Category Archives: Uncategorized

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

Q&A | Building Jigs and Forms, Fretboard Polish, Rosette Cutters

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

Questions/Topics:

– tonewood suppliers

– Electric Guitar neck angles

– Rosette cutting jigs

– What material to use for molds forms and jigs

– What do you use to oil or polish up the fretboard?

🔴 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 | 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, Uncategorized, Videos

QA | Refretting with Larger Fretwire, Buying Go Bars, Wild Grain and more!

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

Questions/Topics:

– Should you use Carbon Fiber Rods and a Truss Rod?

– Making your own bulk binding strips

– wild grain versus homogenous grain

– Buying go bars

– Changing fretwire size when refretting

– Where to buy a gramil?

– Issues with small soundholes

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for a 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, Uncategorized, Videos

The Most Important Gram of Wood in a Guitar

In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, we talk about the function of the X-brace cap and how it restores structure to a critical part of the bracing pattern. Then I demonstrate a simple method for attaching the cap with tape.


🔴 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 Making, Uncategorized, Videos

Rosette Making and Brace Carving on Guitar #116

I’m working again on Guitar #116, the all maple, 13 fret cutaway Parlor model. In this episode of DIY Guitar Making, I install the Abalone into the rosette channel, and I carve the soundboard braces, discussing carving technique along the way.

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for a 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 | 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 Making, Jigs, Q & A, Uncategorized

Q&A | Sizing Fretwire, Neck Profiling Jigs, Electric Guitar Tonewood Myths and More!

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

Questions/Topics:

– Do headstock templates include space for the nut?

– A jig for profiling necks with a router

– An audio example of a student’s guitar

– Choosing fretwire with the right tang size for your fret slots

– Leg tapering jigs for the bandsaw

– A case for titebond over hot hide glue

– Bevelling fret slots

– Why Strats and Les Pauls sound different

🔴 All episodes available at diyguitarmaking.com

🔴 Register for a 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/