My wife knew a guy in San Diego who did something like this (before we met). He walked up to Taylor’s HQ/factory there in east county with it. They pretty much hired him on the spot.
But I'm willing to bet that won't happen today, so much of their work now is all by CNC machines, they get things Exactly right, with a bit skilled oversight 😊😊
That's a great build, and great to see. And sounds good, too. I'm working on one now, but probably won't make a video of the current build. So very impressive and cool that you make a good amount of the tools, too.
@@dannylewisguitars Bolt on necks are particularly useful on Acoustic Guitars to easily correct high Sting Action by adding or removing a shim. This turns what would otherwise be a costly Professional repair of a glued on Dovetail neck into s simple fix many guitarists can do themselves in a few minutes. Taylor Guitars uses such a bolt on neck design, making their guitars particularly desirable. Congrats on your build!
Great effort. There's a lot of work just making the jigs and formers. I built an acoustic guitar last year with the help of UA-cam. Timbers included Tasmanian black wood back, birdseye maple sides, Douglas fir top, mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard.
The sound you get out of some of these reclaimed woods is amazing. Both this and the pallet guitar looked and sounded great, which is shocking for oak. That is usually not a very resonant wood.
I don't know if it's me or the edibles! But by the time the build was done. And you strung it, tuned it and played it. I was in tears, to hear the fruits of his labor, being brought to life! That guitar was a work of art, and I loved it!
Fantastic work. Thank you so much for sharing! I have even more questions about how to make an acoustic than before watching this video, but i guess that's a good thing. Thanks again!
I’m not a professional but I’d be happy to answer your questions as well as I can! I have a few other videos of acoustic builds and a few violin builds too if you’re interested in watching more. Like this one: ua-cam.com/video/SCx-LdbKgIM/v-deo.html
I would never called this an amateur build. You’re far braver than I. I neither have the necessary tools required, nor the time to actually build a guitar from scratch. I would love to do it, but I would not be able to.
I call it an amateur build because I’m just an amateur! I do this for fun on the side and I didn’t get paid to make it. I’ve slowly built up my tool collection by getting most things used and I don’t ever buy the nicest equipment. I work in about a 12’ by 12’ corner of my basement whenever I have time and whenever I’m not worried about bothering my family with the noise!
@@dannylewisguitars All evidence to the contrary, my good sir. It’s a beautiful piece of work. I think your next challenge is to build a classical guitar.
Wonderful video. I built a Stew Mac kit and then got most of the way through a scratch build but couldn't get the neck to fit correctly. Looking forward to getting back into this in my retirement. Your video brought back lots of fond memories. Thanks!
Great to see Danny,I'm from Hamilton NZ on my Wife's tablet-( SUSAN ) I just don't have the resources to have the Gear you show, but with what I do have - a drill, vise, and a grinder/sander etc.all I'm able to do ( as a hobby) is buy old but good Acoustic's and improve their sound ( bone nut and saddĺe) but it's been great to see how it's done, & who knows...😊😊😊
excellent build, i have been debating on if I should also build one. I have the kinds of wood already selected Madagascar Rosewood for the sides, Indian Rosewood for back, and western cedar for top, Maple neck, Mahogany for the bracing and soundboard.. Sometimes you have to select things out of the box to see where things and sounds will take you.
Thank you for this beautiful series of videos! That is one VERY FINE, gorgeous looking guitar!?! Can I ask a small question? The neck looks very thick - is there a reason for this? (As a guitarist, and fiddle player, I used to think I preferred skinny necks but, as I get older, I'm favouring a slightly thicker neck, such as traditional vintage Telecasters.... but yours looks very thick.) It could be just the camera angles but I'm guessing you have a very good reason? (I'm also a great fan of the pallet wood ethos, BTW. Please take a look at the Crazy Jack 9 Volt Pallet Wood Amplifier on UA-cam?) Beautiful! Looking forward to getting my workshop set up and building my first PW guitar! Great stuff Danny! Thanks!
It must be a camera angle thing! I measured my Taylor guitar for the neck thickness and matched it to that. I also just kind of make stuff up as I go so it’s not exactly the same as the Taylor. But definitely not noticeably thicker when playing! Thanks for the kind words! I enjoy using all reclaimed materials. It makes things cheaper but also adds a bit of a limitation that is fun to creatively work around. I’ve never made any pallet wood instruments but this barncaster I made is kind of in that vain! You might like it: ua-cam.com/video/8fOqnMJgDTw/v-deo.html
That was the Best guitar build proyect i have ever seen, and thats the way a like a guitar , that was an excelent job brother, God bless you, pleas keep building guitar like that one. See you later my friend.
I used wipe on poly. Finishing is the part I’m least confident at. As far as top wood, I use all reclaimed materials so I am limited by what I have lying around. And walnut is not an unheard of wood for tops. Taylor makes an all walnut series (academy series). And there are plenty of mahogany topped guitars out there so walnut must not be that bad! I’ll let you know if it explodes or the world ends!
You did a great job on the video because I was never tempted to skip to the final product. At times I wondered what the hell is he up to ? Thank you for not adding background crap music.
Well done! I actually like the use of the tablesaw instead of bandsaw since it shows great use of the tools you already have. Enjoyed the build and looking forward to building my first one shortly.
Thanks! There’s always a way to get around not having all the right tools. And no matter how many tools you have there’s always one more that you need! Good luck on your build!
This was so impressive & enjoyable to watch ... excellent job ... "The Lewis Guitar" ... made by "Lewis The Luthier" ... After you're dead & buried ... your daughter will be telling her kids ... I helped my dad make this guitar when I was a kid ...
Thanks! I built this ukulele for her, so she’ll hopefully hold on to that someday after I kick it. ua-cam.com/video/l70HN4hChA4/v-deo.htmlsi=toj8BsiV1xy-2yaY
Building a guitar with Tightbond 2 is like welding your diff in a muscle car , hell of a commitment that can't be easily backed away from. Great planning required . Great job!
@@luckysevenairammo1217 PVA glue is rubbery, and rubbery material will not transmit sound as well in tonewood. I'm not saying it's BAD BAD, just that in small quantities it's not ideal. In large glops, it IS bad.
@@Bob_AdkinsPVA is pretty much the industry standard. A tour of the Taylor or Martin factory will show that (there’s plenty of videos here on YT of such tours). Independent luthiers who don’t use hide glue (or fish glue) use PVA (usually Titebond III).
@@koine2002 My thoughts are that it deadens the transmission or tone wood because it's pretty soft, but I suppose very tight joints have very little of it.
A beautiful thing, I just sat for 20 mins straight without skipping the video. I'm a guitar player myself, maybe one day I will order one from you 😉 you should definitely monetize your skills
I know! I just use reclaimed wood I get for free. This one sounds pretty good with a walnut top. Also, Taylor academy series is currently being made with walnut tops. And mahogany is a hard wood that’s similar to walnut that’s been used for decades by Martin and other reputable brands.
Sounds very ñice what kind of wood is used on body front back and sides? It has a nice mellow woody sound. I know neck is solid maple. Really nice job. I've built a couple myself. Is this the OM design? That guitar sounds like it would be good for Bluegrass music. Keep up the good work.
A little clumsy and unorthodox at times but it turned out to be a beautiful guitar with a fantastic sound! And without further damaging the forests! Bravo!
Thank you! I used to just use water and a curling iron to slowly bend sides. You can see that in this video: ua-cam.com/video/XOwMroRZHWI/v-deo.htmlsi=Y7sGB8xTdCTKiGgX Then I broke the curling iron and bought a silicon heating blanket from Amazon. I can’t find the exact one I bought anymore but it was about $50. Here’s a link to one I can still find on Amazon: a.co/d/1nCNTwx
Wonderful looking guitar. Could I please ask, is that flat sawn timber for the top? If it is, then has it held up ok? If it has then I've got a bit I would like to use to follow your building plan. Thanks for the video, it's really good.
Thanks! I did not use plans! I traced the body of my orangewood Ava. And I marked the fret spacing using the orangewood as a template. But mostly I just figure it out as I go.
I don't know exactly! I'm just making it all up as I go. I think the top is somewhere around 2mm. I don't remember the height of the braces. I tried to make them a bit less substantial than normal since its a hardwood top.
My wife knew a guy in San Diego who did something like this (before we met). He walked up to Taylor’s HQ/factory there in east county with it. They pretty much hired him on the spot.
But I already have a job.
But I'm willing to bet that won't happen today, so much of their work now is all by CNC machines, they get things Exactly right, with a bit skilled oversight 😊😊
Did he give her a good strumming
A2 5@❤257i8l9il875689ñ3
He sounds cool
Twenty minutes of my life well spent. And the end result sounded sublime. Good one!
Quería saber si haces guitarras por encargo soy de Uruguay,me gustó el topo de vetas del frente de la muestra es genial
Wow wow wow!!! I love how you let the kids get involved, too!
Thanks! They usually have no interest in getting involved so when they want to I let them! Unless I’m using power tools.
My hat's off to anyone who can build an acoustic guitar from scratch. Very nice job!
We’re you actually wearing a hat? What kinda hat?
Beautiful build, with simple yet effective jigs! It turned out great. Congratulations! Good thing that you re-purposed such nice wood!
Thanks! The jigs took almost as much time as the guitar! I didn't film the making the radius dish but it was a very dusty process.
I love the little details like all the bindings and cut edges on the fretboard. Cool
Every time I watch these videos I really want to make my own. Love the plain binding and soundhole etc. Really lovely looking guitar.
What a pride building your own guitar, congratulations!
This is absolutely FANTASTIC!! You only used more basic tools for the job too which is doubly impressive.
Good maker and nice work.. Beautiful guitar.. Can you make me one of this bro...
You & me both. I mostly made Ukuleles but have made a couple of 3/4 Guitars. Nice job you're doing. Well done. It sounds beautiful.
Fab video , really well shown , love it. Thankyou ☘️🕺🏻
I love the finish of the wood.
Thanks! All I did was wipe on poly. The wood grain did most of the work!
The maple was a good find. Well-seasoned, and should be very stable.
I was pretty thrilled to find it!
That's a great build, and great to see. And sounds good, too. I'm working on one now, but probably won't make a video of the current build. So very impressive and cool that you make a good amount of the tools, too.
Excellent skill and workmanship. Why did you glue the fretboard to the top, when the neck is a bolt-on design?
That’s just how I’ve seen other people do it. I don’t plan on taking the neck off. But I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it I guess!
@@dannylewisguitars Bolt on necks are particularly useful on Acoustic Guitars to easily correct high Sting Action by adding or removing a shim. This turns what would otherwise be a costly Professional repair of a glued on Dovetail neck into s simple fix many guitarists can do themselves in a few minutes. Taylor Guitars uses such a bolt on neck design, making their guitars particularly desirable. Congrats on your build!
That was awesome!
Great effort. There's a lot of work just making the jigs and formers. I built an acoustic guitar last year with the help of UA-cam. Timbers included Tasmanian black wood back, birdseye maple sides, Douglas fir top, mahogany neck and ebony fingerboard.
Very beautiful build, and sounds lovely. Your craft is reall inspiring.
Great looking and sounding guitar! Cracks while bending sides also make me crazy, that't why I love florentine cutaways :)
Great job as usual! I like how you got use from the leftover scraps. Very inspiring!
Thanks! It’s all reclaimed lumber actually. The walnut was from a headboard. Why pay for lumber when you can get old furniture for free?
Hi Danny,did you make the radius dish and what size is it?
The sound you get out of some of these reclaimed woods is amazing. Both this and the pallet guitar looked and sounded great, which is shocking for oak. That is usually not a very resonant wood.
The thickness of the material might influence resonance, not just the type of wood. ;)
I don't know if it's me or the edibles! But by the time the build was done. And you strung it, tuned it and played it. I was in tears, to hear the fruits of his labor, being brought to life! That guitar was a work of art, and I loved it!
I think it’s the edibles, my friend.
I wasn't blitzed and thoroughly enjoyed the video as well. Didn't cry though, so almost positive it was in fact the edibles.
I built an electric guitar 7 years ago... I've always wanted to make an acoustic guitar... this was a great inspiration for me to start making one 🎸
You should go get started!
Awesome man! Really impressive build! I enjoyed the whole video.
Thanks man! I really enjoyed your Florentine build.
I can always appreciate when a glue up ends up looking like a torture machine. Amazing work!
Very great work, beautiful sounds, Gretting to France.
Thanks, France!
“I don’t even like cut aways” had the same thought with my own build but luckily I caught myself in the planning phase lol
Yeah, I’m gonna try again someday. Maybe with some straighter grain wood!
Fantastic work. Thank you so much for sharing! I have even more questions about how to make an acoustic than before watching this video, but i guess that's a good thing. Thanks again!
I’m not a professional but I’d be happy to answer your questions as well as I can! I have a few other videos of acoustic builds and a few violin builds too if you’re interested in watching more. Like this one:
ua-cam.com/video/SCx-LdbKgIM/v-deo.html
I would never called this an amateur build. You’re far braver than I. I neither have the necessary tools required, nor the time to actually build a guitar from scratch. I would love to do it, but I would not be able to.
I call it an amateur build because I’m just an amateur! I do this for fun on the side and I didn’t get paid to make it. I’ve slowly built up my tool collection by getting most things used and I don’t ever buy the nicest equipment. I work in about a 12’ by 12’ corner of my basement whenever I have time and whenever I’m not worried about bothering my family with the noise!
@@dannylewisguitars All evidence to the contrary, my good sir. It’s a beautiful piece of work. I think your next challenge is to build a classical guitar.
A blessed and perfect hand work.
God bless you!
An absolutely beautiful guitar! I like how you made many of the jigs needed and the go-bar is perfect. Nice work all around.
Thank you very much!
Excellent work Danny,,, outstanding details,,, enjoyed every bit,,, from India
Thanks a lot! I made one to match for my daughter, you should check it out: ua-cam.com/video/SCx-LdbKgIM/v-deo.html
Wonderful video. I built a Stew Mac kit and then got most of the way through a scratch build but couldn't get the neck to fit correctly. Looking forward to getting back into this in my retirement. Your video brought back lots of fond memories. Thanks!
Thin all the sharp bends on the sides thinner than the rest of the side. Helps a lot. Plenty of water on those areas as well.
Thanks! I’ll try that next time!
Great to see Danny,I'm from Hamilton NZ on my Wife's tablet-( SUSAN ) I just don't have the resources to have the Gear you show, but with what I do have - a drill, vise, and a grinder/sander etc.all I'm able to do ( as a hobby) is buy old but good Acoustic's and improve their sound ( bone nut and saddĺe) but it's been great to see how it's done, & who knows...😊😊😊
excellent build, i have been debating on if I should also build one. I have the kinds of wood already selected Madagascar Rosewood for the sides, Indian Rosewood for back, and western cedar for top, Maple neck, Mahogany for the bracing and soundboard.. Sometimes you have to select things out of the box to see where things and sounds will take you.
Go for it!
Thank you for this beautiful series of videos! That is one VERY FINE, gorgeous looking guitar!?! Can I ask a small question? The neck looks very thick - is there a reason for this? (As a guitarist, and fiddle player, I used to think I preferred skinny necks but, as I get older, I'm favouring a slightly thicker neck, such as traditional vintage Telecasters.... but yours looks very thick.) It could be just the camera angles but I'm guessing you have a very good reason? (I'm also a great fan of the pallet wood ethos, BTW. Please take a look at the Crazy Jack 9 Volt Pallet Wood Amplifier on UA-cam?) Beautiful! Looking forward to getting my workshop set up and building my first PW guitar! Great stuff Danny! Thanks!
It must be a camera angle thing! I measured my Taylor guitar for the neck thickness and matched it to that. I also just kind of make stuff up as I go so it’s not exactly the same as the Taylor. But definitely not noticeably thicker when playing!
Thanks for the kind words!
I enjoy using all reclaimed materials. It makes things cheaper but also adds a bit of a limitation that is fun to creatively work around. I’ve never made any pallet wood instruments but this barncaster I made is kind of in that vain! You might like it:
ua-cam.com/video/8fOqnMJgDTw/v-deo.html
That guitar is GORGEOUS, man. 🤟🤟
Thanks!
That was the Best guitar build proyect i have ever seen, and thats the way a like a guitar , that was an excelent job brother, God bless you, pleas keep building guitar like that one. See you later my friend.
Looks nice sounds lovely.
Nice job, super kool. if only I were younger I might give that a try.
Why not try when you’re not so young?
Sounds amazing.beautyful
thanks!
All around awesome build, but the particular piece that stands out to me is the bolt through neck. What a fantastic idea using threaded inserts!
Thank you! It was definitely not my idea. But it is a good idea!
Nice job, did you apply danish or tung oil for finishing?
Next time try cedar or any pine for the top. Congrats
I used wipe on poly. Finishing is the part I’m least confident at.
As far as top wood, I use all reclaimed materials so I am limited by what I have lying around. And walnut is not an unheard of wood for tops. Taylor makes an all walnut series (academy series). And there are plenty of mahogany topped guitars out there so walnut must not be that bad! I’ll let you know if it explodes or the world ends!
So far this gutar is the best ive seen from other videos
You did a great job on the video because I was never tempted to skip to the final product. At times I wondered what the hell is he up to ? Thank you for not adding background crap music.
Thanks! I tried to keep the pacing quick enough to maintain interest but not so fast that it was super confusing. Fine line to walk.
Amazing work
Thank you! It was fun to build.
D.Lewis&Co D 28 est 2023 is born. Excellent craftmanship. Martin,be very afraid.
It’s more of a OM body shape than a Dreadnaught. But thanks!
Sounds naturally awesome.
Thank you! Naturally.
Well done! I actually like the use of the tablesaw instead of bandsaw since it shows great use of the tools you already have. Enjoyed the build and looking forward to building my first one shortly.
Thanks! There’s always a way to get around not having all the right tools. And no matter how many tools you have there’s always one more that you need!
Good luck on your build!
Fantastic!
This was extremely impressive! It also sounded fantastic!
Very beautiful guitar! 🙌🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🤩
impressed, nice looking guitar, good design, sounds pretty good too considering those scallops were a bit chunky!
Really great job Danny. The guitar looks amazing and the tone is really fantastic.
Nice build & great sounding acoustic...
Thanks! It’s probably my favorite build so far.
Great craftsmanship, Great video
Where did you buy those threaded inserts for the neck joint?
I bought them at Lowe’s!
Great work friend look's and sounds good, have a nice day !!!. Brian UK !!!. 😀😀👍👍🎸🎸🎶🎼.
This was so impressive & enjoyable to watch ... excellent job ... "The Lewis Guitar" ... made by "Lewis The Luthier" ...
After you're dead & buried ... your daughter will be telling her kids ... I helped my dad make this guitar when I was a kid ...
Thanks! I built this ukulele for her, so she’ll hopefully hold on to that someday after I kick it. ua-cam.com/video/l70HN4hChA4/v-deo.htmlsi=toj8BsiV1xy-2yaY
I wish I could do the job like you do.....super good.....
Nicely done!
Thanks Steve!
Beautiful job sounds great
Building a guitar with Tightbond 2 is like welding your diff in a muscle car , hell of a commitment that can't be easily backed away from. Great planning required . Great job!
Pretty sure it muffles tonewood too!
@@Bob_AdkinsNo it doesn't lol, thats been completely debunked. It also comes right apart just as easy as original with some heat.
@@luckysevenairammo1217 PVA glue is rubbery, and rubbery material will not transmit sound as well in tonewood. I'm not saying it's BAD BAD, just that in small quantities it's not ideal. In large glops, it IS bad.
@@Bob_AdkinsPVA is pretty much the industry standard. A tour of the Taylor or Martin factory will show that (there’s plenty of videos here on YT of such tours). Independent luthiers who don’t use hide glue (or fish glue) use PVA (usually Titebond III).
@@koine2002 My thoughts are that it deadens the transmission or tone wood because it's pretty soft, but I suppose very tight joints have very little of it.
A beautiful thing, I just sat for 20 mins straight without skipping the video.
I'm a guitar player myself, maybe one day I will order one from you 😉 you should definitely monetize your skills
Thank you! UA-cam probably paid me about 16 cents for your view. Monetizing skills!
I like all the effort you put into this build but there are good reasons why soft woods are used for string instrument tops.
I know! I just use reclaimed wood I get for free. This one sounds pretty good with a walnut top.
Also, Taylor academy series is currently being made with walnut tops.
And mahogany is a hard wood that’s similar to walnut that’s been used for decades by Martin and other reputable brands.
Sounds very ñice what kind of wood is used on body front back and sides? It has a nice mellow woody sound. I know neck is solid maple. Really nice job. I've built a couple myself. Is this the OM design? That guitar sounds like it would be good for Bluegrass music. Keep up the good work.
It is an OM size! It’s a bit thicker than a standard OM though.
Top, back, and sides are all walnut.
@@dannylewisguitars Very nice figured walnut the guitar is very special bravo Danny
Outstanding
Beautiful guitar, dude!!!
A little clumsy and unorthodox at times but it turned out to be a beautiful guitar with a fantastic sound! And without further damaging the forests! Bravo!
Love your work sir. What was the heat pad you used to bend the wood?? Where can I find one??
Thank you! I used to just use water and a curling iron to slowly bend sides. You can see that in this video: ua-cam.com/video/XOwMroRZHWI/v-deo.htmlsi=Y7sGB8xTdCTKiGgX
Then I broke the curling iron and bought a silicon heating blanket from Amazon. I can’t find the exact one I bought anymore but it was about $50. Here’s a link to one I can still find on Amazon: a.co/d/1nCNTwx
Beautiful. Nice job!
What a beautiful job. Very well done. One of the betters tutorials to build a guitar.
Thanks so much! I didn’t think of it as much of a tutorial. More of a “this is what I did”. I’m no expert!
I love a cutaway, but it seems to make it loads more difficult to build. I'll appreciate mine more from now on 😄
Wonderful, great!!!
really nice man. Good clean job.
mesmerizing
Great job. I'm looking for something less challenging. Maybe a flute. I could just burn the holes. I don't even have a drill
She's a beauty!
Great job brother! Enjoyed the video
Very Impressive..... and it sounds real good !🎯
You should conduct a masterclass to teach, step by step, how to make a guitar. I would be delighted to be your virtual student.
Great job, very impressive.
Thanks!
Amazing
Wonderful looking guitar. Could I please ask, is that flat sawn timber for the top? If it is, then has it held up ok? If it has then I've got a bit I would like to use to follow your building plan. Thanks for the video, it's really good.
I think it is. It’s certainly not quarter sawn. It’s held up great since I built it this summer.
@@dannylewisguitars thank you. Your video it's so inspiring, I'm going to give it a go. All I need now is some skill, urm????
Very nice!
Where did you learn to make guitars ? Sounds awesome & looks beautiful
Great build!!!
Which plans did u used i.e. from where did u make the templates? Thank you.
Thanks! I did not use plans! I traced the body of my orangewood Ava. And I marked the fret spacing using the orangewood as a template. But mostly I just figure it out as I go.
Very nicely done
What do you put with the flannel to make the wood have a greater shine?
Wipe on polyurethane
@@dannylewisguitars thank you
Excellent workmanship...it was a pleasure watching you work!
Thank you! Check out my other videos too! You might find some more you like.
Work's for me better than my first attempt.... Very pretty as well...
In fairness, it was my third acoustic! My first one was not great. But mistakes are how we learn.
What a lovely video to watch. Sound is mint as well. Good on yer.
Beautiful! I'd love to own that guitar!
Espetacular lindissimo trabalho .
Muito lindo ficou show
Looking like a high quality guitar.
whaou ! great job great vid 👍👍👍 thx for sharing your work
Thanks for watching!
Looks great. Sounds sweet....
Thanks!
No kerfing? The edges of the sides don't provide much gluing surface. Did you have some reason for that?
I used solid lining instead of kerfed lining. You can see me put it in at the 3 minute mark.
Nice walnut build. What was your top thickness spec and brace height if you don't mind?
I don't know exactly! I'm just making it all up as I go. I think the top is somewhere around 2mm. I don't remember the height of the braces. I tried to make them a bit less substantial than normal since its a hardwood top.
Nice work. Better than I could do. Well done!
very good work.
Thanks!