Electric guitar build

Hi people.

I am making an electric guitar completely from scratch and would like to know if any of you have attempted this. If so, I would like some guidance as to the neck (the body is the easy bit) regarding the truss rod, fret board, etc.

Any guidelines would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

P.S. I'll try post some pictures sometime.

First hit on Google:

http://www.luthiersforum.com

But don't want to be on a guitar forum... Guitarists scare me...
I don't even know how to play one...

Popcorn Mogul said:

But don't want to be on a guitar forum... Guitarists scare me...
I don't even know how to play one...

Click to expand...

Do you expect to get guitar building advice on a drum forum? Dream on, mate!

From what I've read, buying a kit and building that will give you enough work to do if you want it to be a half decent guitar.

It's an intriguing idea. Building a guitar from scratch would be a very difficult thing to do.

Once you understand the basics, even getting a kit guitar to have decent intonation, a playable action and a good feel will be a challenge.

If you want a guitar (as opposed to the project), you'd be way better off buying something by Ibanez, Epiphone or Squier as those brands offer good bang for your buck.

Popcorn Mogul said:

But don't want to be on a guitar forum... Guitarists scare me...
I don't even know how to play one...

Click to expand...

You don't even have to join the forum. It's not like one of them is going to stab you with fret wire or beat you with a levelling file...

BacteriumFendYoke said:

You don't even have to join the forum. It's not like one of them is going to stab you with fret wire or beat you with a levelling file...

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I will look. But they cannot be trusted. Even if it is just a pick guard they are holding...

JustJames said:

From what I've read, buying a kit and building that will give you enough work to do if you want it to be a half decent guitar.

It's an intriguing idea. Building a guitar from scratch would be a very difficult thing to do.

Once you understand the basics, even getting a kit guitar to have decent intonation, a playable action and a good feel will be a challenge.

If you want a guitar (as opposed to the project), you'd be way better off buying something by Ibanez, Epiphone or Squier as those brands offer good bang for your buck.

Click to expand...

It has already begun. Got the body cut to shape. As for the wanting a guitar, It is more of like a painting. I want to be able to take people through to my room and point up to the wall and say 'I did that!' in a gloating way...

I understand the feeling of achievement ,building something from scratch,but building an actual ,playable guitar,takes hundreds of apprenticing hours,working with real luthiers,on a daily basis ,for years at a time.Your desire to build a guitar,without having any real knowledge of the instrument,woodworking skills aside,I think is doomed from the start.Try making one from a kit,just to see how truly difficult building a real playable,good sounding instrument can be.

Steve B

Personally, I would just buy a neck from Fender or something. The bass player in my band just recently took a class at a local college and built his own bass guitar. It came out great, but he did buy the neck. I know it's cutting a corner, but it may be the best way to go.

Popcorn, I hope you're joking about the whole not trusting guitarists thing. I'm a guitarist, too. In fact, I do a lot of work on my own instruments. I've recently converted one of my basses into a fretless instrument.

If you are serious about this, by all means make the body but the neck is going to be the sticking point. I would seriously consider buying a neck from Mighty Mite or Warmoth and routing a neck pocket to match. Neck building is a specialist discipline and whilst it's entirely possible to do it with little experience, I guarantee that you will make a lot of mistakes along the way that may compromise the playability - especially if you're refusing information from those that have done it.

One of the best places I look for advice on building is the TalkBass forums. I'm a member over there and there are some great builders. The principles are exactly the same for a bass as for a guitar. The forum at Crimson Guitars (a small UK maker) is good for advice as well.

Firstly, design the instrument. Bolt on (recommended) neck-through or set. Then decide on a scale length. Usually, 24.75 (Gibson-style) or 25.5 (Fender-style) inches. Look at a fret calculator. Design the instrument around the type of neck and scale length you want. Find a friend that plays the guitar and try out a few instruments. I have several guitars of different scales and constructions and have a rough idea of what I would want in my own guitar.

'corse I'm joking. I know a lot of us here are guitarists. (please don't take any of the supposedly mean comments I make seriously)

I have got all the tools. (I work for my father in the woodworking business) and he has all the skills required to help. I am planning to gain woodworking skills in the process and if it works I'm planning on giving it to my guitarist.

Personally I'd rather get the neck / fretboard etc pre-made and have more time to spend crafting a unique body. You know then that you are definitely getting something you can play!

This discussion is all well and dandy but the bottom line is: considering what you'll pay for the parts, will the result be as good as a Mapex Saturn?

In all seriousness, the fact that you have no intention to play it but rather see it as a piece of artwork on the wall makes this an interesting project. I think you might want to broaden your idea of what might be possible, in terms of an artistic statement. Consider for a moment, the fan fretted bass:



You could do something really freaky...

You could even do a torzal twist neck...

JimFiore said:

This discussion is all well and dandy but the bottom line is: considering what you'll pay for the parts, will the result be as good as a Mapex Saturn?

In all seriousness, the fact that you have no intention to play it but rather see it as a piece of artwork on the wall makes this an interesting project. I think you might want to broaden your idea of what might be possible, in terms of an artistic statement. Consider for a moment, the fan fretted bass:

You could do something really freaky...

Click to expand...

It isn't completely for on the wall. This one is basically just to test the water. It if doesn't work out, so-be-it, but if it does, it will be used. As I said, I will give it to my guitarist.

I'm following a plan for this one, I may just go berserk with the next.