Building a Guitar

[EnFuego]

I have decided to pursue building guitars. In order to fund this, I had to sell my guitar to buy tools, plans, etc.

Over the next week, I will be buying a few tools: band saw, drill press, and router. I also need to order some luthier specific tools online (heating blanket for side bending, chisels, rasps, fretting tools, radius dishes, etc), so I'm hoping to get that ordered this week too.

After that I need to spend some time building jigs, and other tools to make it easier. After I get that done, I can actually start building the actual guitars.

I'm not sure what my plans are for the first guitar, but I'm thinking of a simple rosewood dreadnaught with sitka spruce top. I'm torn between doing that and a small-bodied, cedar-topped guitar. Either way, I will end up doing both hopefully within the next 6 months.

I've been wanting to do this for a long time, but now I actually have a garage to put all the tools in.

I will update this thread with my progress as I go along.

[taparoo]

That's awesome. I've always wanted to build my own guitar... maybe someday... Be sure to keep us updated

[markTR]

Very cool, definetly keep us updated. Hope it goes well

[Brian M.D.]

good decision, my only advice is to...not expect your first guitar to be a masterpiece, but instead a huge step in the right direction, a badass project, and a great learning experience. second, buy a shitload of clamps, you will need them.

are you planning on making the neck and fretboard? the fretboard can be a pain bc the measurements need to be so precise. warmoth.com has a bunch of necks and fretboards for pretty cheap, they also sell neck blanks which can be helpful for your first go round.

frets.com and luthiersforum.com are also great sources of information...good luck!

[EnFuego]

good decision, my only advice is to...not expect your first guitar to be a masterpiece, but instead a huge step in the right direction, a badass project, and a great learning experience. second, buy a shitload of clamps, you will need them.

are you planning on making the neck and fretboard? the fretboard can be a pain bc the measurements need to be so precise. warmoth.com has a bunch of necks and fretboards for pretty cheap, they also sell neck blanks which can be helpful for your first go round.

frets.com and luthiersforum.com are also great sources of information...good luck!

Thanks.
I am planning on doing the neck, but I'm not sure on the fretboard yet. I've been doing a lot of reading on luthiersonline.com. I'm also planning on getting the DVD series by John Mayes.

One of the first things I am going to build is a go-bar deck to help with attaching the bracing to the top and back. After that, I am going to try to make a fox-style bending machine (and use a heat blanket with that to bend the sides). I also need to make a mold to hold the sides. From what I've read, you can never have too many clamps.

I take it you have built a guitar or have thought about it too, Brian?

[SaxMan123]

If it were me, I would build a thinline acoustic first, ya know those slim bodied ones. There are reasons why, mainly because bracing is a tough job and requires practise to get it right, I would think doing bracing on a guitar body that is smaller would be easier for a first time builder.

In a couple of years after I am done college, I am going to be taking a 4 month guitar building program out in Victoria, British Columbia here in Canada. They offer a program in incriments of 2 weeks, 1, 2, 4 or 6 months or a full year (which gets expensive mind you cause you get to go work in Sweden for a month or two). But I figure since I am going to be a music technician, I might as well build a few guitars and get some experience doing setups and building before I open a business.

[EnFuego]

If it were me, I would build a thinline acoustic first, ya know those slim bodied ones. There are reasons why, mainly because bracing is a tough job and requires practise to get it right, I would think doing bracing on a guitar body that is smaller would be easier for a first time builder.

In a couple of years after I am done college, I am going to be taking a 4 month guitar building program out in Victoria, British Columbia here in Canada. They offer a program in incriments of 2 weeks, 1, 2, 4 or 6 months or a full year (which gets expensive mind you cause you get to go work in Sweden for a month or two). But I figure since I am going to be a music technician, I might as well build a few guitars and get some experience doing setups and building before I open a business.

Well, I thought about starting on something easier, but I think the best way to learn is to actually do it. I'm not expecting great things from the first instrument, but I will certainly gain experience and learn things from the outcome of the instrument.

Thats awesome about taking the classes. I wish I could, but I am starting my job next month, which has nothing to do with guitars so this is going to be an after-work hobby for me.

[EnFuego]

I bought a band saw, drill press, and router today. I have some other hand tools on order, so I can start building jigs this weekend.

[p1trick_82]

over at acousticguitarforum.com there's plenty of builders that can give you some tips or if you have any questions


post some pics of the process if you can

[EnFuego]

over at acousticguitarforum.com there's plenty of builders that can give you some tips or if you have any questions


post some pics of the process if you can

Will do. I'm hopefully going to build the side bender this weekend (I'm ordering the heating blanket now.

I'm doing a lot of reading on luthiersforum.com and acousticguitarforum.com. Pretty much every builder I have spoken with so far has been really helpful in answering questions for me.

[Grachi]

over at acousticguitarforum.com there's plenty of builders that can give you some tips or if you have any questions


post some pics of the process if you can

thats a great forum for any guitar discussion, actually. everyone is extremely friendly and helpful over there. I subscribe to the magazine so hence I am a regular forum member over there under the same handle.

[EnFuego]

Not too exciting, but I built some tables to work on:





The main work will be done in this storage area so I can maintain proper humidity easier. The miter saw, band saw, etc are in the garage. I am going to build a go-bar deck in the corner where the two tables intersect. In the corner you can't see in the pictures will be my drill press.

I also got one shipment in today. A Lie Nielson No. 102 Plane and some Crown Chisels.

I also practiced making the side molds for the bender I am making, and they turned out surprisingly decent. I won't be using them because I am getting some plans for a small jumbo I have decided on building, but its good to know that I can actually at least make the side bender.

[EnFuego]

Got some more stuff in the mail today: Porter Cable Laminate Trimmer for bindings and purfling, Fiberglass rods for use with a go-bar deck, and a 15' and 25' radius dishes for use when gluing braces on the front and back (using the go-bar deck), and for sanding the sides to the correct radius, and 8 cam clamps.

The only thing I'm still waiting for is the heating blanket and the spring steal slats for the side bending machine.

I need to start on the jigs and I've gotten a lot of ideas after watching a the Mayes' videos. But, I am finishing up studying for the financial section of the CPA exam which I am taking next Thursday, so hopefully when thats over I can start building jigs.

[DrumsFoDaSoul]

Post pics frequently whenever you can. Im really interested in how this turns out.

[sfmartins]

Post pics frequently whenever you can. Im really interested in how this turns out.