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I have a Archtop Build Journal and a plan available at Musical Instrument Makers Forum. There are lots of other resources on the site you may find helpful.

Plan:...

My bender in action:
https://youtu.be/NRdh_jVhQUY

I am very non-photogenic. Recommend caution if you choose to expose your eyes to this. ;-)

Leave it, maybe stabilize with superglue, and you truly will have a one-of-a-kind instrument with a compelling story! Really cool to have along with the spalted figure in the maple.

You can rock the smaller size file slightly to open the slot for a perfect fit - I have done this many times. As usual, the goal is to have slot depth about one-half the string diameter.

For...

I looked into my saved info from 2015 and I did compile a video slide show with music played on the same guitar. Was a wonderful project for Bridget, the daughter of some dear friends. Attempting to...

Built a 16" archtop guitar with a cherry body and Englemann front. As stated above, the cherry was well behaved in bending. I will confirm that the cherry I worked with was very hard, and as a...

As sunburst stated, the 0.080" wire seems to be the standard for mandolins. Since this is a new build, consider that mandolins are especially prone to fret wear with the usual nickel-silver wire. I...

I had a red maple tree sawn some years back. Not curly, but it makes great sounding instruments. This was a pretty big tree at 19 to 20" diameter. The local sawyer recommended sawing at 2.5" and...

I purchase Ultex 1.2mm larger 3 corner picks and use that as raw material. The ideal size for me is maybe 80% the size of the starting pick material. I like the "snap" of a 0.73mm pick but the...

I'm with Dale on this topic. If I had built many more instruments perhaps I would feel confident not stringing up in the white. I purposely leave the neck on the chunky side and then refine the shape...

Completing Tone Bars:
Now we are ready to carve the final profile of the tone bars. Tapping the plate now, the "bong" is gone and we get more of a "plonk" sound. Painters tape at the ends of the...

Here's my version, sized large enough for archtop guitars (or maybe even an upright bass). Two inexpensive aluminum levels from hardware store and dial indicator from Harbor Freight. Pretty cheap and...

Thanks John, but I think you are being generous :grin:. The experience from building the guitars and GOMs helps, but I am no where near the level of the real builders here at MC. However, I really...

Linings:
Interior "jacks" will help keep the rims tight to the mold walls as we continue. Left over plywood from making the mold and small turnbuckles went together quick:
158961

Reverse kerf...

Blocks:
I made the tail block out of curly maple, with a pre-drilled 1/2" hole for the endpin jack since this build will have JJB piezo transducers.

We also need blocks for the points, and I am...

After building 6 archtop guitars and 2 GOM (guitar octave mandolin), it is time to take the ultimate luthier challenge and attempt to build an F-style mandolin. Humbly submitted here will be all the...

td,
My GOM plan is available from the Musical Instrument Makers Forum (MIMF). You can find it here:
http://www.mimf.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1465
- I sent them my original drawing and their...

I have buffed out two or three guitars with satin finish. In my personal case, while I really prefer gloss finishes cosmetically, the satin finish on the back and rims of my Taylor acoustic-electric...

Yep, having tried a sunburst type dye application on my recent archtop guitar, I think you did really well! Is there any finish on the instrument in these photos? The color shift I got was expected...

Since you mentioned Weber, I recently posted some setup details in this thread that might give you some detail to supplement Rob's guide:...

Mandobart, As the others have said, it is confusing that the pickup hums when touched - usually it is the opposite. It does seem like the leads are reversed somewhere and that the hot lead is...

Paul: My theory and observations regarding the bridge fit:
The typical sandpaper method for fitting the bridge base can leave a very slight convex curve to the bridge feet, and this could lead to a...

Missed some details I meant to mention:
- The Weber Bitteroot is 1-1/8" nut, 14" scale with 10" radius.
- The Breedlove Roque is 1-3/16" nut, 13-7/8" scale and 10" radius.

The bridge photo of...

The nut profile can be reduced to minimize the chance for binding in the slots during tuning. Ideally, the nut height is reduces so only about 1/2 the diameter of the wound strings is in the slot....

The bridge saddles need some refinement - the as received string notches are deeper than necessary and some carving needed to improve on the intonation. I believe that for archtops the string notches...