Simply a Label
The addition of the floating back brace for this build didn’t allow me to do a label in the same way as my previous guitar, gluing it directly to the centerstrip. I tried many iterations before I found something that I liked. The design I settled on was majorly influenced by discussions with and help from Chris Morimoto.
To make the label, I first bent a piece of ebony, and then scooped it out and shaped it in a way that to my eye gave an organic feel.
Then I signed a piece of paper with white ink, and glued it to another piece of ebony.
I shaped the outline of the signature piece to fit the curved piece.
I also rounded the bottom of the signature piece to match the scoop of the curved piece.
Then I glued them together.
And clamped it with the weight of a plane.
For the base of the label, I made some rectangles out of offcuts from the Malaysian Blackwood back. I glued them together with a piece of veneer in between to create a small gap for a feeling of 3D-ness.
This piece has a notch on the bottom to fit over the floating brace.
It was glued to the bottom of the Malaysian Blackwood rectangles, taking care to keep all the pieces lined up with each other.
Because of the height and delicate nature of the label, it would get in the way during the build process. It had to be removable. I installed tiny but strong rare earth magnets in the floating back brace and label, to make it easy to do that.
With the magnets installed.
I covered the magnets with a piece of paper glued to the floating brace, and trimmed it flush with a knife.
Then I made this little riser to attach the curved piece to the base.
I first glued it to the curved piece.
And then with the base in place on the magnets, I glued on the curved piece, being careful to keep it lined up with the floating brace. This was a tricky one to clamp, so I did a rubbed joint with titebond.
The finished label.
To keep the look as clean as possible, I decided not to put the serial number or year on the label. I will add that information to the magnetic cover I will make for the neck bolts, which will be visible through the soundhole if you look towards the headblock. It is also on the piece of paper I used to cover the magnets on the floating brace.
At this point I fit the top to the rim, and glued them together.
And then trimmed the top flush.
This is a special moment for me, the first time you can see the outline of the guitar.
With the top glued to the rim, it’s now time for the voicing. Being my second build here, after learning the Somogyi voicing method, there were some adjustments I wanted to make from the first one.
After voicing, I signed and dated the inside of the top.
Then I glued on the back, closing the box.
With the box now closed, I could install the binding. I made a batch of ebony binding with black/white purfling by glueing a piece of ebony to black and white veneers, then slicing it into strips.
I cut the binding and purfling channels on the guitar.
Then the binding and purfling could be bent, and installed.
The whole binding process is a ton of work, with a lot of careful fitting and cutting of miters.
That’s most of the process of constructing the body done. Coming up next, making and attaching the neck!