iskim86 Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 weird how I don't see a sticky on this.... ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TripleFan Posted October 2, 2007 Report Share Posted October 2, 2007 Strange one... But OK, on the topic of guitar building the most recommended books would probably be "Make Your Own Electric Guitar" by Melvyn Hiscock and "Building Electric Guitars" by Martin Koch Most people around here seem to prefer Hiscock´s book (he also is a member here). Myself I like Koch´s book a little bit better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingblood Posted October 4, 2007 Report Share Posted October 4, 2007 I like make your own electric guitar and bass by Dennis Warring and David Raymond and make your own electric guitar by Melvyn Hiscock. As for the others I haven't read them so I can't comment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iskim86 Posted October 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2007 cool! are they very technical? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vikingblood Posted October 5, 2007 Report Share Posted October 5, 2007 Not at all dude they are for newbies for shure. I am a newbie I never built a guitar yet but very soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Memphetic Posted October 6, 2007 Report Share Posted October 6, 2007 Hiscock's book is amazing. It covers all the bases within the three projects, as they're all completely different in each way. I highly suggest it, and it's not too expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iskim86 Posted October 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 6, 2007 Not at all dude they are for newbies for shure. I am a newbie I never built a guitar yet but very soon. i see. i'm looking for a more technical book. most of the sites i came across on the web are too refined, and i'm willing to learn the more technical aspects of guitar building Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyManAndy Posted October 6, 2007 Report Share Posted October 6, 2007 Not at all dude they are for newbies for shure. I am a newbie I never built a guitar yet but very soon. i see. i'm looking for a more technical book. most of the sites i came across on the web are too refined, and i'm willing to learn the more technical aspects of guitar building What exactly do you mean? CMA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted October 6, 2007 Report Share Posted October 6, 2007 They're technical enough, and the rest, well, get it online, and from general books on woodworking and fine joinery. If you want technical in that sense (= how to use tools, etc.), get some books on fine cabinetmaking. If you want detailed tech guides on specific bits of guitar making (such as fretwork, finishing), stewmac has books per subject area. Won't get more technical than that. If you want a book that walks through all basic design considerations (what do you need to decide on, how, what are the options, how do they work together, planning, drawing, then building in one of three styles - bolt on, set or neck through - and then mixing and/or matching construction techniques from each one to suit your own design), get the Hiscock 'Make Your Own Electric Guitar'. Well-written, easy to read, brimming with information and useful reference tables, template outlines, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iskim86 Posted October 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 7, 2007 Not at all dude they are for newbies for shure. I am a newbie I never built a guitar yet but very soon. i see. i'm looking for a more technical book. most of the sites i came across on the web are too refined, and i'm willing to learn the more technical aspects of guitar building What exactly do you mean? CMA stuff like finding out the location of the frets using math, finding the pickup sweet spot, etc. most of the sites i run into tell you exactly when you put your frets depending on your scale, but what if my scale is something like 28"? I want to be able to calculate the locations myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyManAndy Posted October 8, 2007 Report Share Posted October 8, 2007 (edited) Calculating fret positions is pretty simple. The best thing to do is just do a google search for "Fret Calculator". You'll find plenty of them. Here is a link on the subject: http://www.liutaiomottola.com/formulae/fret.htm/ For pickup positioning, here is an interesting study of the subject: http://www.till.com/articles/PickupResponse/index.html He's got two other articles on pickups as well: http://till.com/articles/index.html If you're looking for really heady stuff, you probably won't find it in a book, at least not one dealing specifically with electric guitars. You might try breaking it down into it's basic elements and getting books for each one. Wood, electronics, engineering, physics, music theory, metal, woodworking, etc. etc. Books dealing with other instruments might be useful as well. But, the internet is a great resource. Searching the internet and various forums is a great way to find that information. And it's free! CMA Edited October 8, 2007 by CrazyManAndy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted October 9, 2007 Report Share Posted October 9, 2007 (edited) The scale length calc thing is covered in all of the books above, including how to calculate your own. It's not particularly complicated or 'techy', really. In terms of pickup position, I don't buy into the 'sweet spot' thing much at all, since the 'sweet spot' will depend on where the nodes/antinodes are, which depends on where you're fretting the note. Other than that, it's a matter of taste (how far apart you keep bridge and neck pups gives you a different 'preset' tonal balance). For more technical technical things, back issues of the GAL quarterly (Guild of American Luthiers) or ASIA (American Stringed Instrument Artisans) magazine 'Guitarmaker' may be more interesting, but they focus largely on acoustic instruments. Stuff on resonance, tuning, tempered scale, calculating ideal radii, that sort of thing, it's all covered. All interesting, but frankly, if you refer to 'I want to be able to work out how to space frets for a 28" scale' as a technical question, I really do reccomend you begin with the Hiscock and get a book like Dan Erlewine's 'Guitar Player Repair Guide' first. Beyond that, register at MIMF.com, and read through the library (use the library catalog). Lots and lots of interesting stuff there. Edited October 9, 2007 by Mattia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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