Building Tutorials and Links Thread

[Necromagnon]

hey - i dont know if this has been brought up already, but how much would I be looking at spending if I were to build my own guitar?
between wood, neck, laminate, hardware and all of that?

Depends on the tool you already have and the exterior help you can have.
For exemple, for my 1st 8 strings, I already go cisels, plane, rasps, driller, and many common tools like that. I still needed to buy a rooter with good bits (a friend sold me he's old with bits for less than 50$), good sand paper, and the furnitures for the guitar. I've been helped buy a profession carpenter that gave me some wood, and help me resaw, plane, and prepare every wood.
Still, with this, I got for almost 1400/1500€ for that guitar. And it's without counting the time on it. So don't go for money to build your own, but for the originality, and the pride.

 

[ThatCanadianGuy]

Depends on the tool you already have and the exterior help you can have.
For exemple, for my 1st 8 strings, I already go cisels, plane, rasps, driller, and many common tools like that. I still needed to buy a rooter with good bits (a friend sold me he's old with bits for less than 50$), good sand paper, and the furnitures for the guitar. I've been helped buy a profession carpenter that gave me some wood, and help me resaw, plane, and prepare every wood.
Still, with this, I got for almost 1400/1500€ for that guitar. And it's without counting the time on it. So don't go for money to build your own, but for the originality, and the pride.

If you can source the right place for woods, and have someone willing to lend you the tools you don't have, you might be able to come out under a grand. If you source your electronics from a large retailer, like AllParts or Carvin, they aren't all that expensive either.

 

[Transmissions]

iI just found this, and there is a TON of information on there, videos on setting up necks, a 150 page pdf on basics, lots of videos etc. From what I saw it was all free and for public access. Gonna dig through it more tomorrow.
Guitarbuilding.org

 

[Levi79]

I just want to say I just got my order in the mail from Welcome to Best Guitar Parts - The Best Parts at the Best Prices today and I'm really impressed with them. They have cheaper prices than anywhere I could find and free shipping over a certain amount.

 

[Nysaleem]

I will start things out. Here are 3 books that I have found particularly useful that have also have been recommended by several other forum members:

 

[sytraxiplague]

Well...here I am showing my age...
If you are not into immediate gratification, and would really like to understand guitar building with a minimum of special tools and expense, see if you can find Irving Sloane's Classical Guitar Building....

Yup, I know...Please read through and then beat me up later.

However there are some things that are integral to building acoustics, hollow bodys, and solid bodies.
Wood is wood, and having fundamental techniques will really save money and time in the long run.

OK, Everybody can blast me now.

Great great suggestion. No blasting at all. I've been recommended this book several times by great professional luthiers.

 

[JakeBoop]

I want to build an electric guitar, been playing for about 8-9 years and thinking it's probably about time. Since it'd be my first hand-made guitar, obviously I'd like to keep the resources fairly cheap. About how much would it be on an estimate? most likely a 27 scale with nothing fancy or anything.

 

[Necromagnon]

I want to build an electric guitar, been playing for about 8-9 years and thinking it's probably about time. Since it'd be my first hand-made guitar, obviously I'd like to keep the resources fairly cheap. About how much would it be on an estimate? most likely a 27 scale with nothing fancy or anything.

A few posts above:

Depends on the tool you already have and the exterior help you can have.
For exemple, for my 1st 8 strings, I already go cisels, plane, rasps, driller, and many common tools like that. I still needed to buy a rooter with good bits (a friend sold me he's old with bits for less than 50$), good sand paper, and the furnitures for the guitar. I've been helped buy a profession carpenter that gave me some wood, and help me resaw, plane, and prepare every wood.
Still, with this, I got for almost 1400/1500€ for that guitar. And it's without counting the time on it. So don't go for money to build your own, but for the originality, and the pride.

If you can source the right place for woods, and have someone willing to lend you the tools you don't have, you might be able to come out under a grand. If you source your electronics from a large retailer, like AllParts or Carvin, they aren't all that expensive either.

There're even topics on wood suppliers, I guess hardware suppliers and so on... We can't tell you how much it'll cost just because: we don't know what you are willing to build, what equipment you already have, if you needs books, and whatever... And basically: if you're willing to build your own guitar, you'd better be ready to do some work on your own, and it starts with researches on several forums for answers already debated billions of time...

 

[JakeBoop]

A few posts above:



There're even topics on wood suppliers, I guess hardware suppliers and so on... We can't tell you how much it'll cost just because: we don't know what you are willing to build, what equipment you already have, if you needs books, and whatever... And basically: if you're willing to build your own guitar, you'd better be ready to do some work on your own, and it starts with researches on several forums for answers already debated billions of time...

Thanks a lot, definitely thinking seriously about it now. Rock on

 

[Necromagnon]

Thanks a lot, definitely thinking seriously about it now. Rock on

I canno't push more to go on this. It's freaking addictive and really enjoyable. If you read a few thread, mostly starting thread of some guys around here, you'll see how addicted they got...

 

[se7en_immortal]

Wow! This is awesome! I've actually just recently been talking with my wife about possibly building guitars (including one for myself) as a business. I'm very grateful for this thread Thanx!

 

[blastocaster]

does any body have the equation for proper fret placement on an * string build

 

[Prophetable]

It's based on scale length. Use this calculator with that information:

Stewmac Fret Calc

 

[jahosy]

So my jointer / thicknesser went kaput over the weekend and needed to flatten some 1-inch thick guitar tops.

I remember seeing someone built a rig with the router as a 'planer'. Are there any alternatives out there?

Thanks in advance

 

[dankarghh]

So my jointer / thicknesser went kaput over the weekend and needed to flatten some 1-inch thick guitar tops.

I remember seeing someone built a rig with the router as a 'planer'. Are there any alternatives out there?

Thanks in advance

Thicknessing with a router is the worst. But I continue to do it, tears and all..

Edit: body blanks bring the bad times, no problems otherwise.