This is the best thing I’ve ever made. It definitely did not go the way I thought it would but I’m happy with how it turned out. I really don't know what I'm doing! Everything I do, I learned from watching someone else do it on youtube. But I'm getting better.
Everything is made from free reclaimed lumber. Walnut and maple.
Video Chapters
00:00 - intro
00:10 - building bending forms
01:07 - side bending
03:19 - making the back
04:56 - rosette
06:00 - bracing the top
07:18 - end wedge
08:15 - neck blank from trash
11:50 - fretboard
13:35 - neck carve
14:36 - binding
16:16 - making the bridge
17:00 - applying finish
18:15 - attaching the neck
18:48 - sound demo
My hat's off to anyone who can build an acoustic guitar from scratch. Very nice job!
Twenty minutes of my life well spent. And the end result sounded sublime. Good one!
My wife knew a guy in San Diego who did something like this (before we met). He walked up to Taylor’s HQ/factory there in east county with it. They pretty much hired him on the spot.
But I already have a job.
But I'm willing to bet that won't happen today, so much of their work now is all by CNC machines, they get things Exactly right, with a bit skilled oversight 😊😊
Did he give her a good strumming
Wow wow wow!!! I love how you let the kids get involved, too!
Thanks! They usually have no interest in getting involved so when they want to I let them! Unless I’m using power tools.
Great job brother! Enjoyed the video
I love the little details like all the bindings and cut edges on the fretboard. Cool
That's a great build, and great to see. And sounds good, too. I'm working on one now, but probably won't make a video of the current build. So very impressive and cool that you make a good amount of the tools, too.
What a pride building your own guitar, congratulations!
Very beautiful guitar! 🙌🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🤩
A blessed and perfect hand work. God bless you!
What a lovely video to watch. Sound is mint as well. Good on yer.
Beautiful. Nice job!
Excellent skill and workmanship. Why did you glue the fretboard to the top, when the neck is a bolt-on design?
That’s just how I’ve seen other people do it. I don’t plan on taking the neck off. But I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it I guess!
@@dannylewisguitars Bolt on necks are particularly useful on Acoustic Guitars to easily correct high Sting Action by adding or removing a shim. This turns what would otherwise be a costly Professional repair of a glued on Dovetail neck into s simple fix many guitarists can do themselves in a few minutes. Taylor Guitars uses such a bolt on neck design, making their guitars particularly desirable. Congrats on your build!
Very beautiful. You're inspiring me to try to make one for myself.
Beautiful guitar, dude!!!
That was awesome!
You & me both. I mostly made Ukuleles but have made a couple of 3/4 Guitars. Nice job you're doing. Well done. It sounds beautiful.
Great looking and sounding guitar! Cracks while bending sides also make me crazy, that't why I love florentine cutaways :)
Wonderful video. I built a Stew Mac kit and then got most of the way through a scratch build but couldn't get the neck to fit correctly. Looking forward to getting back into this in my retirement. Your video brought back lots of fond memories. Thanks!
Beautiful build, with simple yet effective jigs! It turned out great. Congratulations! Good thing that you re-purposed such nice wood!
Thanks! The jigs took almost as much time as the guitar! I didn't film the making the radius dish but it was a very dusty process.
Nice work. Better than I could do. Well done!
An absolutely beautiful guitar! I like how you made many of the jigs needed and the go-bar is perfect. Nice work all around.
Thank you very much!
Beautiful job sounds great
Very Impressive..... and it sounds real good !🎯
Very great work, beautiful sounds, Gretting to France.
Thanks, France!
really nice man. Good clean job.
I can always appreciate when a glue up ends up looking like a torture machine. Amazing work!
Awesome man! Really impressive build! I enjoyed the whole video.
Thanks man! I really enjoyed your Florentine build.
What a cool guitar build!
The maple was a good find. Well-seasoned, and should be very stable.
I was pretty thrilled to find it!
You did a great job on the video because I was never tempted to skip to the final product. At times I wondered what the hell is he up to ? Thank you for not adding background crap music.
Thanks! I tried to keep the pacing quick enough to maintain interest but not so fast that it was super confusing. Fine line to walk.
Beautiful! I'd love to own that guitar!
Great job as usual! I like how you got use from the leftover scraps. Very inspiring!
Thanks! It’s all reclaimed lumber actually. The walnut was from a headboard. Why pay for lumber when you can get old furniture for free?
Hi Danny,did you make the radius dish and what size is it?
Fantastic work. Thank you so much for sharing! I have even more questions about how to make an acoustic than before watching this video, but i guess that's a good thing. Thanks again!
I’m not a professional but I’d be happy to answer your questions as well as I can! I have a few other videos of acoustic builds and a few violin builds too if you’re interested in watching more. Like this one: kzhead.info/sun/hqexXbCcmX2dfIU/bejne.html
Very nicely done
Fantastic!
Sounds amazing.beautyful
thanks!
That was the Best guitar build proyect i have ever seen, and thats the way a like a guitar , that was an excelent job brother, God bless you, pleas keep building guitar like that one. See you later my friend.
That was awesome., and it sounded real good.
That guitar is GORGEOUS, man. 🤟🤟
Thanks!
Thank you for this beautiful series of videos! That is one VERY FINE, gorgeous looking guitar!?! Can I ask a small question? The neck looks very thick - is there a reason for this? (As a guitarist, and fiddle player, I used to think I preferred skinny necks but, as I get older, I'm favouring a slightly thicker neck, such as traditional vintage Telecasters.... but yours looks very thick.) It could be just the camera angles but I'm guessing you have a very good reason? (I'm also a great fan of the pallet wood ethos, BTW. Please take a look at the Crazy Jack 9 Volt Pallet Wood Amplifier on KZhead?) Beautiful! Looking forward to getting my workshop set up and building my first PW guitar! Great stuff Danny! Thanks!
It must be a camera angle thing! I measured my Taylor guitar for the neck thickness and matched it to that. I also just kind of make stuff up as I go so it’s not exactly the same as the Taylor. But definitely not noticeably thicker when playing! Thanks for the kind words! I enjoy using all reclaimed materials. It makes things cheaper but also adds a bit of a limitation that is fun to creatively work around. I’ve never made any pallet wood instruments but this barncaster I made is kind of in that vain! You might like it: kzhead.info/sun/a8qIodKFgZl6h68/bejne.html
Outstanding
Excellent work Danny,,, outstanding details,,, enjoyed every bit,,, from India
Thanks a lot! I made one to match for my daughter, you should check it out: kzhead.info/sun/hqexXbCcmX2dfIU/bejne.html
mesmerizing
beautiful
A little clumsy and unorthodox at times but it turned out to be a beautiful guitar with a fantastic sound! And without further damaging the forests! Bravo!
Nice build & great sounding acoustic...
Thanks! It’s probably my favorite build so far.
whaou ! great job great vid 👍👍👍 thx for sharing your work
Thanks for watching!
Well done! I actually like the use of the tablesaw instead of bandsaw since it shows great use of the tools you already have. Enjoyed the build and looking forward to building my first one shortly.
Thanks! There’s always a way to get around not having all the right tools. And no matter how many tools you have there’s always one more that you need! Good luck on your build!
wow just found your channel love the build
Thanks! This one is my favorite so far. Feel free to share it with all your friends!
impressed, nice looking guitar, good design, sounds pretty good too considering those scallops were a bit chunky!
Amazing work
Thank you! It was fun to build.
Amazing
Epic! Very inspiring! Nice to see a regularly equiped woodworker pull this off! Can you explain your fret slotting jig/setup?
Yeah! I just made a miter box basically. I put two parallel pieces of 3/4 plywood along another piece that the fretboard sits on. I clamped a speed square to those rails and carefully cut a slot in the rails with my fret saw. I use an online template for marking the fret distance. Just line the markings up with the slot I cut and I get perfectly straight fret slots! Let me know if that makes sense.
@@dannylewisguitars thanks for the reply! I appreciate that so much! I think I grasped most of that. Just the part about the online template and marking the slots went over my head. Maybe a link to the template website would help.
Great to see Danny,I'm from Hamilton NZ on my Wife's tablet-( SUSAN ) I just don't have the resources to have the Gear you show, but with what I do have - a drill, vise, and a grinder/sander etc.all I'm able to do ( as a hobby) is buy old but good Acoustic's and improve their sound ( bone nut and saddĺe) but it's been great to see how it's done, & who knows...😊😊😊
Nice! what wood did you use for the body? Looks a bit like cherry....
Walnut!
All around awesome build, but the particular piece that stands out to me is the bolt through neck. What a fantastic idea using threaded inserts!
Thank you! It was definitely not my idea. But it is a good idea!
Great job, very impressive.
Thanks!
I love the finish of the wood.
Thanks! All I did was wipe on poly. The wood grain did most of the work!
Your guitars look and sound REALLY GOOD. I'm curious to know if you sell any of these.
I am not planning on selling this one but I have made a few custom guitars for people in the past. Very few! I’ve only done this for a couple years. Email me if you’re interested Danny.Lewis.guitar@gmail.com
Very nice!
I don't know if it's me or the edibles! But by the time the build was done. And you strung it, tuned it and played it. I was in tears, to hear the fruits of his labor, being brought to life! That guitar was a work of art, and I loved it!
I think it’s the edibles, my friend.
I wasn't blitzed and thoroughly enjoyed the video as well. Didn't cry though, so almost positive it was in fact the edibles.
excellent build, i have been debating on if I should also build one. I have the kinds of wood already selected Madagascar Rosewood for the sides, Indian Rosewood for back, and western cedar for top, Maple neck, Mahogany for the bracing and soundboard.. Sometimes you have to select things out of the box to see where things and sounds will take you.
Go for it!
So impressive
Nice job 😎
Awesome! God bless!
Awesome build!
Thank you! It was a blast to make.
Great craftsmanship, Great video Where did you buy those threaded inserts for the neck joint?
I bought them at Lowe’s!
Sounds naturally awesome.
Thank you! Naturally.
You should conduct a masterclass to teach, step by step, how to make a guitar. I would be delighted to be your virtual student.
What a beautiful job. Very well done. One of the betters tutorials to build a guitar.
Thanks so much! I didn’t think of it as much of a tutorial. More of a “this is what I did”. I’m no expert!
Hey Danny. I'm new to your channel, but I am sure to watch more of your great videos. Beautiful guitar by the way! What shape are you calling it? Also, do you have a video on how you made the sanding fixture for evening out the guitar sides after the glue dried?
It’s an OM or 000 model. I didn’t make it up! I made the radius sanding dish with a router and a sled. I didn’t make a video but maybe I’ll make one someday! I’m sure there are other videos explaining how they are made. Thanks for the kind words! Feel free to watch the rest of my stuff!
Nice job, super kool. if only I were younger I might give that a try.
Why not try when you’re not so young?
Very cool video, nice to see that mire mortals can get it done. Inspiring
Steve Ramsey of Woodworking for Mere Mortals would be proud.
I built an electric guitar 7 years ago... I've always wanted to make an acoustic guitar... this was a great inspiration for me to start making one 🎸
You should go get started!
Great work friend look's and sounds good, have a nice day !!!. Brian UK !!!. 😀😀👍👍🎸🎸🎶🎼.
Lovely work! Some day I hope i can make a acoustic guitar as a gift, but sadly i lack both the skill and equip required for it.
Looks great. Sounds sweet....
Thanks!
Great job
Love your work sir. What was the heat pad you used to bend the wood?? Where can I find one??
Thank you! I used to just use water and a curling iron to slowly bend sides. You can see that in this video: kzhead.info/sun/i7OwfdaniYx-ioE/bejne.htmlsi=Y7sGB8xTdCTKiGgX Then I broke the curling iron and bought a silicon heating blanket from Amazon. I can’t find the exact one I bought anymore but it was about $50. Here’s a link to one I can still find on Amazon: a.co/d/1nCNTwx
“I don’t even like cut aways” had the same thought with my own build but luckily I caught myself in the planning phase lol
Yeah, I’m gonna try again someday. Maybe with some straighter grain wood!
Great build!!! Which plans did u used i.e. from where did u make the templates? Thank you.
Thanks! I did not use plans! I traced the body of my orangewood Ava. And I marked the fret spacing using the orangewood as a template. But mostly I just figure it out as I go.
Looking like a high quality guitar.
Building a guitar with Tightbond 2 is like welding your diff in a muscle car , hell of a commitment that can't be easily backed away from. Great planning required . Great job!
Pretty sure it muffles tonewood too!
@@Bob_AdkinsNo it doesn't lol, thats been completely debunked. It also comes right apart just as easy as original with some heat.
@@luckysevenairammo1217 PVA glue is rubbery, and rubbery material will not transmit sound as well in tonewood. I'm not saying it's BAD BAD, just that in small quantities it's not ideal. In large glops, it IS bad.
@@Bob_AdkinsPVA is pretty much the industry standard. A tour of the Taylor or Martin factory will show that (there’s plenty of videos here on YT of such tours). Independent luthiers who don’t use hide glue (or fish glue) use PVA (usually Titebond III).
@@koine2002 My thoughts are that it deadens the transmission or tone wood because it's pretty soft, but I suppose very tight joints have very little of it.
Muito lindo parabéns 👏👏👏👏👏
Good job 😊
Thin all the sharp bends on the sides thinner than the rest of the side. Helps a lot. Plenty of water on those areas as well.
Thanks! I’ll try that next time!
It's an art!
Excellent workmanship...it was a pleasure watching you work!
Thank you! Check out my other videos too! You might find some more you like.
D.Lewis&Co D 28 est 2023 is born. Excellent craftmanship. Martin,be very afraid.
It’s more of a OM body shape than a Dreadnaught. But thanks!
Nicely done!
Thanks Steve!
Great video! How did you make the back front and side boards so thin? Just sanded it? Also, I saw for the string holders, body/neck, people are using animal bone, what did you use? and where can I get it?
I used my table saw to re-saw the boards to about 1/8th of an inch and then I used a plane and sanding to get them thinner. If I had money for one, a drum sander is the most efficient tool for that job! I bought a bone nut and saddle from amazon and I got plastic bridge pins, also from amazon.
That turned out really nice. I am thinking of trying to build a guitar
You should do it! I wanted to build one for a long time before I just got started and I wished I’d started years ago. It’s a pretty fun hobby!
A beautiful thing, I just sat for 20 mins straight without skipping the video. I'm a guitar player myself, maybe one day I will order one from you 😉 you should definitely monetize your skills
Thank you! KZhead probably paid me about 16 cents for your view. Monetizing skills!
Nice walnut build. What was your top thickness spec and brace height if you don't mind?
I don't know exactly! I'm just making it all up as I go. I think the top is somewhere around 2mm. I don't remember the height of the braces. I tried to make them a bit less substantial than normal since its a hardwood top.
Work's for me better than my first attempt.... Very pretty as well...
In fairness, it was my third acoustic! My first one was not great. But mistakes are how we learn.
very good work.
Thanks!
I like all the effort you put into this build but there are good reasons why soft woods are used for string instrument tops.
I know! I just use reclaimed wood I get for free. This one sounds pretty good with a walnut top. Also, Taylor academy series is currently being made with walnut tops. And mahogany is a hard wood that’s similar to walnut that’s been used for decades by Martin and other reputable brands.
I would never called this an amateur build. You’re far braver than I. I neither have the necessary tools required, nor the time to actually build a guitar from scratch. I would love to do it, but I would not be able to.
I call it an amateur build because I’m just an amateur! I do this for fun on the side and I didn’t get paid to make it. I’ve slowly built up my tool collection by getting most things used and I don’t ever buy the nicest equipment. I work in about a 12’ by 12’ corner of my basement whenever I have time and whenever I’m not worried about bothering my family with the noise!
@@dannylewisguitars All evidence to the contrary, my good sir. It’s a beautiful piece of work. I think your next challenge is to build a classical guitar.
You're a genius, man!! What is the material that you used for the nut and bridge? Your guitar sound great!!!
I used Tusq saddle and nut. Thanks! I’m no genius. Just a dumb dumb in a basement.