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My Main questions are... 1) Where do I need to leave/add wood in order to ensure the structural integritty of the top? 2) If I wanted to put a T-O-M style bridge with those metal parts that go pretty deep into the body how would I go about that because they'd probably go deeper than the thickness of the top? (Leave extra wood undernieth where they'd be?) 3) What are the best woods to use? I'm looking at making an aggressive semi-hollow body for rock, not jazz. 4) How thick should I make this semi? Chris

Hey, I was just wondering why no one has listed a tutorial with step by step picture type thing of how to build yourself a semi-hollow? Like Myka has done a pimpin' job chronicalling the processes of his dragonflys, and that's pretty close. But it's still not a tutorial. I'm about to build a semi-hollow body and put a Parker Nitefly or PRS neck onto it. But I've still got a bunch of question about the semi-hollow body? Could anyone make a tutorial? Chris

Hey, I found these two things looking around the other day. I'm SO doing both of these on the next guitar I build! Imagine a nice carved top stained flame guitar with these two mods, not only would it look pimp, it'd have the COOLEST options for playing! Optek Necks and Trilogy Multi-Tuning Bridge Chris

After all ya'll's help I've finally come up with what I am going to buy. And you all seem very intent that a router is the most important, so I'm gunna get one, but I've got a funny story for you. That neck thru that I have a pic of on this thread that I build in my woodshop... i used a router on it only TWICE, for the control cavity and for the bridge pickup cavity. But I can see now where i'll start using it more from what ya'll have told me. My choices: - Bandsaw (and I'm gunna build a fense for it so i can use it LIKE a table saw ) - Bendsander (sorry guys, I CAN'T live without this one, you don't know HOW much I used this one last time. I did my shaping after bandsawing with it, and I did my neck tapering with it, this I as a builder can't lose.) - Palm Electric Sander - Router, bits, and templates. - HAND NON-Electric Drill. I love them, that's how I did my tuner holes last time. They drill slow so they drill accurate and straight! I'm now at $875. Thanks for the help guys!

one link for you guys www.diceknobs.com you can even get them at musiciansfriend now! they've got bunches on their site. save you alot of time and they're set screw ones too I've got some right in front of mye right now! nice Chris

I'm just curious, sense I'm trying to cut down on the costs of building myself a home woodshop (ie: not paying for a planer). Does anyone know if you can take wood to home depot (pay a small fee) and have them plane it to the depth of your choice? Chris

I've got a printout of all the things I want to buy and I can't see HOW to do without them... Bandsaw- cutout shape Belt/Disk Sander- Sandout bandsawing to right body shape Planer- turn a chunk of mahogany into a body blank (stewmac only has ash and alder) Press Drill- input jack hole, t-o-m peg holes, dot inlay holes Hand sander- final sanding before finishing. I'm SO confused..... I did all the reasearch and now lmy life it turning upside-down?!

this is the guitar I built.

Oh, I just use the table saw to make sure that the sides are even and parallel and the width I need it to be.... other than that I don't use the table saw (I DID use it to do my truss channel, but I wanna route that next time). How do you make your necks? post a pic of one of your guitars too, lets see what ya got goin'!

remember tsl, we've gone over htis, I have a dutch name, am dutch, but live in singapore (where I made the nice ribboned mahogany neck thru in my woodshop class?) I recently moved from brussels to here. remember?

No hand sander?! I spent HOURS on my last guitar sanding that thing, especially after my school sh*t router scratched it up. I can understand the no planner if I get blanks...... but how do I build A neck without aligning the sides of it with a table saw?

So should I just forget the dremel all together? it doesn't seem like it'll be doing much for me..... And also... why do stew mac sell it with a router type base to be used as a router if it doesn't do jack?

What do YA'LL think I should get then? How much did you spend on YOUR shops, and what do you have and use?

And I DID want to hear the answer..... the answer just cost too much money outta my already -to be empty- bank. So i chose a different route Chris

I spent that on one of each tool I used the FIRST time I built a guitar.... that would be the guitar listed here : http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=7731 The tools and prices are: JET Bandsaw: $329 Delta Disk/Belt Sander: $109 Delta Press Drill: $119 DeWalt Planer: $379 Makita Hand Sander: $52 Makita Table Saw: $339 Dremel Proffessional Rotary Tool: $107 Dremel Base: $49 Bits, Templates, Digital Calipers: The rest of the $$$ That's what it took my to build my last guitar... so I figure that's what it'll take this time... (plus some hand tools I already have). (all things bought from www.stewmac.com or http://store.yahoo.com/toolsplus) And I actually haven't bought them YET. Won't for another month to be exact, HOWEVER this IS what I PLAN to buy. (I use caps to emphasize words, not yell, don't wanna be like Snork (just read that thing!) I love you guys! I woulda DIED on my last guitar without this forum and ya'll).

Damnit, my home shop is getting So expensive!!! I'm up to $1699 WITHOUT this big router! Chris Maybe I'll just use my Dremel for cavities and stuff, and then just band-saw then beltsand the body to shape..... that's what I did for the one I just built. I can't afford a nice big router.

Hey, you know those litle dincky LOOKING (I could be wrong) "Dremel Proffessional Rotary Tool"s you can order from stewmac and add a routing base to to make it into a router... is that router going to be strong enough, and have the depth required to outline cut a guitar body with a template and to dig 1.5" deep control cavities, etc.? Or do I have to buy ANOTHER bigger router? Chris

Yeah, I've played one, they don't PLAY very nicely, and I wasn't a fan of their self wound pickups either. I think if anything they're more of a SHOW piece, and not a players instrument you rock out with. On the other hand, I was just reading some of the finishing section and have a couple questions. 1) people are talkin' about sealer and nitro, and poly, and a million different things... I just bought a bottle of ColorTone Waterbase Lacquer from stewmac. Can't I just spray on a couple of coats of that?! 2) i was thinking of dying my guitar, but then was wondering if it would look good... what do ya'll think I should do. any color suggestions you pro's think would work for my woods? 3) if i do stain it, can i just use that stewmac stain, and then just cover it with that ColorTone Waterbase Lacquer? Thanks, Chris

What's GOTM? And thanks, the headstock USED to be pointier, but someone dented it in my shop class and i had to sand it down a bit. I'm in singapore though, but my name IS dutch, i WAS in belgium until about a year ago though. Some nice guitars there! check out www.kritz.com, they're doing some amazing stuff there in belgium.

To the guy that said my routing looks good, thanks, but it's just cause the photo is from far away... lets just say i HAVE to use pickup mounting rings to cover those holes. the back ones fine, but the front one, because the fingerboard i couldn't get the router up there all the way, I had to do that one by hand with a hammer and chisle, etc.! Thanks for all the comments guys, this is a rush having quality builders really admire my work! Chris

No, it hasn't been fretted yet, it didn't accure to me to fret it BEFORE i put the wings on until I was reading up on that other guy's pinned story on his neck-thru. But that's ok, if there's a will there's a way and I'll get it done. I'm gunna put a EMG setup in it with two seperate volumes (let them control the pickups, no switch!) and then a over-all tone and EMG afterburner. I'll be using 81 and 89 pickups. It'll be a clear gloss finish.... and i'm tempted to stain a cut-away or two black... but i dunno yet. Chris

Hey, i've been working on this for about an hour every weekday (minus holidays) since about mid January for my wood shop's final project. I've only been woodworking since the begining of this school year, and this is my first guitar. Tell me what ya'll think. The body's wings are mahogany, and the neck is some type of southeast-asian rosewood (I'm in Singapore) while the fingerboard is indian rosewood from stew mac. Chris Ps: What cha'll think of my recessed tune-o-matic bridge idea so that I don't have to angle the neck?