WezV Posted November 20, 2010 Report Share Posted November 20, 2010 My biggest point is, you can introduce a beginner to guitar building, give him that book, and I can guarantee he wouldn't be able to use it to do a complete build. well i have to disagree with that i did start as a complete newbie with no wood working experience - lots of kowledge on guitars but only really the stuff you can see on the surface. (i.e. i could tell you the year a fender or gibson was made pretty darn quick!) but i had not ever done set-up work or modifications. and yet i managed to build a guitar just with that book. within a year of that first i had built numerous shapes and styles still mostly using the ideas and techniques from that book! i am not disagreeing with your points on the usefullness of forums, thats why i am here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 20, 2010 Report Share Posted November 20, 2010 I just read this thread for the first time, and it appears to me that jessejames has completely hijacked the thread from the OP. There is a guy here trying to learn how to build a guitar, that is supposed to be (basically) why we're here. jj, how 'bout you give the arguing a break and let him take his thread back, this really isn't the place to argue what way is best, just that we give him several creative ways to get where he wants to go, ...you OK with that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessejames Posted November 20, 2010 Report Share Posted November 20, 2010 No hijack intended. And the OP need look no further than Drak to see how a build is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted November 20, 2010 Report Share Posted November 20, 2010 No hijack intended. And the OP need look no further than Drak to see how a build is done. just to let you know - that comes off a little bit ass kissy... as far as i am aware drak has never been one to provide absolute specific info the way you seem to want, dont want to speak for him and he is free to correct me but after all this time i am fairly sure he is another of the 'you should really learn how to work it out for yourself ' crowd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 21, 2010 Report Share Posted November 21, 2010 Well..there are SOOOO many ways to do things...we can all give suggestions,but specific dimensions yield a specific outcome...If you want to make an LP copy with zero deviation from Gibson,then there are plans everywhere. But I think Hiscock's book is geared more towards giving you a lilypad to leap from.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 21, 2010 Report Share Posted November 21, 2010 Not to say or even agree that it is "the bible"...There are still a few opinions written as fact that are unsubstantiated...like the wood grain orientation thing on neck lams...it's widely accepted that reversing the grains to oppose each other is a good method,even though the book says not...but in almost everything he presents the opposing viewpoint so you can make your own decision Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessejames Posted November 21, 2010 Report Share Posted November 21, 2010 No hijack intended. And the OP need look no further than Drak to see how a build is done. just to let you know - that comes off a little bit ass kissy... as far as i am aware drak has never been one to provide absolute specific info the way you seem to want, dont want to speak for him and he is free to correct me but after all this time i am fairly sure he is another of the 'you should really learn how to work it out for yourself ' crowd I'm sorry my saying hiscock's book isn't the essential item for guitar building has apparently hurt your feelings so. But if you take a gander at Drak's work, you will see he deserves any praise thrown his way. And I never said Drak will provide you with details, all I said is you can look at his work as to how it's done. So while you're not speaking for him, please don't speak for me either. You've made your points, and I've made mine. So just drop it dude. No one cares about our back and forth, I assure you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim37 Posted November 21, 2010 Report Share Posted November 21, 2010 No one cares about our back and forth, I assure you. i find it entertaining on a rather uneventful sat night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 21, 2010 Report Share Posted November 21, 2010 As far as i am aware Drak has never been one to provide absolute specific info the way you seem to want, don't want to speak for him and he is free to correct me but after all this time i am fairly sure he is another of the 'you should really learn how to work it out for yourself ' crowd It's no big deal one way or the other, but I have always gone out of my way to explain what I do in great detail to anyone who cared to ask, and still do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted November 21, 2010 Report Share Posted November 21, 2010 I'm sorry my saying hiscock's book isn't the essential item for guitar building has apparently hurt your feelings so. .. You've made your points, and I've made mine. So just drop it dude. No one cares about our back and forth, I assure you. if my feeling got hurt everytime someone disagreed with me on a forum i would not still be posting here but it does illustrate the point i have been making about trying to learn how to build guitars purely from an internet forum. too many cooks, too many points of view, too much disagreement, too much derailment (of which i am often guilty ) - not enough focus! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted November 21, 2010 Report Share Posted November 21, 2010 now to add to the # of responses... To the OP: a guitar "kit" is a good place to practice assembly and finish skills without needing a load of tools. Building jewelry boxes is all I can think of thats similar to guitar building. Tiny cuts and details make or break it too. Source cheap ( free ) wood for practicing on , pallets or free furniture are 2 good places to acquire free wood. Since you're "learning" to work wood , no sense in throwing away money on expensive wood blanks. Read this forum ( ALOT ) ask questions when stumped FWIW - I never read 'the book' , I just know and love guitars. - You don't NEED the book , but it won't hurt you either. My $.02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samhell Posted November 23, 2010 Report Share Posted November 23, 2010 hey guys, im completley new to this feild as after some tips. I want to be able to make my own guitar, but im also a realistic person lol and know that its going to take a lot. I want a small project to start practicing the skills ill need when making my guitar, i dont really have much woodwork experience, or many tools, so it would be a great help if someone had a small woodwork idea that i could get started with that didnt take many tools (as i will be buying them), but are the same tools needed in building a guitar. Or any books or information that helped you when you were in my situation would be great! thanks guys While these guys are arguing about what is best and how to do it ( ) I can offer you what I have done, as I am still a total newb. The books are a great source of info. Lots of reading though... I've built kits, from templates, and one completely from scratch. You can get by with basic tools for a lot of this. I'd throw in a recommendation though for this DVD: http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Custom-Elec...1396&sr=8-3 It goes step by step for making a guitar. Way more information than you need actually. Its nice too because when you start building your own you can skip to the chapter that you need and see how this guy does it. I think most of his tools suck but he builds a decent instrument with them so they can't be all that bad. This forum is also great. I've been lurking here like you wouldn't believe. Forget about searching, just start reading all the threads and hope your head doesn't explode. Woodworking forums like sawmillcreek.org are also a great resource. As crappy as they are, something like a Saga strat kit will serve you well if you've never built anything or don't do any of your own setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Higham Posted November 29, 2010 Report Share Posted November 29, 2010 I built my first, a 5-string through-neck bass, in 2002. I didn't have access to the internet, I didn't have a computer, I didn't know any luthiers, amateur or professional, I had Melvyn's book. It turned out great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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