I'm inspired, I wanna build! Where to start?

[St.James]

Re: I\'m inspired, I wanna build! Where to start?

Sorry Sully. Looks like we were posting at the same time... I take my time typing sometimes or just get distracted. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[442w30]

Re: I\'m inspired, I wanna build! Where to start?

1) Go get a cheapo strat at a pawn shop
2) start with routing a for a humbucking pickup
3) Try a floyd install if you can get that done.
4) then a floyd nut.
5) laugh at the desctruction you have wreaked and the unusable guitar you have in your hands.

If you can pull that off without completely f'ing it up then you are off to a good start.

I wouldn't go buy a bunch of equipment and materials and then find out it's too hard.

[sully]

Re: I\'m inspired, I wanna build! Where to start?

[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

it's funny b/c it's true. i remember my first ebay parts project 4-5 years ago. the body had a countoured heel and the thought that i'd need shorter screws for the neck didn't dawn on me. heh...see where this is going?

i learned a few things:

1. put the neck in the pocket, and put the screw you want to drill in there next to it so you can see how far in that sucker will go.

2. don't keep the drill on the highest torque setting all the time.

3. how to fix cracks in fretboards

thankfully, i was listening, and i heard the screw start to go into the fretboard and was able to stop before it got really ugly. thankfully the frets didn't get moved or anything, but there's no greater teacher than experience. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

sully

[rps14a]

Re: I\'m inspired, I wanna build! Where to start?

[ QUOTE ]
there's no greater teacher than experience. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

sully

[/ QUOTE ]

+1,000,000

only problem, experience gets pricey. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]


chris

[metallicarocks]

Re: I\'m inspired, I wanna build! Where to start?

[ QUOTE ]
only problem, experience gets pricey.

[/ QUOTE ]
I guess that's why we have the pawnshop guiney pigs!

[ QUOTE ]
1) Go get a cheapo strat at a pawn shop
2) start with routing a for a humbucking pickup
3) Try a floyd install if you can get that done.
4) then a floyd nut.
5) laugh at the desctruction you have wreaked and the unusable guitar you have in your hands.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is a great idea. I didn't think it was a great idea to buy a bunch of raw materials and have atter. It all looks so delicate and precise. Not to mention, the woods are pretty expensive. You can't exactly putty over a routing error!

[ QUOTE ]
i don't even want to know how much money i've spent over the past few years. how far into this do you want to get? are you wanting to buy ready to assemble parts (finished bodies, etc) or do you want to eventually work toward starting from scratch?

the little stuff you don't think of adds up; not necessarily only tools, but materials too. you're gonna be shelling out dough. i'm not trying to discourage you, but depending on what you want to do, it can get very costly.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would really like to work my way up to building my own custom axes from scratch. I see what you mean by putting out a lot of money, guitar playing itself is expensive! How much do you think all of us shell out each year for just little shit? Cables, strings, new electronics, various hardware pieces, etc.

I don't mind spending a lot on this hobby, I just can't come up with a huge slab of money at once vary easily. It doesn't seem like I'd have to do that, it seems like I could buy the stuff piece by piece and still be able to do something with only the basics. Not necessarily build a guitar from scratch, but as 442w30 stated, wreak havoc on a pawnshop guitar with a router. That sounds like fun to me.

Thanks for all of the insight. I appreciate the realistic yet supportive views! Of to Barnes and Noble to pick up that book...

[sully]

Re: I\'m inspired, I wanna build! Where to start?

do that, and also get some mighty mite parts and put something together for yourself. there's plenty of places you can get good deals on parts.

sully

[Ace]

Re: I\'m inspired, I wanna build! Where to start?

I HAVE built guitars from scratch. And it's almost impossible to get right the first time. Or the second. And you spend a LOT of money on tools. And I do guitar repairs for a living, and I would seriously think twice about committing myself to building another right now.

You have to remember that luthiers work with the finest tolerances of any woodworkers(as far I know). This is not like building a birdhouse or a deck. If you are off by a few thousandths of an inch you can literally ruin your guitar. One good mistake and you can blow hundreds of dollars and dozens of hours you have invested in the project. Just a word to the wise...

[metallicarocks]

Re: I\'m inspired, I wanna build! Where to start?

[ QUOTE ]
If you are off by a few thousandths of an inch you can literally ruin your guitar.

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you serious? Wow, how does one avoid this? What the hell can measure that accurately? I've been looking around a lot at various guitar building sites and not one of them have mentioned this!

[Ace]

Re: I\'m inspired, I wanna build! Where to start?

Mainly cutting the fret slots. If you don't space the frets just right you will always have one fret(or more) that plays out of tune. I did mine on a mill. I'm not trying to talk you out of building a guitar, just know that it's a major investment of time, patience and money. It's a greatly rewarding experience when you finish, it's just not something that I would dive into on a whim. Maybe start by buying a used neck off eBay and try building a body for it. That would give you a good idea of what you are getting yourself into, and in the end you will have a guitar that you MOSTLY made and can be proud of. From there you can decide if you want to build your next one from scratch.