Category Archives: Tools

All, Design, Guitar Making, Jigs, Q & A, Tools, Uncategorized, Videos

Q&A | Buying or Building Side Benders, Where did EVO Gold Fretwire Go, and More!

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I answer YOUR questions!

Questions/Topics:

– Fixing cracked sides

– Sharpening plane blades and chisels

– Buying or building a side bending machine?

– Using cactus juice to harden wood

– Bending tips for Wenge

– How much nut relief to use on a bass guitar

– Is EVO gold fretwire discontinued?

– Unboxing videos are stupid

– How much I charge for my guitars

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 8 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Design, Guitar Making, Guitar Repair, Jigs, Q & A, Tools, Uncategorized, Videos

Q&A | Side Bending Tips, Joining Bookmatched Pairs, Controlling Shop Humidity and More!

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I answer YOUR questions!

Questions/Topics:

– Introducing my new “Florentine Cutaway and Advanced Binding/Purfling Methods” Workshop! (https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/florentine-cutaway-and-advanced-binding-purfling-methods-workshop-build-options/)

– I have Wenge for sale! email me at eric@ericschaeferguitars.com

– Where to find prefab materials like bent sides and slotted fretboards

– side bending tips to avoid splits or scorching

– recommended thicknesses for bending sides

– alternate jigs to joining boards – How to control humidity in your shop

– How to control humidity in your guitar showroom

– Removing frets without a soldering iron

– Finding parts for building a side bender – Using fiberglass arrows as gobars

– Question of the week: Is there a specific tonewood that blows your socks off!?

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 8 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Finishing, Guitar Making, Guitar Repair, Q & A, Tools, Uncategorized, Videos

Q&A | Fixing Finish Runs, Installing Mylar Pickguards, Making Cutaways and More!

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I answer YOUR questions!

Questions/Topics:

– What is the best way to fix a finish drip?

– How to install a clear mylar pickguard without bubbles

– The most expensive lutherie tool yet!

– Go bar rods from home depot

– Building a cutaway as a first guitar

– Radial offset rosettes

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 8 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Design, Guitar Making, Jigs, Q & A, Tools, Uncategorized, Videos

Q&A | Taptuning Tops, Tonewood Myths, Best Guitar Brands, and More!

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I answer YOUR questions!

Questions/Topics:

– Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show

– Favorite Guitar brands/companies

– Fret slotting saws

– Marketing your guitars

– How many pounds of pressure do go-bars produce?

– Inlaying into dark woods as opposed to light woods

– Lazy builders

– Jim Lill debunking electric guitar tonewood debate

– Neck profiling jigs do accomodate all profiles! (I got this wrong in last QA!)

– Am I going to build a 12 string?

– What notes/pitches do you listen for when taptuning?

– What is a leg tapering jig?

– What ‘YMMV’ means and why I can’t keep up with the internet

– Why nobody is watching my Refretting Masterclass video that I worked so damn hard to make!?

– Buying instruments for the aesthetic value of the wood/materials

– Johnson Paste Wax and the Everything Shortage caused by that which shall not be named!

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Guitar Repair, Tools, Uncategorized, Videos

Refretting a Guitar with a Bound Fretboard | Masterclass

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I have a repair to execute on an electric guitar with pitted frets that need replacing. This is a good opportunity to replace with Evo Gold! I cover heating and pulling the old frets, levelling the fretboard, prepping the fret slots, prepping the fretwire, hammering the frets, pressing the frets, applying glue, levelling the frets and finally fret dressing.

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Design, Guitar Making, Jigs, Q & A, Tools, Uncategorized, Videos

Q&A | Resonating vs Reflecting Backs, Top Thickness, Scrapwood uses, and more!

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I answer YOUR questions!

Questions/Topics:

– What do you do with your scrap wood?

– Buying pre-bent sides

– Best heating blanket for side bending – radial rosettes – thicknessing backs as a resonator or a reflector – Thicknessing tops

– Plate gluing jig

– laminated sides

– inlaying Opal for fret marker dots

– What is the purpose of a shooting board

– modifying an existing guitar to increase the bass response

– inlaying mother of pearl without teflon strips

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Design, Guitar Making, Jigs, Tools, Uncategorized, Videos

Making a Florentine Cutaway Mold for Guitar #116

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I build a mold for a florentine cutaway parlor guitar model. I cover the process of stacking and duplicating the pieces of the mold on the router table, fine-tuning the cutaway with a chisel, and making the best out of your latch mechanism so your mold lasts a lifetime.

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Design, Guitar Making, Q & A, Tools, Uncategorized, Videos

Q&A | Chisel Sharpening, Mesquite for Fretboards, Happy Accidents and more!

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I answer YOUR questions!

Questions/Topics:

– Chisel Sharpening

– source for dyed purfling strips

– bridge wood

– amp repair

– mesquite for fretboards?

– happy accidents

– what to do with “mistakes”

– the role of patience and focus in nut slotting technique

– bird’s eyes on silver maple – why does sugar maple burn so easily?

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Design, Finishing, Guitar Making, Jigs, Q & A, Tools, Uncategorized, Videos

Q&A | Scarf Joint Jig, Choosing Top Wood for a Parlor, Using Slotted or Unslotted Bridge Pins…

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I answer YOUR questions!

Questions/Topics:

– Can backs be flatsawn?

– a miter box design for cutting scarf joints

– Best wood bindings to replace white plastic bindings

– Best topwood for a parlor size instrument

– using slotted or unslotted bridge pins

– building a light box/ light box alternatives

– the 14th fret hump

– sourcing backstrip material

– fixing soundboard tearout along the binding edge

– lint free cloth in the Netherlands

– flatsawn maple

– The ‘Best Guitar Show’ in Altoona, Pennsylvania, February 25th

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/

All, Design, Guitar Making, Jigs, Tools, Uncategorized, Videos

Making a Fretboard from Scratch

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I am prepping an Ebony fingerboard blank for the upcoming Acoustic Guitar Build Workshops. I demonstrate the use of the planer to thickness the blank, the power slotting method for fret slots on the table saw, and then discuss the process of shaping the taper and the fretboard tongue on the edge sander and the robosander.

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for an 9 day Hands-On Guitar Building Workshop in Bernville, Pennsylvania: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/learn-to-build-your-own-guitar/

🔴 Check out the online course “Building an OM Acoustic”: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/course/building-an-om-acoustic/

🔴 To commission an instrument from Eric: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/instruments-ordering/ 🔴 Check out the Radial Rosette Maker Jig: https://lxm.a73.myftpupload.com/the-radial-rosette-maker-kit/