Choosing the wood
Every classical guitar starts with the choice of wood. Soundboards are almost always spruce or cedar, both chosen for being light yet stiff along the grain, a combination that matters enormously for how the top vibrates. The back and sides are usually cut from denser hardwoods such as rosewood or mahogany, which reflect sound back through the top and shape the instrument's overall tone. A builder checks grain direction, density, and moisture content carefully, since wood that was not dried properly can warp or crack months or years later.
Thicknessing the top
A finished soundboard can be just a couple of millimeters thick, and that thickness is rarely uniform. Builders hand plane and sand the top unevenly across its surface, often tapping it and listening to how it rings as they work, because a flat, uniform thickness does not usually produce the best tone.
Fan bracing and lattice bracing
Thin strips of wood, called braces, are glued to the underside of the top. They do two jobs at once: they keep the thin wood from collapsing under string tension, and they shape how the top vibrates. The traditional Spanish approach arranges these braces in a fan pattern radiating out from the center, known as fan bracing. More experimental builders use a crisscross grid pattern instead, called lattice bracing, often paired with a thinner top and carbon fiber reinforced struts. The choice between these patterns has a direct effect on the guitar's volume and tonal color.
Building the body
The sides are bent into shape using heat and moisture, traditionally with a heated bending iron and a damp cloth, then glued to the back and to internal support rings called linings. This forms the basic shell of the instrument, into which the finished soundboard is eventually glued.
Neck and fingerboard
The neck is joined to the body either with a traditional through tenon or a more modern bolt on joint that makes later adjustment easier. A fingerboard, typically ebony or rosewood, is glued on top and fretted at precise intervals based on the scale length. Getting this right matters a great deal, since scale length accuracy determines intonation, meaning whether the guitar plays in tune cleanly all the way up the neck.
Double top and other experimental builds
Some modern builders use double top construction, where the soundboard is made from two extremely thin layers of wood sandwiching a honeycomb core, often made from a Nomex type material. This produces a top that is both lighter and stiffer than a conventional single piece top, which lets the finished guitar project more volume without losing tonal quality. A few workshops have gone further over the years and developed their own patented resonance systems, the Finnish workshop Liikanen, for instance, built one such system historically under the name Lens Resonance System. Developments like these are a reminder that classical guitar building has not stood still, even within a tradition that still values handwork over factory production.
Final assembly and finishing
At the end of the process, the guitar is sanded, finished with multiple thin coats of shellac or lacquer, and strung for the first time. Builders frequently make small final adjustments to the saddle and nut height so the instrument plays comfortably right from the first note.
Keep reading
For more detail on tonewoods and how they are selected, see our page on materials. If you want to understand intonation and scale length adjustments in more depth, our page on guitar compensation covers that specifically. For a broader comparison of instrument types and sizes, visit our overview of guitar models.
