Welcome to Fusion 360 Archtop Modeling!

Here I will provide all information as it pertains to the modeling of an Archtop Acoustic Guitar.  This guitar was constructed with methods used by a very well known Luthier, Bob Benedetto, of Benedetto guitars.  His book, and a series of videos, was the inspiration to not only build this instrument, but to also create it with “CAD” methods: i.e. design the guitar in Fusion 360, and then machine the guitar with Mastercam.

I studied his methods extensively, and it was only through his instructional book and videos, that I was able to construct the instrument.  Bob is considered by many, to be one of the defining luthiers of our time, and a master when it comes to constructing archtop guitars.  Before you attempt to build this guitar, no matter how well you have mastered 3D modeling and CNC machining, there is still a lot of items to do using traditional methods.  Please consider making an investment in both the book and the Instructional DVD’s from Bob.  I would even go on to say, that his resources are a must!

Learning Interface

As you can see here, the modeling process of creating this Archtop Acoustic Guitar in Fusion 360 is finally completed!

There are over 6 1/2 hours of instructional material on these disks. Below you can see a short outline of what is included in these videos, as well as an introductory video as to the approach to this build.  There is NO prior knowledge of any kind required, and we start at a ground or basic level.  You can see the video interface to the left (click for a larger view), and the only thing required for you to play back these videos is a browser.

We also model the Neck, and other pieces like the Tail Piece and pick guard.  ALL the reference material and ALL the finished models are INCLUDED as well.  I have tried to make this as complete as possible, and I am confident that going through these series of videos, you will be able to build pretty much any model you want with Fusion 360.  As such, this is not just a guitar model series, but a “learn fusion 360 series” as well.

For those of you that know a little about modeling, this guitar model here was NOT build with T-splines.  It is a parametric model, that you can easily modify to adapt the top say, or make minor adjustments, after completing the machining (for example) on scrap wood.  The approach taken with these videos, is one of a “guitar builder” and the model was build for that purpose IE, to ultimately  machine the parts to be able to construct the instrument.

What is Included in the Video Series

  • Step by Step Instruction of the Top Plate
  • Step by Step Instruction of the Bottom plate
  • A set of reference diagrams, directly of the Benedetto Plans
  • Instructions on creating the edge re-curves
  • Instructions on matting the neck to the body, and Assembly Procedures.
  • Tail piece construction, with inlays
  • Fretboard and Inlay modeling
  • Fitting of the fretboard to the Neck
  • Complete assembly of all the parts
  • Complete Rendering Lessons
Archtop CLoseup 1
Archtop Closeup 2
Archtop Guitar Build Front View

This is the finished guitar –I call her the Dragon… (Click on images for a larger size)

Watch my CNC Machine Cut The Top

Click the button below to purchase this Instructional Video.  After your purchase, I can provide you with  direct links to download the content.  All that is required to view the content is a Browser, such as Chrome or Firefox etc.  All the videos are encoded H.264 and will play on any computer or operating system that supports this format (so almost anything!).  This is a set of over 6 1/2 hours worth of lessons, that takes you through the complete process of creating this model in Fusion 360.  There is NO previous knowledge of Fusion 360 required.  The full 3D model and plans are also INCLUDED on the disk, so you can see the completed part, and go from there. On the video here you can use the play bar to scroll it, and inspect the guitar model further.

If you would like to receive a disk, please sent me an email, and I will provide you with an invoice, which will also include shipping.  I will ship anywhere in the world, but the better and much easier option is a direct download.  The complete size of all the files is about 6.1GB, so the download depending on your speed will take a bit.  The videos are all h.264 and are recorded in 1080p, with very clear audio.

At this time, I ONLY accept Paypal!  I am a paypal VERIFIED merchant.  This protects you as the buyer, and me as the seller.

The price for this Video is US $120.00.[wp_cart_button name=”F360 Archtop Modelling” price=”120.00″]

Here are some cross sectional views from Fusion 360, as well as other reference views, to get a better idea about the shape of the guitar.  Since Fusion 360 is what is refered to as a “parametric” modeller, the shape of this guitar can very easily be modifed as required.