Nathan Darby Posted September 15, 2008 Report Share Posted September 15, 2008 Hey Guys First off this is my first post on this amazing forum and how happy i am to be here. Anyway down to business i have been visiting here for a month or so and am really intrested into starting to build a guitar. Just so you know what type of guitar i want to build it will just be a straight copy of straight due to being my first guitar i think this is a good choice because there will be alot of people who would of started with this guitar so help should only be round the corner. Anyway down to my question: What sort of tools would someone need to get started building such a guitar? I live in the UK could i get most the tools from places such as BNQ etc. What sort of budget should i plan for etc. If you need any more information about my situation etc please ask away Thanks Guys and its finally good to be part of this community. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted September 15, 2008 Report Share Posted September 15, 2008 even when I read birmingham I have to do a brum accent have you got melvyn hiscocks book? if you haven you shoul! that will tell you what you need. also I think there is a sticky at the top of this forum that tells you what tools are useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nathan Darby Posted September 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 15, 2008 Thank you guys for your time , First off i have not got that book but will purchase it and read it many times, until i have a general understanding and feeling of whats gtta be done. joshvegas: lol i dont really have a brummi accent , i put birmingham because its more widley known than the town i live in but thank you for the advice. MexicanBreed: Thank you for your post, like wise with the book, i suppose once ive purchased and read the "bible" i will understand the kind of tools i will need. Tbh i am going to take my time on this because i know if i rush it like most people would want to be ovibously guitars are wat we love it will spoil it and probally waste my money as well lol due to mistakes anyway guys cheers for the help ill be sure to keep posting. Btw anyone from around the birmingham area?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simo Posted September 18, 2008 Report Share Posted September 18, 2008 Btw anyone from around the birmingham area?? I'm not too far away from Brum... far enough though I 2nd MexicanBreed's suggestion, Melvyn Hiscock's is a great place to start. You might also want to check out the UKGuitar Builders Forum, the link is in my signature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 The Hiscock book, definitely. Key tool, that. Beyond that: buy a good router, some good router bits, I'm assuming you have a hand drill and/or a drill press/stand (or access to one) for tuning machine holes. Beyond that, I say buy tools as you need them, not up front. I started with little more than a router, handheld drill, drill stand and a jigsaw, along with a couple of handsaws and a cheap rasp from the hardware store. Plus a bunch of measuring equipment and the like, and fretting tools/larger power tools/etc. were added slowly along the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted September 19, 2008 Report Share Posted September 19, 2008 Drop B&Q for starters - axminster.co.uk have a better range of tools, especially since they have better quality abrasives and sell scrapers! Sandpaper can be an expensive consumable unless you buy quality papers. Scrapers are a great cost saver in that respect also. I go by the rule of buying tools, but not buying them cheap. I bought a mid-priced pillar drill and a bobbin sander from Machine Mart, and to be honest they are the best two purchases outside of my routers. On that topic, buy better quality router bits also - I use CMT from Axminster. It's worthwhile learning how to care for your tools - to protect your investments. Cheap tools can be a liability and require constant supervision, especially when you wing them thirty feet for blowing out a chunk of beautiful wood from your creation. I use three rulers - a short 20cm ruler, a 24" ruler and a 36" ruler. Steal all the pencils you can. And chalk. Buy a bulkload of 250 Irwin "Stanley" blades and learn to turn a burr on the edges to make them into small scrapers. Buy big bottles of JML acetone from your local pharmacists to clean your tools and unstick your fingers when you superglue them to your palm, and/or to each other. Buy a small Maglite and an anglepoise lamp to mount to your ceiling. Hoard metal coathangers. Ignore most of the tools at Stewmac and learn to make them yourself. Buy a small pullsaw with a kerf suitable for fret slotting. Have a look at as many hi-res pics of completed instruments and figure out why certain things were done, and how they were done. Become a research scientist using the Search button and Google. Moreover, enjoy yourself and don't take it too seriously unless you lose an eye, a wife or a small fortune. Not in that order....basically +1 on what Mattia said! How much are you going to blow on this? I've still haemorhaging money on guitars as we speak. :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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