Traditional construction

A classical guitar uses solid Brazilian rosewood for the back and ribs (steam bent around a former).
The face is made of close grained Balkan spruce, the neck is straight grained Honduras mahogany and the fingerboard and bridge made of ebony, using ivory for the insert and top nut.  Some of these materials are not available today as they are endangered species and various substitutes have evolved.

The face (soundboard) is the key element to the
quality of sound  - the material used, its thickness and the bracing method used. See Links page for
detailed analysis.

Luthiers throughout history have striven to produce a vibrant  instrument  which combines flexibility with
rigidity and lightness.

The choice of finish is believed to be crucial to the tone and traditionally is a spirit varnish similar to
shellac.

bandings

Modern guitar construction

This involves alternative materials and methods such as veneer laminates (thin ply faced with choice
veneers)  which allow "cold bending"  of the ribs.

Necks can be built up of  timber laminates  such as maple and even combinations of timbers.

Both hand and power  tools are used (eg. spokeshave, rasp,  router). Epoxy, PVA  and urea-formaldehyde glues can be used.  Alternative finishes such as hand- brushed polyurethane varnish gives an acceptable tone.

In my experience it is best  to follow a traditional  bracing method for the face such as Torres or Martin.   

Today the field is wide open for innovation, reflecting the age we live in, when traditional dogmas have been challenged. Improvement underpins change. See Links page
and in particular "Cool Acoustics", interesting and research done at Loughborough University.

Back in the Sixties I experimented with fibreglass (GRP) acoustic guitar bodies (based on a Levin Goliath shape) and using papier mache for the ribs and back, solid spruce for the face. However, papier
mache is nothing new in the history of guitar design !

Traditional heatbending the ribs

Rio rosewood book matched back construction

Balkan spruce for the face