Parlor guitar P02 Archives - Alabaster Handcrafted Instruments

Following the successful build of my first parlor guitar I decided to build a second one (P02) for myself with a few design tweaks based on lessons learned from the first one.

The main changes were to:

Make the body 12mm shorter, 15mm wider at the waist, 5mm narrower at the bottom bout and 15mm wider at the upper bout
Increase the head angle to 10degrees to give a greater string break at the nut
Reduce the number of frets from 19 to 18
Create a new neck dovetail template with lightly more acute angle
Use unslotted bridge pins

Build process

Some of the key elements of the build process are captured here:

Dimensions:

Scale length	635mm
Total frets	18
Fret# at body	12
Body length	497mm
Upper bout	265mm
Waist	215mm
Lower bout	345mm
Total length	997mm
Rib depth	82-100mm
Sound hole dia	98mm
Sound hole centre from heel	153.7mm
Fingerboard width at nut	46mm
Fingerboard width at 12th fret	55.4mm
String width at bridge	54mm
Fingerboard radius	16″
Neck thickness at nut	21mm
Neck thickness at heel	25mm
Top radius	25 ‘
Back radius	15′
Top thickness	1.9-2.2mm
Back thickness	2.5mm nominal
Sides thickness	2.2mm
All-up weight	1.93kg

Woods:

Top	Alpine spruce
Back and sides	Indian rosewood
Neck	Mahogany with centre maple splice
Fingerboard	Ebony
Linings	Mahogany (laminated)
End blocks	Mahogany
Top bracing (X style)	Spruce
Back bracing	Mahogany
Cross banding	Mahogany
Bridge	Ebony. Ebony pins with abalone dots

Decorations:

Sound hole	Abalone ring
Purfling	bw+Abalone+wb
Banding	Maple
Back centre strip	Maple bounded by abalone & purfling
Neck centre strip	Maple bounded by 0.6mm black
Fingerboard dots	Abalone
Headstock	Ebony facing with inlaid crossbow
Pick guard	Tortoise shell pattern