The level of tooling in the making of a guitar depends strongly on the production volume. The most sophisticated tools are found in the semi-automated production facilities of mass producers. Specific machines are used for specific production steps, often with multiple receptors to handle more guitars in a batch or even continuously. The cost of tooling is high and large quantities are becoming a necessity to pay for the costs. Changing to other models requires many adjustments and tool changes. Builders of small series make another trade off between cost and profit, choosing less and less costly tools. The access to CNC routers is a major issue. These routers can efficiently produce aluminum tools, making high end tools for small series affordable. For electric guitars the CNC router is common as a production tool itself. Tools can also be made of wood and be within the reach of every luthier. The exactness of the product is not as high as with metal tools, but this does not need to go at the expense of acoustic quality. Low volume guitar shops are less automated, but may have an extensive collection of tools, such as specialized routers for all sorts of processing steps and templates and clamps to replace measurements. Traditional makers have very simple means, by which they still make instruments of excellent acoustics. The refinement of the appearance can be high, but takes a lot of time and is then reflected in the price and praise. One could say that high end tooling serves efficiency and exterior, while the knowledge of the luthier and physical measurements are key to the sound. Fortunately, many guitar makers show their methods on Youtube and a lot can be learned from them. The site visits of the large producers read as prolonged ads. The content becomes more informative with master luthiers explaining their trade. Particularly interesting accounts of acoustic guitar making are by Greenfield guitars
Goodall guitars, the ‘Trade secrets’ series by Dan Erlewine for StewMac (https://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Trade_Secrets/) and repairs by Ted Woodford (https://www.youtube.com/user/twoodfrd/videos). These are detailed demonstrations and a close look on their tools (machinery, clamps and cauls, fixtures, moulds, supports, profile planers, measuring tools), materials (woods, purfling and lining composition, finish, glue, pickups) and methods (wood preparation, dedicated tooling for tasks, inspection, process and quality monitoring, order of mounting, use of pinhole markers, shaping and scalloping, doming, wood thickness, tuning, finishing and polishing, mounting and adjustment of neck, nut, saddle) reveals literally tens of tricks to make things easier and advice on how to work on guitars. The closer one looks, the more is noticed. It is also interesting to see how is anticipated on future repair and maintenance. I am sure to speak for many other than just myself, thanking these luthiers for their generosity to share all of this.
The majority of luthiers are enthusiasts or low volume professionals, who cannot afford extensive tooling. This chapter is dedicated to low cost tools and methods. The equipment used is consumer grade, not the high power heavy machinery which fast production demands. There is also hand work involved in tool making as many tools are made in a simple workshop. As not so many guitars of a specific design will be made the durability of the tools, other than hand tools, need not be so high. Making specific tools for specific steps in the process pays off, not for their efficiency but for the accuracy. The material costs are low and they improve the measurement and reduce failure. This is why this chapter has been baptized ´The thrifty luthier´.