How to Curve My Guitar's Back
- 1). Draw your bracing pattern onto the inside of the guitar. The bracing supports the back and compensates for the force of the strings. If you are unsure of what bracing pattern to use, consult a template.
- 2). Measure the length and width of each brace outline in the bracing pattern.
- 3). Use a coping saw to cut out the braces. File down the tips so there is 1-inch worth of 45- degree gradient.
- 4). Place the Go Bar deck on your workbench. The underside of the Go Bar deck provides resistance for the compression rods. The combination of deck and rods is a convenient alternative to clamping. The rods are flexible, and when they're attached to the guitar and the deck they push the wood down. Because there are multiple pieces of bracing, this method is preferable to bench clamping.
- 5). Place the radius dish on your workbench, between the legs of the Go Bar deck. This is a block of wood with a concave center. The concave center acts as a radius guide and shapes the wood when you apply down-force.
- 6). Apply glue to the first part of the cross brace in the bracing pattern. Lay the first cross brace in the outline.
- 7). Slot the groove end of a compression rod onto the brace. Bend the rod and push the tip into a groove on the underside of the Go Bar deck. The rod pushes down on the brace, holding it in place as the glue dries. It also gently bends the brace to the shape of the radius bowl. As the brace sets in a curve, it pulls the guitar back into shape.
- 8). Glue on the second cross brace and fix it in shape with the compression rod.
- 9). Glue on the remaining braces and fit a compression rod to each. The combined down-force of all the compression rods pushes the guitar back panel into the radius bowl, forcing it to curve. Because the radius bowl shapes the wood to a consistent shape, it is ideal for shaping the back and front of the same guitar.
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