dpm99 Posted May 26, 2008 Report Share Posted May 26, 2008 Hello everyone, I've been researching for a few months now, and it's time I make a decision on what sort of guitar I want next. I was hoping some of you might be willing to offer some advice. What I really want to do is buy a pre-made through neck and make a guitar from that. Here's how far I've gotten in planning: - Mahogany, laminate neck with rosewood fingerboard (possibly with laminates from bubinga or something, depending on where I order from) - Mahogany or limba body wings - Tremking bridge - Humbucker pickups (for starters, a 496r and a 500t I have sitting around, to be upgraded later) There are a few more specifics I've thought of, but that's the major stuff. Here's the problem. I live in an apartment with no patio. I have a friend that's willing to let me use his patio for drying paint and glue, but since I don't have a garage, there's no band saw or anything like that. I do have a router, but it's not a plunge router, and I don't have a router table. My thought is that I can use a coping saw to get the body and headstock roughly shaped, and then sand them down to where I want them. I have some experience with woodworking, and have wired a few guitars on my own, but this would definitely stretch me. I've also read most of Melvyn Hiscock's book. Option two is to buy a body and pair it with an old Ibanez neck I have lying around. That seems boring to me, but maybe it's more realistic. I could at least do what I want with the electronics. Here are a few questions, if anyone might be willing to help me think through this: 1. Am I nuts? Am I trying to bite off more than I can chew? 2. If I do what I want here, what would be the minimum tools I would need? 3. Are there any major factors I haven't thought of? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted May 26, 2008 Report Share Posted May 26, 2008 (edited) I'd get a saw like this... http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj242/j...ct/CIMG5156.jpg A coping saw doesn't have enough tension for cutting thick planks of wood accurately but these are great (I have cut three mm thick headstock plates with it) they do take time though!. You can find them on ebay or if you want i could measure it up and you could build your own one! With the exception of the occasional use of use of a pillar drill I don't think any power tools are necessary they just make things faster/easier and they can also wreck things faster and easier! PS that bench is in my bedroom so don't let no garde/shed/garage put you off! Edited May 26, 2008 by joshvegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted May 26, 2008 Report Share Posted May 26, 2008 (edited) thanks mexnoob! One thing about my post when i said i cut 3mm thick headstock plates i meant the actuall veneer cutting not shaping themI cut them about 4 mm thick but a bit of planing soon smoothed out the irregularities! Edited May 26, 2008 by joshvegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted May 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2008 Thanks for the encouragement, Josh. Do you know the name of that saw? I think I need one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dadovfor Posted May 26, 2008 Report Share Posted May 26, 2008 There's no doubt about it ... the circumstances you're in will be challenging. But that's the beauty of building your own guitar and this forum ... continual challenges that you'll resolve through your own ingenuity and/or the assistance of the supportive members here. Perhaps for inspiration, take a look at this guy's site to see a beautiful guitar produced with very limited resources: http://members.fortunecity.com/jtfish/lpc/cvr/cover.htm Obviously ... my view is that you should go for it. Good luck and keep us posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArieBombarie Posted May 27, 2008 Report Share Posted May 27, 2008 well having no real place to work is a bit of a bummer... cutting, routing, and sanding will leave you with (hopefully) a beautiful guitar and a lot of dust! I think you can do without a workbench and a lot of the power tools, but your real challenge will be keeping your apartment clean.. So here's a thought... when cutting mother-of-pearl, most builder use a vacuum to suck the pearl dust away.. (this dust is sharp and hazardess to your health)... So maybe you can use an (old) vacuum, attach a funnel of some sort to it, and sand close to it so most of the dust will be sucked away before it can mess up your apartment... I say go for it... having build your guitar in your apartment will only make it more special... Grz Arjan PS if you use regular woodglue, you can let it dry inside your apartment... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted May 27, 2008 Report Share Posted May 27, 2008 (edited) Oops I meant to say that it was a Bow Saw atleast that is what it's called over here but I've also seen tree trimming saws called that they are not the same thing! The blades can be sorced but most people just use sections of bandsaw blades. As for the mess yeah thats always a problem I have a huge sheet that sits under my bench and when not in use i roll it up against the legs I don't use much sand paper i tend to use planes and spoke shaves where ever possible and as they deposit fairly large chunks of wood on the floor dust isn't a major problem for me but I have used the vacume technique with huge suck-sess (sorry) An old extractor fan with a length dryer hose works well too and is alot quieter Although I have not used it myself. EDIT I decided to while away three minutes... firstly an ebay search for those of you in the US http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?f...&category0= secondly I found this site ages ago whilst trying to find one myself but before i got stuck in I went to this antique tools place back where i live and one of the many tools i persuaded my dad to bank roll was my bowsaw http://www.geocities.com/plybench/bowsaw.html Edited May 27, 2008 by joshvegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted May 27, 2008 Report Share Posted May 27, 2008 Here are a few questions, if anyone might be willing to help me think through this: 1. Am I nuts? Yep. At least you're in the right loony-bin with the rest of us! Am I trying to bite off more than I can chew? No more than anyone on their first build. 2. If I do what I want here, what would be the minimum tools I would need? A lot of common sense and the ability to read & research before you act. You WON'T know what you're doing until you've done it a few times. Having a clue ahead of time will reduce the number of mistaked, though. 3. Are there any major factors I haven't thought of? That's hard to say. What thoughts haven't you typed out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted May 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2008 (edited) What a nice bunch of folks here. Thanks for those links, Josh. I think I've figured out the work space problem. I live in San Diego, so even though I live in an apartment, I can pretty much roll out a sheet on a piece of grass at any time and work outside. I might even get a card table or something to use as a workbench. 3. Are there any major factors I haven't thought of? That's hard to say. What thoughts haven't you typed out? This is an interesting question. The problem is that the ideas keep evolving in my head. At some point, I realize I'm just going to have to make some decisions and move forward, but for now, I'm planning. The big question in my mind at this point is what sort of bridge to use. I really like the Tremking bridges, but as I was reading through posts here yesterday, I got interested in piezo saddles. Now I'm sort of wanting to go that route, since I'm currently playing a Taylor T5 and love going back and forth between acoustic and electric, mixing the sounds, all of that. Since I do a lot of palm muting, I have to be careful about picking the right bridge. I've never had a tremolo before, but was hoping to have one on this guitar. So I'm not really sure what to do. I'd welcome any advice. Also, the appearance of the guitar is at this point nothing but an afterthought. I need to figure it out. My head is so locked into function that I'm having trouble conceiving form. Most of the other stuff I listed above. I want locking tuners, unless my bridge choices forces me into a locking nut. I was hoping to go with black paint and all gold hardware, but again, I'm having trouble figuring out how I want it to look. I want lots of wood in it, but a contoured shape. I want a Brian May style inlay pattern on the fretboard. Not sure if I want binding or not. I want a big control panel on the front with lots of switches and knobs mounted on a pickguard I can easily replace. I'm leaning toward a mostly flat top (excepting contours). All these things have led me to think I might do well to consider a jazzmaster shape, scrap the black and gold thing, and make a cool-looking relic. But I don't know if I love that idea. Also, I'm really in love with the idea of a through-neck. It seems like it will help me avoid a lot of headaches, and while I know it won't idiot-proof it, it should help. I'd like to have something figured out in the next few weeks. And if you've read through all this rambling, thanks. Also, anyone know of a good neck-builder? Right now, I'm leaning toward the guy from soulmateguitars.com, just because I can't seem to find many options. He looks like he does good work, but I'm sure open to suggestions/plugs. Thanks, DPM Edited May 28, 2008 by dpm99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 I personally endorse Carvin. The quality is amazing, and the price is among the best on the market. They offer a neck-through as well. The big drawback is lack of options. But, if you like the few specs they offer, they're WELL worth the effort. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted May 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 I personally endorse Carvin. The quality is amazing, and the price is among the best on the market. They offer a neck-through as well. The big drawback is lack of options. But, if you like the few specs they offer, they're WELL worth the effort. Yeah, and they're local for me. I've thought about it, but I don't think I want the sound of maple in the body. That seems to be all they do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 I'd advise against a card table If it need to be portable go with a folding workbench (workmate it the uk not sure about over the pond) having the table rocking and a rolling will be a pain and it will also be the wrong height which will do your back in which will mean you'll have to play your guitar sitting down! Whats wrong with a black jazzmaster with gold hardware it sound pretty cool add a tortoiseshell scratchplate and you'd be done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddW Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 I personally endorse Carvin. The quality is amazing, and the price is among the best on the market. They offer a neck-through as well. The big drawback is lack of options. But, if you like the few specs they offer, they're WELL worth the effort. Yeah, and they're local for me. I've thought about it, but I don't think I want the sound of maple in the body. That seems to be all they do. Maple is stiff and strong and Carvin adds carbon fiber rods to their necks. Other's might differ, but I wouldn't worry about the maple having an adverse affect on sound. Just choose your PUPs and tone controls appropriately. My first useful project was a 17" scale one PUP neck through for my son who is now 6. I had very little space, no bandsaw, no jointer or planer . . . and not a lot of knowlege. But I did make friends with the guys at the university cabinet shop, and they planed and jointed several boards for me and gave me some decent advice before I got my own tools. If you're in school, see if the school has a shop. I'd also bet that someone you know has a jigsaw that you can borrow. To do a decent job on a custom body, you'll want some way to plane board edges flat and straight for jointing. You can actually make an amazing joint line using a router and a straight edge and cutting the two edges at the same time, but if you buy a neck through, I wouldn't recommend that. And with minimal tools, I'd buy the neck. It'd be way too much work for me without a jointer and such. But to make a beautiful body, all you need is some wood, template material, your router, sharp bits, a coping saw, a couple of files, LOTS of sandpaper, some creativity and patience. oh and one more thing. BUY A DUST MASK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted May 28, 2008 Report Share Posted May 28, 2008 All my joints get the once over with the stanley plane shown in the picture with my saw! Infact those two tools are my favourite I don't have any plans to buy power tools (I have a pillar drill at home) I have a router but I like cutting pickups cavities and such by hand I find it more rewarding! So now we've persuaded you to build a guitar in your apartment I want to see some plans! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted May 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 So now we've persuaded you to build a guitar in your apartment I want to see some plans! Working on them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackdog Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 So now we've persuaded you to build a guitar in your apartment I want to see some plans! Hmmm, are you sure you guys have done the right thing ?? I don't remember anyone asking if dpm99 is married.... Anyone else sharing the appartment ?? Any pets ?? Good luck with the project. The only completely indispensable tools are "patience", and a vacuum cleaner: in your case more than ever. Looking forward to see your progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 A jigsaw is pretty useful for cutting out body shapes and headstocks and even cutting the waste off the sides of the neck. Of course, it doesn't cut perpendicular sides because the blade wanders at the unattached end, but you can clean it up with a bearing bit on your router if it's a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddW Posted May 29, 2008 Report Share Posted May 29, 2008 Or a hand plane with a shooting board. Very useful if you don't have a jointer with a good fence, and everyone should have at least one well tuned hand plane. They're just so satisfying to use. . . shhhrippp . . . . curly ribbon of wood. http://www.whitemountdesign.com/ShootingBoard.htm Todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted May 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 Yep, I need a nice long hand plane. I used to have a jigsaw, but I'm not sure where it is anymore. Maybe my brother has it. Anyway, I stayed up late last night working on plans, and realized I was looking at an investment of over $1,000, just for parts. Real quick I realized what a bad idea that was for a first project. I also remembered something Melvyn Hiscock said about making something simple your first time out. He said a lot of new guitar builders try to reinvent the guitar on their first try, and it's better to start with tested models. So I think I'm going to try and make a Jaguar HH, with some vintage and some modern elements. And korina. By the way, I am married. I have the best wife in the world. I also work full time and go to school full time. So this project will take a while. I'm setting aside time on Sunday afternoons. Maybe I can get her to sit with me and read while I work. She is the best wife ever, after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddW Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 Skip the trem king, get some PUPs from Ebay or from Bill and Becky at Bill Lawrence, and you cut a few hundred off the price. Search the grizzly.com catalog for fret wire, switches, pick-guard if needed, and a truss rod. Lots of sandpaper at grizzly too (don't order a plane from them) . . . Carvin has good prices too. My wife can't park in the garage because my tools are out, yet still supports my woodworking and amp building habits, so yours has competition Regards, Todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted May 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 (edited) My wife can't park in the garage because my tools are out, yet still supports my woodworking and amp building habits, so yours has competition Oh yeah? Bring your tools in the house. Then we'll see how supportive she is. =P Doing all that would definitely bring the price down, but I think I'm over the old plans anyway. Part of the beauty of doing the Jaguar is that most of the planning has been done for me, and I can buy some parts ready-made. Also, I can go to a bolted neck, and that will save some money. As for fun, well, there are all those switches to play with, and combining vintage and modern elements will force me to be creative. And oh yeah. I'm going to relic it. So if by chance a screwdriver should slip at some point, all the better! I've already got an old 496R and 500T lying around, and I'm going to put those in to start with. The general idea is that it should look like an old Fender Jaguar and sound like a Korina Explorer. Some day I may decide to upgrade those pups, but I can always do it later. So for a neck, I'm looking at Warmoth, since they can make one to a 24" scale. It would cost an extra fifty bucks to buy quarter-sawn wood. Worth it or not? Also, does anyone have good or bad things to say about Warmoth, or care to point me in another direction? (Gotta look just right, of course. Carvin won't do.) Edited May 30, 2008 by dpm99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddW Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 Check soulmate too. There's a thread from 4 weeks ago on Warmoth and Soulmate on this forum. Quartersawn wood only costs that much if you buy it as a neck blank. If you go to the hardwood store with some mineral spirits and a rag, you can find a quartersawn board on your own. It all depends how much you want to do on your own. Buying a neck is definately the safest bet. Todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted June 1, 2008 Report Share Posted June 1, 2008 A wife/girlfriend is a valuable tool when it comes to glueing up! Just make sure she knows exactly what you want her to do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted June 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 (edited) Ok, planning has been more work than I anticipated. There are so many decisions to make, and I'm working on a very limited budget. All part of the fun. I was brainstorming the other day on how to save money on this project when I remembered that I have an old Ibanez GSA60 neck that's really not doing anything right now. Before I understood about scale, I bought it attached to a low-end SG body (or copy) for fifty bucks on Craigslist. The TOM bridge on it looks pretty good, so I'm gonna steal it for my project. And even though the 25.5" neck doesn't work with the 24.75" body, it seems to be straight. Plus it's got the Ibanez "Wizard" shape" and a pretty flat radius. (400mm I think? That's about 15.75". Anyway, flat enough.) When it was attached to the SG body, they drilled some extra holes in the neck. But they're not close to the Ibanez holes, so I think it'll be alright. What I don't like is the headstock shape, as whatever body shape I do end up with, I'm going for a 60's or 70's kind of look. I'm probably going to design something myself. Anyway, here's the big question. I bought a 1' piece of maple at Home Depot today for $2.40 (USD). My plan is to cut off the section of the headstock that extends beyond the right edge of the neck/fretboard. This won't interfere with the tuners, and shouldn't structurally compromise the headstock much, if at all. I want to take some wood from the Home Depot board and glue it to the right of the headstock, so I can shape it to look vintage. Given that it's Home Depot wood, do you think it'll be alright? I don't know if it's been properly dried, but I don't know if that will even matter here. At the worst, I'm about $2.40. I figured it would probably be alright since it's not structural, but thought I probably ought to check before moving forward. The headstock will be painted, by the way. Thanks, Dave Edited June 2, 2008 by dpm99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick500 Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 (edited) It's probably not "hard rock maple" but you can be pretty confident in using it for headstock ears as long as you create a good glue joint. I don't know about your particular piece, but "select maple" I've bought from Home Depot has typically had a moisture content of 10% or less. Edited June 2, 2008 by Rick500 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.