Dave I

My basic plan is to buy and read Make Your Own Electric Guitar by Melvyn Hiscock before I ever pick up a tool, and then take a woodworking class or two (one is a one-day class at a woodworking shop, another is a five-or-ten week class, depending on how much time you want to invest, run at an area school one day a week, so I might take both). So my first question is, what kind of wood should I use? Should I stick with a standard, like Mahogany, or is something slightly more exotic like Limba or Rosewood going to be o.k. with my projected level of experience/education in woodworking? I am thinking either mahogany neck & body with maple cap, all-mahogany neck & w/ figured body, Korina neck & body (possibly adding figured maple cap here) for something a bit more exotic, or something truly exotic but not unheard of like a rosewood neck in any of these combinations. Second question is, what level of difficulty should I aspire to? Will I be biting off more than I can chew by adding a carved top to the mix? Is adding a maple cap and hand-carving it going to be o.k. for a first build with a teacher there to help and answer any questions I have? Is something like chambering going to present major headaches, or should I be alright with that if I take my time? I ask because there are a few guitars I am interested in building and I am not really opposed to making something more challenging unless there is strong urging to stick with a simpler design for the first build or two. -Cheers

Fair enough. It makes me wonder about some of the shapes out there that I do not find all that appealing, but if it does not make much of a difference I will stick with ergonomically comfortable guitar shapes that look appealing and offer nice fret access. Thanks for the posts. Out of curiousity, does anybody have a link to where this has been discussed in the past, or keywords to plug into the search box? -Cheers

Yeah, I don't know. Maybe he was trying to sell me something. Still, it begs the question as to where he got this idea. -Cheers

Hey, no problem! I can ask all kinds of unexpected questions if you'd like! I wondered about the dimensions more in terms of how much wood is left in the cut overall, as well as around the individual pickups. It made sense that there MIGHT be some difference between a larger surface area guitar (e.g. Gibson Explorer or Hamer Standard) and a smaller surface area guitar (e.g. Fender Telecaster or Steinberger) based on how the whole guitar reverberated, the energy transfer along the length of the guitar, etc. A while ago at the local guitar shop, I struck up a conversation with one of the guys working there and he mentioned the Telecaster was known as "the loudest Fender" and attributed it to the amount of wood around the neck pickup, basically that it was wider at the neck pickup than a Stratocaster, Jaguar, Mustang, or anything else they make. I had never heard that before but had no reason to necessarily disregard his opinion; he's a manager in the guitar section of the largest music store in the city, maybe he knew something I didn't. Anyway, it made me wonder if there was any science into guitar shapes, or if they were that way due to mere cosmetics and ergonomic considerations. It also made me wonder if, assuming the guitar shop guy was not totally off his rocker, there were any differences in tone between a single-cut and a double-cut, my logic being that there would be less wood in the immediate area of the neck pickup of a double-cut than a single-cut. If tone-chambers can affect the tone, why not the cut of the body in proximity the pickups? If it makes no difference, then it makes no difference and I can accept that. -Cheers

Probably a subjective question, but how much of a factor is the body shape/design to tone versus other factors, like string, scale, neck-thru vs. set vs. bolt, etc.? For instance, how much of a difference will the shape of a Strat vs. a Tele vs. a Les Paul vs. an SG vs. a PRS vs. an Explorer make on the overall sound of a guitar, all else being equal (e.g. wood, string gauge, electronics, scale, etc.)? Related question, for custom builds or original designs, does your desired tone affect the shape you use or draw? I have heard that more wood around the pickups gives it a louder sound/presence (namely as a way of explaining how/why a Tele is rumored to be louder than a Strat), and wonder if there is any credence to that. Is there any conclusive evidence over how body size/shape and location of mass affect sound? -Cheers

PRS has a guitar with a Rosewood neck and fretboard. http://prsguitars.com/513rosewood/index.html The reviews I have read sound impressed. I would take that with a grain of salt except to note that SOMEBODY likes Rosewood as a tonewood. Not sure if it sounds any better/worse than Mahogany, Maple, Walnut, or any other tonewood you would use for a neck. The price might be prohibitive as Rosewood is kind of rare, but it should still sound fine in a guitar. -Cheers

Just to kind of jump on G-Axe's bandwagon, what wood or mix of woods will give the warmest, roundest sounds without sounding overly muddy? Would it be all-Mahogany, all-Limba, all-Koa, some warm base/back wood with a more articulate wood for the top or neck? Similarly, is it normal to use mix tonewoods for any complexity in sound, or is more just a matter of using a primary tonewood for the sound you want (i.e. Mahogany, Alder, Limba, etc.) and a second kind of wood that will look pretty but still sound nice enough to not mess with the tone you are trying to get from the base/back wood (i.e. flamed Maple, Birdseye Maple, Koa, figured Walnut, etc.)? -Cheers

Thanks Erik. The Packers are 5-1 going into the bye week, so it is a good time to be a Cheesehead. Sounds about what I thought. The limba-as-a-cap idea was more for the possibility of getting a flamed top with a warmer tone contribution than Maple. I really like smooth, non-jagged and non-shrill upper notes, so thought maybe a flamed limba cap could give me a compromise between the warmth of Mahogany and the beauty and articulation of Maple. The all-Mahogany or all-Limba guitar is interesting. I want all of the warmth, roundness, and thick tone of the Mahogany without it being dead, flat, and lifeless. I would presume that should not be a problem with a carved top all-Mahogany or all-Korina guitar, but I would like to confirm that with others who have done that before I skip out on the Maple, if that makes any sense. -Cheers

If there is a place with clips of an all-mahogany or all-korina guitar I would be interested. Especially if there was a side-by-side, if such an unlikely thing even exists. Never played a Korina guitar, although I did own a Gibson LP Special for a while (thinner than LP Standard, Mahogany body, no cap). -Cheers

Anybody ever make an all-mahogany or all-korina/limba Les Paul, with a mahogany base and figured/carved mahogany cap (or korina)? I am curious they would sound versus one with a maple cap. Are they just a shade darker/rounder, or is it a much more radical difference than that? -Cheers

One more thing . . . If there is a good place to look at what Black Limba looks like stained, please let me know. I am curious what a finished Limba cap looks like on a guitar, possibly flamed and bookmarked, compared to Maple and Mahogany (my other likely options). Thanks in advance! -Cheers

I have a few guitar builds in mind, all based on Les Paul, PRS, or Carvin CT designs. The tried & true formula seems to be Mahogany base with a figured Maple top. However . . . How different would the tone be between an all-Mahogany guitar vs. the Mahogany with maple cap? For the sake of discussion, how different would an all-Mahogany Les Paul sound (Mahogany base, carved and figured Mahogany top) than a standard Gibson Les Paul build? Or for that matter, a Mahogany base with a flamed Korina/Limba cap? *Edit: If there is a thread that already discusses this, feel free to just post a link and tell me to read it. Thanks in advance! -Cheers

I prefer the traditional PRS Double Cut with the offset, or extended, bass-side horn: Over the Gibson Les Paul Double Cut: There is a lot that is nice about the Mira, but I am not as big on the body cut-out of the Mira (or LP DC for that matter) as I am of the McCarty. They have just a gorgeous shape in my opinion. So in that regard, I would cosmetically design it to be more like the McCarty, at least for the double-cut part near the neck, but probably sticking with traditional Les Paul dimensions otherwise. I am also wondering if I might be best served just using some sort of Mahogany body and getting a nicely figured Mahogany cap or flamed Limba cap and and keeping maple the hell away from this guitar for the thickest, most syrupy tone I can get. That sound is pretty much what I want out of this build, along with experience for future guitars. -Cheers

Pretty close. Anybody ever try one? The reviews do not really compare it to a Les Paul, which is the sound I am looking for. The are a 24-fret vs. Gibson's 22-fret (not sure how much of a difference that makes) and a three-knob vs. a four-knob, and a slightly different carve than a PRS. But yeah, you could say I am kind of looking for a 22-fret, four-knob version of a Peavey HB. Not sure if the body dimensions are similar or not, but yes, it does look pretty close. Thanks for the post, I never knew these existed. -Cheers

Thanks! Assuming I make more than one of these things (), I might have to make a baritone single cut. I would still like to make a 24.75" scale PRS double-cut design to spec with my original idea, but I think a nice Les Paul SC design with a baritone scale would be really nice to play. I want the 24.75 scale so I do not have to transpose everything but can have rolled-off mids, but I could see a baritone entering my regular guitar rotation. So it looks like I have two guitars to plan: 1) PRS double-cut shaped, solid Mahogany body (at least in part due to cosmetic reasons), possibly a figured Maple cap (or some other nicely figured/flamed/attractive wood for the top), with Gibson Les Paul scale and mass/thickness, possibly with coil splitters, Seymour Duncan Seth Lover covered PAF-style pickups, and Gibson electronics, and; 2) Gibson Les Paul single-cut design guitar in a baritone scale with either Mahogany or Korina for an even warmer sound, and tone chambers for a slightly airy tone and a bit of a different feel than the PRS-shaped. I will definitely be stealing your neck design idea for these guitars as well. -Cheers

Well, to be fair, it was only a small part of the design, and an optional one at that. But point taken. And no, I do not usually sit and hold a note for extended periods of time so it is probably a non-factor (which is why I ask these questions on forums like this, so I know that BEFORE I do something unnecessary ). I appreciate the advice. -Cheers

That is more for being able to create a greater difference in tone when switching between pickups, should I want to switch between sounds mid-song, as well as just for more control over the sound in general. Probably not ESSENTIAL, but I think it is nice. I am just basing it on my experience and what I have heard. If I am wrong, feel free to let me know or where to look. But it makes sense that a guitar with greater mass will have a greater displacement and a more bass-driven sound just from the body's vibrations. I know strings, scale, pickups, materials, and other things factor in, but I also believe mass should have SOME contribution, all else being equal. If that IS voodoo, then I like a stop tailpiece or one-piece, cosmetically speaking. But it is all pretty minor either way. My understanding was you lose some sustain with the strings being physically off the body. Not a deal breaker either way, and I do not usually hold notes for minutes at a time without strumming, but like the idea of a slower note-decay based largely on principal. But if I am incorrect, do not be afraid to tell me. I post these things so I can learn, and I will not take criticism or constructive advice personally. Especially not if my end-results and learning curve benefit from it. So thanks for the advice thus far! -Cheers

THAT has some real potential! I have never played a baritone guitar, but doing a little bit of quick research they sound interesting. I might have to try one of those. I would still like a thicker sounding PRS-shaped single-cut 24.75" scale as I DO like the upper notes, just a bit darker and more bass sounding. But that does sound intriguing. With your SC Les Paul-style, is the upper fret access at all deterred by the single-cut design? I am not sure that on a baritone it would matter as much. That has some possibilities as well. The Maple was largely for cosmetics, but also for a bit of complexity in tone. If an all-mahogany, black limba, or some combo of those or other darker (but not flat and lifeless) sounding woods can be used, while still getting a nice bit of figured flame, count me in! I guess mainly, are there any tricks or things about doing a contoured neck heel to know about that are not obvious, or is it as simple as just carving a smooth transition? I know that probably sounds stupid, but if it is that easy, why do most companies not bother when it seems like it would be a fairly simple way to make guitars a bit more comfortable? But if there is anything important to know about making a seamless, or at least smooth and comfortable, transition from guitar neck to body, I am definitely interested in finding that out. -Cheers

Three things: 1) 24.75" scale; 2) Four knobs (two volume, two tone); 3) Thicker body for more mass and a thicker, bass heavier, fatter tone. 4) String-through design for better sustain. Not really a Gibson or PRS feature, but it seems like a good idea. Cosmetically, it will be more of a PRS than anything (assuming I do this right and do not screw up too badly ), but it is basically a Les Paul-inspired guitar with (hopefully) the looks of a PRS double-cut and the smooth neck of a neck-through or a Washburn Idol. Probably nothing all that revolutionary, just looking for Les Paul tone with better upper-fret access. -Cheers

It is the only way I can think of to get the thicker, bassier sound of a Les Paul style. I have a Hamer Studio, amazing guitar, but the sound does not seem quite as round and syrupy or as bassy and thick (or whatever adjectives you would use to describe the difference) as a Les Paul. That being said, if there is some way to get the same sound out of a thinner or lighter guitar, I am all ears. But from what I have gathered, you really need the extra mass to get that thicker, rounder, fatter sound with the amazing low-end of the spectrum. Yeah, I remember that. I usually play with a strap, either way, when I play, just so the guitar does not slip off. For this guitar, I really just want a thicker, warmer, rounder, etc., tone monster (if you can forgive the cliches ). I can build a light-weight Strat or contoured Tele for a comfort guitar when I just want to fart around in comfort. But I am really looking at this for the tone I think I will get. -Cheers

I guess kind of what I am looking for is the thickest guitar body I can go (if others have experience with this) before it gets muddy or dull sounding, or any other difficulties or undesirable effects, and maybe what the difference in sound would be once you go thicker than a Les Paul. I am not sure what a thicker (than a Les Paul, for instance) guitar with tone chambers would sound like, relative to a more traditional Les Paul dimension guitar (or in this case, a solid-body Les Paul double cut design). That being said, there is nothing stopping me from doing this as a solid-body and doing a similar design as a hollow or semi-hollow. -Cheers

VERY nice!!!!! Thank you for sharing the pictures. Any words of advice, especially on the neck? -Cheers

Out of curiosity: 1) Anybody have any good advice on whether or not to keep this solid or chamber it out? I know it is probably all subjective and opinion-based, but any rules of thumb or great threads that talk about this would be welcome. Keep in mind I have a lot of time before that is even an issue or a decision I have to make, just trying to wrap my head around what all this will entail. 2) What thickness should I go with the Mahogany and the Maple cap? I would like a nice, warm, thick, syrupy sort of sound, but I am not sure how thick I can go without making a guitar that sounds too muddy, crappy, or unbearably heavy, although tone is my main concern. -Cheers

Thanks, both for the words of encouragement and earlier advice! I will be doing a lot of reading soon (probably getting Hiscock's book for my birthday in a couple of weeks) and then creating a work schedule, acquiring materials & tools, and practicing on scrap wood. But yeah, I think I want to give this a whirl. There are a few guitars I would like to add to my collection, and if I can build them to my specs then that would be ideal. -Cheers

I have in my mind a sort of hybrid between a PRS double-cut, a Les Paul, and a Washburn Pilsen XL Idol. As it stands I do not believe this guitar exists, unless somebody else has built it in their garage or basement or something, and I am wondering how difficult or advisable this will be for a first project. Concept Overview: Double-cut PRS shaped archtop body with a contoured set-neck (just means it has a smooth neck-to-body transition, no awkward heel), extra thick body, and an HSH design, or (more likely) an HH design with the four-knob setup. Ultimately I am looking for a thick, warm sound, pretty much a Gibson Les Paul sound (maybe even thicker) with a PRS' looks and a neck-through playability. Body: Mahogany with Maple Cap, around 2" thick at rim or thicker with a carved top. I am also curious, as an alternate, of the prospect of a solid Mahogany archtop, without Maple, but my first choice is the mahogany w/ maple cap because, honestly, I love the look of some of the flamed or tightly-quilted green PRS double cuts. I would like roughly the mass or a Les Paul only with a PRS shape, so maybe a bit thicker or wider. Considering tone chambers for weight reduction and (mainly) resonance, but will probably leave it solid unless there is a good reason to chamber it. There would be a contoured bellycut as well for comfort. Would also like to do through-body string setup, ala. a Carvin CT3M, for sustain. Neck: I think I would like to do a 22-fret neck, but would definitely like to do a set-neck. I am thinking Mahogany neck. The main thing I would like is for it to be a heel-less neck, something contoured like the Washburn Idol so it looks and feels like a neck-through, but is a set-neck. Would like it kind of chunky, but playable so not really a baseball bat (I have medium or small-to-medium hands). I am not sure about what scale to use either at this point. Specific questions: 1) Anything I am planning that is really unreasonable or a flat out bad idea? 2) Any specific pearls of wisdom for doing this? I have looked through most of the tutorials (the relevant ones) a while back, and am just reviewing them to get the general battle plan in my mind. But anything specific for making this run smoother than going into it blindly would be nice to know ahead of time. 3) How likely am I to get a decent looking, workable guitar with a really nice sound on my first time building a guitar? 4) Anything that might be particularly troublesome and worth outsourcing for a first-time project? I am planning on getting Melvyn Hiscock's book Make Your Own Electric Guitar and taking my time with this project. But this WILL be my first such project. So advise/critique away. -Cheers