What makes this a good hand made woodshop guitar? For one thing, the materials.The top is fine-grain spruce and the other parts are Honduras mahogany—both "musical grade" woods.
Cheap models may use gumwood, birch veneer, etc., usually covered with a heavy coat of finish that is too thick for good sound.
Another quality feature is the large-size authentic "folk" shape. The size provides volume, and the shape at the "waist" lets you string the instrument "heavy" if you wish. In addition, the neck joins the body at the fourteenth fret instead of the twelfth, allowing easier fingering low on the neck.
A third feature is the construction. The top is braced with special "fan" bracing instead of the simpler symmetrical bracing. With fan bracing, you get extra strength where the "string loading"is heaviest. Without it, your guitar may be fine in the treble or in the bass, but rarely in both.
Finally, the cost is kept down by eliminating the banding and purling often used to ornament commercial guitars and which have no effect on the musical quality.
In spite of the delicate-seeming nature of any stringed instrument, a guitar is not difficult to make. The most critical aspect is the selection of materials, and all the materials mentioned here are available in "musical-instrument grade." Prices will vary between suppliers, and the cost of the finished instrument will also depend on how much you wish to pay for a fingerboard and tuning keys, plus the cost of a commercial bridge if you decide to buy one rather than make your own.
