Brian's Guitar from Conception to Birth or How to Build a Guitar in 62 Easy Steps!

5 Rout the Back Body Panel

Now that you’re thoroughly prepared with your templates, it’s time to start on the real thing. The neck on our design is sandwiched in between the top and bottom body panels. So we have to make some room for it by routing out a cavity in the back body panel. Index the template onto the dowels for perfect alignment, set up the router (in this case I used a 1/2" bit with a 5/8" bushing), and let the chips fly. Remember to set your final depth carefully on your router so you don’t cut too deep. In the photo you’ll notice another small scrap of MDF in the control cavity space on the template. That’s just to give the router base some support so it doesn’t tilt when riding over the thin strip between the template openings.

Next up is the wire channels. Using the same router setup (only adjusting the final depth), cut the wire channels. The control cavity is cut all the way through the back body panel. It’s easiest to hog out the majority of the material by drilling through with a large forstner bit. To avoid blowing out and splintering the bottom, place masking tape at that area and drill onto a solid surface like a scrap piece of plywood. Now index the control cavity template onto the dowels and clean up the edges. Flip the back body panel over so you can cut a recess for the control cavity cover plate. Visually align the template over your cavity. Check yourself with a ruler to make sure you’re aligned properly (sorry, no dowels on the back). Using double-sided tape, adhere the template to the wood and rout to the required depth. For this setup I used a very short hinge-mortising bit (1/2" bearing guided) and my template was made to the exact final size. The battery compartment was next. I transferred the center lines of the body to the back and took my measurements from the side of the block of wood. Setup the router and go. You should be starting to see that with the right preparation, this portion of the process goes quickly. The flange of the battery compartment will be recessed, but I had to use a different method than that used for the control cavity cover. The corners of the battery compartment have a tight, 1/8" radius. So I used a 1/4" diameter bit with a 3/8" OD bushing. As I mentioned, you have to put some forethought into each of these router setups so you can create your templates accurately. You should also take into consideration the tools you have. You’ll notice that my control cavity has tighter radii on the corners. I do not own a large forstner bit nor a spindle sander. I made due with the 3/4" router bit I did own. It’s alright to plan in some of these efficiencies.