With the sides fully laminated, time to glue in the blocks and join them together...
For the past few years I've been putting in some laminated braces angled along the length of the back. These braces are typically made of the same material as the back (walnut in this case) and are two pieces pre-laminated into a 15' arch before gluing to the back. The goal is to make a really stiff back that will maintain it's arch over time; essentially a latticed braced back. In this picture you can see my template between the braces that ensures a consistent angle from guitar to guitar...
Now for the exciting part! The wood burning on the top...
The image is C.M. Russell's logo and initials. After sizing and printing out the logo, I took some carbon transfer paper and traced it onto the top. Then, it was just a matter of learning how to burn wood!
It was a bit tiring on my hand, but I'm really happy with how it turned out! Next up is designing the f-holes and bracing the top.
Mike