Lesson 1Why specific woods are chosen: stiffness-to-weight, density, tonal colour, sustain, damping, stability, workabilityWe analyse why luthiers select specific woods for each role, focusing on stiffness-to-weight, density, internal damping, and workability, and how these factors shape loudness, sustain, attack, and reliability across different steel-string design goals.
Stiffness-to-weight and top responsivenessDensity, mass, and sustain characteristicsDamping, attack, and tonal colorationStability, defect risk, and reliabilityWorkability, tooling, and surface qualityLesson 2Woods by component: spruce, cedar, mahogany, rosewood, maple, sapele, ebony, walnut—acoustic properties and typical usesHere we examine how common tonewoods behave in each guitar component, relating grain structure, density, and stiffness to projection, balance, and response, and outlining typical pairings for tops, backs, sides, and necks in steel-string designs.
Spruce and cedar as soundboard materialsMahogany and sapele for necks and bodiesRosewood and maple for backs and sidesEbony and alternatives for fingerboardsWalnut and lesser used body woodsLesson 3Alternative materials and veneers: laminates vs solid wood, composite fingerboards, engineered neck materialsWe explore nontraditional materials used to address cost, stability, and sustainability, comparing laminates to solid wood, and reviewing composite fingerboards, engineered neck stocks, and veneers, with attention to tonal tradeoffs and repair techniques.
Laminated versus solid plates in bodiesComposite and synthetic fingerboardsEngineered neck blanks and reinforcementsDecorative and structural veneer applicationsRepair and modification of composite partsLesson 4Dimensional stability and seasoning: moisture content targets, acclimatisation, and movement considerations for top/back/sides/neckThis section covers how wood moisture content, grain orientation, and shop climate affect movement in tops, backs, sides, and necks, teaching practical methods for seasoning, measuring, and acclimating stock to minimise cracking, warping, and joint failure.
Target moisture content for guitar woodsShop climate control and monitoringAcclimatizing stock before machiningMovement in tops, backs, sides, and necksPreventing cracks, warps, and loose jointsLesson 5Detailed parts breakdown: body, soundboard, back, sides, neck, heel, headstock, fingerboard, frets, nut, saddle, bridge, rosette, binding, bracing, truss rod, tunersThis section maps every major guitar part to its structural and tonal role, clarifying how geometry, mass, and material choice in the body, neck, hardware, and internal components interact to produce volume, sustain, comfort, and tuning stability.
Body shapes and internal air volumeSoundboard, bridge, and string energy transferBack, sides, and rim stiffness effectsNeck, truss rod, and playability factorsNut, saddle, frets, and hardware detailsLesson 6Glue, adhesives and finishes overview: hide glue, Titebond variants, epoxy; common lacquer, oil, and polyurethane finishes and their acoustic/repair implicationsThis section surveys major adhesive and finish systems used in steel-string building, comparing strength, creep, reversibility, toxicity, and repairability, and explaining how film thickness and hardness influence resonance, damping, and long-term durability.
Hide glue properties and use casesTitebond variants and application limitsEpoxy for structural and gap filling jointsLacquer, oil, and polyurethane comparedFinish thickness, hardness, and damping
