Attaching the Back

Here's part where you have to be sure you've done everything to the inside of the guitar that you wanted too: attaching the back. Before the back cna be attached however, a few preliminary steps have to be taken to ensure that it fits perfectly.

First, you have to plane away material and carefully shape the headblock to allow for the arch of the back. Without the right curvature planed into the headblock, an unsightly dimple will become visible when the back is glue down due to the headblock's current flatness.

Once the headblock (and tailblock) regions are adjusted for the arch of the backplate, the brace notch pockets must be adjusted so that the back sits flush to the sides, while the brace ends sit neatly in the pockets, maintaing positive contact with the kerfed lining.

Once everything is aligned and dry fitted properly, the back can be glued on. I chose to use the 'rubber strip' method--opting for it over constructing a few dozen spool clamps--by cutting up a blue rubber swimming pool hose I bought from Home Depot into strips and square-knotting them together--90 ft in total. I also used a few clamps in kep points for some added clamping power.