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Need help...lots of help...


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WELL,

Quite a while ago, I realized that if I wanted the perfect guitar, I'd have to build it myself.

And that's what I'm intending to do, at least after a first project to learn and get confident to a certain degree.

I am very sure that I will be bothering you with quite a lot of questions in the future, but for now I'll try to restrict myself to only a couple.

My main problem is how to make the plans of my guitar.

I want a standard shape on the first one, and decided to go for the Stratocaster-shape.

I have a Strat-copy here at home, I guess the smartest thing to do would be to put it on a large sheet of paper and sketch around with a pencil.

But, the Strat has rounded edges, and therefore the drawing gets incorrect.

Life (er...guitarbuilding) ain't easy...

Are there any basic rules that I should know about when sketching down a body shape? F.ex. some standard lengths that has to be correct, stuff like that?

Second, I've got large problems figuring out how to exactly draw in things like pick-ups and bridge!

Say I want a H-H setup.

How far should the neck pickup be from the neck pocket?

How far should the bridge pickup be from the neck pickup?

How far should the bridge be from the bottom strap screw?

If anyone has got a tutorial on how to sketch up the plans for a guitar or can answer my questions, I would be forever thankful.

- Erico

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If it has rounded edges, sharpen the pencil really sharp and stay as close to 90 degrees as possible, but I would leave a bit of room for final sanding as well

you need to know scale length of the guitar (25.5 for example) and thats how you place your bridge (IMPORTANT!!) and the pickup placement is a personal touch, closer to bridge, more attack, farther away, less attack/mellower, you get the idea

That should keep you busy for a bit

Curtis

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WELL,

Quite a while ago, I realized that if I wanted the perfect guitar, I'd have to build it myself.

_____

Very cool, but I kinda doubt you'll hit the perfect guitar in one try. :D

_____

And that's what I'm intending to do, at least after a first project to learn and get confident to a certain degree.

_____

Perfect head. You're well on the way with an attitude like that. :D

_____

I am very sure that I will be bothering you with quite a lot of questions in the future, but for now I'll try to restrict myself to only a couple.

_____

Blast us with questions, that's what we're here for.

_____

My main problem is how to make the plans of my guitar.

I want a standard shape on the first one, and decided to go for the Stratocaster-shape.

I have a Strat-copy here at home, I guess the smartest thing to do would be to put it on a large sheet of paper and sketch around with a pencil.

But, the Strat has rounded edges, and therefore the drawing gets incorrect.

Life (er...guitarbuilding) ain't easy...

Are there any basic rules that I should know about when sketching down a body shape? F.ex. some standard lengths that has to be correct, stuff like that?

_____

For the outline itself, just be smooth and even, don't sweat the tiny stuff, don't be too **** about it...just draw it out and be done with it and move on. Ya gotta keep moving along if you're ever gonna get the first one done.

_____

Second, I've got large problems figuring out how to exactly draw in things like pick-ups and bridge!

Say I want a H-H setup.

How far should the neck pickup be from the neck pocket?

How far should the bridge pickup be from the neck pickup?

How far should the bridge be from the bottom strap screw?

_____

OK compadre, here's where the meat puppets throw down on the muffin man. You have to get it into your head that copying down spaces and distances for these details you just mentioned don't matter at all, you need to LEARN what a guitar is all about to begin with when it comes to these things.

You cannot copy a guitar to build it, you have to UNDERSTAND what a guitar is at it's most basic structure if you're going to ever build your 'dream' guitar.

The shape of an electric guitar at it's core is a throwaway idea, it doesn't freakin' matter what shape it is. A guitar that's the shape of the map of Brazil will be just as viable as a guitar the shape of Steve Vai's bootprint.

A guitar consists of:

1) strings

2) scale length

3) nut

4) bridge

5) frets

6) action (playability)

7) fretboard

8) curvature of fretboard (radius)

lots of other things, but this is a guitar at it's most basic.

And copying down the distance of your bridge pkp is not going to teach you one thing at all. You need to learn the basic concepts of what makes up a guitar, how it works, what makes it work, to build a guitar.

So, there is a big difference between correctly copying the shape of your Strat to make a neat template to build from, and building a playable, functioning, balanced, intonated working guitar.

And you are going to have to learn and understand these basic concepts and their interactions with each other if you are going to build a guitar at all, much less your 'dream guitar'.

Still interested? B)

_____

If anyone has got a tutorial on how to sketch up the plans for a guitar or can answer my questions, I would be forever thankful.

_____

I judge newbs by the effort they're willing to put into each step. If you buy a template instead of making your own, you get a minus mark from me. I've never bought a template, I've made every single one I have. And even when I was a beginner, I was still making my own.

Not because I'm judgemental, but because I know how much effort is involved all the way down the line to build your 'dream guitar' all the way thru to the end when you strap that muthutrucker on and plug it in.

If you take the easy way out every chance you get, your rewards will be compromised. Your learning will be lessened every time you let someone else do part of it for you.

The decisions you make at every crossroad are telltale signs as to who you are, how much effort you are willing to put into it, and how great your final product will be.

This is the end of part 1. :DB):D

_____

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Dang ^^ he's ^^ got a good point there.

You gotta go out and hunt your info down, do your own research, do your own homework, do your own learning, I hate creeps who expect everyone to cater to their every little want like a spoiled brat.

You're not one of 'those' are you? You ARE willing to go out and learn these things for your own, yes? Do some research, read a book or two?

Ask us a question when you have a question, ask us a dozen, but don't ask us to build your guitar for you, or to provide you with every little tiny tidbit of information.

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I'm just hoping that he didn't know about the search feature. It comes in handy all the time. I would have died to have some of the information and resources this site has, when I first started to try building. I made tons of mistakes because of it, and without reading up like Drak says, your gonna make alot of them. It's better to learn from other peoples mistakes if at all possible. I highly recommend reading Melvyn Hiscock and Martin Koch's books before even starting. If your trying to build a guitar of Drak's caliber right off the bat, then you probably are setting yourself up for failure without knowing it. Especially without the methods you need to learn before starting. Like I've said before, it's not always knowing what to do that counts, it's knowing what order to do them also. So read, read, read, and practice on scrap until you think you can do it. Good Luck.. and hope to see your guitar pictures someday!!

MaTT V

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Aye, thanks a lot, guys!

Actually, I own and I have read Melvyn Hiscock's excellent book on guitarbuilding.

It is a great book, but I missed a chapter on what's vital and what can be experimented with on a guitar.

Therefore, I asked you guys (I smell a lot of knowledge in these forums)

Thank you, Drak, for providing me with a post of that caliber, it answered me questions and also some words of wisdom.

I hope not to be marked as a copying llama rear, but I wanted to know certain things about positioning and stuff before I begin with my first guitar.

I've been playing for a while, so I know what different pickup placements can do, but then again I wanted to be sure they couldn't be placed in some awkward way so...um...SOMETHING would screw up :D

Finally, one more question...

Is a steady hand and a long ruler the only tools you use when sketching up the pickups and bridge to be parallel with the neck?

Thanks for all the help, you guys are great!

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