- 1). Place the top panel face-down on a flat surface. The back and top panel have identical dimensions but are easily distinguished because the top has a large hole in the center, where the resonator cone is mounted.
- 2). Measure the width of the panel to determine the center. Draw a pencil line down the center of the body.
- 3). Measure the distance from the edge of the hole to the edge of top panel. Use a compass to determine the radius of the hole. Note the measurements.
- 4). Glue the neck block so it straddles the center line and sits flush against the precut neck joint. The neck block is the wooden square with the precarved dovetail pocket.
- 5). Apply a thin layer of polyvinyl acetate to the edges of the body.
- 6). Slide the side panels of the guitar against the front panel so the top edges are face down. The side panels are preshaped to conform to the curves of the guitar body.
- 7). Place a thick block of scrap wood against the inside of each side panel. Fit a screw clamp over the scrap wood and the side and clamp it in place for four hours.
- 8). Measure the back panel and draw a center line.
- 9). Draw a circle on the inside of the back. Use the circle measurements taken from the front panel and use the compass to get the correct ratio.
- 10
Glue the sound well onto the inside of the back panel, exactly on top of the circle outline. The sound well is the wheel-shaped component. - 11
Use a pair of bench clamps to hold the sound well in place for four hours. - 12
Brush a thin layer of glue onto the edges of the side panels. Brush a thin layer of glue onto the top edge of the sound well. - 13
Mount the back panel onto the sides. You’ll need to lower the back onto the sides so the glued edge of the sound well lines up with the hole in the front panel. - 14
Clamp the back against the sides and leave it for four hours. - 15
Glue the fretboard blank onto the neck and use the screw clamps to hold it in place for four hours. - 16
Glue the tang portion of each fret, sink it into the precut fret groove and drive it in with a jeweler’s hammer. - 17
Brush a thin layer of glue onto the neck joint and slot it into the dovetail joint on the neck block. Clamp the neck joint for four hours. - 18
Screw the resonator “spider” into the front of the guitar. This is the bracing assembly that stops the cone from falling out. - 19
Screw on the bridge and tailpiece into the predrilled mounting holes. - 20
Screw the supplied machine heads into the predrilled mounting holes.
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