korge Posted April 23, 2005 Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 (edited) Well before i spend 80 bucks on wood, i decided i would try to do some wood work on some pine. Ive never done real woodwork so i figured the best way would be to make a miniscale guitar.... Im not done but heres pics of whats done so far. First i printed a pic of a body from warmoths site. i cut it out and put it ontop the wood. From there i took a pencil and drew around the edge of the paper to get an out line.. When i removed the paper, i traced the out line to get the body. Now i need to cut it out! I cant wait till its done.. i just need to find out how to make the electronics.. lol http://www.geocities.com/korgerecords/tele_1.JPG http://www.geocities.com/korgerecords/tele_2.JPG http://www.geocities.com/korgerecords/tele_3.JPG (like my pink pencil?) ~korge Edited April 23, 2005 by korge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feylya Posted April 23, 2005 Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 (like my pink pencil?) Best chat up line ever! Nice work too... Looking forward to seeing it finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted April 23, 2005 Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 (edited) Is this meant to be a playable guitar? I would imagine it wouldn't be at all feasible to make a guitar that size for anything other than decoration. ← I doubt it is. I think Korge just wants some practice on woodworking before he messes up big time on his project Edited April 23, 2005 by AlGeeEater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted April 23, 2005 Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 Thats cool and all but I doubt that you are going to get anything out of this. Building a guitar and sawing a piece of wood are two different things. If you have never cut a piece of wood before you might learn somthing but otherwise.... On a more positive note, this could be a really cool litle conversation piece on the coffee table if you decide to finish it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
korge Posted April 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 (edited) okie, im not gonna play it... (think before you speak) alG was right, i jsut want some practice, BUT! i want this to be as scale to a real guitar as possible... im gonna try to get some sheet metal and make the bridge and everything.. Get it now? okie well i started cuttin.. now you can see the shape tho http://www.geocities.com/korgerecords/tele_4.jpg Edited April 24, 2005 by korge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted April 24, 2005 Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 Well, I agree and disagree...on the one hand, if you've never worked with wood before (like me a couple of months ago!) then pretty much anything you do with wood is going to give you a bit more of a feel for it, and issues involved with working on it. On the other hand, you'd be better served working on a full-scale, REAL guitar ...you'll confront all of the issues involved in building a guitar, you'll be making a lot of trips to the hardware store to get all of the tools you'll need --and you really need a lot of tools for this. Just learning to route has taken me a couple of months of practice... Also, working with pine really doesn't have much to do with working with the 'proper' guitar woods. You're better off finding scrap pieces of good wood, old pieces of wood, etc. My current project combines leftover ash from a friend's bookshelf project, plus a plank of wood cut off of our staircase, plus some thin maple planks I bought cheaply. Personally, I don't focus on building a 'perfect' guitar --I focus on the individual tasks and gestures I need to (learn to) make, moving ahead one step at a time. This is because I recognize that I won't build just one guitar in my life...eventually I'll reach the skill level I need to produce a really nice guitar. In the meantime, I'm having lots of fun learning all of this. Looks like you are too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 24, 2005 Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 Whoever said it wouldn't be playable based on scale length couldn't be more wrong. Maybe the construction materials would make it less than playable, but the scale is fine. There would need to be other adjustments... in fact, if the neck was made more narrow (to make a 6-string neck that would be playable, the pocket would have to be enlarged from that Warmoth photocopy, throwing off the realistic appearance of a Tele significantly) it COULD be made into a mandolin of sorts, with doubled strings or with simply the normal G-D-A-E configuration on 4 strings instead of 8 (I think that's how a mandolin's tuned-- I couldn't be arsed looking it up right now just to please the pedants). In theory, you could make the neck only a WEE bit more narrow and make the neck start at where the 12th fret would normally be. An octave higher, in other words. I dunno, I think if something other than pine were chosen, it could turn into a fun project! Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted April 24, 2005 Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 Reprint that Warmoth pic in color and you've got yourself a custom Fotoflame finish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
korge Posted April 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 Well, im trully just doing this for fun and to practice with wood.. i know cutting pine is nothing compared to cutting hardwood but i would rather be doing something with wood in the mean time... the nearest Lumber mill is on the othe side of Atlanta and my dad wants to "wait for a good time" . so until i get to go, im just messing around with this pine. I mean, does this mean this progect is stupid? i didnt think so,, i think its cool. I was going to use shaped nails for frets and fishing line for strings. anyways... As for the neck, i did the same thing with the warmoth body to get the shape.. i took the picture, printed it out Perfectly to the same scale, and traced it... http://www.geocities.com/korgerecords/tele_5.jpg ~korge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted April 24, 2005 Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 I don't think this is stupid at all! If i had some time to kill I would definately give it a go. I just don't think you are going to really learn anything that will be applicable to real guitar construction. But hey, Robert Benedetto's first "guitars" were little miniatures he carved from scraps of wood so who knows! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 24, 2005 Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 I think it's an awesome little project. Not stupid at all. It could be worse, you could be spending hours glued to your computer monitor clicking "refresh" while reading a variety of internet forums. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzocchi705 Posted April 24, 2005 Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 Mini Tele, i like it!! This will end up being like an ornament or somthing right? if it is then you could use fuse wire for strings, the thiker 30amp stuff at the bass thru 3amp wire at the treble. I use fuse wire for making barbed wire fences for models, might look good here. Do you mind if i copy you and build a mini tele for myself, just for kicks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
korge Posted April 24, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 No i dont, in fact i think its cool that you wanna try... that means im not the only one that likes it... Right now i kinda stoped the tele b/c im buildin a strat for my friend cuz they liked it... well heres the latest images of my tele... I began sanding and shaping the guitar and neck... http://www.geocities.com/korgerecords/tele_6.jpg http://www.geocities.com/korgerecords/tele_7.jpg http://www.geocities.com/korgerecords/tele_8.jpg Btw, anyone got tips to winding my own pickups.. just incase i wanted to make smaller ones to go in the tele? see... if i can, i want this to be playable... hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnewman Posted April 24, 2005 Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 If you really want to try to make it playable, you should probably make it a tele-ukelele (4 string short scale). You can buy alnico V single coil pole-pieces from stewmac and make your own bobbin parts from the dark bottom plastic parts of CD cases, you'll also need some magnet wire. There's some information around on wiring pickups, it's not actually too hard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted April 24, 2005 Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 No i dont, in fact i think its cool that you wanna try... that means im not the only one that likes it... Right now i kinda stoped the tele b/c im buildin a strat for my friend cuz they liked it... well heres the latest images of my tele... I began sanding and shaping the guitar and neck... http://www.geocities.com/korgerecords/tele_6.jpg http://www.geocities.com/korgerecords/tele_7.jpg http://www.geocities.com/korgerecords/tele_8.jpg Btw, anyone got tips to winding my own pickups.. just incase i wanted to make smaller ones to go in the tele? see... if i can, i want this to be playable... hehe ← Are you going to get itty bitty screws to attatch the neck? jk man, its actaully turning out kinda cool. You could have a lot worst hobbies my friend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
korge Posted April 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 Well im glad you like it alG... well i just got done with the shaping and sanding of the neck... heres a detailed shot of the shape and a shot of the neck fitting to the body... http://www.geocities.com/korgerecords/tele_9.jpg http://www.geocities.com/korgerecords/tele_10.jpg anyone know the best way to make mini frets? i was thinking bout using contoured nails or somthing... any better ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 Hey, since you didn't like my Fotoflame idea, how about a sunburst? That's pretty ashlike grain there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mledbetter Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 That's pretty freakin cool.. Sometimes you just have to do something, or you'll go crazy waiting for the opportunity to do the real thing.. Although, if you want to make it playable with a pickup.. id order some fretwire and stay away from the nails and fishing line There are electric mandos out there that are very similar.. they are often tele shaped. so you're talking 4 strings. You'd want to get a maple neck though.. probably too much tension for a little piece of pine. Nice avatar btw.. that's one of my fav scens from one of the best movies of all time.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
korge Posted April 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 Hey, since you didn't like my Fotoflame idea, how about a sunburst? That's pretty ashlike grain there. ← I never said i didnt like it... but yea, i was thinking about doing somekind of sunburst since i got a pretty good grain... ----- And yes, i love my avatar too... And can you give me a link to a site on what you were talking about... the pickups.. Also, would it be possible to take a piece of rosewood and place it on top of the pine? or would it be best just to cut a solid piece.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitman32 Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 korge, this project is glorious, simply glorious. Speaking of glorious, your new avatar is also glorious. The funny part is that at first glance it looks somewhat normal sized in the pictures. If I may give my personal opinion, I think you should order the wood for a full sized project. I think you have demonstrated your ability to perform, at the very least, basic woodworking. Unless you are very set on finishing this mini project to playable condition (I for one, would love to see this become playable), youre effors can be directed to the real thing. In alot of ways, everything from this point forward would almost be easier on a full size guitar, such as routing a truss rod cavity, and installing frets. I for one, hope to see a "Project Telecaster, a tele bigger than your big head" in the near future!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mledbetter Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 Here is an electric mando for sale.. you can see how it's built.. they are a serious instrument.. it's certainly not a toy. you've inspired me to change my avatar.. to one of my other favorite movies.. lol.. Just google for electric mandolin and you'll find a bunch of em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
korge Posted April 25, 2005 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 (edited) seems ive sparked some interests in the avatars.. well i looked at the mandolins... seems ive been misjudged... to be honest(you might be surprised) the tele is only roughly about a foot and a half tall.... yes... a little under two feet... surprised yet? well get this.. i still want to make pickups and a bridge for this little guitar... now... anyone know where to get the right parts to make pickups the size of my pinky finger? Edited May 3, 2005 by korge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 You can get pickup parts and stuff from Stewart MacDonald. Look here for a pickup tutorial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mledbetter Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 stew is a good source for the magnet wire.. If you want cheap but playable.. you might look at jason lollars site.. www.jasonlollar.com. (not that his pickups are cheap) but you might get some design ideas to build your own. For instance, you coudl take a cheap bar magnet, get a suitable piece of metal for a blade and make your bobbin out of cut up CD case plastic as was mentioned.. all a pickup is is magnet wire wrapped around a magnet thousands of times. Different pickup designs call for different types of magnets. A strat pup is 6 individual mags held by the bobbin.. a humbucker has a bar magnet on the bottom touching metal pole pieces.. a p90 is similar.. Ceramic strat pickups are usually steel pole pieces with a bar mag glued to the bottom of the pup.. Design can vary.. a blade pickup though would be the easiest type to build given the odd size of your project. You'll need some kind of winder.. if you're careful, you can rig something up with a drill..And buying wire, you're going to want to buy 43 awg probably.. and maybe even experiment with 44awg wire.. the standard 42 won't have enough room to get enough turns. The tele bridge pup isusually 42awg adn the neck is 43.. You would never fit enough 42awg wire on a tele neck bobbin so they used smaller gauge wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crafty Posted May 2, 2005 Report Share Posted May 2, 2005 I just looked at mledbetter's post right before korge's post and if you stare long enough, Billy Squier and Michael Bolton appear to be swinging their arms in time to each other. Creepy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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