fehgalloway

As a newbie, I would say everything... But probably finishing and electronics most - from what i understands, woodworking is more about practice... Maybe some basic beginner stuff on wiring, or pickups, etc. I don't even know why some wires are fatter than others - so i guess basic stuff like that A list of finishing options and methods, with pics That way, people can go in and see what they like and know what the name is, what products are needed and the basic process. Maybe over time tutorials could be added on how to do each, then each time someone does something new, it's just added to the list. and wetsanding - i don't get that at all. However, i haven't started building yet and have never tried any finishing, so i don't know anything

chick/19 (nearly 20 ) uni, Brisbane/Australia.. Can't play (anything, at all )

Hello people... I guess most of you have probably seen this, or it has been posted, or something, but I don't have time to read through 300 posts, so...here it is.. I found this on the MIMF archive...I LOVE this guitar, in fact, I think it is almost my favourite...It's not EXACTLY a carrieburst, but he wanted it to look like the sea, and I think that it actually does look like that......this guy is talented. I only hope that one day I can do something like this ! BTW - I'm not exactly sure what he's done with the neck, but either way, the guitar is cool So... Mark Mitchell's guitar.. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v369/ozg...ell_guitar2.jpg

No idea...they're all hardwoods...the body timber weighs a ton...and the fingerboard is REALLY hard. The neck is light, but strong (according to my uncle) and fairly stable. He cut it an put it against itelf so the grain works ok... soon find out i guess.... thanks

Ok, in consideration of this comment from Skibum i redesigned it all a little bit... I also have my timber for the neck... and some nicer photos...so I'll put some photos on here and some links (If we're not supposed to put photos on the forum anymore, let me know, and I'll fix it up) Ok... This is my neck timber...it's new gineauan rosewood, laminated with a strip of Jarrah about 4mm wide...It looks HEAPS more orange on here than in real life..it looks reddish normally This is the final timber for my guitar..body neck and fingerboard...they also look heaps more orange..see the earlier pictures and combine the two and that's what it really looks like...kind of more red... This is the design for the body...it's going to be symmetrical, so i just did one side and then I'm going to mirror image it...bit safer maybe...it's about the same size as the bottom horn of a Strat..it's really hard to see..sorry bout that, it looks a bit out of proportion actually... This is my headstock... Here are all my part that I've got so far...I don't have much to get, i don't think...most of my stuff came from Stew-Mac or Ebay... It's going to be a 25.5inch scale with 24 frets, and the neck will be glued in probably, but I haven't decided yet... These pics are of a neck tool that i made..it's a combination of a stew-mac neck caul (that I made) Brians fret wire bender idea (thanks for that) and a mitre box (that has no cuts in it yet)....Hopefully it will be like an entire neck working thing ... i'm a bit excited, as it's really the first thing that I've ever built .... ... I'm really looking forward to any comments/recommendations/ etc.... thanks, bye

Hi, they are great! Really nice maple too... They look very well constructed.. thanks for showing them

I think that Brian has a link on the main page with template sections (I could be wrong). For freebies, try MIMF (register for free) then go to the library www.mimf.com /www.guitarbuild.com Stew-mac sells plans (although I have a feeling they don't sell strat; could be wrong ) or any other suppliers (lmii/warmoth, etc) I'm not sure if they do sell plans, but give them a try. If the worst comes, print of a picture of a strat from Fender's website, go to your local music shop and measure the length, then convert all the measurements over... eg, if the pic is 5cm long and the body is 50cm long (in real life) then times all the measurements on the photo by 10 (not perfect, but better than nothing) and there's your plan Good luck

Here is a rough body shape of what I think I would like... Let me know what you think...I really want your feedback...!!! my guitar idea

Ok, I've done a bit of searching and found this on MIMF You need to be registered to view the library (where this is from) but it may work anyway, not sure...MIMF Binding Library This is the library section for binding and inlaying (i think) so you'll have to scroll through, but there are at least 3 old threads that I've found that are pretty useful... Thought that if any of you were wondering too, it may prove useful...I can do a summary of the info if you want Brian/Kevin/Anyone, just let me know.. Also, I will *ATTEMPT* making my own binding when I get to that stage with my guitar, so can do a tutorial as I go if you want (can be on what not to do and what will go wrong ) I'll update you all later...probably be around Jan/Feb though.. Hope this helps someone..bye

I'm 19 (nearly 20) just over 1/2 way through 2nd year of a town planning degree at QUT. I doodle in every class, yesterday I read through a tool-shop catalogue deciding what I was going to buy Mostly I design headstocks...I'm in the process of designing my first guitar... I read through pages printed off stew-mac deciding what I'm going to buy, read books, and the paper... At school we used to talk non-stop, design anything and everything, I even used to sleep through some classes Do assignments in class so I didn't have to do it when I got home... Anything not to listen At least at uni, you can just not turn up...God Bless uni

????? Is that a shop????? I think they are a major specialty tool over here..They're not in any normal hardware store...the one shop I can find sells the porter cable router for $600...I'd hate to think what the jigsaw is like... What about Makita or DeWalt? The guy at the shop reckons that each brand has some dodgy lines, even those two...anyone had any experience??

Hahahahahahahaha I think my mum & dad would kill me Uni is my No 1 priority atm, so my computer will stay where it is..maybe giving way to a router later on B) I've got space to work, just not space to store massive amount of equipment. ...Ok, so if a decent jigsaw will do the job, then I guess I'll get one of those... So to keep bugging you all.. What do you all think is the best/most reliable brand? (NOT GMC :DB) )

That is a nice shop! I still can't decide.... The thing is, I'm not going to have any use for a bandsaw other than guitars...Where as a jigsaw is a bit more versatile...you can use it for heaps of different things... Keep in mind that I'm a 19 y.o. female student that lives at home (with mum & dad) with no space other than my room.... Do you all really think that I would still be better off getting a bandsaw as opposed to a really nice jigsaw. I guess what it comes down to is... Will a good jigsaw do the job and survive? (I am listening to everyone's advice, just trying to keep things in realistic perspective with my experience/cash flow/need/future use/etc) And this might seem like a stupid question, but where would I go to get 2nd hand stuff...Cash Converters is a joke..the trading post is not much better, there's nothing on Ebay, and with postage, I'd be better off buying a new one...?? Any recomendations... No, I've never seen them, but I wouldn't really know either...and we don't have Home Depot or anything like that...that price sounds about the equivalent of $500 Australian, which is the same as the one Perry put up further (thanks for that)

Hmmm... I guess this is a question more for Perry, do you know about carba-tec...They sell specialty woodworking tools across Australia and NZ....what do you think about this... 9" band-saw from Carba-tec... They seem to stock fairly high quality stuff...? So...Just for example...say I had AU$500. I already have a disc sander and router, power and cordless drills, and all the hand tools bar a few specialtys.......and would like that $500 to go as far as possible...what should I get..keeping in mind that I am going to take my time, so I don't mind if I have to cut out 1/4 of the body with a jigsaw everyday, to give it a rest..I just want something decant that can do the job and last...I was never sure about GMC, but the guy seemed so adament...?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!!?!? If I'm highjacking this thread - tell me to nick off Thanks all..

That's what I thought - which is why I was asking you guys... I REALLY don't know what to get... Thought that might be true too...don't really care about it that much, the guy at the shop just said that it would be handy (yeah right...) I basically just wanted to get a REALLY top notch jigsaw, that me and my dad can use for heaps of stuff, instead of a medium bandsaw, which I nor anyone else will ever use again... I was looking at Makita, or bosch, but the guy at the shop reckoned that GMC was pretty good...? Who knows? What do you all use/recommend/know that's good. My budget for just the jigsaw/bandsaw is about $200 MAX (thats australian $) I just want something good quality, versatile, usable, quality...etc...you get the idea. BTW - what's a scroll saw and would it be any good??

Hey, CamCool Im a newbie too, and, I guess, as most people do, wanted this FANTASTIC timber...I can afford it, just...but have decided against it, as I wouldn't be able to do it justice...and my money is better spent elsewhere, getting good parts etc... However, if you want it, and can afford it, I reckon you should go for it... I don't have any helpful links, sorry, but just a word of encouragement. I'm in Australia, and even here, local timber is expensive just to buy...let alone importing anything I'm not ALOT older than you, so i rember how rewarding it is saving up a (relatively) smallish wage for months and buying the best that you can possibly buy. I reckon if you bought that timber and made the guitar, you would LOVE it no matter what... And I'm not saying that you wouldn't be able to do it well.....just my words of advice . Good luck finding it...let us know if and when you do, and post some pics of whatever you end up with...This is what I've got..so far it's cost me AU$30 (about US$23) and a carton of beer Hope you like..

Hello, I found this website while searching the web... Pretty inspirational - nice to see something different. Guitar Nation Not sure if this is the right place to post the thread, so move it if not.. Thanks people.

Hello eveyone, I'm fairly new here, and didn't have time to read the whole thread...so this may very well have already been said, and may not be my place to say, however... First, congratulations Kevin for the promotion Secondly, my understanding of the forum was a discussion on guitars..I take the in progress section as being watching people make a guitar and giving feedback comments...If it's worth keeping, then it's moved to the tutorial section of the main site...It is a bit annoying having so many comments throughout, but it's kind of a "real time" thing...makes people interact, etc, otherwise, there doesn't seem much point in a forum, might as well just email brian and some other the questions and them have them made into tutorials on the main site.. In regards to the other "junk" on the site...I figured that's what the rant section was for..To keep it away from everything else that's serious. It's down the bottom and you never have to go to it if you don't want to...it seems fairly popular anyway. Unless it's taking up way too much space, in which case - yes it's a guitar building forum and that's the main priority of the site. I don't like MIMF for the simple fact that they are OVER THE TOP...I felt like i was in the army or something, and stupid evertime i asked a question...And there site isn't exaclty easy to navigate...I come here heaps more, because of the relaxed but controlled atmosphere... Having said that though - a bit more focus would be good for the forum I think...more appealing and more professional (as already said) Just my comments.... thanks anyway for this amazing and wonderful resource...it's better than every book combined.. fiona

Thanks - yeah, i like it a lot, pretty good for scraps Hmm...I don't know, haven't heard of them...I've looked up every guitar shop in Brisbane, but they may be there..Dunno.. How's everything down at the Goldy?

Go here for the free plans...Don't know if it will work, as you'll have to be logged into the forum to get access to the library, which is where they are.. You need to have Autocad to download most of them...but I've got it, so that's ok.

Hmm, well I don't really know yet I'm thinking a PRS shape, but I don't have any figured timber for a top, and i don't think it would look right without it, so probably somesort of les paul double cutaway or a strat/lespaul hybrid, or something else kinda the same... any suggestions

Hi, i'm looking at a jigsaw/bandsaw at the moment - I need something to cut my body out, etc. I'm going to go with the jigsaw. I asked the guy at my local hardware shop and he said that a pendulim or oscillating blade is best. He recommended this one to me, saying that GMC has become heaps better lately and even though he worked for Bosch for 25 years, he mainly uses GMC now, on most things, because the quality is really good, and they're really cheap. It also is good for doing intricate work, beacuse you can turn the blade 360degrees (don't know how or if that would work, but that's what it says ). This is what he recommended to me, this jigsaw it's AU$150 does anyone have it, recommend anything different or have an opinion?

Ok, got some photos...I'll try and get them to work on here, and keep it to a minimum...I don't have the timber for my neck yet - it's coming...AND...of course, it had to be cloudy for the first day in 2 months the day I took the photos, so here they are (if they work This is the timber for the body (laminated western Australian Rosewood). It was an old stair tread and my uncle cut it up and glued it together for me... This is the timber I have for the fingerboards...I have had it cut down to 6-8mm thick..I have sanded two pieces with 2000 grit sandpaper (just to see how they would come out). There are two different types there - Cooktown Ironwood (reddish of the two) and Blackbean. Both are native Australian. I am going to use the cooktown ironwood for this guitar...And yes, I have a heap - enough for 11 fingerboards This is the blackbean This is the ironwood This is the ironwood on the body timber THIS is a piece of QLD maple (not a real maple) that my uncle got nearly 50 years ago and he gave it to me for a neck (one day, when I'm good enought to justify using it ) It's A grade, perfectly straight and quatersawn...How lucky am I..?! Anways, I'll stop using up so much space now, and leave you to it, thanks for looking..Hope you like it. Oh and the neck will be laminated New Guinea Rosewood, jarrah (3mm) and New Guinea Rosewood. bye

THANK YOU!!! That is EXACTLY what I need! It just makes everything so much easier to grasp

So has anyone ever made their own binding out of timber (or plastic or whatever)? I saw the John Tirone Webpage - He's good...I want to use timber however, not plastic.. How did you do it? Was it successful?