building guitars


killerqueen
Registered User
Joined: 06/28/04
Posts: 158
killerqueen
Registered User
Joined: 06/28/04
Posts: 158
08/18/2004 12:32 am
i'm looking to build my own guitar (ala brian may) but have absolutly no idea where to start :confused:
i figure if anyone knows it'll be a site full of guitarists :D
i'd be gratful for any help
cheers
Elvis Lives (in my basement)
# 1
Lordathestrings
Gear Guru
Joined: 01/18/01
Posts: 6,242
Lordathestrings
Gear Guru
Joined: 01/18/01
Posts: 6,242
08/18/2004 5:12 am
[font=trebuchet ms]I've been playing guitar since 1968. I've been a skilled woodworker since about 1965. I've been working in electronics-related fields since 1973. I was self-employed as a machinist for a while. I think I could probably pull it off. By my second or third attempt.

I sat down and added up:

the cost of the specialised tools I would need,
+ the time and effort in designing and building the necessary jigs for things like cutting the fret slots accurately, and routing the trench for the truss rod
+ the cost of parts and materials
= enough money to pay for a bunch of custom, professionally built-to-order guitars!

A guitar is definitely [u]not[/u] a project for someone who doesn't have a high level of skill in woodworking. Mechanical and electronic expertise is needed, too.

I suggest assembling a guitar from selected parts is a much better choice in terms of getting satisfying results. You can easily spend huge sums of money trying to build from scratch, and end up with something totally unplayable. The nice thing about building a guitar from parts is that you can get a guitar tech to finish the job for you relatively inexpensively if you find that you get in over your head. If you invest a lot of money in tools and materials to try to scratch-build, you can't get your money back, and you are unlikely to find anyone who will finish the job for you.[/font]
Lordathestrings
Guitar Tricks Moderator

www.GuitarTricks.com - Home of Online Guitar Lessons
# 2
pstring
Big as Elvis, Baby
Joined: 11/29/01
Posts: 899
pstring
Big as Elvis, Baby
Joined: 11/29/01
Posts: 899
08/18/2004 1:04 pm
I don't think anyone here would try to discourage you, but, scratch building isn't something you want to just jump into, like Lordatthestrings said there are tool, time and material cost to consider, and also the investment of learning the skills needed to make a decent attempt, and it even goes deeper than that, some questions you may want to ask yourself, Do I have any clue as to what makes a good guitar?, If I do get one together can I make it playable?, How,where and with what am I going to finish it with? There are alot of questions you'll have to ask and answer yourself, if you haven't ever really done any kind of work on guitars, you might want to go and and find something cheap and use it to learn on, learning to maintain your own guitar is a good place to start and it's something that's good to know even if you never build a guitar. Have you ever seen any of the internet sites on Brian Mays guitar? I thought some of them were very interesting, and really I am amazed that his guitar sounds as good as it does, it's a very non-standard construction and my hat is off to Brian May and his Dad, because it has held up very well and sounds great to boot....................
# 3
killerqueen
Registered User
Joined: 06/28/04
Posts: 158
killerqueen
Registered User
Joined: 06/28/04
Posts: 158
08/18/2004 8:20 pm
thanks for replying
i've done quite alot of maintenance on my guitars, and changed the electrics in all of them in one way or another. it was more making the body that i dont know how to do... but if you think thats gonna be too hard then maybe not! :D
so, instead of that, where do i get various parts from and what do u recommend??
Elvis Lives (in my basement)
# 4
Dr_simon
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 07/06/02
Posts: 5,021
Dr_simon
Guitar Tricks Instructor
Joined: 07/06/02
Posts: 5,021
08/18/2004 8:35 pm
http://www.Stewmac.com and http://www.Warmoth.com

are good places to start.
My instructors page and www.studiotrax.net for all things recording.
my toons Brought to you by Dr BadGAS
# 5
Lordathestrings
Gear Guru
Joined: 01/18/01
Posts: 6,242
Lordathestrings
Gear Guru
Joined: 01/18/01
Posts: 6,242
08/18/2004 9:26 pm
Originally Posted by: killerqueen... it was more making the body that i dont know how to do... but if you think thats gonna be too hard then maybe not! :D ...
[font=trebuchet ms] Actually, the tricky bit is the neck. The fret palcemnt, the truss rod installation, mounting the tuning pegs in the right place, and slotting the nut, are the keys to a good guitar versus one that can't be played. By comparison, all the body has to do is hold the bridge and pickups in the right places relative to the neck! No small feat either, but considerably less demanding in terms of fabricating the parts.

And the good doctor has given links to the two best sources I know of. StewMac, in particular, has a wealth of info buried like treasure on it's site![/font]
Lordathestrings
Guitar Tricks Moderator

www.GuitarTricks.com - Home of Online Guitar Lessons
# 6

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