Classical Guitar Making - About the Book

Last year "Classical Guitar Making" went into second print. This is rare for a book of this type. So thank you all once again for helping to make this book a resounding success. It is truly gratifying that I continue to hear from readers all over the world that are interested in guitar making, and have made a guitar from the book. Readers have sent photos of the guitars they have made, thank you notes, and encouraging comments. They have all been greatly appreciated. A blog has been created to act as a forum for guitar making questions relating to the book or dvd. In this way if you have a question, you can search the topic, and possibly the question has already been asked, and answered. All email is answered but this may be a faster way to find out what ever it is you need.

Since the release of the book, I have heard from many of you that have sited errors, or needed clarification in the first edition. These errors have been noted along with some additional text here and there for clarification and sent to the publisher for correction in the second printing. a PDF document containing all known errors at this time can be downloaded in the guitar making book errata section.

The book has been out for a few of years now and it still amazes me how many people out there are interested in making a guitar, either for enjoyment, or to launch a guitar building career. The book has enabled me to launch a few new endeavors of my own, such as holding classes in the shop, creating the guitar making products, and the production of a DVD series. I am very fortunate that this has all come from my love of the guitar. The truth is, I never intended to write a book at all. The project just sort of fell into my lap.

In December of 2003, in the midst of planning to move the shop to Asheville, I was approached by Sterling Publishing and asked if I would like to write a book on guitar making. I had been given a rare opportunity - a vehicle to share my techniques and thoughts about something I love. Undertaking such a huge project was a challenge, and I wanted to produce something that I would be proud of. My goal was to present the material honestly, describe the guitar making process as I know it, and put forth my best possible effort.

For the next year, nearly every day was a combination of guitar making, writing, and photo shoots. The book describes the entire guitar making process, from a stack of boards to putting on the strings and tuning it up. There are almost 600 photos and drawings and over 300 pages of detailed text in an attempt to recreate, as accurately as possible, the entire guitar building process.

If you have never made a guitar, and would like to try, consider using this book as a guide. All that is necessary are some basic woodworking skills and a minimally equipped shop. Due to the large amount of information necessary to cover the entire guitar making process, explanations of woodworking related techniques have been omitted. It is assumed the reader is already proficient in some basic woodworking techniques, or will consult the references listed in the bibliography of the book, or in the reference section of the links page on this site. Alternative guitar building methods are presented in some sections to facilitate the availability of tools and equipment. The book was written with the first time guitar builder in mind, but no doubt anyone with some guitar building experience could benefit from some content. I know I am always looking for better ways to do things. Also, be sure to check out the guitar making classes being offered. Classes are held here in the shop on various aspects of the guitar building process.