Top or Back on First and Why

[woodrat]

Hi Folks,
I built my first guitars strictly to Wm Cump's method , free without a mold and the top on first. Since then I have also built the other way around with the back on first. I also now use a mold and have found it to be much easier and more consistent. I would like to know which way others do it and especially why they do it that way, ie the pros and cons of their chosen method. At the moment I am a swinging voter as I am still trying to develop a way to tap tune my tops successfully...any comments on that subject gladly received as well. My current thinking is to attach the top to the sides and carve off the overhanging sound board and then try to tune the top by getting its resonant frequency to around 165 - 170 Hz. Maybe this is still too stiff, as I said any light shone into this little dark corner will be appreciated! Its all still a work in progress but I think that I am headed in the right direction...with a little help from my friends.

Thanks for your thoughts.

John

[Nick]

Personally I build the Selmers using molds so I glue the back on first, soundboard after, simply because I can hold the sides in with spreaders right until the box is closed up then the spreaders can come out through the soundhole. Ladder bracing is employed on this style of guitar so I don't have to focus too much on tuning and shaving braces once they're glued on. I Still do the same process for archtops but of course spreaders have to come out before gluing top on! Alot of the Classical builders will build the other way around I'm guessing?

[Lillian]

I inlet the braces for both first while it was easy to get at, then I glued the back on. I wanted to be able to clean it up since it will be visible through the sound hole.

[obmit]

I inlet the braces for both first while it was easy to get at, then I glued the back on. I wanted to be able to clean it up since it will be visible through the sound hole.

I do similar mainly for the cleaning up reason i also seal up the insides before gluing the front on.

Only difference for me is that i inlet my braces one side at a time. But for my kasha it will be only for the back.

Cheers

Tim

with a little help from my friends.

I have just learned this on my uke

[Allen]

Guitars get the back glued on first, as I want that easily seen joint to be spot on with the glue clean up.

The recent ukes with Spanish Heels necessitate top on first, back on last. Thankfully the sound hole on a uke is much smaller and a little more difficult to see into the recesses of the instrument without lights and mirrors.

I make sure that all braces that are to be inlet have had the linings notched out before attaching the plates. I also make the braces that are inlet be just a bit shy of touching where the bindings will be. I've heard of linings popping off bindings on older instruments. And while it would be nice to think that something I built will last and be appreciated for 50 or more years, it really doesn't take much extra work to plan and build to avoid potential problems down the track.

[Hesh1956]

Yeah I attach the back first too and also for reasons of wanting to clean up any squeeze-out that might show.

But... there is a very good argument too for attaching the top first in as much as this provides the opportunity for tweaking the top's voice when it is no longer a free plate. I have never done it this way but was interested in the method until I picked up Somogyi's books where he shows a voicing fixture that I want to make.