Ready To Make My Own Guitar, But Need Some Advice 1st.

[need2retire]

I'm totally new at making guitars. My only experience with wood was from

junior high. :-) But after being hooked reading this forum, I'm game ... lots of helpful info

here ... hope I can get more from the experts in this forum.

I like to build a guitar with a finish like the one shown in the following link:

http://warmoth.com/showcase/sc_guitar_bodi...amp;type=guitar

My terminology may be wrong here (since I'm new), but should I be using

a spalted maple veneer (if existed), or should be use a spalted maple "tone" wood ... I'm assuming

it's something thicker (?).

I found a spalted maple top that's is 5/16'' thick ... is this still considered a veneer?

I was planning to buy an unfinished tele body, and then glue this one on top. With

this 5/16" thickness, I'm guessing it would affect the string height relative to

the fretboard. Am I correct? And is there an easy way to compensate that?

Also, this piece I found have a 1/16" crack that spans 2". Is this a major issue? Can it be fixed

by filling with something dark to make it look like it part of the grain?

Thanks in advance for your advice & guidance.

[CrazyManAndy]

Welcome!

I think the best thing you can do is get a good book on the subject. This will answer many of your questions and get you started on the right track. I would also go back and read old threads, I've found many useful tips this way.

I highly recommend Melvyn Hiscock's "Make Your Own Electric Guitar".

CMA

[need2retire]

Welcome!

I think the best thing you can do is get a good book on the subject. This will answer many of your questions and get you started on the right track. I would also go back and read old threads, I've found many useful tips this way.

I highly recommend Melvyn Hiscock's "Make Your Own Electric Guitar".

CMA

Thanks!!! I will certainly buy the book you recommend.

Edited September 12, 2007 by need2retire

[Hector]

hi there. welcome to the forum.

you could use the spalted maple you found, and just remove the same amout of material from the top of the body (the thickness of the top your gluing on) and glue the maple to the body. then you could easily use a router to remove the excess material and remake the body cavities. that's the easy part using a pattern cutting bit and a flush trim bit.

the crack should be no problem, just fill it with something (epoxy, maybe?) and sand it flat again.

good luck with your build!

Edited September 12, 2007 by Hector

[need2retire]

Thanks Hector. I better go pick up that maple before it's gone. Would it be easier just to make my own body instead of cutting an existing one & glue another piece on top?

Also, everyone here agrees that Hiscock's book is the best?

Thanks again!!!

[CrazyManAndy]

Thanks Hector. I better go pick up that maple before it's gone. Would it be easier just to make my own body instead of cutting an existing one & glue another piece on top?

Also, everyone here agrees that Hiscock's book is the best?

Thanks again!!!

It isn't hard to make your own body. Besides, if you're going through the trouble of making a guitar with a nice top, you might as well get the wood to make a nice body to go with it.

While I don't think one book can ever be "the best", I think you'll find that it has a considerable following here. It aptly accomplishes what it set out to do and does so in a very casual, accessible style. I've had the book for some time and I still learn new things every time I read it.

CMA

Edited September 12, 2007 by CrazyManAndy

[Mickguard]

Thanks Hector. I better go pick up that maple before it's gone. Would it be easier just to make my own body instead of cutting an existing one & glue another piece on top?

If you're just getting your feet wet at this, and you've had no prior experience, then modifying an existing guitar is indeed a decent place to start.

In this case, you'll want to plane off the top --the easiest would be to find a friendly pro carpenter with a thicknessing machine, who can also help prepare the new top. You can also use a router to take off the top--have a look through the forum, there are descriptions of jigs you can build that will make that easier.

Practice on scrap first!

Then you glue on the new top --because the guitar is already routed, you can just use the existing routes and holes (use a follower bit) to prepare the new top.

For the crack, be careful about touching anything metal to the glue--that will darken the glue line. Chances are it'll be more or less invisible (or only visible very close up---to me, if the guitar passes the 'one meter' test, then it's fine). I had a crack in the retopped tele I built last year, but I darkened the lines on purpose, I liked the way it looks.

Of course, if you really want the ultimate build experience, then you'll need to start from the scratch. That's a whole 'nother kettle of fish. First thing you need to ask yourself is this: Do you have the patience, or at least, are you willing to learn how to be patient?

[bricks]

I've not been building that long either.

I started same as you just messing around with fret levels and stuff.

First guitar was a kit build, got me started.

Have not bought a body or neck since, but the first build was a valuable learning tool.

I have read as many books as I could get my hands on re- guitar building and woodworking.

[Mattia]

Honestly, I can't say modifying an existing guitar is much easier than building one from scratch, certainly not for slab solidbody instruments. Necks are a different story, although again, they're a lot of fun and easier than most people seem to think.

My first was a guitar built with warmoth parts. Meant I got to do the difficult/boring/annoying parts of guitar building, and few of the fun bits: finishing, sanding, wiring, setup. Important skills, yes, even crucial, but not the reason I build instruments.

Get the Hiscock book, read it cover to cover, and go from there.

[need2retire]

Thanks so much everyone. Lots of good advices. I'm very thankful. I was up till 3:00am last night just reading up on some of the projects people have done.

Buttercaster was fun to read :-)

Took CrazyManAndy's advice and bought the "Make Your Own Electric Guitar" book. I'm also looking into buying "Building Electric Guitars" by Margin Koch.

I was planning to take it 1 step at a time. Before I make my own body, I was planning to buy a cheap piece of wood at home depot and make a body from start to end with finishing (learning how go glue blocks together and carve them). Once I get a hang of that then move on to the "real" body. I THINK some of the more challenging part for me is to learn how to make measurement correctly. A little off here and there my neck and bridge don't lined up ... that's probably my worst fear. Finishing the guitar I'm sure I'll be making some mistakes (but reading from forums I think I'm starting to understand the basic concept). The electrical part will be the easiest part for me. And yes, THE NECK ... that will be the last thing I'll learn.

Thanks everyone, keep the advices coming

[ihocky2]

Instead of getting cheap wood at home depot get some poplar or ash or alder or even basswood. It will cost the same or only like $5 more than pine or any of the stuff home depot has. In fact it will be cheaper than the hardwoods that home depot selss. If you are not happy with the results you are not out much money, and if you are happy with the results, you just built yourself a decent guitar. A lot of people figure they'll start with cheap wood from home depot, but don't realise that you can get good hard wood for only a few dollars more.

[need2retire]

Thanks so much everyone. Lots of good advices. I'm very thankful. I was up till 3:00am last night just reading up on some of the projects people have done.

Buttercaster was fun to read :-)

Took CrazyManAndy's advice and bought the "Make Your Own Electric Guitar" book. I'm also looking into buying "Building Electric Guitars" by Margin Koch.

I was planning to take it 1 step at a time. Before I make my own body, I was planning to buy a cheap piece of wood at home depot and make a body from start to end with finishing (learning how go glue blocks together and carve them). Once I get a hang of that then move on to the "real" body. I THINK some of the more challenging part for me is to learn how to make measurement correctly. A little off here and there my neck and bridge don't lined up ... that's probably my worst fear. Finishing the guitar I'm sure I'll be making some mistakes (but reading from forums I think I'm starting to understand the basic concept). The electrical part will be the easiest part for me. And yes, THE NECK ... that will be the last thing I'll learn.

Thanks everyone, keep the advices coming

[need2retire]

Thanks so much everyone. Lots of good advices. I'm very thankful. I was up till 3:00am last night just reading up on some of the projects people have done.

Buttercaster was fun to read :-)

Took CrazyManAndy's advice and bought the "Make Your Own Electric Guitar" book. I'm also looking into buying "Building Electric Guitars" by Margin Koch.

I was planning to take it 1 step at a time. Before I make my own body, I was planning to buy a cheap piece of wood at home depot and make a body from start to end with finishing (learning how go glue blocks together and carve them). Once I get a hang of that then move on to the "real" body. I THINK some of the more challenging part for me is to learn how to make measurement correctly. A little off here and there my neck and bridge don't lined up ... that's probably my worst fear. Finishing the guitar I'm sure I'll be making some mistakes (but reading from forums I think I'm starting to understand the basic concept). The electrical part will be the easiest part for me. And yes, THE NECK ... that will be the last thing I'll learn.

Thanks everyone, keep the advices coming

[need2retire]

Thanks so much everyone. Lots of good advices. I'm very thankful. I was up till 3:00am last night just reading up on some of the projects people have done.

Buttercaster was fun to read :-)

Took CrazyManAndy's advice and bought the "Make Your Own Electric Guitar" book. I'm also looking into buying "Building Electric Guitars" by Margin Koch.

I was planning to take it 1 step at a time. Before I make my own body, I was planning to buy a cheap piece of wood at home depot and make a body from start to end with finishing (learning how go glue blocks together and carve them). Once I get a hang of that then move on to the "real" body. I THINK some of the more challenging part for me is to learn how to make measurement correctly. A little off here and there my neck and bridge don't lined up ... that's probably my worst fear. Finishing the guitar I'm sure I'll be making some mistakes (but reading from forums I think I'm starting to understand the basic concept). The electrical part will be the easiest part for me. And yes, THE NECK ... that will be the last thing I'll learn.

Thanks everyone, keep the advices coming

[erikbojerik]

Welcome to the forum.

+1 on getting some inexpensive hardwood to start; alder, basswood or even walnut is a good place to start.

One thing that sometimes trips folks up at the beginning is how large to make the neck pocket....it is easy when you realize that almost all slab-bodied electrics have the neck-body joint at the 16th fret.

I would recommend doing a body first and using a pre-made neck (Doug @ Soulmate Guitars, USA Custom Guitars, Warmoth, or eBay) because once you do one like this, it is easier to see the kinds of measurements that you need to keep track of. Then progress to a DIY neck with your 2nd build.

[Geo]

For a first project, you might want to copy a tried-and-true design, from a plan. Of course you can design your own too (much cooler)--just study the beginning of Melvyn's book very carefully. He explains how to figure out a neck angle, lay out string spacing, etc.

If you decide to design your own, get your bridge first and base everything around that. If you mess that up, the strings may lay flat against the frets or else be way too high.

You can get poplar from Lowe's. Just laminate the body from 4 or 6 pieces. It'll probably cost about $20.

[need2retire]

Thanks Erikbojerik.

Yes, I was planning to build a few guitars with pre-made neck 1st. Once I have enough experience, then I would love to make my own neck also. The important thing for me is to make something that's playable to get going.

Eventually, I would like to make something like this (with P90 pickups):

http://www.glguitars.com/frameset.htm

in this kind if finishing (I've already bought this spalted maple: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...:IT&ih=009)

Gold bridge/tuners & cream pups.

What do you think of that look?

EDIT: Not sure why the link didn't work (try again later). But I want to make ones that looks like the G&L ASAT SPECIAL DELUXE.

Edited September 13, 2007 by need2retire

[need2retire]

Lets try this again:

I like to make something like this G&L ASAP SPECIAL DELUXE:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...rksid=p3907.m29

With the finishing like this:

http://warmoth.com/showcase/sc_guitar_bodi...amp;type=guitar

With creme P90 pickups & gold bridge/tuners/knobs.

Spalted maple top I've already purchased from Ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...:IT&ih=009

Hope this will come out right. What ya think?

Geo, ~$20 to do a practice run ... sounds good.

Edited September 13, 2007 by need2retire

[Mickguard]

I THINK some of the more challenging part for me is to learn how to make measurement correctly. A little off here and there my neck and bridge don't lined up ..

It took me five and a half hours to drill two holes on one of my most recent projects. But those holes are perfect

You'll want to invest in a laser level --it'll make your life a whole lot easier when it comes to getting everything lined up perfectly. Long rulers help too.

Mattia's right that a mod takes almost as much work as building the body from scratch. But it's fun to do, so don't discount that.

The hardest part about building a body is getting the template right --but if you use an existing body to prepare your template, then you're already 90% there.

And after resisting building the neck for a couple of years I finally went ahead and did it (I started with no woodworking experience too). And it really is the most fun part of building.

[need2retire]

Holly cow ... 5 1/5 hours to drill two perfect holes. I never expected that. :D Still sounds fun though. I'll get the right tool to make my guitar building easier and less prone to errors. I was planning to use the Kirn's template as my starting point.

[Blackdog]

Holly cow ... 5 1/5 hours to drill two perfect holes. I never expected that. :D Still sounds fun though. I'll get the right tool to make my guitar building easier and less prone to errors. I was planning to use the Kirn's template as my starting point.

I have just started with this building addiction myself, and I would like to support a couple of concepts already expressed here:

Do your practicing on some reasonable wood. I bought an inexpensive piece of mahogany for the test-model, it went well and it's now becoming a guitar. The better piece of wood I bought for the project is now going to be Build#2.

I commissioned the neck for the first one, so I only needed to concentrate on the making of the body. For the future I'm making my own necks, I'm just starting but it certainly looks like fun.

For the first build I copied a design from an actual guitar, that I used to make the templates. I made the calculations for the layout of the parts all the same: This way I didn't have to worry about measurements much, and I could verify that my methods for calculating the position of things are actually correct.

And patience, that's the part I suffer the most. Building in my free time means that a build takes many months. There are no ways around this, accept it and have fun in the process.

Welcome and enjoy.

[need2retire]

Thanks for the welcome, Blackdog. I'm having fun already. I got my book ordered and researching as much as I can. This will be my weekend project ... or start calling "sick" every once in a while.

[Mickguard]

Holly cow ... 5 1/5 hours to drill two perfect holes. I never expected that.

Did I mention 'patience'?

Of course the drilling part took all of five seconds. It was the measuring and remeasuring that took me so long (that and a dose of nervous-nelliness). But yeah, I had a good time doing that anyway.

[need2retire]

(... a dose of nervous-nelliness).

Yup, I'm sure I'll be feeling the same way too.