Australian Blackwood/Engelmann Spruce OM

In terms of figure, this Australian Blackwood might rate as a "AA" back-and-side set; however, there's enough contrast and colour present that it's perhaps deserving of a more generous assessment.

After a years-long break from building, this guitar is proving to be an exercise in rust removal; I'm feeling the need to think carefully before proceeding from one step to the next, re-assessing processes that were once second nature.

The degree of difficulty has been increased due to my decision to laminate the sides (using inner layers of cherry), and redesign the head block to provide better support for the fretboard extension.

Because the sides are laminated, the individual layers from which the sides are composed will be exposed when a soundport is cut out which, to my way of thinking, will look unsightly. With that in mind, I plan on binding the soundport, which necessitates that I build a jig as a next step that will allow me to use a laminate trimmer to route out the soundport, guaranteeing a flat gluing surface around the port's edges for the veneers and binding. Bending, gluing and clamping those veneers and binding will pose yet another challenge.