Resources for an ES-335 style guitar

[Audiocide]

I have recently been contemplating putting the time and the money into creating my own guitar instead of repairing everyone else's. But I have a few problems.

I'm wanting to make a hollowbody Gibson ES-335 ripoff. However, searching for parts for that model turns up buying lists for an ES-335. So I might give up and just buy one.

The resources here all look like custom places, and I can't spend that big of bucks. The parts suppliers listed don't have ES-335 bodies from what I've seen.

So a few questions.

- What am I looking at, pricewise, for a standard ES-335 made from parts at the very cheapest?

- Where would be a good spot to find a body of this style? This is with an unpainted body if possible... I just want a good, dark stain + clearcoat.

- Would it be easier to go the solidbody route instead of having to glue the bodiy pieces together? I can't use the clamps at the shop because they are ALWAYS in use or about to be. Work before play, I guess.

- I tend to be a stickler with my more beautiful guitars about scratches, dents, dirt buildup, etc. But I don't care much with my strats, they're all great. What is the best kind of finish to use if you're gonna wipe it down a lot? I haven't had enoguh repainting experience yet (only 8-12 guitars so far) to know.

Thanks for any pointers. And by the way, liking some of what I see in here.. keep it going, guys!

[Stray Dog]

Making a semi-hollow would be very hard. I reccomend you track down a used semi-hollow body from ebay. Just search for guitar body every few days, be patient and keep looking. One will turn up eventually. I was doing that, and found various hollowbodies with missing necks, a really cool korean hollowbody with all the hardwear stripped, and also a stripped-down epiphone sheraton (which is basically a fancy-looking 335). In the end I didn't buy any cos I couldn't afford to.
But I have stripped down my old westfield 335 copy, I am currently sanding the finish off. It will take a very long time, but once its done I will be refitting it with new stuff - the only original parts being the wood (I will probably give it new frets too).

I reccomend you do this - find a body off ebay, refinish it, and get new hardware. As long as its not made of plywood, you are ok.

[Hofnerguy]

Just get an Epiphone DOT, they are very nice guitars and cheap!

[Ogier]

1) don't go cheap.
2) don't go cheap.
3) don't go cheap....

You will get what you pay for even if you build it.

Check out the thread I started on Luthier Supply Houses. Everything you need is in that thread except how to build the guitar itself.

[Audiocide]

Just get an Epiphone DOT, they are very nice guitars and cheap!

This was originally my reasoning, but then I realized... Wait. What about a guitar I painted, I fretted, I set up from the get go, and I will have for a very long time?

Hooray for building guitars.

And thanks for the input... I had been searching ebay for a few months before this, and still yet nothing that satisfies my indie needs.

But I will look on.

--mic

[Hofnerguy]

OK, I should have expanded on it, Get a Epi Dot, strip it down, do your own paint job, fret job, new tuners, bridge, maybe a Bigsby and all new electronics. Then it really is your guitar, you just got a body. Sell all the other stuff that you took off to help finance the refurb of the DOT. Or maybe killerkiwi will sell you that 335 knock off I gave him.

[Puddlegum66]

Check stewmac.com They have kits for all sorts of things.

[Stray Dog]

I am soon to put a semi-hollow guitar body on ebay. 335 style, everything stipped, just the wood and fretboard (and frets). I have begun to sand it down, so it needs to be refinished.

[McStrum]

I picked up an Oschar Schmidt Delta King, basic 335 style for $150 used. Ripped out the pups and replaced with 57 Gibson replacement bridge pup $125, and for the bridge I had a humbucker from an old Les Paul Jr I had years back that the body split on. I love how it sounds so now that I have the sound I will proceed to tear it down and do a refinish and also get the neck scalloped and new pegs.

So by time its finished I will have about $400 in materials and my time and have a guitar that is exactly what I wanted, a 335 with my sound I was looking for.

Pictures to follow of the process.

Currently finishing refinishing my strat which will also be posted with pics.

[Munga]

I picked up an Oschar Schmidt Delta King, basic 335 style for $150 used. Ripped out the pups and replaced with 57 Gibson replacement bridge pup $125, and for the bridge I had a humbucker from an old Les Paul Jr I had years back that the body split on. I love how it sounds so now that I have the sound I will proceed to tear it down and do a refinish and also get the neck scalloped and new pegs.

So by time its finished I will have about $400 in materials and my time and have a guitar that is exactly what I wanted, a 335 with my sound I was looking for.

Pictures to follow of the process.

Currently finishing refinishing my strat which will also be posted with pics.


Dude, this thread is a year old. Come one now. :rolleye: