by Scott Antes

The plan on this page answers the call to those requesting a plan for a smaller guitar. Drawn by Scott Antes, a mechanical engineer by training, with a long history of instrument building, his experience and expertise are well illustrated in these fine plans.

by Scott Antes

PL48 is a finely drawn 6-string dreadnought plan by Scott Antes (a mechanical engineer who provides us with a number of the plans we sell). It is a two page CAD plan with large, easy to read text and dimensions.

Sitka Spruce is very stiff. Because of its strength and toughness, it is well suited for steel-string acoustic guitars. It has even been used successfully for classical guitars. The color of Sitka Spruce ranges from white to pinkish to light brown. Some tops display a lot of color variation.

Top Sitka Spruce, 3A grade, dreadnought

Though it has been in common use for less time than Sitka or German Spruce, Engelmann has risen in stature to equal these woods. These days many makers use Engelmann in lieu of German Spruce since good Engelmann has many of the traits desirable in a good German top. In addition, it is more economical with far better overall quality. In appearance, it is like German Spruce, but unlike German Spruce, it seems to be more uniform in consistency and it has a beautiful ivory sheen. The tops are often more homogeneous looking with the early and late growth rings being less distinct than those of Sitka. It's stiffer than Sitka Spruce perpendicular to the grain.

Carpathian Spruce, from Central/Eastern Europe, has a very creamy white appearance but with slightly wider grain than other European Spruces. These tops are quite stiff and offer a slightly brighter, glassier tap tone than the other European Spruces. Many have compared it to Adirondack Spruce and some even call it ‘Carpathian Red Spruce’.

Top Carpathian Spruce, 3A grade, dreadnought

Our narrow rosettes are meant to be part of a three-ring-rosette scheme. This item includes the 32" PFLMSH8 BWB 20/20/20 purfling to create this scheme. 

If you would like to have a rosette inlaid into a top, start by ordering the top and the rosette inlay customization will be offered to you there. If you order an inlaid rosette the drawing shows how we will inlay it. If you order a loose rosette the drawing is a suggestion of how you may wish to inlay this rosette.

West African Ebony has been a standard fingerboard wood for factory guitars in Europe and America, and for many builders, it is preferred because it is easier to plane and is more stable than other Ebonies. It is rarely pure-black, but the streaks and mottling that are indicative of West African Ebony are now largely accepted in the marketplace.

Ebony Grading

More About Ebony...

For those who require blacker boards, you can use on or these products to darken the wood:

Would you like us to slot, radius and/or thickness sand your fingerboard? Choose fingerboard customizations below.

West African Ebony has been a standard fingerboard wood for factory guitars in Europe and America, and for many builders, it is preferred because it is easier to plane and is more stable than other Ebonies. It is rarely pure-black, but the streaks and mottling that are indicative of West African Ebony are now largely accepted in the marketplace.

Ebony Grading

More About Ebony...

Would you like us to slot, radius and/or thickness sand your fingerboard? Choose fingerboard customizations below.

Plastic position markers are a good substitute for shell particularly if you are going to export your completed instrument as there are no export restrictions on these markers.  

These rods measure 7 3/4" long.

This is pure shell material, cut straight from the curved inside surface of the shell and then sanded flat.

This is pure shell material, cut straight from the curved inside surface of the shell and then sanded flat.

Plastic position markers are a good substitute for shell particularly if you are going to export your completed instrument as there are no export restrictions on these markers.  

Plastic position markers are a good substitute for shell particularly if you are going to export your completed instrument as there are no export restrictions on these markers.  

A 35" neck generally allows you to produce your neck and heel from the same stock which prevents issues with color/grain mismatch.

First grade necks and heels are straight-grained, quartersawn with a 25° variance off quarter allowed.

The heel or neck block is affixed to the inside of the guitar and is where the neck attaches, typically by using bolts and/or a mortise and tenon.

The heel or neck block is affixed to the inside of the guitar and is where the neck attaches, typically by using bolts and/or a mortise and tenon.

Khaya has often been overlooked as a substitute for genuine Honduran Mahogany. We have carried it for years for backs and sides, and though it is a very attractive wood, the wide pores, lighter weight, and pinkish color we usually see in this species clearly distinguish it from "the real thing". But we have now found that there are different strains of Khaya that look nearly identical to Honduran Mahogany - or at least present themselves as the best substitute we have come across so far!

West African Ebony has been a standard wood for factory guitars in Europe and America, and for many builders, it is preferred because it is easier to plane and is more stable than other Ebonies. It is rarely pure-black, but the streaks and mottling that are indicative of West African Ebony are now largely accepted in the marketplace.

Maple or Rosewood bridge plate or bridge reinforcements are used on steel string guitars under the soundboard as shown in the illustration. 

Buy more & save! Save 20% on 6 or more.

Hard, standard size long-wearing fretwire. This is easily our most popular fretwire and is used mostly for steel-string, but is often used on classical and electric guitars as well. This wire is similar to Dunlop's #6230 wire. 

Fretwire is sold in either 4 or 100-foot lengths. 4 feet is normally enough for one standard instrument if you're not wasteful, but please check your plans before ordering. For easier installation, fretwire is coiled with the tang toward the inside of the curve. 4-foot sections might be cut into halves for shipping purposes. All of the fretwire we carry will fit into a .023" slot, with the exception of the FW75 nickel/silver wire.

Fretwire Comparison Chart Link

Note - Each headplate is different from the next. We are showing you a representation of the wood species, but your headplate might look very different from the representative photo.

These veneers sandwich between your peghead and your headplate to give your finished peghead that extra something special. 

The end block is the block that stabilizes the end of the guitar where the sides meet at the lower bout. The long edges of the block can be chamfered for an attractive look on the inside of your guitar.

This size of these blocks may not necessarily match your plan, but this is a non-critical dimension. This block is essentially for reinforcement of the side seam and it can be slightly over or under-sized. 

The end block is the block that stabilizes the end of the guitar where the sides meet at the lower bout. The long edges of the block can be chamfered for an attractive look on the inside of your guitar.

This size of these blocks may not necessarily match your plan, but this is a non-critical dimension. This block is essentially for reinforcement of the side seam and it can be slightly over or under-sized. 

The end block is the block that stabilizes the end of the guitar where the sides meet at the lower bout. The long edges of the block can be chamfered for an attractive look on the inside of your guitar.

This size of these blocks may not necessarily match your plan, but this is a non-critical dimension. This block is essentially for reinforcement of the side seam and it can be slightly over or under-sized. 

This cross-grained strip is glued to the inside of the back, spanning and reinforcing the joint of the back halves. These reinforcements are beveled and ready-to-go except for final shaping to a rounded profile, which is done after the strip is glued to the back.

Bone is the material of choice these days for nuts and saddles. Its creamy smooth quality and natural denseness make it perfect both visually and mechanically.

PDF: Conversion Chart

Bone is the material of choice these days for nuts and saddles. Its creamy smooth quality and natural denseness make it perfect both visually and mechanically.

PDF: Conversion Chart

Bone is the material of choice these days for nuts and saddles. Its creamy smooth quality and natural denseness make it perfect both visually and mechanically.

PDF: Conversion Chart

Bone is the material of choice these days for nuts and saddles. Its creamy smooth quality and natural denseness make it perfect both visually and mechanically.

PDF: Conversion Chart

Bone is the material of choice these days for nuts and saddles. Its creamy smooth quality and natural denseness make it perfect both visually and mechanically.

PDF: Conversion Chart

Bone is the material of choice these days for nuts and saddles. Its creamy smooth quality and natural denseness make it perfect both visually and mechanically.

PDF: Conversion Chart

Protected by U.S. Patent No. 6,259,008, this is the best rod on the market in our humble opinions. The square stock bears against the bottom of the fingerboard, so no filler strip is necessary. Turn the nut one way and the rod bows one direction, turn the nut the other way, the rod bows the other direction! With this rod, the nut is actually welded onto the adjusting rod which has been right-hand threaded on one end and reverse threaded the other. The bottom, round rod is covered with heat-shrink tubing to protect against rod buzz. This rod requires a slot 1/4" wide x 3/8" deep. The bar-stock dimensions and the round-stock OD with the heat-shrink tubing are the same and that makes for easy installation. 

See note about hex wrenches below.

An end or butt graft will tie in the binding on the top and back of the guitar where the sides meet and should allow enough extra material for a heel cap. Besides being decorative, an end graft gives some wiggle room at the butt end of the guitar if you can't get the joinery on your sides just right. End grafts are typically, but not always, the same material as the binding. They can be rectangular, wedged or they can just be an extension of the binding scheme. 

Barrel nuts and bolts are a good way to attach a bolt-on neck. See the video below for installation hints.