SG WyldeCHild Posted August 10, 2004 Report Share Posted August 10, 2004 Well i dont wana pay 44 bucks for a template does some one here have an old or could make me a template? I dont really care what it is some thing simple like an explorer, tele? also I just want the body not the neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted August 10, 2004 Report Share Posted August 10, 2004 I tell ya what.... Why dont i make a template for you, in my own time, out of my stash of perspex/plywood/mdf, post it to you, as a gift. Hey, better still, why dont i just make you an entire guitar?? OR.... Use your own initiative to build something to help you make your own guitar. My prediction: we wont ever see a guitar you built at all. If you cant be bother making/buying a template, you wont make a guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted August 10, 2004 Report Share Posted August 10, 2004 My prediction: we wont ever see a guitar you built at all. If you cant be bother making/buying a template, you wont make a guitar. So true Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litchfield Posted August 10, 2004 Report Share Posted August 10, 2004 I spent about 2 weeks on templates before i cut a single piece of wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZiKi Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 yeah i had the same problem. i didnt get those responses though. anyways, i have a squier, which is the same shape as a strat, just not as thick, so i took a pencil and filed it in half and traced my squier onto 4 taped-together 8x11 pieces of paper, it came out pretty good. im just not sure about my neck pocket and i have to find the center line. How bout you go to a local guitar store and ask if you could copy one of their guitars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goth_fiend Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 I started my own rhoads template today, but that back curve is still evading me! so i might have to just take a trip to sacramento to trace a body, its only a 2 hour trip so thats not a huge deal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 although the guys may seem a bit harsh, but rhoads kinda had a point, especially if you're just like "give me a template, any template" really shows your enthusiasm, find something you really want to make, then try searching for it on the net... a good place to start is guitarbuild.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tirapop Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 Why do you need a template? Do you have a router? If you had to, you could do the pickup holes, the control cavities, and the neck pocket with a drill, a couple forstner bits, a drill guide (if you can't get to a drill press), and a chisel. If you really want to build a guitar, just go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcow Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 Why do you need a template? :Di wonder how that plays... looks kind of uncomfortable... and rhoads, while you build him a guitar will you build me a house just kidding... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wademeister Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 Haha, I always like those Bo Diddley geets. I gotta say not much ambition from some guys. I'll admit I was pretty stubborn about things, but I took a two inch ad from a magazine, drew little squares on it with a ruler, big squares on a piece of paper, and followed the pattern of "where does the outline cross the squares in the pic" to draw the thing full size. Gllues the paper down to my piece of wood and attacked the thing with a jigsaw. Not to be nasty to you, but really guys. If coming up with the template is give you any trouble at all then you should consider buying a Warmoth or cheaper brand of ready made body. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Southpa Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 Another option is to get one of the many CAD drawings out there and send it to someone you know who has access to a plotter. I downloaded a drawing of an SG body, and emailed it to a buddy who works at a marine engineering firm. He printed it out for me, full size. I then traced it onto another sheet, cut it out with scissors, including pickup cavities, etc. and then traced that onto my template material. Then cut the template with a jigsaw, smooth out the edges and VIOLA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taurus Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 if you want a tele, it would be cheaper to buy a tele saga kit and start from there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 I'm with Rhoads on this also. If you can't afford to buy a 44 dollar template or if not, be able to make your own. Then you really should reconsider building guitars, since it's not cheap or easy. I'm not saying this to discourage you, but like Rhoads said, if you can't find a way to build your own templates if you need to, then what are you going to do when you start on a whole guitar project? There are tons of challenges you'll face on your first guitar, and you have to have the determination to figure out what's wrong, correct it, and move on. But if your saying you need a template simply because you can't afford 44 dollars, then you surely don't want to get into guitar building. Tools alone have cost alot, not even considering all the parts I've bought and wood. That being said, I hope you have enough passion for building guitars to not let anything stop you from doing it. If you find a way, no matter how bad things are stacked against you, then you'll make a great luthier. Good Luck!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maher Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 $44 for what is just plywood is ridiculous, just make your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 $44 for what is just plywood is ridiculous, just make your own. What your paying for is the pin point accuracy of the templates, not just the plywood. The laser cutting machine isn't cheap, so wear and tear on it brings up the prices some also. I've made templates and I've bought laser cut ones. The laser cut ones are always gonna be way more accurate. When I finish my own design, I"m gonna get him to laser cut me a master one for even that. You can build your own templates, or buy them, but either way it's better working with a template when building a guitar. Also, by the time you buy the plywood, get someone to run off a blueprint, trace it off, cut it out, sand it down perfectly, you might wish you'd have spent that 44 dollars after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xafier Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 I'm just finishing off my template for my guitar should get it sanded down to what I want tomorrow... cost me umm £7 for a piece of 4' by 2' by 0.5" plywood, not exactly cheap, but a local store I could carry it from (I can't drive! ) used my dads jigsaw to roughly cut it out... done a bit of sanding, but due to HORRIBLE weather here and no workshop I havn't had chance to finish... I think making my own template is a lot better than buying one... I can just change whatever bits I need to what I want... bought my brazilian mahogany today too £40.44 inc vat... its 610mm x 540mm x 50mm ... plenty big enough for my body, and plenty of left overs to perhaps build me a little box to keep my plectrums, spare strings and capo's in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Jabsco Posted August 11, 2004 Report Share Posted August 11, 2004 Just draw up your own body shape while looking at pictures. Its what I did, then got some Luuan left over from a shed i built and traced it on, then cut it out with a scroll saw, sanded it, and put some braces on it so it wouldnt break. The great thing about building your own guitar, is that its just that, your own. You dont have to make it JUST LIKE the regular teles you buy in a store.. thats lame. be original. BUT, if you pay me 15 bucks and shipping, I will make you a template thats NOT laser cut, and NOT perfect, but WILL sufice for your first guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SG WyldeCHild Posted August 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2004 Ok thanks alot guys I under stand what you mean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Jabsco Posted August 12, 2004 Report Share Posted August 12, 2004 cool man, dont give up hope. just keep on buildin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.