FDM - August 2009

where a bridge will be placed and the guitar strung. With tension between the peghead and body the main factor in neck bending and body bowing, bond strength in the bridge and its attachment to the body is vital. Here, Taylor uses the Assembly High Tack formula.

“The tension on this joint, or what tension the strings produce, ranges from approximately 125-175 pounds,” Wellons says. “The tension is different from a six- to a 12-string guitar and also can change depending on the tuning. The main fact is, the larger the glue surface, the stronger the joint and truth be told, the joint is always stronger than the wood itself.

“In the testing process to evaluate adhesives, we placed the guitar neck on an arbor press, against a load cell to determine the strength of the product,” Wellons says. “Out of the many products tested, Titebond 50 had the highest pound per square inch resistance to breakage.

On-site tests

“We perform a variety of in-house and on-site testing, including stress/

load tests. As our guitars are shipped all over the world, it’s important to measure how well they perform in diverse climates. Through this, we subject the products to high/low humidity and varying temperatures in a humi-chamber, which provides a controlled environment. We will also use “real life” tests such as shipping guitars to and from locations using prototypes made with the test materials which are then played, traveled with, and banged around a bit, to see how they hold up. “

Multibond 2015 is used in the nearby town of Tecate, Mexico, where Taylor manufactures 15,000 guitar cases per year. Here, plywood makes its way through a roller coater applicator and is applied to guitar cases for a laminated effect.

Creating a guitar is a laborious process which can take any where from eight to 21 days. The use of these adhesives and Taylor’s high quality control standards reduce the risk of quality issues that may pop up as the guitar makes it way toward final assembly.