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I saw one fret calculator that printed out a diagram of your fretboard for you with marks on it for frets and the bridge and nut. How accurate would that be? Andy

Just buy some. My dad owns a sawmill that used to cut veneers... The machinery that made veneer filled up a room that's roughly 80'x60'x25'. Probably larger.. Andy

I have access to a lot of tools, and the willingness to use them, but not if it will be insanely difficult and my entire project will hinge on it. I have read that a nut is the difference between a guitar and a nice looking paddle. Andy

Actually, my next guitar will have a zero fret.. But, by the nature of this project, I can't do that... Wow, fast reply... Andy

Hey all, I'm starting my 12-sting project soon, and the only thing I havn't really decided on is the nut. Since there is a shortage of pre-slotted 12-string nuts, and I don't want to attempt one myself for a 12-string first try, how much would a luthier charge for something like this? I live in the boonies, so I don't have the luxury of a local guitar builder. And, would it really be worth it to have a luthier do it? I'd imagine the difference between that and a preslotted nut would be pretty significant. AND, if that's the rout I go, should I put a bone blank in the spot for the luthier to cut, or should I just cut a slot for the nut and let him have at it? Thoughts, discussions, insults? I'm open to all! Andy

That's why I'm hiding the extra tuners. The goal is to make the guitar look like a 6 string.... With 12 Andy

Why, may I ask? Andy

If you bought your pots off of Mouser.com, how on Earth do you find them?? Andy

Kevan, don't worry, I read your post the first time around... But the LSR tuners are more expensive than the Steinbergs! So that's a no-go, too. Sorry guys, I think the tuner-in-the-body approach is how I'm going. I was playing my Tele tonight, and with the back panel removed, there is more than enough space to reach back and tune easily. It might be a pain, but meh, it'll look cool. People will wonder where the extra strings come from! So, pre-slotted nut, SLIGHTLY thicker neck, ferrules in the headstock, tuners up top, and tuners in the back. Everything else is just like normal, I guess? Now I need to find some SMALL tuners that don't cost over $100! Any other ideas you guys would like to throw at someone who's about to "have the runs and be outta toilet paper?" If it sucks, I let you laugh at me later. Andy

Haha, played them, but never owned/tuned them. I don't intend for this guitar to be leaving my bedroom much as it is, so I would probably just leave the back off if I made it that way. If I got a good set of tuners though, why would it tend to detune any more than a normal guitar? Plus, half of the guitar would be easily tunable! The wedge idea is interesting... But kinda ugly. I also don't want to have anything specially machined, other than a few cover plates that I'll machine myself, most likely. I got Mr. Hiscock book yesterday, so I've been reading up! Andy

Hmm, while the Steinberger tuner approach seems very promising, I don't feel like dropping $100 into a set of tuners. The picture of the headless Tele posted by Tirapop are really intriguing me. Right now, I'm thinking about that advice. 6 tuners with 6 ferrules at the headstock, and then put the other tuners inside the body. However, I wouldn't have them sticking out like that. I would put the tuners facing the other way with a cover so they'd be entirely enclosed in the body. I'd fasten the cover on with easily removable screws (maybe Zeus buttons?) so I could take it off quickly. Tuning would be a bitch, but I think it would provide the cleanest design. Input? Feedback? The body of my Tele is 2 inches thick. That should be thick enough to hide a set of tuners, I hope? Andy

Thanks for all the help, again! I wasn't nessecarily going for a 12-a-side exect Tele model, but I would like to retain somewhat of the Tele headstock. How straight do the strings have to go towards the nut? How about if I use string Tees/retainer bars? Are retainer bars anything other than a big string Tee? I saw a series of a Strat converted to 12-strings, and the guy just threw a bunch of tuners on willy-nilly. One string actually came off the tuner, bent around another tuner, and headed for the nut. I'm guessing that's not a desirable trait. The Fender 12-string head and the US 12 string look like my best bets, so far. Haha, maybe a headstock like that with an inlay that outlines an original Tele headstock? ------------------ So apparently neck strength isn't the issue I thought it would be. I plan on using a solid piece of quarter-sawn maple for the neck--Free, as one of the benefits of having a father who owns a lumbermill... I'm also going to thicken the neck a hair, and go with the nut off of Graphtech with the width closest to the original. Next question for this project-- Normal Tele necks are solid maple. There is a darker strip of wood in the back which (apparently) covers the routing path for the truss rod. However, the strip doesn't go the whole way up. Is the neck partially routed for the truss rod, and then drilled the rest of the way? I can't find any seam! Thanks! Andy

Thanks for all the tips! Generally, the consensus seems to be just go for it, correct? The only problem now seems to be the nut. Since I basically live in the boonies, I can't go to a music store to compare nuts (Wow, that sounds weird..). Should I just buy one off of Graphtech? If so, I just buy one the same width as the neck of my Tele, right? Doctor, does your guitar have a headstock resembling a Tele's at all? I'm trying to work out a pattern that will fit all the tuners and at least slightly resemble a Tele. Speaking of which, any suggestions for tuning machings with a little footprint? Thanks again, Andy

I know a fair bit about guitars. I've been playing for 7 years, but I've never built one. I ordered the book "Make Your Own Electric Guitar," but I won't receive it for about 5 days and I'm chomping at the bit to get my planning done here... I've read just about everything I could find on constructing necks, fretting, slotting nuts, and all that, but 99% of it all concerns 6 stings. Slotting a 12 string nut is something I'd like to avoid for my first project, I do believe. I do know that the scale length won't change though. I said that for dramatic effect Andy

Hi, I'm about to start on my first guitar building project. I plan to make a guitar that is identical to my Telecaster, but with twelve strings. I thought it would be an easy project as the body of a Telecaster couldn't get much simpler if they tried... However, I am very, very worried about the neck of the guitar. I initially planned on just copying the neck of my Tele, but I don't know if that will allow enough room for all twelve strings. I've searched every forum I could, and this is all I came up with on twelve string necks, out of 3 or 4 sites: I know that I can buy preslotted 12 sting nuts at www.graphtech.com and I plan on buying a 12 string bridge of StewMac, but I'm worried about what I need to make the width/thickness/string spacing/scale width of the neck to deal with the extra tension and strings. Can anyone help?? I thought this would be any easy first project, but apparently no one likes twelve strings Thanks, Andy