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Posted

Two potentially expensive and addicting hobbies.....woodworking and guitars. I have a full shop at home and recommend taking it slow. Do your research on the tools you buy and then search for the best deal you can. Save up and buy quality!

Gil

Posted (edited)

To quote someone's sig line "You don't build guitars to save money, you save money so you can build guitars"

Fortunately I was into woodworking as a hobby before I starting building guitars so I had several tools already purchased. But that is not to say I haven't spent some serious jack on tools since then. I have prolly invested $400 - $700 dollars since getting into building guitars. And the majority of that money was spent on tools specific to guitar building; mostly fretting tools/templates, various router bits and saw blades.

Edited by madawgony
Posted
I don't even want to think about how much I've spent. Mind you, it wasn't necessary to spend a ton, but I like machines.

Yep, describes me well. Power tools - around $3,000. Hand tools - around $800. Most of it isn't a requirement for building guitars, I'm just equiping my shop to do some more cool woodworking stuff!

With the knowledge I have now and if I only wanted to build basses, I think I could pull it off with quality hand tools, a router + router table, and a drill press. That would require the wood being properly dimensioned, though.

Posted

Hard to answer because I'd guess around 35% of my tools pull double duty for guitar work and house rennovation work.

Must be at least $3,000, and probably not over $5,000. I'm not including supplies (you know, like $60 $90.00 worth of stain at any given moment, $100 to $300 worth of sandpaper at any given moment).

I don't even have a bandsaw or jointer and all kinds of other stuff. It's the damn little stuff that adds up. I have around $400-$500 worth of drill bits. $200.00 in files, although they should have cost at least $1,000 (my only lucky deal of the century-- guess I used up my lotto winning luck. Bad move).

When I started out, I'd guy buy every crap thing I could think of, if I had enough money for it. Like if I wanted to make a template, I'd go buy plexi or plywood or MDF. Now I keep an eye out and find junk like that for free.

Posted
Hard to answer because I'd guess around 35% of my tools pull double duty for guitar work and house rennovation work.

Must be at least $3,000, and probably not over $5,000. I'm not including supplies (you know, like $60 $90.00 worth of stain at any given moment, $100 to $300 worth of sandpaper at any given moment).

I don't even have a bandsaw or jointer and all kinds of other stuff. It's the damn little stuff that adds up. I have around $400-$500 worth of drill bits. $200.00 in files, although they should have cost at least $1,000 (my only lucky deal of the century-- guess I used up my lotto winning luck. Bad move).

When I started out, I'd guy buy every crap thing I could think of, if I had enough money for it. Like if I wanted to make a template, I'd go buy plexi or plywood or MDF. Now I keep an eye out and find junk like that for free.

How can you spend that much I mean files are maybe $10 a piece at the most for decent ones. You can get a set of drill bits for $50 (of course you might want to multiply that by 2 or 3 for how many sets you will buy when you loose them :D). For me I have been lucky enough to have an equipped workshop and couldn't imagine starting from scratch, I already have enough tools to make guitars but I'm going to be spending about $500 for specialized tools that are going to make it alot easier. I also need to get a spray system setup the booth and sprayer will cost me maybe $150 but my compressors crap and needs to be upgrading so I'm checking out craigslist all the time.

Posted
How can you spend that much I mean files are maybe $10 a piece at the most for decent ones. You can get a set of drill bits for $50

I have at least 200 files. Yes, *you* would have spent $10 for each. I didn't. hehehe

"Drill bit set for $50.00". Yes, perhaps you are unaware of a whole set of numbered bits, letter bits, fractional bits, forstner bits, brad point bits, bits reground to work better on wood/plastic, bits left stock for metal, metric bits. not to mention where they are made, I have some made in Germany and made in USA, as well as crap Chinese ones (I try to use these for the house rennovation work, but they are often too crappy for even that ! )

I said the little things add up. I can see you are not aware of all the little things.

How about taps and reamer and dremel bits ? I got my share of that damn crap too.

Dial indicators, straight edges, fret spacing ruler, nut spacing ruler, oh yeah, the damn nut files, I don't even know if those are included in the 200, but I did pay full price for 95% of those bastards !

Posted

Thats is one mistake that I see constantly, people trying to get into building because they want a nice guitar for cheaper than it would cost at the store and it doesn't really work out that way. The only reasons I would build them is either the enjoyment of the actual building or as for a business, but even then that business is not one many will survive in. I don't make much money, so it has been 2 years or more of saving up and buying tools and I am still missing several that would make life so much easier. My bandsaw was my first real tool purchase and mine was definitely one of the less expensive 14", but I'm extremely happy with my grizzly extreme saw. I got it on a decent sale, so with freight maybe around $500-$600 with the little moving stand that I needed.

I already had a belt sander. I had a cheapo mini drill press, but it wouldn't reach drilling my bridge posts, so I had to buy a bigger one. A 12" Delta that has treated me well, again got it on sale with tax less than $150 I believe. Before that I wanted to buy myself a router fixed/plunge base combo and after researching and checking them all out I grabbed the hitachi set which I wouldn't trade for any other at this point, very happy with that purchase. Probably got away with that at around $175 maybe a little less. Rockler router table w/mounting plate on sale for $100. I also have my Hitachi jigsaw which again is an absolutely amazing tool, had all the features I wanted and just works great. That was probably another $100, if you couldn't get a bandsaw, a jigsaw like that Hitachi will do most anything you need and do it well. In wood it has over a 4 inch cutting capacity, thats better than some small bandsaws, lol. I also have some little finish sanders that I got pretty cheap. Already had an oldschool table saw that is a pain to pull out and use. Will probably fix it up in the future. Already had a dremel, though I needed the router base for doing inlays which was another $30+ plus, bits which can run $9 or $10 depending on the type you want. However, there are places you can buy bits like those for way cheaper.

Thats pretty much it for powertools, I think, but I am missing a couple important ones, mainly a jointer and either a planer of thickness sander. I'd rather have the thickness sander. Add up those 2 and that will be about another grand if I go cheap. I would also like a decent oscilating spindle sander. As for hand tools, they add up much quicker than you'd imagine and I still haven't even made a collection yet. There files, rasps, chisel, spokeshaves, hand planes, scrapers, burnishers, and many more. A quality straight edge will cost you quite a bit, I have my eye on a nice 18" Starrett with one beveled edge for under $60 at homedepot online right now. Then I also am looking to grab a diamond fretfile, probably the straight longer version Stewmac sells. A local shop uses these and have had no issues and quite like them. Those are what $70-$80 a piece. Then there are nut files, which I don't have. Don't forget clamps which can add up pretty quick. I tend to go cheap here and get the harbor freight clamps on sale for super cheap, seem to work fine, though I make extra pads for them usually. You'll need glue, loads of sandpaper, quite a few bits. Even if you buy a proper set, they often won't have all the sizes you need, a number of different pieces of hardware use strange sized holes, so you'll be buying extras. For hogging out cavities you'll want some forstner bits, for other holes you'll want some bradpoints. Heck, I went and bought a high quality bradpoint the other day at Rockler and it was quite a difference in quality and cost a bit more, something like $4 I think just for the one, but it did a great job and I'll probably buy more of these, very nice. Don't forget router bits, one or two pattern bits for cavities, a bit for truss rods, one or two bits for routing the body according to a template, maybe another straight bit or two for use in your router sled jig, maybe a round over or bevel bit for the edges of the guitar, and possibly a cove bit for doing recess for the volume and tone knobs.

That stuff doesn't even include any finishing material, like a respirator, HPLV gun, compressor, different sanding blocks, cork for lining sanding blocks or for padding clamps and such. And there is still a bunch of stuff I am forgetting. This is just tools, don't forget that this doesn't include the stuff you'll need to build with. Like the wood for the guitar and all the hardware which can range from $200-$300 up to probably $800-$1000 depending. You'll also need stuff like MDF to make templates, a work bench and area with storage. A dust collection system or a mean shopvac, some dust masks, loads of tape for taping stuff off on the guitar. Different chemicals for cleaning tools, diluting finishing materials and such. Maybe a heat gun for certain applications. A soldering iron for the electronics. All types of different cutters, pliers, flush cutters.

And don't forget the most important a decent medical plan! Seriously, you're bound to open up a vein at some point.

Needless to say it adds up super quick and before you know it you've spent thousands easy. If I had the money and space I would probably see about $4000-$5000 being everything I wanted as a hobbiest, I say as a hobbiest because if you were doing this as a profession you are going to want to buy a much higher quality set of equipment that can manage more because a saw like mine, although decent wouldn't last very long in constant abuse, you'd definitely have to upgrade and that price would go up. Anyhow, it can cost quite a bit to build. You can get away with a limited amount of tools, but you are limiting the options on the guitar and also increasing your building time significantly, which if you are doing this as a business is going to hurt your business in a serious way. Anyhow, that is a fuller list of the stuff you'll need and there is still many more things, like if you want to use epoxy and carbon fiber rods in your necks and so on. The best way is just buy it as you go, obviously grab the basics, a drill press, router and either a decent jigsaw or a bandsaw. Some type of belt sander or stationary type of sander would be a great help also. Then see what you need as you go.

It will take a good long while to get this back because aside from the cost, you have to build a number before even thinking about building on comission. You can sell all of them I'm sure, but it takes a bit to build a rep enough to get a reasonable pay for your work. Just how I see it anyway, too many people try to rush in and do major comissions right off and end up irritating people and ruining any future chance as a decent business.

Posted
.You don't build guitars to save money, you save money so you can build guitars

Thats is one mistake that I see constantly, people trying to get into building because they want a nice guitar for cheaper than it would cost at the store and it doesn't really work out that way.

Amen to both statements. This hobby isn't about saving money. It's about creating something from nothing, catered to your personal tastes, then using that creation to pour your soul through musically. This is the single most emotionally fulfilling, complete expression of self I've been involved in. From start to finish, this is ME.

Enough philosophizing...

I went relatively low-end on most of my tools. I'm not even going to touch all the little things that add up like the $15 chisels, $35 drill bit sets, individual router bits, etc. This is just the stuff you can't fit into your pocket.

Ryobi table saw - $100

I don't hardly use it anymore

Skill 10" compound miter saw - $150

Hitachi scroll saw - $170

Ryobi router/table combo - $100

Ryobi router - $70

used Craftsman drill press - $50

reconditioned 10" Ryobi band saw - $140

This is the one piece I wish I had got a better tool. I abuse it mercilessly.

Ryobi angle grinder + flapwheel - $25

Ryobi 6" buffer - $20

Ryobi 18v cordless drill - $20 (GREAT find on sale)

Black & Decker cordless screwdriver - $20

Dremel + attachments - >$200

Hitachi belt sander - $150

Ryobi random orbit sander - $20

Ryobi 13" planer - $200

Rand 6" jointer - $240

clamps - >$100

Freud biscuit joiner - $100

All of those Ryobi tools you see... those are entry-level pieces. In most cases, you can double or triple the cost for a mid-grade tool.

Number of guitars completed so far - 1

Number of bodies completed so far - 10

Number of regrets over getting into this hobby - 0

Don't - I repeat - DO NOT think for one split second that you'll be saving money doing this.

Posted

Nobody is saying what they bought is absolutely necessary. OP didn't ask "what's the minimum I can get by with".

Jason mentioned spray equipment, which I wasn't even thinking about but it should be included. I got my big air compressor as an interest payment for loaning a friend some money. Plus I have one of those small airbrush compressors, which is actually a high quality unit (Made in USA or Europe, I think). I got that as payment for jack-hammering a concrete slab into pieces for someone. And a Paasche airbrush and a badger airbrush, etc etc

My table-saw was free.

Back to the drill bits. I know I have one large metric that I paid $18.00 for . It's for drilling the hole to be tapped for the threaded nose of a Dremel to screw into (have the tap too)

Oh yeah, I have 4 dremels. Yikes. 3 bigger routers. I end up using the $12.00 laminate trimmer the most.

Some of my drill bits are carbide. Some cobalt, some diamond coated.

I have a different vise for every day of the week. And I'm only half-joking there.

I feel like my tools have all been paid off from work I've used them for, but how long ago did I feel that way ? Not really sure, 'because I didn't buy them all in the beginning.

Posted

I do echo the other posters sentiments to buy the right tools for the job. However, if you enjoy working with wood and want to build a guitar, don't let not having the right tools stop you. Get what you can, but focus on what's absolutely needed. A bandsaw is great, but plenty of builds have been made with a jigsaw. I'd think a router and template bits should be a given, but you can make do without it. A drill press is super useful, but you can make do with a hand drill (heck, even a brace and bit type hand-powered drill) if you have to.

It won't be easy, and having the right tools will make the job quicker and probably more fun, but you can do it with fewer tools than you think. That said - while you can get by without the preferred tools, don't try and do the job with the wrong tools, and no matter what tools you use, make sure you know how to use them right to get the results that you need - (i.e. - practice on scrap!)

I've cut bodies by hand with coping saws. Is cutting 2 inches of mahogany by hand fun? No. But you can do it. I still joint a lot of boards and often taper fingerboards and necks with a handplane I got for 11 dollars. It took a lot work to get that handplane tuned, but it's a dream now. I use card scrapers more than sanders, and still don't own any power sander. I can make a mortise for a neck or a pocket for a pickup by clearing out waste with a forstner bit and cleaning it up with a chisel, just about as clean and tight as with a router. Of course, I couldn't do that until I had a lot of practice, and only if I keep my chisels in good shape. I'd rather use a router, and I almost always do with guitars. I've resawed boards by hand. (It's how I made my last headplate) Until you're doing a lot of builds, the 9 bucks to have LMI slot your fingerboards for you is probably a better deal than making or purchasing a slotting system. But with a decent saw and some patience marking it out, you can do it by hand.

If you are going to buy tools, I'd consider where to spend the good money. A 20 dollar spokeshave might be able to be tuned up to be great, but a 5 dollar one from harbor freight you can't. (I know this from experience.) A router bit does enough work on your builds, and spins fast enough that I really think it's worth it not to cheap out there, even if you buy a less expensive router. Using a forstner bit to hog out wood goes faster than routing it away when making control cavities or chambering, and saves wear and tear on those expensive router bits. But continual drilling through the hardwoods like we use in guitars will kill a cheap forstner bit fast, so it's worth it to pay a little more for the nice ones. The dollar store sandpaper looks like a good deal until you realize you go through it three times as fast.

I guess the thing is, you don't need to spend a lot at first, and you shouldn't let it stop you. When you do make the decision to spend money, spend it smartly. I'm not trying to encourage folks to cheap out - it ultimately ends up more expensive in the end. I guess I'm just rambling.

Posted
I guess I'm just rambling.

No, no, J.P. You have a very valid point. We don't NEED the power tools. We have them, and I'd not do this without them, but we don't neeed them. Somehow, things got built, and built very well, for thousands of years. Then we got electricity, and spinning blades came soon afterwards.

I tell ya - having done an ounce of inlay work, I have the deepest admiration for the dudes who made all the stuff we see in a museum. They did it all with small hand saws, chisels, planes, and scrapers. And it looks 500 times better than what we do now with all of our technology.

All admiration aside, I'd not try and do it without power tools.

All confession of my personal need for power tools aside, I have more than I need. But DANG they're fun! I finally understand Tim Allan.

Posted

Did someone mention rambling? :D

...

I have a lot of tools over the years...

But there is an aspect a little ignored.

I accumulated a lot of my tools and stuff because I did a lot of home renovation and furniture building and the like...plus I owned a big old house that required maintenance and a shed out the back to keep them all in...

So one thing that is not mentioned is the space required to work effectively, house and perhaps insure all these things.

Rationally...if you want to end up with a guitar out of it...that's a lot of investment and "stuff" in your life that may yet come back to bite you...and has nothing to do with having or playing a guitar...

For instance...I didn't think that I would ever lose the infrastructure but after my marriage separation....I found I needed a trip in a truck and substantially more room than I would have which costs $$$ in rent just to store all this stuff...let alone in a manner to make it useful as it once was...

Now...obviously, you don't live a life anticipating such tragedy (though statistically you it's an even bet)...but hobbies change...people grow. A lot of people getting into this here are young...one day you will want to move and start a life of your own and all this "stuff" can limit your independence and mobility...

moving into a flat with your new GF and explaining the compressor in the loo...is just one of the potential problems for the over endowed young tool owner...

...

There are two other points worth noting...

I built a superb 4m sailing timber minimum weight sailing yacht a decade or so ago...while renting with no shed (I made a kind of tent thing between buildings)...and with a tight budget and living with my future wife (who was also "tight" when it came to such things) with a bad drill and jigsaw...and a minimum of even hand tools (plane, small saw, chisel, screw driver, etc)...

With determination and a lot of care...amazing things are possible and it may not have worked out as good, and mistakes more disastrous...if I had access to a lot of power tools ;-)

...

Similarly...I have probably enough tools and know how (and the obsessional nature) to go into "building guitars" and I'd love too (I have done a few things mind)...realistically though, I have a lot of guitars and in Oz the market is small and the shipping high, so selling them is not really practicable. If thinking of selling things, then you have to measure your potential against all the others and in particular what a lot of asian or other CNC located people can put out. Sure...you might have better ideas and designs and wood combination's and such...but can you do it cost effectively and to the standard that "some" can produce these things or better and is there a market for them...business aspirations are a whole other thing altogether...

...

The other thing that is a pet thing for me...this is "Project Guitar" and a great community with a bunch of people doing some amazing work. It is not necessary to be a part of this community to build a guitar...learning, admiring, wishing and such is perfectly valid...many a guitar is built in the mind and a good idea before taking a router to wood as a rule...discussing things with people help to have the processes and ideas fully realized before you do it...discussing things with people here, help them do it and or improve upon their ideas.

Most people start building with a store bought neck...some with a neck and body. Why not start with a whole guitar! There is so much to learn and can be done to turn a reasonable quality instrument into a superb sounding and playing instrument and you will learn so much by doing so if your next one is a complete build, you will be miles ahead. Plus...you get a fine guitar a lot cheaper and with satisfaction out of the process as a reward.

So often and a lot lately...people have barged head on to making a guitar without understanding what went into that cheap copy they have been playing all these years. So why not take the thing apart...work out about neck tilts, intonation, truss rod adjustment, making a flawless finish, sanding a cutaway, rewiring, fret leveling, hardware choice, setup....etc. By doing so you will learn so much about how and why the guitar has developed the way it has...not need a lot of complex heavy machinery...

...and you can end up with a fantastic instrument like my recent telecaster of which only the body wood and neck are from the original guitar...tell a lie...the neck plate is from the original! I did use a router to put in the kahler cavity and pickup thing...but I did it on the floor in my hallway (obviously I live alone these days) and I drilled out most of it so I could have done it with a sharp chisel and a drill...possibly a lot safer too!

I remember as a teenager I used to go to sunday markets and such and buy any old guitar that people were getting rid of an making all kinds of weird instruments out of them...without much in the way of tools and certainly no quality timbers.

It is great to make things and to have a passion...these early times put me in good stead when it came to working with materials, coming up with solutions and cutting a hole in a wall cause the wife wants a window there...without the roof sagging!

...

So don't read this ramble as off putting...but an encouragement to people to start with the basics...learn how and why a guitar plays well and make an old guitar sing before jumping out into the deep end with a scratch build. Even if you wnat to be a "builder"...this kind of work is bread and butter and essential to making a nicely shaped bit of wood into an instrument...

pete :D

Posted

Wow, I started adding this up, but I just had to give up. What are we counting? I figure I've got about $600 in floorstanding tools (I found deals and bought used), and another $800 in benchtop tools (router, oss, scroll saw, etc). I can't even begin to count how much I've spent on tooling (router, drill, and dremel bits, air accessories, and all sorts of other stuff that make the tools actually "work"). And sandpaper! Crap, I have $100 worth just for my OSS. Power tools like sanders and drills I'm probably around $400. What about lacquer, dyes, buffing compound, and stuff like that? I easily have $300 in finishing materials in my garage right now.

After that, it gets even harder. I've accumulated so many hand tools over the years I wouldn't even know where to start adding it up. The luthery-specific stuff is pricey, too. Then there's my electronics gear. Does that count? I've probably got about $500 worth of test equipment (found deals, bought used). Workbenches, lights, shelves... that stuff adds up, too.

Best guess: the total value of tools and supplies in my garage exceeds $4000 (but hopefully not by much!). That doesn't include wood or project supplies. And I don't even have a table saw, jointer, planer, drum sander, chop saw, or any other big ticket items besides the drill press, bandsaw, compressor, and router table. In fact, the router table & router together are probably my single most expensive tool.

Keep in mind than not all of this stuff is due to guitars. I've been steadily accumulating tools ever since I moved out of my parents house about 7 years ago. Having tools is a good thing. You can build all sorts of stuff with them besides guitars. Before I built guitars, it was speakers. I've built a bunch of stuff for the house, too. Spice rack, coffee table, desk, patio table, etc (luckily my girlfriend's aesthetic sensibilities are even less refined than my own). I figure tools are an investment, and you can save a lot of money in the long run by having them and building things yourself. Besides that, I think a lot of people here are like me in that they need to have some sort of "productive" hobby. I can't say how long I'll be building guitars (though my current list of guitars to build is about 3 years long), but I can guarantee I'll be building "something" for as long as I'm alive.

Posted
How can you spend that much I mean files are maybe $10 a piece at the most for decent ones. You can get a set of drill bits for $50

I have at least 200 files. Yes, *you* would have spent $10 for each. I didn't. hehehe

"Drill bit set for $50.00". Yes, perhaps you are unaware of a whole set of numbered bits, letter bits, fractional bits, forstner bits, brad point bits, bits reground to work better on wood/plastic, bits left stock for metal, metric bits. not to mention where they are made, I have some made in Germany and made in USA, as well as crap Chinese ones (I try to use these for the house rennovation work, but they are often too crappy for even that ! )

I said the little things add up. I can see you are not aware of all the little things.

How about taps and reamer and dremel bits ? I got my share of that damn crap too.

Dial indicators, straight edges, fret spacing ruler, nut spacing ruler, oh yeah, the damn nut files, I don't even know if those are included in the 200, but I did pay full price for 95% of those bastards !

lol I wouldn't have spent $10 mine are free :D

sorry I'm aware that there are alot I just figured you didn't even have a bandsaw you wouldn't have all of those tools/

Posted
Somewhere between $10 and $10,000...closer to the latter....

+1 on the 10k maybe more and a lot I don't have anymore. But that was over years of cabinet work and construction as well :D

Most likely what's in my shop now is around 5k to 10k worth of tools.

Just a guessestimate On that :D

MK

Posted (edited)

++++1 on the 10K.

For years I got buy with a task force belt sander and scroll saw, one black n decker router, a black n decker electric planer (hand held), and an electric drill. I only had three chisels until a few years ago.

However I am older, make more money, and am far lazier now. Craigslist and gifts have supplemented my shop. If you need big power tools go to craigslist.

So I now have lots of cool stuff... do I need it. prolly not. do I use it. oh yeah. And I laugh every time something that used to take hours gets done in minutes.

PS. I think I have contributed significantly to Dan Earlewine's retirement fund

Edited by RestorationAD

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