This is a picture of the templates I cut out of plexiglass to aid in carving the top.
I use a Safe-T-Planer mounted in a drill press to remove a lot of wood quickly. I use this same technique with the mandolins I build. This is most useful  on backs, as maple is hard, and there's lots of wood to remove, but it speeds thing up on the top too.
This picture shows the results of using the Safe-T-Planer. While you see a dust collection tube near the planer, it's only moderately effective. The nice thing about the Safe-T-Planer is that it creates chips - not sawdust, so it's fairly easy to clean up.
This picture shows me using the templates referenced above to check the outline as I use a  D'Angelico plane to remove what the Safe-T-Planer couldn't. This is a very nice plane, available from Luthier Mercantile International. This top is German Spruce which cuts very easily with this plane.
And here's the top with the outside carving done. This picture represents about 4 hours work. Next is carving the inside to rough thickness (about 1/4').