How to Build a Travel Guitar

1. Block needed for neck

2. Plane all sides to 2”x2” by 36”

3. Cutting angle for tuners

4. Drilling holes for tuners

5. Shaping back

6. Cutting for sound box under neck

7. Routering sides of neck

8. Cutting off for sound box

9. Drilling holes for sound box

10. Cutting sides for sound box

11. Cutting sound box end

12. Glue end of sound box

13. Glue back and trim

14. Gluing bridge support inside front

15. Glue front trim

16. Frets

17. File frets

18. Sand

19. Finish

20. Place tail piece

21. Put on tuners

22. Put on Low E

23. Place nut and bridge

24. Play to check frets

25. Put on High E

26. Play to check frets

27. Put on A string then B string

28. Put on D string then G string

29. Tune

30. Set intonation as needed

31. Play awhile

32. Trim strings

33. Learn how to play and teach someone else

34. Have fun

How to set Intonation – Guitar

Play high E string behind 12 fret. Then barely
touch the sting directly on top of the 12th fret and
quickly raise your finger. Note should match. (Use
a tuner) If they don’t match you may have to
move the bridge toward sound hole, or lower
towards end of box to raise.
Do same on lower E
Bridge should have slight angle 10 ¾” on Low E
and 10 ½” on High E. Measurement is from last
fret to top of angle on bridge.
How to Build a 3 String Mackie Music
Stick
1.Piece of Hardwood

2.Planed on all sides to 1”x1” x 31 ½”

3.Cut angle for tuners

4.Drill holes on side for tuners

5.Drill Hole on top

6.Drill 3 holes using center on last holes

7.Cut 3 frets just 1/8” in front of hole

8.Cut 13 more frets

9.Cut of 1/8 11” from end on top side

10. Drill hole

11. Cut side 1/8 thick

12. Cut end for sound box

13. Shape neck from 2nd fret from sound box to

6th fret from sound box

14. Glue in end of sound box

15. Fret 1st 3 frets by three holes on top of tuner

16. Fret next fret with #150 wire

17. Fret remaining frets with #141 wire

18. File or sand frets

19. Cut back

20. Glue on back – hardwood

21. Trim and sand

22. Cut front

23. Drill sound hole

24. Glue on front

25. Trim and sand

26. Finish rounding back from nut to 5th fret

27. Finish sanding

28. Check frets

29. If a fret is loose re tap glue if necessary

30. Put on tuners

31. Put 2 pins 1/8” in just behind first fret which is

the nut

32. Place 3 pins at end of box

33. Put on Low string

34. Place in bridge

35. Play and check frets

36. Put on high G. Play and check frets

37. Put on middle string.

38. Cut off strings

39. Tune GDG

40. Set intonation

41. You are now ready to finish sanding and

staining. I use deft but many of the children

have painted them all colors even with

tempra paint. It does not make any

difference to sound. Use what you can safely

use with kids. You can even use vegetable

oil, just let it dry real well.

42. Put on tuners. Tuners come cheaper if you

buy in a set of 6 ( 3 left hand and 3 right

hand). So you have to use 3 left hand tuners

on one side and the 3 right hand tuners on

the next instrument. Be sure that all gears

are facing the sound box.