Take It From The Top...

So here we go!





I should start by saying where I got my supplies.





I used 3 different companies:





1. Soundboard & bracing wood: http://www.alaskawoods.com/alaskawoods/index.php


- this is a great website for soundboards. They deal mainly with spruce tops of the highest quality.


They're based in Alaska so shipping is a big factor, but all reports including my own say that the shipping is very fast: 5 days to me here in Ireland!





The quality of the soundboard I got was great. I ordered a Western Red Cedar top:








The grain was amazing, stiff & no blemishes. It really was a mastergrade top.


The blanks were 5mm thick.





Cost: Mastergrade Cedar Top Was $47.00.


Sitka Spruce Bracewood was $6.00.





Shipping was $43.20 - TOTAL: $96.20.

- Please note there is a minimum shipping order of $50.00 from Alaska Woods.

2. Back & sides, fretboard, headplate, trussrod, rosette, kerfings, scratchplate, binding, nut blank, fret wire, bridge blank, abalone 6mm dots and mahogany neck and heel blanks were all bought from: http://madinter.com/b2c/index.php?idioma=2





Cost: Back & Sides Madagascar Rosewood(Mastergrade) was €130.00.


White-Green-White Madagascar Rosewood Binging was €10.00.


4.76mm Bone Nut was €4.95.


Transparent Scratchplate was €4.50.


Blank Neck & Heel Mahogany was €4.50. - The cheapest I've seen online.


Madagascar Rosewood Bridge Blank was €2.50.


Ebony Fretboard was €12.50.


Fret Wire(2.5mm) was €3.40.


Madagascar Rosewood Headplate was €2.50.


6mm Dots Abalone - €0.75 each.


Kerfings of Cedarwood(Please note these kerfings are not the normal kerfings for a steel string acoustic - I wouldn't recommend them) €8.00


Trussrod was €8.95.


Rosette was €19.00.





- Please note all these prices are not including VAT. Shipping was €42.97 (Since ordering they have added two cheaper shipping companies, it was just TNT when I ordered)


Total: €262.77 plus Vat @16% - €304.81($421.64)





3. I went to http://www.stewmac.com/ for the rest.


I actually made two orders from them.


Order 1 was just two items:





Cost: Blank Tusq Saddle: $5.68


Grover Chrome Tuners: $49.49





Shipping was $15.63. TOTAL: $70.80(€53.48)





Order 2 was a lot more!





Cost: Curly Koa Binding: $17.98.


Plan For a Triple-O Guitar: $12.45.


Titebond 16oz Glue: $8.83.


Reverse kerfings Mahogany: $21.84.


Binding Tape: $2.56.


Super Glues X3 (Thin, Medium, & Thick) - $16.38.


Trussrod: $13.89.


Blank Saddle & Nut Tusq: $12.38.


Large Abalone Diamonds X4: $1.90 Each.


Abalone Sidedots Set: $5.71.


Bridgepins Snakewood: $12.16


15inches of Straight Abalone Purflings: $15.78.


Adhesive sheet for Scratchplate: $1.86.


Bridgeplate: $3.25.


SUNDRIES:


Polishing Pad: $13.95.


Polishing Compound #3 & #4: $34.00.


Safety Kit(Nitrile 500 Gloves Box, Safety Glasses, Earmuffs & 5 vented Dustmasks) - $55.66.


Shop Apron: $12.95.


TOOL RELATED:


Reamer 5-degree For Bridgepin Holes: $47.28 - (The only tool I bought!!!)


1/32in Dremel inlay heads(6): $9.71.





Shipping was $51.09. TOTAL: $377.19(€278.19)








That's pretty much it!





As you can see I bought a lot of stuff that wasn't really necessary.
For Example: 2 Trussrods, 2 Nuts, 2 Saddles, 2 sets of kerfings, various superglues, A LOT of Abalone, shop apron, gloves etc. The Rosette I got was also very extravagant:



That's a lot of detail & separate pieces of wood. It's also very fine cuttings on all the Mother of Pearl too.

Combining the 2 Stewmac orders would have saved me some shipping too - it pays to make a definitive list of what you need before you order anything. Sometimes the thrill of getting your woods and starting will cause you to forget things you may need further on in the job.

Tools for the job are extremely expensive.
Luckily I have a good friend that has already made a few guitars, he has let me use his tools & his workshop for my endeavour. He also has provided invaluable guidance and help.

If your not so lucky, I would encourage you to try make as many tools as you can yourself, jigs and moulds and the like can all be made at home and can be just as effective as factory made ones, if not more effective as you can make it to the exact specs that you want.

However, if you are to buy the tools, buy the best you can afford, inferior tools will lead to an inferior product. Tool maintenance is vital as well, and keep yourself familiar with all the tools required. If you're not comfortable with a tool, don't start working on you guitar with it, try getting results on another piece of scrap wood first. Confidence with a tool will make it all the more enjoyable and rewarding.

Well that's all I've time for, better get back to working on this guitar!