BLOG
Notes from the bench
Practical writing about tonewoods, fretwork, bracing, setup and safety. 10 articles, no filler.
Choosing Tonewoods: Spruce, Cedar, Mahogany, Rosewood
What each of the four common tonewoods actually contributes, and how much of the sound is decided by the top versus the back and sides.
Understanding Fret Placement and Intonation
Why the twelfth fret is always half the scale length, how temperament changes the numbers, and what actually makes a guitar play in tune.
Neck Relief and Action: Setup Fundamentals
Relief and action are two different adjustments that interact. Get the order right and a setup takes twenty minutes; get it wrong and it takes all afternoon.
Bracing Patterns and Their Effect on Tone
Bracing holds the top against sixty kilos of string tension and shapes how it moves. The two jobs pull against each other.
Fretwork: Leveling, Crowning, and Polishing
Three operations that have to happen in order, and none of which can be skipped. A fret job that stops after leveling is a fret job that buzzes.
Nut and Saddle: Materials and Setup
The two small pieces of material that transfer every note from the string to the guitar — and where most playability faults actually live.
Finishing a Guitar: Lacquer, French Polish, Oil
Three finishes, three completely different processes, and one rule that applies to all of them: the finish is thin, and it takes weeks.
Guitar Safety: Tools, Dust, and Tension
The four hazards that actually hurt people in a guitar workshop, and what to do about each of them.
Setting Up a Home Luthier Workshop
Space, light, air, storage and a bench you can clamp to. The order matters, and the expensive equipment is not the priority.