Building a guitar

[Kyle.Kimber]

Kyle, your getting all hung up on the finish...

bottom line is it ain't gonna be cheap, and it ain't gonna be easy to build a guitar. you're stressing over the cost of the wood blanks. wait untill you price out necks, hardware and pup's! you know, there are lot of nice axes for cheap money out there. just sayin'

Go here, and buy a descent, inexpensive guitar. spend more time playing and less time building

Well I just want to build the body, namely getting the wood, gluing it together, sending it to a shop so they can cut it with a band saw and the sanding and routing out the holes with templates. Then staining.

[Russ]

Well lets see some pics of these guitars!

[Kyle.Kimber]

I'm looking at a high quality, neck with a les Paul style headboard, and mother of pearl on ebay for $60 including shipping. Is that a good deal?

[Kyle.Kimber]

I also need to get some pick ups. I kind of want to make my own. but I need 42 guage wire which is expensive. I might opt for some humbuckers or something else. What are some good "non-distorted", clear sounding pick-ups. Or are there pickups that you can adjust?

Thanks

[FARMER00]

les pauls are solid/one piece so i dont know how you would be getting just a neck off ebay and i would not get it because of the neck adjustment system in les pauls

i have a les paul custom studio version with pearl inlays and gold pickups

[silentdeath55]

I've been building acoustic guitars for about 4 years now and have ordered from grizzly, stew-mac, and LMI. I don't know much about electric guitar construction, but I would stay away from ebay for wood. You never know where it's been or how its been treated. I would order from a respected luthier supply source like grizzly, LMI or stew-mac.

Check out these online suppliers:

https://www.stew-mac.com

https://www.lmii.com

www.grizzly.com/catalog/2007/Main/364 (beginning of guitar section in the 2007 catalog)

Hope these help. If you have any other question about lutherie, shoot me a PM and I'll see what I can do.

Good luck!

[Mind'sEye]

I also need to get some pick ups. I kind of want to make my own. but I need 42 guage wire which is expensive. I might opt for some humbuckers or something else. What are some good "non-distorted", clear sounding pick-ups. Or are there pickups that you can adjust?

Thanks

There's lots of good pickups out there. A few of the best (depending on your price range) are:

http://www.vanzandtpu.com/pickup.htm

http://www.fralinpickups.com/

http://www.seymourduncan.com/

Single coil pickups will give you a clearer brighter sound than humbuckers. If your going mostly clean or slightly overdriven use singles. If you want heavy growling overdrive or sustain get humbuckers.

[Russ]

...not to beat a dead horse, but an inexpensive Rondo guitar will supply you with all the nessesary hardware, electronics, tuners and a neck. Just make the body of your dreams, and utilze the rest...it's a good low cost alternative to sourcing out all the parts.

I won't mention it again, promise!

[FARMER00]

...not to beat a dead horse, but an inexpensive Rondo guitar will supply you with all the nessesary hardware, electronics, tuners and a neck. Just make the body of your dreams, and utilze the rest...it's a good low cost alternative to sourcing out all the parts.

I won't mention it again, promise!

i had that idea but i wanted mine made from scratch (minus hardware and electric stuff) so i didnt do it

but a VERY good idea

[Kyle.Kimber]

...not to beat a dead horse, but an inexpensive Rondo guitar will supply you with all the nessesary hardware, electronics, tuners and a neck. Just make the body of your dreams, and utilze the rest...it's a good low cost alternative to sourcing out all the parts.

I won't mention it again, promise!

I think this is boardline spam isn't it... Thanks for the sugestion, but I really want to build one.

[gimp]

Buy this book, Make your own electric guitar It is really helpful if your just starting.

[Russ]

I think this is boardline spam isn't it... Thanks for the sugestion, but I really want to build one.

Yeah, you want to "build" a guitar...bottom line is all you want to make is the body, right?

You need to figure out your budget for this project

[Kyle.Kimber]

Buy this book, Make your own electric guitar It is really helpful if your just starting.

This is what I was looking at. I'm going to Barnes and Noble later, so I'll pick one up. I got GIFT CARDS . I don't know about you guys, but I like how B&N smells. A blend of coffee and books; smells great!!!

I think I'm going to call up my uncle who says he has an old broken les paul which will have some of the components I need. He used to work for gibson.

[Kyle.Kimber]

Yeah, you want to "build" a guitar...bottom line is all you want to make is the body, right?

You need to figure out your budget for this project

Yeah, and get an unfinished neck and sand and stain it. I have to route all the stuff out and fabricate a pick guard. Because of the shape of the guitar, I need to make custom tone and volume knobs. I want to make the pick guard out of plexi glass. Will that scratch?

I'm going to the guitar center to size up some guitars.

[Russ]

...I think I'm going to call upsome of the components I need. He used to work for gibson.

and I dream of a '59 STD with a cracked headstock...proll'y still worth the better part of $100,000