Brandon Morisset built his first guitar with the help of a local luthier. He learned about the guitar building process which involved 10 main steps: meeting with the luthier, ordering body and neck parts, fitting the neck, painting and staining, adding decals, clear coating, polishing, adding hardware, wiring electronics, and stringing the guitar. Several problems came up along the way, but Brandon was able to complete his first guitar and plans to study nursing in college while pursuing guitar building as a hobby.

1. ENGINEERING
Brandon Morisset

2. The Inspiration
• My uncle
always played
guitar and
sang for us
when we
were little.

3. The Research
• Luthiers are types
of engineers
• Direct correlation
between quality
and funds.

4. The Process

5. THE FIRST STEP
• Facilitator- Dave Donley of Donleys
music in Hickory Flatt
• Owned and ran a music store since
1995
• Teaches about 400 kids a week

7. THE NEXT STEP
• Establish
meeting times
• The store was
only open 6 days
a week.
• Place order for
body and neck

8. THE THIRD STEP
• Receive neck and
Body
• Set the neck

10. THE PROBLEMS
• Neck didn’t
fit perfectly.
• Wood glue
is not very
forgiving

11. THE FOURTH STEP
• Preparing neck
for painting
• Choosing a
color for the
body and neck
• Painting the
body and
staining the
neck

13. THE PROBLEMS
• Applying the
paint was
extremely hard
• Smell was
unforgiving

14. THE FIFTH STEP
• Create and order
custom
headstock
decals.
• Fit and place
custom
headstock decals

16. THE SIXTH STEP
• Clear coat
Clear coat
Clear coat

18. THE SEVENTH STEP
• Polish and Shine

20. THE EIGHTH STEP
• Order the hardware.
• Place hardware into
guitar

22. PROBLEMS
• Pickups were
not quite to
specifications,
there was a
small gap
between edge
of pickup and
wood

23. THE NINTH STEP
• Solder the pickups to their corresponding
volume and tone nobs
• Solder the ground wire to the bridge
• Install the nut

25. THE FINAL STEP
• Fishing the pots through the tiny f-holes to
their corresponding placement holes.
• Stringing and tuning the guitar
• Adjusting the bridge and neck

27. PROBLEMS
• Forgot to ground
the circuit before
we put on the
bridge

28. THE ENDING
• Work habits– Procrastination, Organization.
• Communication– more confident when
talking to adults
• Career–engineering as a hobby; pursue a
job in healthcare

29. THE COLLEGE
• Attending
Kennesaw
State
University in
the fall, get my
BSN in nursing.

30. • THANK YOU
• Are there any questions?