The initial making of the equipment takes time, but now I have everything, I can make four tops in one afternoon.

Not really $5000... The most expensive tool shown is my bandsaw, a recent addition to my workshop, about a quarter of that. But you don't need a bandsaw to do this. You can purchase 1/4" thick resawn tops from many sources - the spruce top on the guitar shown at the intro was from Stewmac, and cost about $25, and you can do all the fine outline work with a coping saw. The other tool being used a lot is a belt sander (about $150), but that's just because it's easier than a hand sander.

@@Drewmo2000 Not meant as a insult, it's a common joke, but you are correct about my lack of detailed knowledge.

@@primoroy Heh heh, no worries, the other guitarist in my band was forever telling me it was a lot easier to buy guitars from Guitar Center. But hey, personally I get as much fun out of making them as playing them😁

Thanks for your kind comments. Yes, the grain does all remain in the same plane, so I've had no issues to date with sanding and finishing that might otherwise be found due to end grain, as you say. One thing I have recently noticed using flamed maple for the first time is that you need to make the top a little thicker, maybe an extra 1mm or so, to allow for more sanding, as the same variations in the grain that cause the flaming effect also leaves the surface rather 'wavy' when it dries out, and so needs a little extra sanding to pull it back flat.

And also, yes, I've recently thinking about making an asymmetric shape using a second frame. The key thing here is to make sure that a similar profile shaping wedge be used so that the two sides meet together, which makes it a little more complicated. In that case the two halves in each frame could be used for the front and back.

If you haven’t already, let it acclimatise to a more normal humidity for a while before doing anything drastic. You may find that most of the problem resolves itself as the wood dries and shrinks, or possibly the ordeal will have left more permanent warping around the crack area.

@@ollimoore Thank you, no problem. It looks like the damage happened long time ago though. I think I will have it fixed professionally.

The former is made from two halves screwed together. Before screwing together, put the two halves side by side, and make sure they identical on each side and there is no height difference along the length. There is a bit of keeway when gluing the two halves of the top together to balance them also. In the end, you may have to sand away maybe 0.5mm or so to get the two sides to match completely, but that shouldn't be a problem.

@@Drewmo2000 along that line, i had to replay that part where you put the halves together. with the seperator i wondered how you got them even. then i saw the littlewood tool with the notch to go over the feature stripe and the two sides should then evenly touch the top. very cool. an archtop is in my future, and i like this method so might do it rather than carve. so, i saw someone making a 12 string but only to the 12th fret, he might have went to 14. he said 12 string players never play those higher frets anyway. true? you have short neck 12 strings? i'm not a 12 string player so i don't know. interesting though.

I use this veneer on both bodies and fretboards. I've had no problems at all with it on the fretboard, though I do actually slightly inlay it in the surface and backfill to fretboard level with the superglue (CA). That way, it is absolutely level with the fretboard surface. Another thing: these days, I usually paint the underside of the veneer or the surface of the wood with a thin coat of black paint, as it makes the veneer really 'pop'!

@@Drewmo2000 Oh, so there is no need for an extra piece beneath the veneer for resistance, CA glue should do the job. Regarding the black paint, you paint after you inlay the piece and then sand? Or before Thank you for your answer and tips, cheers mate!

Can't say I've ever used that stuff, as I only use veneers on reasonably flat surfaces. I avoid veneers with either an adhesive backing or some additional film on top as it just complicates things, but to put veneer on a very curved surface is definitely a tricky proposition. I would try some other makes and search around KZbin for more info. Apparently anglers like to put abalone on fishing rods, so you might find some info there.

The great thing about using veneer is that it is real shell, so is as authentic looking as the solid stuff, but much easier to work with. That said, these day's I've also been using some man-made thin veneers and getting great results. I've no idea how thick the MOP and abalone shell actually is on production guitars.

Sorry for late reply... I buy it off Amazon. You can get also stuff with self adhesive backing, but I've never tried that.

Works great, though getting more expensive, especially the accelerator for some reason. But it's worth it, especially if you spray nitro, as you only need a few top coats and thus saves putting tons of lacquer down with the necessary very long drying times. Always keep a can of acetone handing though :)