The Making of Bryon’s Guitar

ByBy

Jerry MercerJerry Mercer

Acknowledgements

• Thanks to all those who contributed:– My Wife Ruth, for putting up with late nights– Bryon, for his patience– Sue at Clint’s Trophy Mart in Sonora the hard work it

took to produce the Deer inlays– New friend, Bob Webster, whom I met on Frets.net, for

his counsel, advice and work testing the sound quality and how to improve it

– Mr. Richard Wisner of South Bend, IN for the music in the background: Tarrega – Lagrima; Pernambuco: Sounds of Bells

Purpose

• To chronicle the making of a classical guitar which has been commissioned by Bryon Brock. Bryon has given me a lot of freedom to make the guitar as I see fit, with only a few requests to make it more playable for his playing style.

Specifications

• Materials:– Top: European spruce – nominal thickness .085”– Back and sides: East Indian Rosewood– Neck: Mahogany– Bridge: rosewood– Scale length: 650 mm, 12 frets to the body, 19th fret

bisected at sound hole– Plantilla: 1943 Hauser I, drawn by Jeff Elliott

Joining plates

Thinning top

Preparing to brace top

Carving braces

Braced Top (installed)

Tentelones

Butresses

Reverse kerf lining

Spanish Heel

Rosette and Fretboard (before trimming)

Coming together

Head Plate and Machines

Butt Inlay (Black Walnut with Koa Strips)

Koa bindings

Reverse Kerf Linings for Back Installation

The Back goes on

French Polishing Top (shellac)

Finiting – shaping, sanding and prep for finish

Strung up and playable, not done yet

Sample pieces for testing finish application

Fretboard shaped and French Polish underway

Head inlay (Bryon is an avid hunter)

Heel cap (ditto)

Back filled and ready for finishSides in process

Roughed in soundport

Soundport

Getting Close

Better look at the soundport grommet

The walnut and koa butt inlay

Mercer guitar #6 – just some final finish work left

The back

The heel stack and heel cap

Thanks for watching. I hope you enjoyed it.