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In Robbie's excellent video, he adjusts LMI's guitar carrier so that the upward facing side of the guitar will be level (7:30, see below). I started working through a dry run of this today because I plan to use LMI's binding jig for the first time tomorrow.

When the upward facing side of the guitar was level, the sides were not square at the head and tail. The sides of the guitar were.

Since the bearings register against the sides of the guitar, I'd thing they were the most important thing to make sure is square. Should I adjust the carrier so the that sides are square all around and not worry about whether or not the top is level?

I should think so.

I noticed the same thing in the video. I don't know if it was an oversight or a difference in his process. I adjust it so that the guitar top (the spruce part) is level regardless of which end is up as I build with the top perpendicular to the sides. It is easier to measure that the top is level (spruce), than to check for side perpendicularity and the result is the same.
Mike

Only if your frame is truly square, which it often isn't.

I build with an external mold, and although I always check, the frame is square. I suppose if you had some squirrely sides, you might wind up with something out of square, but even then, since you have to level the entire guitar, it would seem most likely to me that the majority of it would still be square to the top. Still, there are a lot of different ways to arrive at a good guitar!
Mike

That's what I do. Start with a right angle on the bench and square the sides to that. The final check for me is to place the bit in place in 6-8 positions around the guitar and squat down and look to be sure it is as square to the sides as possible

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

Same here, I use a square to check the slides and adjust the carriage until they are all square or at least equally off of square on opposing side (never much). As a side effect from that procedure the top is level with the carriage.

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Much thanks, guys.


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