Go-bar Clamping System for Martin Guitar
Fast, efficient clamping! Go-bar clamping is a popular and fast technique for gluing braces, soundboards, and all sorts of shapes that are tricky to glue.
Strong flexible "go-bars" are placed under tension between the top of the go-bar deck and the wood being clamped. Setup is simpler and much faster than using standard clamps, and clamping pressure is more uniform.
We offer components, sets and instructions to easily build your own go-bar system, including radiused concave dishes for maintaining accurate guitar soundboard and back curvature.
"Gluing braces on tops and backs used to be a slow process. One session used to take me two hours, but with go-bars it's less than twenty minutes. I build a dozen or more acoustic guitars a year in my home shop. I couldn't build that many in my limited spare time without using go-bars."
— Todd Sams, StewMac production manager
Complete Kit
- Two concave radiused dishes, for soundboard and back:
The set for Martin includes 40-ft. radius soundboard and 15-ft. radius back dishes
The modern set includes 28-ft. radius soundboard and 20-ft. radius back dishes - Deck hardware kit with assembly instructions (you provide the plywood)
- 25 Extra Pressure fiberglass Go-bar Clamping Rods
- Two 50-grit self-adhesive sanding discs
Go-bar Deck Hardware Kit
Our set of metal posts and hardware for making a sturdy go-bar deck. We provide complete instructions; you provide the plywood top and base.
Go-bar Clamping Rods
Made of rugged flexible fiberglass, 24" long with 1/4" diameter (609mm, 6.35mm). Also sold separately.
Note: Yellow rods pictured are no longer available. Our preferred white rods with rubber tip protectors are now included in all the Go-bar Clamping Systems.
Concave Radiused Dishes hold guitar braces, soundboards and backs in the correct curvature for gluing in the go-bar deck, and can be used without the deck for sanding braces.
They're precisely CNC-machined from rigid fiberboard for years of use. Dimensions are 23" x 20" x 1" (584mm x 508mm x 25mm). Available radii include:
15-foot radius for Martin backs
20-foot radius for modern guitar backs
28-foot radius for modern guitar soundboards
40-foot radius for Martin soundboards
Sanding Disc for Radiused Dishes: Add a self-adhesive sanding disc to your dish for easy non-slip clamping, and for sanding guitar braces accurately. 24" diameter, 50-grit. Color may vary.
Use the Go-Bar Clamping System when sanding and gluing braces for our Acoustic Guitar Kit. The 20-foot deck is recommended for the guitar back. The 28-foot radius dish can be used for the soundboard.
