ThePlague Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 i've started buying some of the stuff i'll need for my first build from scratch, and i'm wondering what a reasonable budget for the whole thing would be. how much do you guys usually spend per guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 I think for many of us, the expense was the tools. Not all of us, though, as some people are either very creative, or had the tools for prior needs. JUST for the wood and parts, I spent in the neighborhood of $400 CDN. That's including a pair of Seymour Duncan pickups, which although I bought second-hand, were still $100 CDN for the pair. Once you include router bits and other tools, add a couple more hundred to that bill. I've kept all my invoices, so I'll post an accurate tally at the end of it all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 JUST for the wood and parts, I spent in the neighborhood of $400 CDN. yeah that's about right...more if you want to get fancy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pex657 Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 As of now I have spend around 200, but that is just customizing my guitar, not building one from scratch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 You can probably build one for around $200 if you go cheap, around $600 if you go moderate, and the sky's the limit on anything else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob7 Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 The tools are where the expense occurs definetly....On clamps alone, doing the bare minimum you will spend in the ball park of 100 bucks.... Then you can get pretty extensize on the tool list, but its not needed...BUT the product will drastically change in quality with the use of better tools although many amazing guitars have been made with very few tools) Woods will cost you at most 100 overall, unless its some RARE huge slabs of nice figuring....EBAY is great for cheap wood...I got a ebony fretboard (precut), korina body (precut, not glued) and walnut slab for a top, all for 20 bucks a piece (us dollars).... The electronics aren't bad if you use some of ansil's techniques, pickups will run you 50-110 a piece new.... AFTER you have the necessary (and some optional tools) your really only spending around 300 on hardware, and another 80 (being liberal) on woods, so the tools will pay for themselves in the long run if you plan on doing more luthier work. If you are only doing one (and you'll change your mind after you've started) it may be a good idea to stock up on some tools first, then some wood when you've got a nice setup...But if you have a friend with them, by all means borrowing is MUCH cheaper than buying..... woods/hardware/pickups-$500 us dollars is MORE than enough for one..(maybe even 2 depending on materials and electronic setup) guitars... Tools can run you another 500 to 1000+ (depending on quality...you do in fact get what you pay for with tools) if you want to have a complete shop but really all you NEED is a saw (jig, band, scroll)...a router...some clamps...a sanding aparatus (such as sandpaper, a sanding block, or even a planer/handplane...)...and some titebond (if doing set/neckthrough or multi piece body/neck) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defiled Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 I've spent about $450 for everything minus finishing supplies (still have to order them) for my first build. A bit more than I had expected to spend, but thats kind of how everything works. Also I spent $90 for a quilted maple top , but I didn't have to buy any tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 That's the first question I asked when I became a member and someone told me that building guitars don't cost much at all. I can't remember who told me that but it was BS. Three thousand dollars later and still don't have all the tools I need.. yikes So let me be the first to tell you, if your thinking your gonna save money by building your own guitar, then don't even consider doing it, but If you want to learn and have a fun time because you truely have a intrest in building, then get ready to spend some cash.. just being truthful.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcamp67 Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 That's the first question I asked when I became a member and someone told me that building guitars don't cost much at all. I can't remember who told me that but it was BS. Three thousand dollars later and still don't have all the tools I need.. yikes So let me be the first to tell you, if your thinking your gonna save money by building your own guitar, then don't even consider doing it, but If you want to learn and have a fun time because you truely have a intrest in building, then get ready to spend some cash.. just being truthful.. Also be honest with yourself about your level of ability and comfort in woodworking. If you wouldn't attempt to build a kitchen table or a rocking ckair, don't try to build a guitar from scratch. Build a kit. This IS woodworking, not playing. That's why there are so few master craftsmen out there. Your first few attempts are probably not going to be that great, but don't stop trying and practicing, that's how you get better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MurphC Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 I have (or know someone who has) all the tools I need, although I may invest in a router and a spindle sander ($400 all together). The Telecaster stuff alone will only cost about $250 when I'm done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 For me, I very much enjoy most aspects of the building process and I got into it because I needed (wanted...) some axes that either you just don't find, or are way too expensive. This way, I can build the guitars that I need and customize them to the nines. I should mention...there is a carpenter shop at work that has everything I need, so my tool costs were limited to a router and dremel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MKGBass Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 I guess price depends on your conncetions... I've spent so far around $450 on tools, but (for example) i've got a project going right now that will have a total of $58 of wood in it (its not cheap wood, just inexpensive) plus some hardware (frets/inlays/bridge) and then i bought a BUNCH of stuff off a guy for about $5 a part (a pickup, set of tuners) and another $30 pickup. Total the project will only cost me about $100 EDIT: I forgot to counter myself ON The other hand...I also have a project in the works where the woods alone are around $350 ($150 for the neck alone) and some nice hardware which will total around $600 I've also got a project going where the woods are only going to cost around $100 but the parts will be over $600 (Bigsby Vibrato Tailpiece $170 TOM $80-ish BurstBucker Pro Pickups $260/set, Tuners $90, plus pearl block inlays, binding & truss rod). Total cost around $750. It varies.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar_ed Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 Hi Plague, What kind of guitar? Tele? Strat? Les Paul? SG? Another brand or model? And why do you want to build your own guitar? If you think that it will be cheaper than buying a standard factory model, you are probably wrong. The next question is: What can you do, or do you want to do, for yourself? As many people have mentioned, what about tools? Does it make sense to buy a router and band saw (approx. US$200) for only one project? Or does it make sense to buy a body? These are just some of the questions that you need to answer before figuring out how much it will cost you. Guitar Ed I have a PhD in the school of hard knocks. And the bruises to prove it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curtis P Posted June 21, 2004 Report Share Posted June 21, 2004 i spent 450 bucks roughley on the wood, shop time, electronics, fret wire, strings, finish, that stuff Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Jabsco Posted June 22, 2004 Report Share Posted June 22, 2004 Ive gotten all of my tools for free so far. My dad loves to do carpentrey type work so he has an almost fully loaded workshop. Only thing he needed was a router and bandsaw. Router we now have, and band saw on the way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePlague Posted June 22, 2004 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2004 i realize that building a guitar isn't going to save me money. this isn't something i want to do to save money, it's something that seems fun to me. i'm kinda lucky, in that my dad has done some woodworking. i have almost all the tools i'll need already. one thing that i don't have that i'd like to is a band saw, but for this first one i'm going to try to make do with a coping saw. we've got a router, planer, spokeshave, various files, a table saw, a belt sander and more i don't even know about. i'm figuring on about $100 for the wood. i'm buying a body blank from carvin for $50, and a possibly a neck blank from stewmac ($40?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santa Claws Posted June 22, 2004 Report Share Posted June 22, 2004 I made my guitar out of teak i got off a fella for free because, it was originaly a Step from a Shop Floor So i got the whole step, its about 12Ft Long and about 2Ft Wide, and about 2 Inches Thick, Could'nt of asked for Much More at all. and i work for the fella now, and Ya wanna see the amount of wood he has (i work in a Pottery Barn, for anyone who's Dosent know what that is, its a name of a Furniture Siopa) But i live in ireland and there is loads of wood around the place, i could Literaly go into the field Behind me and find Some Lovely Ash or Any Nice HardWoods. i was thinking of Doing So. But overall the guitar cost me nothing to get all the Hardware for the Guitar, For Example: The Guitar Pickups and the Bridge and the Neck, be cause loads of my freinds are guitars players and they have all that Shite. But, yeah not a Penny. Just Chop Down a Few Tree's and let em dry and Jim's Ure Auntie. Thanks...Keith PS. Just Wanna Say, im Going To Metallica on June The 25th thats like in 2 or 3 days. its in irleand BTW, So..... rOCk oN!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarfrenzy Posted June 23, 2004 Report Share Posted June 23, 2004 But i live in ireland and there is loads of wood around the place, i could Literaly go into the field Behind me and find Some Lovely Ash or Any Nice HardWoods. i was thinking of Doing So. Just Chop Down a Few Tree's and let em dry and Jim's Ure Auntie. Hum.. so your gonna chop down trees with what? Then how are you gonna resaw the wood into usable sizes, and whose gonna kiln dry it for you or are you gonna wait 10 years for it to dry properly? That's not gonna be cheap, I hope you have some friends who are timber cutters etc... and don't mind working for free, and hopefully you know someone with a kiln who can help you out, because air drying wood takes a while. Unfortunately I don't think most people who are really wanting to get started building guitars are gonna wait that long for the wood to air dry, but I might be wrong. I agree that if someone had all those resources available to them, they could save tons of money, but then again, what average person is gonna be lucky enough to have that kinda hook up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santa Claws Posted June 23, 2004 Report Share Posted June 23, 2004 i have all the tool Reqiured for Cutting the Tree's down and Making them into, Planks, thats the easyiest Bit. As for the Drying of the wood, i does'nt take 10 years to dry the wood, my Cousin has a Saw mill, and on average it takes 6 months to a year to dry the wood. and the best thing is, its free! and loads of it here. any wood ya want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Jabsco Posted June 24, 2004 Report Share Posted June 24, 2004 if thats true, you could make a killin sellin wood on ebay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted June 24, 2004 Report Share Posted June 24, 2004 to get it to required moisture content for guitars(not houses) it takes an average of 1 year per 1" of thickness,if i remember correctly you want 6% moisture content,not 12% Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Santa Claws Posted June 24, 2004 Report Share Posted June 24, 2004 if thats true, you could make a killin sellin wood on ebay yeah ya could but, i dont wanna cut other peoples tree's down, lol good idea tho. ....keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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