Hey guys. Im new here and Im thinking about making my own guitar.
I currently work in the wood shop of the architecture department here on campus. My boss sells unfinished hardwood for $1/brdft. I want an SG/LP type of guitar. I have access to Birch, Cherry, Maple, and Walnut. Im thinking about a Maple thru-neck with a Walnut body. Problem is that all the boards are pretty much 1"X6", so Ill have to glue. The body will be 2 boards thick. If I run a single piece of maple for the neck, should I put another piece of maple under that for the body and body-neck areas? Or should I just put walnut for everything but the neck. Id like to go for the thinner Gibson neck, so most, if not all of the neck should be ok with the 1" board, right?. If the thru neck is going to be a pain, I dont mind doing a body with a rout for the neck to go into, but thru-neck is preferable, I think.
Will glueing all this wood together do much to affect my tone? Ill be making this guitar relatively cheap, cannabalising from the upgrades my current Epiphone and using cheap, but quality wood. I dont mind if its not the best, Id just like some experience for when I have the money to do it right.
Also, will my design hinder how the bridge and tailpiece are attatched? Im not real familiar with their design.
Finally, is the fretting difficult to do with with a dead drop hammer? I may buy a pre radiused/slotted ebony fretboard, as there isnt much of a price difference. Wheres the best place to do this? If you arent doing a custom scale or anything, is it better to buy them, as there isnt much of a difference in price?
Thanks
Chris
