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...............I have just calculated how long in hrs it has taken me to build my 1st guitar (which isnt really finished yet.)

Been building over 9 months now
Say an average of 5 days a month (some have been intensive and some I have done nothing)
Say an average of 5 hrs on those days that I have worked

Total ~230hrs

At my company charge out rates thats nearly ?20k



Question.
Is this a standard kind of time for a 1st build?

pretty typical for a after dinner and weekend first project but you realistically drop off 50-75 hours of that because you were not building the whole time each day you worked on it. My guess is a lot of the time was figuring out the process right

Hi Barry, I bet you've built some jigs and maybe even a couple of tools too in that posted time eh?

I think my first guitar took me about 175 hrs, but I really didn't keep track after I had to take the back off and re-glue it or make a second neck because I sanded through to the truss rod (in several spots too). And I farmed out the finishing to boot.

You may be estimating a little high, but don't worry, the time to build comes down with experience. Mind you with experience you try harding things like more elaborate inlays, cutaways, fanned fret's etc....

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My first two guitars took me roughly 120 hours each. First was a kit and second was from scratch.

You can see why custom guitars are so s'pensive!

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I've taken nearly a year to build my second; purely for the following reasons;

I have a family to raise, DIY tasks, a job, a husband to look after and other interests, including outdoor activities, practice for a charity gig coming up in June...

also because I wanted to study, study, study before undertaking any complicated task.

I felt I rushed the first...

Barry,
[QUOTE=snood]
Total ~230hrs

At my company charge out rates thats nearly ?20k



Question.
Is this a standard kind of time for a 1st build?

[/QUOTE]

Your time is in the ballpark, but I use a monetary amount that's closer to ?4/hour, or about $7.

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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I look at it as how much would I have spent entertaining myself during that - by that standard I figure I save money on each guitar I make

[QUOTE=drfuzz] I look at it as how much would I have spent entertaining myself during that - by that standard I figure I save money on each guitar I make [/QUOTE]


Note to self: Get down to Texas, hang out with Kevin, make sure he pays

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"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

[qoute]I look at it as how much would I have spent entertaining myself during that [/quote]

Yea! That's the way to look at it! How much would you have spent going to the movies, or dancing the tango?

    You should have to pay people that buy our custom guitars! "Here's your guitar and here's your $20K(?10,130.90)"

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

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(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

Nice one,
All funny comments

Nice to know its ballpark.

I have atken my time and as someone pointed out I have built a few jigs although not the ones i really needed (and so will build this time)

Outside mold
Binding jig

Etc

Oh yeah definatley.
Dont get me wrong here I am not saying that the hrs spent are too many. I was pleseantly suprised as to how little effort it has taken really.
I mean in comparison some of the projects in work that use simialr man hr efforts and thier ourput is.........................compared to a beautiful guitar

Yep, that's about right...and Michael is spot on. I spent lots of time making cauls, a few jigs, waiting on the "right" tool, or part, figuring out the process, rearranging my shop, etc.

I'm hoping the next one takes fewer hours because I've done it twice now. But I ain't banking on it.

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I was able to work more hours and days than you on my first, but it still took me 6 months. (jigs were already built). I was so worried about messing up. I would study one step, go to the shop and do that step, then go back to the house and start reading on the next step. I just put the last coat of finish on my 4th guitar today, and it took 4 months.(not the finish, the whole build). Life got in the way for about a month of that, though. This build I didn't refer to any of my books at all, though, so I'm getting the process internalized. Also, during this 4 month period, I managed to get through 2/3's of build #5.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

lol, I waste the down time waiting for the glue/varnish to dry by starting another build!!

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My first took about 120 hours over 2 1/2 months.  Second about 100 hours over 2 months and third is right about 120 hours over 2 months but it is my first scratch build so I expected it to take a bit longer.  My current build is way too early on to even start guessing about the length of time. Like martinedwards, I also get working on the next as soon as the finishing starts so there is a 3-4 week overlap.

I`ve often wondered how long it takes to build a guitar.Especially some of you more experienced builders.It seems my 2nd has gone a whole lot faster than the first.My biggest problem is just finding the time to get any building done.I own a small construction company,and it seems people are knocking my door down.Not to mention the fact that it takes a lot of energy out of me.But not to complain.
                            James

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

That sounds about right for me too. I estimate about 25% of that time was spent figuring out how to actually do something. I should probably count the hours searching forums like this one too.

The 2nd and 3rd ones are going much faster because some things I can make two (or more) at a time. Like bridges -- I just cranked out two bridges over the long weekend. I figured out that while I have the jigs and tools set up to do something, I might as well make two.

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This is a great post. I was beginning to think there was something wrong with me .......... on second thought, ah forget that. I started right after the new year and have worked when I can, there are times I don't get to work on it for weeks on end. I have built many jigs and some of those twice and have reworked the binding top and bottom once. I'm in no hurry that's for sure!!! Thanks for the posts and being real about the time. I hate seeing posts like it took me three whole days to complete my first build...... yeah sure............

Thanks

Peter

Times for a build, done in spare time as a part time activity, seem to be almost irrelevant in comparison to a concentrated effort. I had one opportunity to build a guitar from scratch in an equipped shop with no distractions and guidance from an instructor, and it was strung up in the white in 48 hours of shop time over 6 days (neck was pre-carved, which my teacher lamented after he saw how fast I was going).

The fastest I have ever built one to completion at home is 14 months.

Some discrepancy there!   

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu