The Art & Industry of Instrument Building

Where Wood Becomes Music

Guides, materials, tools, and community for luthiers at every stage — from first-time builders to seasoned craftspeople. Break the mold. Build something singular.

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Wood Species
Guitar Builds Bass Builds Tonewoods Finishing Hand Tools Power Tools Jigs & Fixtures ★ New in Shop Forum Gallery

Build Your First Guitar.
Then Your Best.

Step-by-step guides covering every phase of instrument building — from selecting your tonewoods and routing body cavities to fret installation, nut shaping, and final setup. Written by builders, for builders.



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Materials

Know Your Woods

32 7
33 4
34 5
35 4
36 2
Back & Sides
Acoustic back and sides
Body
Body blanks and wings
Fretboard
Fingerboard slabs
Neck
Neck blanks
Top
Carved or flat tops

Every build begins with a choice of materials. Our reference database covers tonal properties, workability, sustainability ratings, and typical applications for each species.

Basswood
Tilia americana
32
Ebony
Diospyros crassiflora
35
Koa
Acacia koa
34 36
Korina
Terminalia superba
32 33
Poplar
Populus tremuloides
32
Sitka Spruce
Picea sitchensis
34

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Tools & Equipment

The Right Tool Changes Everything

Hand Tools
Chisels, rasps, card scrapers, hand planes, spokeshaves, and the ergonomics of using them well.
Router & CNC
Template routing, safe climb cuts, bit selection, trammel setups, and intro to CNC tool paths.
Jigs & Fixtures
Build reusable jigs for neck pockets, pickup routes, fret slotting, and radius sanding.
Measuring & Layout
Scale length theory, fret placement calculators, calipers, and string spacing templates.
Finishing Tools
Spray guns, HVLP setups, sanding blocks, polishing pads, and buffing wheels.
Electronics & Wiring
Soldering stations, multimeters, shielding materials, and wiring harness assembly.
Bandsaw & Table Saw
Resawing thick stock, bookmatching tops, and safe sled setups for small parts.
Shop Setup
Dust collection, lighting for finishing, workbench builds, and organising a small shop.
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The Shop

Tools, Parts & Accessories

All

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Journal

Build Diaries, Technique Deep Dives & Industry Notes

Discussion Group

Community Forum

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