You have just purchased a set of guitar plans and are ready to start building your guitar. But you don’t want to cut or damage your original paper plans to build the templates. What do you do for a living?

Yes, you can easily make additional copies by going to a copy shop, but some of those drawings have copyrights attached to them and we don’t want to break those laws. This simple but traditional procedure of making templates will work in any situation you find yourself in and in your own shop.

Materials you will need – This is what you will need to create the template. You probably already have them on hand.

• A pair of scissors or a knife to cut
• Charcoal pencil or colored chalk for carbon copy
• Scotch tape
• A pencil to trace and mark
• Template material such as thin cardboard or a thick cardstock.

Step 1 – Prepare to transfer the shape of the guitar to the cardstock. This technique is called making a carbon copy. Take the guitar blueprints and place them face down on a white surface on a table, if you can’t see the lines clearly, take the blueprints and place them face down on a lighted background. This can be on a lighted table or against a window in your store during the day. The point is that you want to clearly see the lines on the front when you look at the back of the plans.

Step 2 – Draw on the lines. Using the charcoal pencil or colored chalk, start tracing or marking over the line of the guitar shape and sound hole. This doesn’t need to be pretty or precise, just make sure it’s thick and on the necessary lines. When you’re done, take a tissue and lightly wipe away any excess charcoal or chalk.

Step 3 – Now you are ready to make your carbon copy. Lay the poster board (or thin cardboard) securely on a table. Then overlay it on the flat of the guitar with the charcoal side down making contact with the cardstock. Next, affix the guitar blueprint to the cardstock with the masking tape. Easily start tracing the shape of the guitar and the sound hole with your pencil. There is no need to press hard because the carbon will transfer with just a light pressure.

Stage 4 – When you have finished tracing the outline of the guitar, carefully remove the tape and lift the blueprint to separate it from the cardboard. Now that the outline is visible on the cardstock, take a minute to darken the line with your pencil.

step 5 – Now it’s time to cut out your template. Using a pair of scissors or a hobby knife, cut out the shape of the guitar. Take your time with your cut to avoid rough edges. Remember, this is your template and you want it nice and smooth.

Your guitar template is now complete, just repeat the process for the neck, bracing patterns, side panels, and other templates as needed.