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Wood Selection and
Treatment
All John David Scott guitars start with a careful selection
of wood. Proper wood processing & climatization is
a key ingredient to a great sounding, structurally stable
guitar. Some of the types of wood we use are: Sitka and
Engleman Spruce - for tops, Koa, Rosewood, Walnut, Mahogany,
Maple, Blackwood - for backs and sides, Mahogany - for
necks, and Ebony - for fretboards and bridges. |
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Component Processing
Once I decide on what model of guitar I want to build,
I process the components. Sides are bent, tops and backs
are joined and cut to shape, bracing is cut and necks
and fretboards are cut. A large part of the guitar is
not so much putting the components together but through
time and with experience manipulating them to achieve
a desired thickness of a surface or brace which will produce
a desired sound while still making up an instrument I
feel comfortable offering a lifetime warrantee on. |
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Assembly
Now that all of the components are ready, the
guitar is assembled. Backs and tops are joined and braced,
sides are glued together with blocks at either ends and
kerfed then the backs and tops are attached. At this point
various bindings and in some cases abalone and perfiling
are routed for then applied. The neck joint is dovetailed
and ruff-fitted. The neck is then rough shaped and the
headstock is cut and drilled before the truss rod is sealed
with tape & silicon and the fretboard attached. |
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Finishes
The completed body and neck are now finished. JDS uses
polyurethane varnish for its body finish and a satin finish
on the neck for added playability. The guitars are cured
for a week rough wet-sanded and then cured for an additional
week to ensure a smooth settled finish. |
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Final Assembly
The finished neck is now attached to the body using glue
and a hand-fitted dovetailjoint. The fingerboard has a
compound radius sanded into it and position markers installed.
The guitar is then fretted and the nut fitted. The final
bit of the all-important assembly is to position the bridge
with accurate intonation so the guitar is able to play
in tune. Once this is done the bridge saddle is set for
string height, the truss rod receives a minor adjustment
and the machine heads and a pick-guard is added. Also
a this point any electronics a customer may want are installed
and finally, the stings. |
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Delivery
Each guitar is checked for accurate intonation
and smooth playability before it is shipped. The manufacturer
offers a limited lifetime warrantee to the original purchaser
of every guitar. Every JDS guitar comes in its own custom
fitted hard-shell Datt case. |
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Tom Stinson