Guitar Making Starts Again

2025

All images are Copyright James W. Blilie, 2025:  All rights reserved

 

Back to Main Photo Page

 

Phyllis and Jim's family photos - Main Page

 

I finally have my shop in a state to begin guitar making and enjoy it.

It has been really fun to restart this artisitic endeavor again!

I'm also back to playing regularly, which is also very enjoyable.

 

I hope you enjoy this look into the guitar making process.

 

Also see these pages on guitar construction:

Steel string guitar construction

Classical guitar construction

Setting up a guitar

Violin construction

Barbarossa guitars

 

 

 

 

IMG_1570_80.jpg (704446 bytes)

IMG_1568_80.jpg (538444 bytes)

IMG_1569_80.jpg (582345 bytes)

IMG_1579_80.jpg (854624 bytes)

Joining plates.  My Jet jointer makes these joints a snap.

Neck:  Truss rod slot

Attaching the headstock piece

Back plate

IMG_1593_80.jpg (550485 bytes)

IMG_1597_80.jpg (668797 bytes)

IMG_1598_80.jpg (888016 bytes)

IMG_1599_80.jpg (769311 bytes)

Gluing top braces on a "go-deck"

Gluing top braces on a "go-deck"

Shell rosette

Shell rosette

IMG_1608_80.jpg (697172 bytes)

IMG_1609_80.jpg (765670 bytes)

IMG_1610_80.jpg (757782 bytes)

IMG_1617_80.jpg (532572 bytes)

Gluing top braces on a "go-deck"

Back is braced, trimmed and ready to install

Back is braced, trimmed and ready to install

Gluing blocks onto the top

IMG_1618_80.jpg (588731 bytes)

IMG_1622_80.jpg (494169 bytes)

IMG_1623_80.jpg (517458 bytes)

IMG_1631_80.jpg (624300 bytes)

Gluing blocks onto the top

Gluing blocks onto the top

Gluing blocks onto the top

Gluing on the sides

IMG_1632_80.jpg (700531 bytes)

IMG_1633_80.jpg (685514 bytes)

IMG_1643_80.jpg (618218 bytes)

IMG_1644_80.jpg (672292 bytes)

Gluing on the sides

Gluing on the sides

Gluing on the sides

Gluing on the back lining

IMG_1659_80.jpg (590942 bytes)

IMG_1660_80.jpg (643710 bytes)

IMG_1668_80.jpg (556539 bytes)

IMG_1669_80.jpg (560870 bytes)

Body all in one piece

Body all in one piece

Body all in one piece

Body all in one piece

IMG_1670_80.jpg (596540 bytes)

IMG_1679_80.jpg (515729 bytes)

IMG_1680_80.jpg (716796 bytes)

IMG_1681_80.jpg (751971 bytes)

Rosette

Binding

Binding

Binding

IMG_1682_80.jpg (597186 bytes)

IMG_1683_80.jpg (608890 bytes)

IMG_1685_80.jpg (648598 bytes)

IMG_1686_80.jpg (674518 bytes)

Top is complete

Top is complete

Binding

Binding

IMG_1699_80.jpg (854977 bytes)

IMG_1700_80.jpg (608401 bytes)

IMG_1701_80.jpg (494174 bytes)

IMG_1702_80.jpg (638337 bytes)

Body is ready for the neck joint

Body is ready for the neck joint

Body is ready for the neck joint

Body is ready for the neck joint

IMG_1703_80.jpg (597430 bytes)

IMG_1704_80.jpg (650845 bytes)

IMG_1707_80.jpg (520828 bytes)

IMG_1708_80.jpg (642675 bytes)

Body is ready for the neck joint

Body is ready for the neck joint

Headstock shaped

Assembling the neck

IMG_1712_80.jpg (671675 bytes)

IMG_1713_80.jpg (619454 bytes)

IMG_1714_80.jpg (379858 bytes)

IMG_1715_80.jpg (496880 bytes)

Body side of the neck joint

Body side of the neck joint

Body side of the neck joint

Body side of the neck joint

IMG_1716_80.jpg (473790 bytes)

IMG_1717_80.jpg (564451 bytes)

IMG_1718_80.jpg (629878 bytes)

IMG_1719_80.jpg (658411 bytes)

Fitting the neck side of the dovetail joint

Fitting the neck side of the dovetail joint

Fitting the neck side of the dovetail joint

Fitting the neck side of the dovetail joint

IMG_1721_80.jpg (670026 bytes)

IMG_1722_80.jpg (651129 bytes)

IMG_1723_80.jpg (625968 bytes)

IMG_1724_80.jpg (696094 bytes)

Fitting the neck side of the dovetail joint

Fitting the neck side of the dovetail joint

Fitting the neck side of the dovetail joint

Fitting the neck side of the dovetail joint

IMG_1725_80.jpg (500791 bytes)

IMG_1726_80.jpg (585705 bytes)

IMG_1727_80.jpg (523931 bytes)

IMG_1728_80.jpg (677214 bytes)

Blocks

Sides

Sides

Sides

IMG_1730_80.jpg (703289 bytes)

IMG_1735_80.jpg (640269 bytes)

IMG_1736_80.jpg (646784 bytes)

IMG_1737_80.jpg (615939 bytes)

Back linings

Sides braces

Ready for the back

Ready for the back

IMG_1738_80.jpg (625612 bytes)

IMG_1739_80.jpg (654785 bytes)

IMG_1743_80.jpg (380699 bytes)

IMG_1744_80.jpg (594222 bytes)

Gluing on the back

Gluing on the back

Tip of the cutaway, before the tip piece of ebony is glued on

Almost ready for binding

IMG_1745_80.jpg (642274 bytes)

IMG_1746_80.jpg (666180 bytes)

IMG_1747_80.jpg (688064 bytes)

IMG_1748_80.jpg (844472 bytes)

Almost ready for binding

Almost ready for binding

Almost ready for binding

Almost ready for binding

IMG_1749_80.jpg (707875 bytes)

IMG_1755_80.jpg (473193 bytes)

IMG_1757_80.jpg (795062 bytes)

IMG_E1762_80.jpg (675236 bytes)

Almost ready for binding

Binding ledges

Binding

Binding

IMG_E1763_80.jpg (525391 bytes) IMG_E1764_80.jpg (701628 bytes) IMG_E1765_80.jpg (654949 bytes) IMG_E1770_80.jpg (714771 bytes)
Binding and shell purfling Binding and shell purfling Binding and shell purfling  

IMG_1768_80.jpg (579317 bytes)

IMG_1769_80.jpg (598376 bytes)

IMG_1773_80.jpg (558388 bytes)

IMG_1778_80.jpg (405449 bytes)

Body is complete

Body is complete

Neck assembly

Body side of the neck joint

IMG_1789_80.jpg (780661 bytes)

IMG_1790_80.jpg (745583 bytes)

IMG_1791_80.jpg (570369 bytes)

IMG_E1787_80.jpg (839085 bytes)

Showing off the figure

Showing off the figure

Showing off the figure

Showing off the figure

IMG_E1771_80.jpg (499690 bytes)

IMG_E1776_80.jpg (525676 bytes)

IMG_E1777.JPG (198402 bytes)

IMG_E1778.JPG (185610 bytes)

Body is done

Body is done

Body is done

Body is done

IMG_1792_80.jpg (468524 bytes)

IMG_1794_80.jpg (615902 bytes)

IMG_1796_80.jpg (478381 bytes)

IMG_1797_80.jpg (500169 bytes)

Neck joint

Neck joint

Headstock

Neck joint

IMG_E1795_80.jpg (956603 bytes)

IMG_1800_80.jpg (531171 bytes)

IMG_1802_80.jpg (518582 bytes)

IMG_1803_80.jpg (852409 bytes)

Neck is ready for the fretboard

Slotting fretboards

Slotting fretboards

Slotting fretboards

IMG_1806_80.jpg (595743 bytes)

IMG_1807_80.jpg (718768 bytes)

IMG_1808_80.jpg (535117 bytes)

IMG_1809_80.jpg (734205 bytes)

Radiusing the fretboard

Radiusing the fretboard

Radiusing the fretboard

Radiusing the fretboard

IMG_1810_80.jpg (657503 bytes)

IMG_1811_80.jpg (734078 bytes)

IMG_1824_80.jpg (725527 bytes)

IMG_1825_80.jpg (642419 bytes)

Radiusing the fretboard

Radiusing the fretboard

Cutting fretboard inlay recesses

Cutting fretboard inlay recesses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Top
Bottom

 

Back to Main Photo Page

 







Copyright © 2025, James W. Blilie                        312 Bates Road, White Salmon, WA 98672                        This page was last updated:  15-Dec-2025