Inserting the rosette and top graduation techniques: I install the rosette in a top that is 5mm thick and scrape it when dry to where it is smooth with the top. Afterwards I run the top through the sander with a special setup to thickness it. Using a butcher’s block that is completely smooth on both sides as a base to put the top on while it goes through the sander, I set up the butcher's block with strips of tape in the areas that will guide the sanding of the top to the desired thickness. I use a wooden dowel about 3/16th to index the center of the rosette hole to hold the top while it is on the block. This way the top is not glued down to the block, and it can be removed and turned over to sand the other side. I use 150 grit sandpaper for the sanding. This technique sands off most of the wood and leaves it very close to the correct thickness. After the guitar is glued together, the rest is done by hand for the final stages of the tuning process.
Side preparation and linings: I thin the sides to 2.5 mm in the sander. To take a little more off of the thickness after the sides are bent, I scrape them smooth. I usually keep the middle width of the sides a little thicker than on the top and bottom edges.
There have been some questions about the solid two-piece laminated top lining pertaining to certain top functions, and why the lining is done this way on the Rodriguez guitar; possibly suggesting that there is a relief inside the lining that will absorb sound waves. I don’t think there is any merit to this idea. I’ve tried it both ways over a considerable period of time and found, to my thinking, that a more reasonable conclusion would be that the solid lining is too difficult to bend beyond the 3.5mm thickness. A way to enhance this would be to add an additional thinner lining, making a laminate to take care of the problem with stress from the sides, which also adds a little extra support for the top.
The way I accomplish this is to pre-bend the first lining on a heating iron, take the second lining and glue it to the first into a solid laminate, then glue it to the sides. (The first is about 3.5mm thick and the second is 1mm thick, which requires no heat bending.) This type of solid two-part lining produces a nice laminate to help reduce top stress. If the builder wants to reduce some of the weight in the lining, then the cut outs can be done and covered up with the thinner secondary lining when it's glued to the first. I accomplish this by using a radial saw, very carefully, and I cut just a 1/4" down from the top of the first lining, about every 1/4" linear, and then glue the second lining, which measures 7mm x1mm thick, over it to cover the kerfing.
The wood linings described on this page, fit around the top edge of the sides to support the top when it is glued to the sides.
Gluing the Bridge and modification:
I have modified the original
Rodriguez style bridge just a little, because I think it is too thin in front of the
saddle slot to give adequate support for the saddle. My bridge design is 1/32nd"
thicker, but with the same contour to the top of the saddle area. Also, I scallop a
channel between the saddle and the tie block, so I can lower the string holes. This
compensates by shifting wood into the top of the tie block area. While keeping the same
wood mass, it adds more support for string tension. Everything else is kept true to the
original.
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