build a guitar

I’ve been hoarding wood for twenty five years and still haven’t built a single guitar. I have to learn how to think less and do more.

I tried modifying a cheap guitar this summer to see if this would be worth doing. It’s way too tedious for me – all that cutting and sanding. I guess this would be easier with the proper tools. Major props to the luthiers that do this stuff for a living.

It is done, all working, gona get some pictures up soon but for the design that is on it refer back to like my first post on this goal cause thats exactly what it looks like.

Currently my friend has the guitar and he is painting it for me, I have everything else ready so that when he gives back the body and neck I can put it together which is hopefully gona be before my next gig.

I am getting is sprayed sometime soon, i just have to wait for my friend to find a free evening and hes gona come over and do it because details cars. I put it all together and it works fine but i didnt take a picture otherwise i would have posted it up :(

Is ready, all the electrics will soon be done, and then i have to fit the scratch plate onto the body and drill the screw holes, one step closer i suppose hehe.

I want to build one, and ironically I want it to be an acoustic one (which are more difficult to complete.)

Anyway, I have been reading a few books on the matter, but I want to throw this out there anyway: What are the tools I need to get to get started at a low cost?

Although it would be “nice” to have a Drill press, I am pretty sure I can’t afford one.

I should soon have the neck and body ready, then it goes to my good friend to spray it because I have decided I don’t want a wood finish, it would look like my telecaster then. Its gona be nicknamed the divine wolf i think. I am also planing to put some fender vintage noiseless pickups in it. It is gona look like the best start style guitar ever haha :p

It is really hard. You need to understand basic potentiometer configurations. You need to be able to solder well. You need to be able use use power tools. You need to like to spend time sanding. You need to be able to measure REALLY well. You need to be fluent with a router. You need to be able to draft basic woodwork. Any of these words confuse you? Get on google. It is an expensive hobby. My first guitar took $700.00 US and took about three months to complete. And it is okay. I am going to remake the body someday. But the electronics are fine. And despite the body, is a really nice guitar. It is confortable and sounds really nice. It’s a five String Bass.

And advice for newbies. Get a prebuilt neck. It’ll cost you enough for the pickups ect. Just believe me, necks need laser precise cutting and fretting. It costs hundreds just for the equipment. Get a prebuild carvin neck or something for you first guitar/bass. If you like afterwards, you can buy the equipment and make a fully custom.

Also you can buy a kit, but usually the body is precut, which ruins half the fun of it. I built my body from scratch and electronics from my own design. (Not saying its original, I’m sure the volume pot has no more than three or so configurations that will work….)

Does anyone have any guitar instruction manual any type of guitar