Help for a first "guitar" attempt

[J-Fender7]

Hey everyone, as you can see, I'm pretty new at posting here. Long time lurker to this majestic place, but I need some help. (I apologize in advance for the long post).
To start this off, this is merely a concept that I want to attempt in the future, and it could be a few months before I start this off (due to school and money).
I've been playing guitar for around 5 years (Love my 7's, btw ) and lately I've been very curious about getting into luthiery. My dad has a garage full of woodworking tools, so I am pretty set. I know quite a bit because of my lurking, and I had an idea of a first build. I want to start off small with something somewhat "expendable" that can end up not super great, and I'm not destroying my bank account.
I saw the video of the guitarist for After the Burial playing the "Djentstick" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhOYflyfOPM) and I thought that might be a super easy starting point for me.
My idea that came from it is pretty simple but i think it could be awesome. I want to make a single string guitar, like the djentstick, but as if it were a full guitar. My first ideas for it are:
Rhodes V shape? (Ive always wanted a rhoads v )
28" scale
single string tuned to Low F (like the lowest on an 8 string)
24 frets
single bass tuner
single string bridge piece
active pickup?
single volume knob

The reason i'm posting is for some guidance. I have a lot of questions, I am literally brand new to all of this. The point of this build is to gain experience for my first real guitar build. I am not looking to make a super high quality instrument, so I'm looking for somewhat cheap parts to do this.
So my parts related questions start with:

How well would some bass parts work with this? I know this seems like a n00b question, but price wise (which is my main concern) most of the parts can be bought cheaper. For one single string hipshot bridge, its around $25, but on ebay, I could get 4 single string bass bridges for around $11.
Also, is a bass tuner going to work for a guitar string, but something like a .80 for the F? On the original djentstick, it looks like thats what he is using, but I could be mistaken.
Also, would a bass pickup work for this? I thought about trying to get my hands on an emg 81 for it (I'd like an active, just for that extra attack because it's only the one low string), but I worried that positioning the pickup so the string is down the center wouldn't be as good for the lows of it. But if I used a bass pickup, would it help the low tone better?

Also, I drew up a mock neck to get a feel for the size on a piece of plywood. I calculated the dimensions and such for a neck, (based loosely on the dimensions that carvin provides for their neck-thru) and its pretty small. Its about 1 inch at the nut, and about 1.5 at the 24th fret. I drew it as a 28" scale.
(I am not sure how to put pictures in, but once I figure out ill post the picture of my mock up neck).

Would a neck this small need a truss rod?
This seems like a silly question, but I feel like a normal truss rod would be too big. I would think it would need something in there for support.
Is a 28" scale too long? I want to get a good scale to make sure I get clarity out of the string, but i'm not sure how the longer scale would affect the skinny neck.
If I were to do a 28" scale, what gauge string would be best for the F? From research I saw .80 a lot, but extra input would be nice.
Is F a good string to put on it? I only have 7 stringers at this point, so the 8th string would be cool to experiment with. I'm sure theres plenty of songs that only use the single F anyways
Is a bolt on neck the best way to go with this?
What kinds of wood would be best for this? Im going to try and get whatever is cheapest, but any I should look out for?

Lastly, straight up is this even worth doing? I've been working really hard to get this going for awhile and I have so many ideas to start building. I just need simple experience to start myself out.

I'm gonna be posting more questions as I think of them, and all I ask is opinions on answering any of these questions. Any insight, suggestions, ideas, etc are gladly welcomed. If any of you think I could change it completely for the better, I wanna hear it! Thanks everyone.

 

[Hywel]

Welcome to the luthiery sub-forum! I'm in a very similar position (long time lurker and recently started my first build) and I've really enjoyed the process so far, and the fact that you have access to the tools helps a lot (I think I've spent more on tools that anything that will end up on the guitar ).

If you really want the djent-stick as an instrument for after you've built it then great!

How well would some bass parts work with this? I know this seems like a n00b question, but price wise (which is my main concern) most of the parts can be bought cheaper. For one single string hipshot bridge, its around $25, but on ebay, I could get 4 single string bass bridges for around $11.

I can't see any problem with using bass hardware with a .080. From my very cursory research stanard bass string sets go as light as a .045 with an .080 on the 3rd so bass stuff should be fine. Don't be too afraid to use decent hardware though. The only things you can properly cock up when building is consumables like wood, inlay and fretwire. If you make a build un-salvageable, you can always take the good hardware off and start again.

Also, would a bass pickup work for this? I thought about trying to get my hands on an emg 81 for it (I'd like an active, just for that extra attack because it's only the one low string), but I worried that positioning the pickup so the string is down the center wouldn't be as good for the lows of it. But if I used a bass pickup, would it help the low tone better?

Ibanez RG8 stock pickups are Cort bass pickups and they don't seem to have many fans around here but it shows it can work. Maybe see if you can find a cheap one on eBay and give it a shot. If it sounds like crap then invest in a better one and you're only out a few bucks. As for string position, I don't think it will affect it too much but if you're concerned, blade style pickups will avoid this issue.

Would a neck this small need a truss rod?

I think it would, just because it going to be very thin and you would have no control over relief or even back bow if the wood wanted to move that way. Whether it would fit in with that neck shape, I have no idea. You could maybe use a non adjustable rod (carbon fiber or metal box section) to cope better with the size.

Is a 28" scale too long

It will probably be fine but if you're worried, 27" would probably also work well for F with an appropriate gauge. String Guage and Tension Calculator - Version 0.1.4 - 26 apr 1998 is amazing for working out string gauges and tensions.

Is a bolt on neck the best way to go with this?

I think it would be, just so you get practice at cutting a neck pocket and the other jobs that go along with this style of joint.

What kinds of wood would be best for this?

Cheap woods so if you make a mistake (and you will at some point!) it's not a problem. They can still be decent tonewoods but I mean standard mahogany, alder, ash etc... rather than flame maple and black limba. Veneers are a good cheap way to add figure if you want it to look fancy. I bought £30 of oak just to practice stuff on for my build and it's helped immensely and has saved me from mistakes that would have ruined the actual thing.

Lastly, straight up is this even worth doing?

Only if you actually want it as an instrument after you've built it. At the level of complexity you're planning for this build it's very close to building an actual 8 string. If you just want experience, maybe a 6-8 string or 6-7 string baritone might be more useful to you when your done and provide a more accurate experience for building follow ups. The only thing more difficult to building 7-8 strings (from what I can tell, not built one yet!) is the availability of the parts (especially for 8 strings). Everything else is the same as a 6 but a bit longer and wider. Whatever you build, make sure you plan the crap out of it. Full scale drawings (either paper or CAD) helped me avoid several fundamental mistakes without costing me anything.

Take what I've said with a bit of skepticism as I'm only starting out as well, so people with more experience may have much better advice.

Hope that helps a bit!

 

[J-Fender7]

Thanks a lot for the feedback Hywel! As I said, this is sortof only a "feeler" to see what kind of feedback I can get. And this is only a basic mockup I made one afternoon, so its no set plan. I do also have plans for a first 6 string, so I may go right to that. I only wanted to start small because, though my father has a lot of experience in woodworking (though none in guitar-building), I have absolutely none . The concept just seemed cool to me, but either way, thank you a lot for the recommendations! It helps a lot

 

[immortalx]

The idea of a single string might seem easier to build, but for all the reasons stated above from Hywel you're mostly getting into unknown territory.
Having such tools at your disposal will get you a "real" guitar in no time!

 

[J-Fender7]

Thanks for the tips guys. I think I'm just gonna dive into the 6 string now. Im glad I asked before I started this. I just need to start getting the supplies ready and slowly acquire all the hardware. Can anyone recommend the best places to get wood? I'm not gonna be too picky, I just don't want to break the bank Thanks for the advice again!

 

[Hywel]

Glad we could help

I used eBay for a lot of my wood but if you have any home depot type places near you it might be worth having a look to see what you can find. One of the guys who lives a bit nearer you might have a better idea.