U.S. Guitar Kits Acoustic Guitar Kit, Assembly Instructions Manual

Page 1: ...ote that although we warrant this kit to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for 30 days from purchase we cannot guarantee the outcome of your instrument since skill levels vary greatly...

Page 2: ...required 1 8 chisel and others are nice to have flat scrapers a utility knife AND an Exacto type knife 1 2 phillips screwdrivers and a 10mm deep socket with handle or equivalent open end wrench a sho...

Page 3: ...to you be sure to follow the instructions in precise sequence or you may have to disassemble parts or even start over Also be sure to read and understand the use and care of all tools and wear the pr...

Page 4: ...diagram for easy identification Not illustrated are 1 Frets Hammered Pressed into the Fingerboard 2 Abalone Dots 12th Position Marker Glue into the Fingerboard 3 Kerfed Lining Pre glued to inside of...

Page 5: ...houlder brace and X braces All the others are scalloped flush to the back of the top and cut short of the sides 1 HEADS UP Remove the shipping stretcher at this time The stretcher is the wooden piece...

Page 6: ...y the length of the stretcher either longer or shorter to correct any bow in of the sides 8 Once the stretcher is in place and the sides are true leave it in place during the entire process all the wa...

Page 7: ...he sides only not including the kerfing 16 Note The initial mark on these braces reflects the outside of the guitar body Note The brace will fit into a pocket we will cut later in the kerfing 17 The t...

Page 8: ...skid pad to rest the top on you risk significant flex and possible damage to the top Be careful be gentle Alternative to Step 19 21 Using a small laminate router cantilever it over the workbench on a...

Page 9: ...guitar Mark the brace for scalloping Note Mark the trim line approximately 1 8 back from the existing curve and follow the same curve Scalloping the end of the tone brace Note The end thickness shoul...

Page 10: ...10 10 Marking and Scalloping a Tone Brace...

Page 11: ...e Braces The previous several photos are used to illustrate the methods used to trim away the heaviness of the braces to allow for better top vibration which produces better tone and volume This is a...

Page 12: ...12 12 Finger Brace Lower X Brace Tone Brace Upper X Brace Brace Templates Cut out and lay on side of braces to mark...

Page 13: ...13 Looking at the space between the top and soundbox mark the sides where the X shoulder bracing contacts the soundbox Two marks for each brace Ie Left Right We will revisit these marks in Step 2 1 2...

Page 14: ...top 3 Install the top check all your alignments again making sure the ends of the braces are seating in their pockets Note The main objective in gluing the top is to ensure the top of the neck plate i...

Page 15: ...amps Note Make sure the clamping pressure is over the sides and not over the middle or way over the sides as this will crack the top and likely create irreversible damage Note We suggest spool clamps...

Page 16: ...GH THE FACE OF THE HEADSTOCK 2 Truss rod fitting Make sure the truss rod s flat surface is face up and lay just below flush with the top of the neck The truss rod should fit without having to jam it i...

Page 17: ...thickness of the top Note If you do not have a bottom bearing flush trim router bit that will work use a straight cutter and freehand the cut staying clear of the sides of the neck plate mortise Fini...

Page 18: ...back on both sides These are witness marks that are guides that will keep you from sanding one side more than the other DISC SANDER INSTRUCTIONS CORRECTING NECK ANGLE If you have a disc sander the bel...

Page 19: ...ve hump in the middle flatten out the middle re fit Pitch Forward If your neck is pitched forward and the straight edge hits below the height of the bridge the neck needs to be sanded more at the bott...

Page 20: ...to the neck pocket Note You will also need to be sure the bottom of the tang mortise is at the same height as the mortise in the body If they are not equal set up a router with a straight bit and free...

Page 21: ...adstock Be sure it lays flat 4 Locate the fingerboard Place the narrow edge at the top of the neck against the nut center it carefully along the length of the neck 5 Cover the truss rod with a length...

Page 22: ...Be prepared for this to avoid breaking off corners Use your best technique as routing may tear some of the short grain Step Eight Nine Grooving the top back and gluing the binding purfling The purfli...

Page 23: ...determine how many pieces of purfling you will use There are six individual pieces 3 black 3 white Use as many or as few pieces of the binding as you wish We recommend that you use a contrasting piec...

Page 24: ...t stretch the binding Take a few of those big rubber bands if you have them and stretch them around the waist narrow part of the body If you do not have rubber bands use plenty of blue tape at the wa...

Page 25: ...s or back veneer The veneer is thin and scraping through will leave you with a noticeable mistake Some finishing tricks can be performed to hide a small problem but try not to do this Note Don t do an...

Page 26: ...d allowing the bridge saddle to accept the raised insert in the tool 2 Mark this location and be sure to center the bridge left to right to ensure the strings will be centered across the fingerboard 3...

Page 27: ...edge should sit on top of the fingerboard and project right at the top of the bridge in its rough location Critical Step Note Important Note Once the radius is really close go ahead and install the n...

Page 28: ...Dry fit first 7 Using a pin or toothpick apply a small amount of Duco CA glue into a hole insert the rod until it bottoms out then cut it off close to the fingerboard with a utility knife Continue un...

Page 29: ...f JUST BREAK THE EDGE Important Note Clean the fret slots by running a thin knife or saw being careful not to expand the width of the fret slot Important Note Sight the edge of the fingerboard and a f...

Page 30: ...igh fret and continue to seat those frets Step Fourteen Shaping the Neck This aspect of the guitar is the most personal part of the guitar Everyone has a different feel and you may prefer to shape the...

Page 31: ...There are three left and three right machines To make this simple be sure to position the machines so that the screw hole is down Install the machines on one side of the headstock and using a small s...

Page 32: ...of tension from the strings that will begin to make the adjustments difficult initially Most production guitars will be strung and left aside for a period of time while the neck settles with tension...

Page 33: ...ment without letting the guitar settle in with all the strings at full tension at pitch 1 Using a double cut file slowly level the high frets being careful not to lower the surrounding frets 2 Using a...

Page 34: ...a good idea to try to set up your guitar before you ve strung it to pitch in other words before you have tuned the strings to the tension they are likely to maintain This is simply because you need t...

Page 35: ...a tapered reamer continuing to test fit so that the endpin will require a slight tap for final seating Do not completely seat this endpin until the final sanding and finishing is complete The strap bu...

Page 36: ...ed oil finishes that require much more work but with spectacular results We suggest several tests on scrap woods to find the perfect finish before working directly on your new instrument We hope that...

Page 37: ...u the finish is only as good as the preparation This means taking extra special attention to the details of sanding through the various grits not skipping grits and finishing with grits up to 320 or 4...

Page 38: ...nd letting it dry before applying the grain filler This will prevent the moisture in the filler from swelling the wood and creating cracks in the finish later Once the grain filler has dried completel...

Page 39: ...ructions regarding the specific product you use Consult a local retail finishing supplier for ideas on user friendly finishes There are also mail order finishes focused on water borne type finishes th...