building a guitar

[lespaulstandard]

i plan to build a guitar some time soon. here are my questions.

what tools do i need?
where can i get templates?
what should it be made out of?
should i buy a neck, or make one?
if i make one, how far apart should frets be?
what else do i need to know?

[element062]

Tools: you need alot.
Templates: check ebay, or google
What should it be made..: alder, maghogany, basswood, take your pick. There are tons of different types of wood out there.
Neck: Buy one, if you don't know what tools you need to build a guitar, then you will have no idea how to make a neck. No offense but its not easy.
Frets: read what I said for the neck.

What else: If you wanna build a guitar start with a saga guitar kit off of ebay, and master that then move up to building one from scratch.

[lespaulstandard]

well, as you can tell, im not a builder much, but i know someone that is very good and has alot of differnt kinds of tools. he will help me. i know the guitar stuff and he knows the building stuff.

[bugman]

read a whole lot at projectguitar.com
supplies can be had from stewmac.com warmoth.com carvin.com guitarfetish.com

USA Custom Guitars also has stuff but I forget their web address.

[Munga]

http://www.guitarbuildingtemplates.com/ sells excellent templates. A little costly, but I will just say that if I had used one of those, it would have taken me 1/4 of the time to do all the "cutting and routing."


Alec

[Slipstream]

If you don't know how far apart the frets go, buy a neck. Tools - no list would be complete. I constantly find myself needing something I don't already have.

[Munga]

If you don't know how far apart the frets go, buy a neck. Tools - no list would be complete. I constantly find myself needing something I don't already have.


Exactly. That's why I usually go to the AdultEd woodshop class every week. I could pull out the bandsaw and hook it up whenever I want to use it, or I could just use theirs. It's also nice, cause there is actually room to work there. But it is also good to build up your tool collection. Just bought a $200 something Bosch router. One of those with the plunger and fixed based attachment. Its awesome, highly recommended. Probably wouldn't have bought it, but my old router's motor was smoking and sparking, so I decided it was way pass time to retire it.


Alec

[Slipstream]

I got a Bosch router too. It's about four months old. I got the deluxe router table with it too. The table cost more than the router! I really like it though.

[D|s]

i suggest u go over to amazon.com and look at the books they have regarding building guitars. i myself purchased a book by melvyn hiscock, check it out its got EVERYTHING!

[martinedwards]

get onto some of the luthier forums and research.

You CAN make a guitar without a bandsaw & a router, but you'll be so old by the time you finish you won't be fit to play it anymore!!!

I'm doing an evening class in a local college. There are guys there who are making thier 10th acoustic. They've got REALLY good at it, but they don't have room or finance for all the pro woodshop equipment that the college has.

If you can get on a course like this it really helps.

Oh yes, don't expect to save money by making your own.

I could have bought a fretless bass off ebay cheaper than making one myself..... and I got the wood for free!!!!

[ohhmygod]

Contact me, lespaulstandard. I'm not a builder yet, but i have some info you need, (PM me to leave ur msn or yahoo id :D)