I want to build a guitar - Help please!

[dreamer]

Hey guys!

I've been thinking lately about building a guitar. This is not something I have ever done before, i've never really worked with wood before, but i'm more than willing to learn. I have access to most of the tools needed for this, so that's not really an issue, my biggest concerns are what items are typically needed to build a guitar. Specs would be:

7 String
Neck Through Construction
24 Frets
Multi Scale - 25.5" - 27"
Single Humbucker
1 volume knob (Maybe no volume, only "on/off" killswitch.

As far as actual hardware goes (Bridge, tuners, pots, switches, pickups, etc) I know exactly what I want, but what is a good, and fairly inexpensive wood to make this guitar out of? Something that will look great, and sound good, but not break the bank.

Any help or pointers on this build from you guys would be more than appreciated. Again, i've never done anything like this before, so give me anything you got!

Thank you!
-DJ

 

[skeels]

Maple, walnut, ash.

Aaaaaaand.. go!

 

[lorguitarist]

Just my but If you've never done a build yet and haven't really worked with wood before, then maybe a multi-scale 7 isn't where you wanna start. I myself am about to start my first build. I just bought some of the starting tools and supplies that I need that I didn't already have. I'm gonna start with a 6 string super strat made out of birch plywood. I've heard that's a good starter wood just to get the feel of things.....and it doesn't look too bad. I've worked with wood and tools before but never with a router, so I'm kinda excited to see what I can come up with.

Anyway, just my thoughts.

Good luck to you.

 

[DistinguishedPapyrus]

Dont be afraid to learn over and over what not to do... or at least what to do better next time. I just finished my first build a few weeks ago... after 3 years and 5 attempts.

 

[dougk]

Just my but If you've never done a build yet and haven't really worked with wood before, then maybe a multi-scale 7 isn't where you wanna start. I myself am about to start my first build. I just bought some of the starting tools and supplies that I need that I didn't already have. I'm gonna start with a 6 string super strat made out of birch plywood. I've heard that's a good starter wood just to get the feel of things.....and it doesn't look too bad. I've worked with wood and tools before but never with a router, so I'm kinda excited to see what I can come up with.

Anyway, just my thoughts.

Good luck to you.

I'm in agreement here.

I mean look, there are guys who swing for the fences with their first builds and just hit grand slams, things that I haven't even been able to accomplish in 350+ guitars I've built. It's awesome and awe-inspiring.

But I also know, that if you are starting as a total noob and want playable guitars in the ends that building guitars lends itself naturally to some building block type approaches.

What I'd recommend? Build something with a bolt on neck first and foremost. That way if you totally botch either the neck or the body you can always start over with a minimal amount of fuss.

Personally, if you are just learning to use a router, sanders, finishing ect, start with a premade neck and build a tele body. There's a reason they are so common as peoples first guitar. Tele's are easy. Flat, easy contours, tons of options and great templates already exist.

Then when you feel comfortable you can tackle building and carving a neck. My money is on by this point you'll probably already be balls deep in your second or fifth or tenth build. This is an addictive hobby . But even if it's for your first guitar that's fine too.

My warnings. The hardest parts of guitar building IMO is the following two areas:

1. Finishing is a SOB. Honestly. There are great resources out there but unless you are doing an oil finish, the finish process will test your patience more than any other part. Trust me, I do this professionally and it's still a battle. If you're patient and a stickler for detail you'll do well. If you aren't, stick to an oil finish.

2. Fret work, understanding the physics of setting up a guitar. Fret work is easy on paper and relatively easy physically but it's a very detail specific thing again. Honestly, the trick to making a guitar play well is not understanding how it works but identifying problems and what IS causing it. Sometimes you'll chase your tail over something completely unrelated.

If building a neck from scratch make sure:
1. Your fret slots are cut accurately
2. Your fret wire is radiused just slightly over the radius of the fretboard
3. Your fretboard is leveled flat or slightly concave (ie: relief). Make sure you aren't thinner on one side or the other (not end of the world but most "neck twist" people think they have is just a fretboard that has been leveled harder on one side than the other).
4. When seating your frets, apply even pressure to all frets if possible. After I fret a neck, I clamp it upside down into my radius caul for a few minutes. It helps even out fret to fret pressing differences.
5. I level my fretwork with the neck slightly backbowed (.005" is enough). I use an aluminum bar about 3/8" thick 2" wide about 12-18" long.

Use a sharpie and mark the top of each fret. I actually use the narrow edge with some 320 grit stuck to it, working in a straight line up the neck (don't follow the taper of the neck, keep it centered as you work across).

Then I use the wide area to do from the 12th fret up just a bit more adding some fall away.
6. Don't skimp, use the StewMac diamond crowning files. Well worth the extra money.
7. Bevel your fret ends and polish.
8. Then when cutting your nut, I use a feeler gauge to measure my string height off the first fret. I like .016" across all 6 or .016 wound, .013" unwound. An easy way to get the nut close, use the feeler gauges and a straight edge over the first and second fret. Stack the gauges till you are just slightly pushing the straight edge off the fret. Then add .016, hold against the nut and file down till it just touches your gauge. That'll get you right there.
9. Use said feeler gauges at the 12th fret, I like .050" across the 12th fret.

That'll get you right in the ball park of a nicely playing guitar.

The best advice I can give you is try to put numbers to everything. Go around and measure guitars you like for both their setups but neck dimensions. Necks will always feel huge without strings on them. Seems like it'd be the other way around but IME it's not. You'll end up carving the neck much skinnier than you meant too the first time around (or inversely, leave it gigantic). Measure your favorite guitar, try to match it.

Read, read, read, read and read some more. Everything on here, reranch, tdpri, mylespaul, projectguitar ect. So much information out there it's redicilous!

 

[rikomaru]

By "over the radius" do you mean give the frets a 13" radius fot a 12" fingerboard or opposite?

Edit: also, how would the concept of fanning the frets affect the proposed radius of the fretwire? Personally I don't plan to build with fanned frets but I am definitely curious.

 

[Hollowway]

Yeah, I'd definitely avoid going for something non traditional to start. I have 2.5 builds I've done, and I did it starting with Warmoth parts. And what I learned is that you make lots of mistakes first time around. So don't use anything expensive, because odds are you'll mess it up. That being said, definitely jump in. Just pick an easier build so you don't get frustrated and stop building.

 

[Thrashmanzac]

telecasters are perfect for a first build imo

 

[dougk]

By "over the radius" do you mean give the frets a 13" radius fot a 12" fingerboard or opposite?

Edit: also, how would the concept of fanning the frets affect the proposed radius of the fretwire? Personally I don't plan to build with fanned frets but I am definitely curious.

Well that, radiusing off center or sanding one side of the fretboard lower than the other. You can do that while still maintaining the same radius.

Again, not end of the world, almost impossible to not to do to some extent but something to watch for.

 

[canuck brian]

I say this every time I see a thread like this - make templates of EVERYTHING you're going to do. Pickups cavities, neck pocket, control cavity and the recess....etc. Once you're able to accurately reproduce cuts that you can test on MDF or crappy wood, you can move it over to the actual piece with a lot of confidence.

There are a lot of sites on the net for templates - Guitar Building Templates - Guitar Building Templates and Ebay have piles of templates that you can get.

 

[chrisxrome]

I'm in the same boat as you, mate. I'm planning a first build as we speak - like you, a 7 string multiscale. Everything and everyone on this site is a bloody golden resource and help is only a PM away.

I think my perfectionist and patient nature will do me a great deal of good in this scenario. Measure twice, cut once is a common expression.

I'm working my way through some refinishes before I jump into building from scratch (which will begin in the new year) I've build bodies before and they went okay so I'm fairly confident I can do well (atleast make a comfortable and nice playing guitar for myself).

I'm also busting my ass making templates left, right and center and perfecting them for when the time comes. I've not got a shortage of tools at my disposal and my neighbor is also a carpenter with a lot of time to help me along with the folks on here - which is awesome!

It was suggested to me that I go for an infinite radius so there's a smaller chance of things being uneven and messing up massively. So, that might be an option!

EDIT: I've also watched this video roughly 32 times to get to grips with the process of neck carving as it's the one stage I'm specifically terrified about haha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HWT8MxkjAs

 

[canuck brian]

EDIT: I've also watched this video roughly 32 times to get to grips with the process of neck carving as it's the one stage I'm specifically terrified about haha

Neck carving can be reaaaaally easy though. I avoid using chisels for neck carving because they can take a LOT of material off really fast and if you're unlucky, it'll take more than it's supposed to. Theres a chance that you'll catch grain the wrong way and have a nice fat tearout...not that i've experienced that all.

You should be able to carve a neck with a set of decent files, a caliper and a sharpie. Obviously don't use the caliper and sharpie to carve the neck. Draw where you wanna have the high points and contours of the neck carve and use the calipers to constantly check your neck thickness to make sure you've got some meat left for the truss rod.

I use a Mircoplane rasp to take down the neck to more workable levels and finish it up with the coarse and fine Dragon Rasps from Stewmac. You're not taking a ton of material off with these so it's easy to keep within your desired measurements.

 

[chrisxrome]

Neck carving can be reaaaaally easy though. I avoid using chisels for neck carving because they can take a LOT of material off really fast and if you're unlucky, it'll take more than it's supposed to. Theres a chance that you'll catch grain the wrong way and have a nice fat tearout...not that i've experienced that all.

You should be able to carve a neck with a set of decent files, a caliper and a sharpie. Obviously don't use the caliper and sharpie to carve the neck. Draw where you wanna have the high points and contours of the neck carve and use the calipers to constantly check your neck thickness to make sure you've got some meat left for the truss rod.

I use a Mircoplane rasp to take down the neck to more workable levels and finish it up with the coarse and fine Dragon Rasps from Stewmac. You're not taking a ton of material off with these so it's easy to keep within your desired measurements.

Yeah I probably won't use a chisel they look a little too risky for my likin'

I like the idea of using a spokeshave though, they look real smooth to use. Using calipers and a straight edge to see if it's straight. Then obviously finalising with sandpaper and junk. Gonna get a contour guage and make a jig in the shape of an RGA7 neck as it's my favourite 7 neck I've used!

 

[mwcarl]

I like the idea of using a spokeshave though, they look real smooth to use. Using calipers and a straight edge to see if it's straight. Then obviously finalising with sandpaper and junk. Gonna get a contour guage and make a jig in the shape of an RGA7 neck as it's my favourite 7 neck I've used!

You're welcome to try using a spokeshave, but in my experience I found it a lot more awkward to use than a rasp/file.

 

[UnderTheSign]

You're welcome to try using a spokeshave, but in my experience I found it a lot more awkward to use than a rasp/file.

Other way around for me. Spokeshaves, when well adjusted, work great and leave a nice smooth surface too.

 

[BlackMastodon]

Yeah I really enjoyed using a spokeshave to do the neck. You'll still probably need rasps and such for contouring the volute and heal but they still work great when adjusted properly (luckily I had mine adjusted right. )