Professional Documents
Culture Documents
MAKING An ES 335 Style Guitar: by Ken Mckay
MAKING An ES 335 Style Guitar: by Ken Mckay
BY KEN MCKAY
Heres how...
Use rasps and files in the flat area at the top where
the neck attaches to get it perfectly flat.
This is critical.
kenmckay@hotmail.com copyright Ken McKay For personal use only, not to be sold.
Now add a 1/2 thick block to the area corresponding to where the center block is to help clamp
the sides to the center block. The total thickness will then be 1 1/4 inch, which is the exact width
of the sides.
Here are some computer animations that I drew to help you imagine the possibilities. I do have
veneer of these types in stock ready to be made into plates. These are drawn as single cutaway so
you will need to use your imagination a little for a double cutaway ES 335.
kenmckay@hotmail.com copyright Ken McKay For personal use only, not to be sold.
Curly Koa...
Burl woods...
Curly Maple...
Quilt maple.
Email kenmckay@hotmail.com
kenmckay@hotmail.com copyright Ken McKay For personal use only, not to be sold.
I think I will make one from good old curly maple and finish it kinda vintage looking with a perloid
pickguard and aged pickups... a dot neck replica with the good hardware and electronics. That
should be nice... but curly koa would be cool in a Trey Anastasio kinda way...well... Ive got some
thinking to do.
More planing...
kenmckay@hotmail.com copyright Ken McKay For personal use only, not to be sold.
Progress.
and It is done!
Once the glue dries, check all the edges to make sure they are stuck and if not use a spool clamp
to press them with some fresh glue applied with a little piece of veneer or a spatula. Now the
back is glued on and we can proceed to shape the front side of the center block.
At this point you will need to make a cradle to hold the guitar body while you work on it. I use the
plate mold and you will need to think of something or fashion something from materials you have
at hand
Tape some coarse grit paper on the inside of the front plate and take a rubbing. It is not really
productive to use it as a sanding block other than to do the final fitting. Dont shoot for perfect
100% just so they touch in most of the mating area. 70 - 80% for example is good. And cer-
tainly no humps.
Glue the linings into the top side by placing the ribs into the mold this time the other way. It
should fit. You probably dont need to use spanners since the back is glued.
Saw the f-holes and carefully sand them smooth before you glue the top on. I took a little liberty
and disigned my own
shape.
The Box!
It has a sur-
prising tap
tone or reso-
nance when
bonked around
the bridge area
with my thumb.
The block is
glued in and
seems to fit
just fine. It
looks good and
solid inside and
out.
More to follow...