How to Make an Acoustic Guitar from Scratch

So you want to learn how to make an acoustic guitar from scratch?  Excellent!  Building your own acoustic guitar is definitely not an easy undertaking, but it isn’t impossible either.  With the right guidance, tools and supplies, you can build your own high quality guitar that will rival those that cost thousands of dollars, right out of your home.

There are basically two different ways you can go about this.  You can either build your acoustic guitar completely from scratch or you can purchase a kit.  The kit includes all of the parts and instructions needed to complete the guitar.  If you are an absolute beginner, with no prior experience at this, you may want to start with a kit.  Once you have a little experience under your belt, and you familiarize yourself with the parts and how everything goes together, you can always take a stab at doing everything from scratch.  The choice is certainly yours.

Below you will find online tutorials with step by step instructions, videos with step step instructions, books and more. I hope you find these resources helpful.  Enjoy building your first acoustic guitar!

Online Tutorials

Building an Acoustic Guitar in your Kitchen

Blues Creek Guitars – Building an Acoustic Guitar

Lutherie Information Website for builders of stringed musical instruments

Robert O’Brien Online Classical Guitar Building Course

Larrivee Guitars – Step by Step Demo with Photos on building an acoustic guitar

12 Fret Orchestra Model by Kevin Ko

Hoffman Guitar – Building a Guitar

Classical Guitar Construction

Martin Guitar Kit Construction

ProjectGuitar.Com Tutorials

Making a Martin Acoustic Guitar

Handmade guitar in a true “folk” shape

BuildYourGuitar.Com

How to Build an Acoustic Guitar From Scratch

How to Make Acoustic Guitars

Videos

Craftsman Experience – How to Make an Acoustic Guitar Part 1

Craftsman Experience – How to Make an Acoustic Guitar Part 2

Craftsman Experience – How to Make an Acoustic Guitar Part 3

Kits

StewMac Acoustic Guitar Kits

U.S. Guitar Kits

Blues Creek Guitars

Schools

American School of Lutherie – expert training for luthiers of all levels

Books

Build Your Own Acoustic Guitar: Complete Instructions and Full-Size Plans

Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology: A Complete Reference for the Design & Construction of the Steel-String Folk Guitar & the Classical Guitar