With guitar building today, there seems to be a severe lack of information about fine-tuning in the traditional style. Recent scientific methods have certainly been a positive enhancement but there is a tradition of guitar building, going back centuries,  that deals with finding tonal quality.  Many of the old craftsmen used an intuitive process that depended almost entirely on their ability to be sensitive to sight and sound.

Humanity's ability to formulate these innate characteristics can't be taken away from the process of building, any more than we should say that science does not have its place in finding certain elements of sound.. But if we allow science too great a part in the over-all scheme, we risk losing our innate qualities that play a very significant role in the finished product.

Growing more reliant on the use of science can sometimes cause us to depart from human perception in a direct line with the instrument.  It has been said that we should learn how to intuit science that can see things more clearly than the naked eye. There is some truth to this but it remains that if we train ourselves to see through a medium, we lose a certain amount of natural ability to reckon the final results.

The method of making a fine guitar is usually done by one person, with occasional help from an apprentice.  But one thing seems sure; the ability to fine-tune a traditional guitar to its maximum potential has been misplaced to a great extent.  No doubt, there have been a lot of positive results in today's building of musical instruments. Techniques that were used to voice an instrument a hundred years ago, no longer apply today. Yet, one  of the best ways to achieve a great instrument, is to copy a great instrument builder. And to be able to achieve this, we must know the traditional tuning methods. But many of these methods have been locked away and  guarded, or they have been literally lost to modern factory methods. 

Certainly science can achieve a parallel in quality, even if it doesn't actually follow the actual steps of the early craftsmen.  But it doesn't teach us the older methods of discernment to get final results from our natural skills.

Should these old techniques be revived? And even if we learn how to use them, how would they work with the modern systems we have today? Are they so important that we can't do without them?

The answer should be that all information is important, whether we use it or not. And it is with this in mind that this article is being written. Not to say that it's the only way to build but that it will provide a certain way to gain an edge, in addition to what has already been done. By bringing back some of the older methods, we experience the old and the new together, not one or the other.

What is the easiest way to begin?

The shortest way to building a great instrument is to find a guitar that is tastefully done and copy the instrument as closely as possible. Build that instrument several times to get the original maker's intent before going on to an easier way through the process. After getting to a place where things begin to work fairly well, then practice some fine-tuning techniques that this article will show.

This builder has worked with many guitars of the great Spanish masters. But the two most favored at this time are the Miguel Rodriguez classical guitar and the Manuel Reyes flamenco guitar. The Miguel Rodriguez model is no easy project but it has much quality and stage presence. The Manuel Reyes model does have a more direct plan that seems to be easier for the builder with no real experience in fine-tuning. But whatever these two styles represent, it is still difficult to build them correctly.

The Miguel Rodriguez Model:

There is currently a guitar plan of this model for sale at the Guild of American Luthiers.  This plan will be good for the basics of assembly. The fundamental approach to fine-tuning  will be given here to help emphasize the equilibrium of the top and tone that are being sought.

Unlike many Spanish guitars, this model will operate better if the far outside fan braces on each side are thinner in height. There are essentially five fan braces across the top. The two outside braces are for balancing the top. Some of the benefits of fan brace adjustment will be explained to give a clearer picture of the steps in bringing out the voice. But first, let's take care of a slight problem in the plan that that wasn't seen until it was published.

Correction on bridge pad thickness is 3/32" not 5/32..

Where to center the dome on the top:

After building this guitar for a number of years, It was believed that the dome was centered under the bridge. But after examining it more closely, I found it was not quite half way between the bridge (closer to the bridge) and the bottom of the guitar. And then, only the three central braces were bent very slightly when gluing the braces to the top. The main contrast was that the bridge, itself, was slightly more curved on its bottom and the top is pulled into it to make a more pronounced dome effect in the general bridge area. This technique gave a false reading before, but it is now assumed that this is the correct procedure to use. With the pressure of the bridge curve, it is found that the top will be slightly dented at the end of the bridge arms on either side. This indicates that there is some top stress in the assembly, but it plays a significant role in the over-all makeup of the instrument. I actually domed the center of the top under the bridge and lifted the top into the bridge curve. Now, I still make the bridge more curved but I build the top dome about halfway between the bridge and the bottom.

The procedure for gluing the fan braces:

So before the top has been domed slightly toward their bottom end with the three central braces , all the other "fan" braces can be glued in with the top in a flat condition.  This starts with gluing the bridge pad and the sound-hole braces on a completely flat surface. After these are *shaped, glue the two outside fan braces flat; then glue the two bottom diagonal cross braces flat. Following this,  glue the three main central fans into place and bend them slightly up about 1/16th" toward their bottom ends. This will give the top a slight lift. After all the fans are glued, it is a good idea to shape them before gluing the long diagonal treble brace.

Concerning the diagonal brace and the two harmonic braces going across the top;  it is expedient to construct a slight curve in them, going across the top, to avoid the top being totally flat in these areas. Normally, it is advisable to put just enough curve to be visible. The harmonic resonance of the top seems to work better this way.

*Before completely rounding the two "flat wide braces" on either side of the sound-hole, leave a square edge to the wood where the diagonal treble and harmonic braces will be fitted over them.  After gluing, shape the rest at the notched joint to where it completes its rounded effect.

The bridge pad directly under the bridge must be completely shaped before the three main fan braces are glued over it.

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Tom Blackshear              Email: tguitars@texas.net