Acoustic Guitar Building

I've built two kits before, but this was my first from raw lumber. The full-size plans are worth the price alone—no more squinting at tiny diagrams. The tables for bracing heights and scallop depths saved me from over-carving my top. Only reason I'm not giving five stars is that the finish chapter felt a bit rushed; I had to supplement with online videos for French polishing. Otherwise, a solid bench companion.

This book is exactly what I needed. I'm a woodworker, not a luthier, and the step-by-step procedures with exact values gave me the confidence to start. The chapter on building the body had me nervous about bending sides, but the temperature tables and clamping schedules made it foolproof. My guitar came out sounding better than I could have hoped. It's now my go-to reference for any future builds.

The content is detailed, but I was expecting more on voicing the top. The book gives you the plan and the specs, but not much on how to listen for what the top needs. I also wish there were more photos—the line drawings are clear, but sometimes I needed to see a real example. It's a good reference, but not the complete guide I hoped for.

I've been building for years, and this is the first book that actually stays open on my bench and gives me the numbers I need without searching. The troubleshooting chapter is brilliant—I had a persistent buzz and the symptom/cause/fix table pinpointed it in minutes. The full-size templates are a huge time-saver. This is the book I wish I had when I started.

As someone with a bit of experience, I found the book a bit too prescriptive. It's great for a first build, but I was hoping for more discussion on variations and why certain choices are made. The plans are excellent, but the text sometimes felt like a manual rather than a teaching tool. Still, it's a solid resource to have on the shelf.

I'm a hobbyist who's built a few electrics, but this was my first acoustic. The book's structure is fantastic—each chapter builds on the last, and the tables give you exact specs so you're not guessing. The setup chapter was a lifesaver; I had my action perfect on the first try. I docked a star because I wish there were more photos of the process, but the text is clear and the plans are superb.

This book is a game-changer. The full-size plans and templates are incredible—no more scaling up from tiny drawings. The procedures are so precise that I felt like I had a luthier looking over my shoulder. My first steel-string build turned out better than any kit I've done. The troubleshooting chapter alone is worth the price. I can't recommend this enough for anyone serious about building.