New To Forum And Willing To Learn

[lancesworld]

Hi,

I am Lance and new to forum. Hopefully, I will be able to meet people who will help me build successful guitars. After six unsuccesful attempts, I have decided that I really need the wisdom of those that have built successful guitars. The problems I have in my builds are legion. Though I keep telling myself I am getting better.

[Rick500]

Welcome.

What sort of problems did you have with the latest one?

[MiKro]

Welcome LW,

Nice to see that you filled out your profile. Many newbs don't, It does help with knowing someones age and possible life experience. So what questions do you have? Please start with the search function as there is plenty of info to find, then refine it to your questions and you will find a plethora of help.

Again glad to have you here at PG.

Mike

[guitarkiller]

hi lance

guitars can be tricky, glad you haven't lost the faith to keep trying.

Lots of cool info here

[lancesworld]

Welcome LW,

Nice to see that you filled out your profile. Many newbs don't, It does help with knowing someones age and possible life experience. So what questions do you have? Please start with the search function as there is plenty of info to find, then refine it to your questions and you will find a plethora of help.

Again glad to have you here at PG.

Mike

I got into this after my wife told me that I needed a hobby. So I went to Borders and started buying books on different hobbies and tried them. None of them really interested me until I read the book by Tom Hirst. I followed some of his directions outlined in the book but, I didn't really want to build a bolt-on neck. So, I digressed enough from his plan to make a mess; build #1, six years ago.

Build #2: I tried to use Dennis Waring's book as a guide. This time I tried to do a through-neck. I actually got the guitar finished. The action was too low (probably because I used a hardtail bridge instead of t-o-m), body was too thin, and it looked hideous. Additionally, only one pick-up worked. That was four years ago.

All of this coupled with the fact that I was learning how to use a bandsaw and other tools I had no experience with. Learning to set up a bandsaw was tough for me. I still don't really know how to sharpen my tools.....though I'm learning. I hope.....

Anyway, I have learned that the books and plans haven't gotten me to where I would like to be. So I'm now going to add to my knowledge through the experience of others.

[another doug]

Welcome to the club!

Melvin Hiscock's "Make Your Own Electric Guitar" is pretty much the bible around here. It contains all of the information you need to plan and build a guitar using minimal tools, and is geared toward beginners. I made several based only on that book and they all play great. The only real problems with them are cosmetic and are the results of impatience and my lack of woodworking experience. The only thing that I wish had been covered that wasn't is using templates and template following router bits to cut the body outline. There's plenty info on that here, though, along with tons of info on more advanced tooling, jigs, different kinds of wood and finishes, electronics, and great tips to make life easier.

The knowledge from this book covers all the basics of guitar building, and will give you the ability to use proper terms in searching this forum and asking questions. People tend to be quicker to help when you show that you have done a bit of research and have at least a basic grasp of what you're talking about.

Hopefully number seven will be a winner!

[guitarkiller]

Welcome to the club!

Melvin Hiscock's "Make Your Own Electric Guitar" is pretty much the bible around here. It contains all of the information you need to plan and build a guitar using minimal tools, and is geared toward beginners. I made several based only on that book and they all play great. The only real problems with them are cosmetic and are the results of impatience and my lack of woodworking experience. The only thing that I wish had been covered that wasn't is using templates and template following router bits to cut the body outline. There's plenty info on that here, though, along with tons of info on more advanced tooling, jigs, different kinds of wood and finishes, electronics, and great tips to make life easier.

The knowledge from this book covers all the basics of guitar building, and will give you the ability to use proper terms in searching this forum and asking questions. People tend to be quicker to help when you show that you have done a bit of research and have at least a basic grasp of what you're talking about.

Hopefully number seven will be a winner!

yup Melvins book rocks!!

[lancesworld]

Welcome to the club!

Melvin Hiscock's "Make Your Own Electric Guitar" is pretty much the bible around here. It contains all of the information you need to plan and build a guitar using minimal tools, and is geared toward beginners. I made several based only on that book and they all play great. The only real problems with them are cosmetic and are the results of impatience and my lack of woodworking experience. The only thing that I wish had been covered that wasn't is using templates and template following router bits to cut the body outline. There's plenty info on that here, though, along with tons of info on more advanced tooling, jigs, different kinds of wood and finishes, electronics, and great tips to make life easier.

The knowledge from this book covers all the basics of guitar building, and will give you the ability to use proper terms in searching this forum and asking questions. People tend to be quicker to help when you show that you have done a bit of research and have at least a basic grasp of what you're talking about.

Hopefully number seven will be a winner!

I will have to pick that one up

[tim_ado]

yeah im yet to......you could wing a first build without it but im getting it before my second

[CrazyManAndy]

+∞ about getting Melvyn Hiscock's book. You will love it.

A good idea for a beginning build is to stick with an already established design because you can get really nice detailed plans on them, and there is a lot of info on them. Patience is key as well, both in researching your build and actually building it.

I hope you find PG to be a useful resource. Whenever you start a build please start a thread in the In Progress and Finished Work, we'd love to see it.

I wish you the best on your future builds!

CMA

[MiKro]

+∞ about getting Melvyn Hiscock's book. You will love it.

A good idea for a beginning build is to stick with an already established design because you can get really nice detailed plans on them, and there is a lot of info on them. Patience is key as well, both in researching your build and actually building it.

I hope you find PG to be a useful resource. Whenever you start a build please start a thread in the In Progress and Finished Work, we'd love to see it.

I wish you the best on your future builds!

CMA

Hey CMA, not to hijack this thread, but did you get my email on the fretboards? If not , pm me, I sent pics as well?

Mike

[tim_ado]

A good idea for a beginning build is to stick with an already established design because you can get really nice detailed plans on them, and there is a lot of info on them. Patience is key as well, both in researching your build and actually building it

i dont know about that

making your own design is fun and not that hard.......just make the shape and all you need to do is route pickups and neck

plus i think you learn more from working out the routes and stuff rather than buying a prebought templete

[CrazyManAndy]

I PM'ed you MiKro.

tim_ado,

I see what you're saying. It's really not that hard, but using an already established design will let you get a little more experience in for when you try to go all out on your custom build, I think. That way you would end up with a better quality custom build.

It all depends on the builder's circumstances and abilites. Not really a bid deal though, either way.

CMA

Edited June 18, 2007 by CrazyManAndy

[lancesworld]

I PM'ed you MiKro.

tim_ado,

I see what you're saying. It's really not that hard, but using an already established design will let you get a little more experience in for when you try to go all out on your custom build, I think. That way you would end up with a better quality custom build.

It all depends on the builder's circumstances and abilites. Not really a bid deal though, either way.

CMA

Thanks-you for the encouragement. You have all been very very helpful, which seems to be rare on these type of boards. Too often, I have found a provincial attitude that runs off eager novices. I haven't found that to be true here and I am very grateful. Learning this craft is something I really want to do and entered the doors knowing it is a lifelong learning process.

I bought the Melvyn Hiscock book yesterday and did my first read through last night. It was very helpful and filled in a lot of the blanks that were in the other books. Additionally, I bought a blueprint for an explorer. I am going to rework some of the things on it though. Primarily, I want a through-neck in a 25" scale not the 24.75. Additionally, I am going to have to change the control cavity layout so that it will be able to accomodate the pot arrangement and megaswitch.

I managed to get the neck blank made out and cut already!!! I got the information to do it right here in this forum.