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#1
06-01-2017, 12:21 PM
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What are the standard dimensions of wood for an acoustic guitar?
I am planning to go to a school of lutherie in Toronto, Canada next summer (If anyone has other recommendations in the Ottawa area, I'd love to know). I want to start looking for the woods that I plan to use, My plan is:
Cedar top Maple/Walnut back Maple sides Maple/Walnut laminated neck Probably a rosewood fretboard (still undecided here) Since I have no building experience, I'd like to know what sort of sizes I need to be looking out for. Mainly: How thick should my top be? How thick should the back be? I want to make sure I get something thick enough that after planing it's still thick enough to use, but I have no idea how thick that would be. 
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#2
06-01-2017, 12:40 PM
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Learning how to assess materials is one of the key things you SHOULD learn in lutherie school. You are so likely to make avoidable mistakes without this essential knowledge that I highly recommend you wait till you have it. 9 out 10 times I am brought wood and asked to build with it I decline for technical reasons.
Guitars part dimensions vary according to the guitar, but tops and backs and sides should all be around 2" longer and 1" wider than the guitar parts they will be, assuming they are sealed, acclimated, and appear defect free.
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#3
06-01-2017, 12:49 PM
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Sergei de Jonge and his (adult) children teach guitar making in their school in Chelsea Quebec. http://www.dejongelutherie.com
You can't go wrong with his school. He's been making acoustic guitars for more than 40 years since apprenticing with Jean Larrivee. In my opinion, he's one of the best in Canada. Most guitar making schools will supply materials or have some that you can purchase. I'd advise against "guessing" and showing up with materials that are less than desirable. There are specific things that make wood "luthier quality" and you should be taught that at the school you chose to attend.
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#4
06-01-2017, 04:27 PM
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Thank you for the comments. I will be going to the DeJonge school.
I guess I'll have to wait to get woods. I still plan to get some special pieces like the fretboard inlays/rosette, since (if I'm right) they don't have nearly as much of an effect on tone, and I want them to be something special anyways. Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk
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#5
06-01-2017, 05:31 PM
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Thicknesses of the top and back are normally around 3/16" before surfacing.
If you check out a tonewood supplier (LMII, Allied Lutherie, RC Tonewoods, etc.), you will see dimensions listed for the various parts. Dreadnought is a popular size, so much of the wood being sold is for that size guitar. Obviously, smaller guitars don't need wood that big, and it is often cheaper than dreadnought or jumbo size. Dreadnought top or back 8 1/2" X 22" Dreadnought sides 5" X 32" I'm curious about your maple/walnut back. Is it going to be half and half?
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#6
06-01-2017, 05:38 PM
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The plan was a walnut wedge in the center, but small and mostly maple.
3/16 is much thicker than I would have predicted, I always thought it was much less than 1/8 for the back/sides Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk
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#7
06-01-2017, 10:25 PM
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side thickness
Side thickness is a critical dimension. Martin, for example, used sides south of 3/32" thickness. A little extra thickness can turn a bending project into a good way to waste lumber.
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#8
06-01-2017, 10:34 PM
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Quote:
You said 'after planing'...implying the wood is acquired before planing (surfacing). I gave rough sawn dimensions. That is the way tonewood is supplied (usually). Martin requires 3/16" thck for sawn tops. Backs are sanded to 1/8" before joining. This allows for slight misalignment and still get a flush surface when the joined back is then sanded to 3/32". During this initial sanding, it is best that all saw marks are removed. This is why it is sawn thicker. The rougher the sawn surface, the thicker it should be to assure that all saw marks are removed.
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