Instrument details: Terry Miles - Steel string guitar

Terry is joining the front using a jig in which wedges are hammered to force the two halves together.

Photo added on 23/10/2014

It is often useful to seal the edges of the soundhole decoration channel to prevent colour bleeding into the front.

Photo added on 23/10/2014

The strips of wood are then glued and tapped into place.

Photo added on 23/10/2014

Using a rasp to shape the heel.

Photo added on 23/10/2014

Terry has used an ebony/holly sandwich for the headstock veneer and is here drilling the machine head holes.

Photo added on 23/10/2014

The lightness of the front is evident with sunlight behind.

Photo added on 23/10/2014

The first stage of assembly involves gluing the front, neck and sides together.

Photo added on 23/10/2014

Terry has cut mother-of-pearl decoration for the fingerboard and has here prepared the recesses ready to inlay them.

Photo added on 23/10/2014

The frets are in and the instrument is set-up. The final stage is to deepen the nut slots to give the correct action at the first fret, measured using feeler gauges.

Photo added on 23/10/2014

The guitar is final sanded during which the corners are gently rounded.

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The finish is sanded back between coats.

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The final result.

Photo added on 23/10/2014