. ‘How to Build a Classical Guitar from Scratch’ is something I have wanted to create for a very long time. I’m so happy to be able to help make the guitar making process accessible for everybody from their own homes. For more information please visit www.onlineguitarmakingcourse.com
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Thanks for the video Pablo ... I learned something new. You presented a lot of good information, however, I think you should include more visual information to reinforce the information you present.
When you made the templates for the heel shape, did you use a contour gauge to transfer the shapes from a finished master guitar? Gracias mi amigo mejor!
No, I actually made my own templates with my own design. But if you want to use someone else’s design using a contour gauge on an existing guitar would be the way to go.
Hello Pablo from Alabama USA. Thank you so much for the 12 hole conversion trick. I had a guitar that really needed converting due to a bad neck angle. I found a 12 inch long 1/16 inch drill bit and got it in one day. I made the jig as you suggested. I had the job completed with great success in less than 30 minutes. Wonderful idea. Thank you so much. Ernest Pattillo
Hey Pablo, I’m about 7 sessions in using your method, it is wonderful, I am average 2 applications per session. I have not added the oil yet. How many more shellac (2 lb cut) only applications before using oil? Thank you
Apply as many as you can and as soon as you notice that the rubber starts to stick use a few drops of oil.
@@redkitekk thanks a lot Pablo!
Hello Pablo, I did 2 sessions today with oil the second session seemed to leave some streaks (mainly the back)
Loving these videos, thank you for your knowledge and sharing, it is huge.
I was wondering if measuring the bending strength (simple three point) could tell me if the bars have a lot of runouts?
Even if the bar is strong to the bend if the grain runs out badly you could end up with problems in the future.
@@redkitekk agree that there would be a problem if there are runouts I just wonder if such a bar would show weakness in a bending test or not. if not then all we can do is carefully look :)
sorry should have started with thanking you for all the wonderful and helpful videos you are posting. i just started a French Polish following your instructions and can't wait to see the final instrument/finish. Thanks a lot!!!
@@martinjanousek6861 you are very welcome. I am sure that if the bar is strong it will cope well and the chances are that the bar won’t break in the future. The thing is that I don’t work with those parameters so I couldn’t tell you what kind of rigidity or strength the bars need to have. The way it works for me is that the bars need to be strong while flexible so I need to make them as small as I can get away with and for that reason I need to know the bars have very little or no run out at all. As I mentioned in the video sometimes it is possible to see the grain lines that indicates this but when these lines are not noticeable then the only way is to split the bar. I hope this helps.
@@redkitekk thanks a lot and just finished the first session of French Polish and the instrument is starting to look beautiful. But I do need to re-sand the back :( as only now I see some scratches I don't like.
I think several luthiers have used harmonic bars with the grain running horizontally instead of perpendicular.
Runout is an important issue that is often overlooked. The same issue appears in the soundboard thanks to all mayor suppliers who refuse to split their quarters before sawing the soundboards.
Thank you for the clarifying this, great video again 😊
thanks Pablo!
Hi Pablo, Thanks a lot for your great videos ! However, I don't understand the measurement. I have made a simulation on a 3D software. When I take a 25 feet radius (7620 mm), the depth for the diameter of 530 mm is 9,227 mm. To have 6 mm depth you should have a radius dish with a diameter of 430 mm or a 11,7 m radius. Are you Ok with these ?
With my 25 feet radius dish 530 mm in diameter the deepest point is about 5.5 mm
@@redkitekk Thanks a lot for your answer. I'm sorry, I made a mistake. In my simulation, I took a diameter of 25 feet instead of a radius of 25 feet. Best regards.
Awesome info!
Muchas gracias, Pablo. A mí, como aficionado, me enriquecen muchísimo tus conocimientos de experto que, entre paréntesis, no es fácil que alguien los comparta. Saludos desde México.
gracias Pablo! siempre aprendiendo contigo, saludos.
Thank you, Pablo for this detailed information about “run out”. this is something I have heard about but didn’t know how to find it in the brace pieces for my guitars. We can always make our building better, you have just helped us to do that.
Excellent video Pablo. This validates what I learned while building my latest guitar, having paid much more attention to splitting and selecting brace wood than previously done. Thank you!
Very helpful as always. Thank you Pablo!
Hola Pablo, como estas? Se que es un video viejo pero igual no pierdo nada con intentar preguntarte: existe alguna otra alternativa a la piedra pomez? En mi pais consigo la piedra pero no en forma de polvo, por lo que queria saber si se puede probar con otra cosa. Muchas gracias y excelente el video!
Puedes hacerlo con resina epoxy. Tengo un vídeo explicando cómo se hace en la serie de vídeos sobre French polishing en mi canal
@@redkitekk excelente! Muchas gracias y felicitaciones por todo el contenido de gran calidad que subes
Many thanks,very informative
You are very welcome
Kudos to the photographer. Not a sound and patient. And good angles.
Is the connection between the back strip and the back purfling/binding the same process? Will there be a future video to show how that is done?
No, in the back this is done differently. The center strip is inserted as the two half of the back are joined and later on in the construction the bindings are fitted to join the back strip. The whole process is explained in detail on my course which you can find on www.onlineguitarmakingcourse.com
Good explanation, Good luck.
Thank you!
I'm watching this series of videos for the third time to see the details. The spectacular work, your diatics and generosity are fantastic. I'm sorry for living far away and not speaking English very well because I'm Brazilian. But it would be great if one day you could come here to Brazil to teach a course. I've been building guitars for several years but I always learn something new from your videos. Thank you very much.
the guitar is resting on the tuners !!!
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Pablo, thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with us!
Wow, this was very helpful. You are a gifted craftsman. Thank you for posting this, and your other videos.
Pablo. I am closely following this series of your videos. However, I had a big doubt. Do you use pure shellac with alcohol just to make the varnish? I ask this because I always see people mixing shellac with sandarac in other videos, for example. Thanks.
You can mix it with sandarac and gums but it isn’t necessary. I have done this in the past but nowadays I only use shellac.
Hi pablo ! Thank you very much for all your videos I follow with great interest . Concerning the thicknes you mention for spruce soundboord (about 2,5mmin the midle and about 2mm close to the edges ) is it the same thicknes you use for cedar sounboard wich has a less density ?
Love the vice setup! I may steal that idea!
great video. Thanks for sharing. Apologies if you've answered this elsewhere but what grit do you sand to before using the epoxy? Thanks
320 grit
Pablo, It's great to see this. I'm getting ready to finish Bruce's guitar now and intend to do it exactly as you teach it here. Thank you my brother for all your kindness.
That’s great Brian. Bruce’s guitar is going to look amazing once it’s done. Best wishes
Hi Pablo, can I use other type of glue, such as cyanocrylate? Thanks for sharing!
i love your videos,and I learned a lot from your videos
I heard that some luthiers string the guitar up to full tension with the unfinished saddle and than wait 7~10 days before finally adjusting it to perfection !
Hi Pablo, thanks for your great videos. You start this video with the linings already in place. However, the sides need to be already tapered to the right body size. How do you taper the sides? Did you mark the final taper sizes on a straight line and cut them before bending? How do you make sure that you end up with the right body size at the tail and heel since it's hard to bend at an exact location. Do you measure again the depths after the sides are in the solera?
Hi Juan. I have a template that I use to trace the shape into the sides and cut them to shape before I bend them. It isn’t a straight line as the back isn’t flat the sides need to be shaped to accommodate the arch of the back. On my course available on line I explain in detail how to do this and I provide plans with this template and other templates used in the course. You can find it on www.onlineguitarmakingcourse.com
@@redkitekk Thanks, I'm working with Nicholas so I'll pass the message.
Thank you Pablo for sharing this. I love your teaching method, so articulate and comprehensive. Please keep on educating us 😊
Just to echo the previous praises and comments, the three neck carving videos (and all of your videos actually) are extremely helpful for developing method, jig ideas and uses, and achieving consistent results. Thank you so very much Pablo! Great job man, as always!
Thank you so much Pablo, can’t wait to get started on mine
Is using non hardening oil superior to hardening oils such as walnut or just preference?
Oil is just used as a lubricant. One of the later stages of polishing is to remove all the oil to be able to gloss up the surfaces, so I don’t think it would make much of a difference if any.
Hi Pablo, great video as always, thank you. How do you achieve the 1.5 mm neck relief in the solera? It's hard to see but it seems flat and the layers of plywood continuous. Do you plane down the last plywood from 1.5 mm at the end to nothing at the 12th fret position?
Yes, you do it on the solera in the way you describe it. Just in case you are interested I have a video explaining the complete process on how to build the solera in my website www.onlineguitarmakingcourse.con
@@redkitekk Thanks Pablo. your solera at the body area seems to be flat and the top is resting flat before you put the sides. Since the top has a dome built in the lower area I would expect the tail end of the top to lift a little and the sides not to fit straight on the top. Also if the neck has an angle, shouldn't the heel area that you reduced have the same angle?
The solera is only flat in the top part, the area of the lower bout is carved to accommodate the dome of the top. The angle on the neck isn’t necessarily, however if you want to take it into account it will also work.
In the USA Narex Richter has amazing steel that competes with chisels three times the price.
Thank you
You're welcome
Put a ratchet on the belt
Love the idea !
For a belt this wide I would need a very big ratchet. I prefer this tensioner.
Hi Pablo. I wanted to let you know that I very much appreciate that you have taken so much of your valuable time to do these videos. I’m a new builder and I’m currently following these FP videos and I find that there is a significant learning curve in doing this kind of finish. I’m working on my 3rd guitar, a parlor guitar with a western red cedar soundboard and East Indian Rosewood. I have had many challenges on this guitar but I believe it will turn out pretty well. I’m finding I need more oil that you are putting on. I’m in SW Colorado, USA and today the humidity here is about 12%. What is your average humidity in Spain?
In my workshop it is about 40%
Hello Pablo, thank you for the videos! I use a small metall (brass) brush to clean the sanding paper which works very well!
Great video and very important information was provided. A good reminder when the time comes again to build a rosetta. Thank you Pablo once again.
Obrigado por compartilhar suas técnicas. A solução para obtenção da curvatura nos "ladrilhos" da roseta por lixamento das laterais para chegar no ângulo correto é incrível e muito simples de ser feito. De sobra, ainda nos deu uma aula de geometria plana.
Thank you Pablo, I learn so much from your video's. Greetings from The Haque in Holland.