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How many of you had a hard time getting started on your first instrument? Man, I saved up and bought several tools around the first of 06. A 14" bandsaw, nice drill press, router set, table saw, and assorted hand tools. I've been shopping for wood to build my 1st guitar(a Weissenborn)for several months. That's all I've done is shop and not bought a "blame" thing in the wood department. Wood sets for this kind of guitar(top and back 8.5x35, sides 4x42) are expensive. I'm afraid to ruin a great set of wood. A friend told me to build it out of plywood. But, I'm a player too. I don't think I'd be happy w/something like that. So, here's where the "no guts" comes in. Have shopped some of the suppliers on OLF. A lot have nice Koa, or wood sets that I just can't afford to ruin. Should I bite the bullet and spend the big bucks and hope for the best, or should I keep on being prudent? Isn't there some alternative quarter sawn wood that is for the rank beginner?? I must inject some thing here also. Some of our wood suppliers on the OLF have emailed me right away in the past on wood like Koa,Black Acacia. It's truly appreciated. And I want to build w/these as soon a the experience is gained. So will you guys just get your big boots on and get me "KICK STARTED"??!!

Dave

Another relatively inexpensive great tonewood is plain eastern walnut-no problem finding Weisenheimer size sets.

Hey Dave,

I might have some mahogany for a weissenborn that I could cut.
Can you give me the exact dimensions you need for the back and top? I'll let you know if I can come up with the goods, hopefully at a very reasonable price for you.

Don

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

dave,
your costs might be a bit higher because of the sizes you need. but all of us have had to take the plunge and all of us have been happy we did. i'd go with the mahogany suggestion. it'll save a few bucks, won't compromise the sound enough to matter on the first build, and may be just the right size boot to get this project started.
keep us posted,
phil

Todd,
I did buy a 4/4 by 7.5 in. pc of mahogany about 6 months ago and was going to try to resaw. The band saw I bought doesn't have a riser block to install. Couldn't afford a larger saw. So, I thought of still resawing and making a 3 pc back, but changed my mind. Thought if I purchased a set already cut it would save me some time. Thanks for your input.

Dave

Dave, i built my first out of Oak ply for the same reason you invoked, against Mario's sound advice, my hard head could not understand why he wanted me to scrap good wood while there was ply to mess with...well, with time, i understand now that he was right, i should have bought the real wood, i would have been forced to take my time instead of rushing in like i did with my first.

Todd's advice is excellent but if you can avoid the trouble of resawing, buy cheap sets for your 2-3 first builds, you'll be able to learn with the OLF, JUST go slow and everything will go just fine.

Serge

Don,
I PM'd you! Thank you. I'm interested.
Dave

Serge,
I believe your right. First I can't bring myself to buy the plywood! It wouldn't be anything I'd want.
My dreams of building have so far just been dreams. The wife told me to get busy and start. She's been great about me buying my tools and has really encouraged this project.
I'm amazed at what all the members here are doing. Man, I've spent hours looking at the photos everyone sends in on their progress and am "awe struck" by the talent of not only the veterans but the people that are showing their Number 1's!! This is such a great place to learn. Hope that sometime soon I'll be able to post some kind of progress

Dave

Dave, i understand you so well, just buy the wood and jump in, no matter if you buy ply, you will make mistakes so don't dread them in advance, mistakes are a great tool to learn with, just keep notes and pics of what you will do, you gotta start somewhere and the sooner, the better my friend!

Serge

[QUOTE=wyodave]The wife told me to get busy and start. She's been great about me buying my tools and has really encouraged this project.[/QUOTE]

Dave, does she give seminars? I'd sign my wife up for one

Just kidding Honey, Honest.

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Dave,

Here's some free advice from someone else who's just getting started.

I think there's a balance to be struck--you want materials that are good enough to build a quality guitar, but not so expensive you're scared to take a saw to them. I chose to buy a kit from LMI. It gives me plenty to do, but takes some of the work off my shoulders for my first project. It's mahogany, so the wood isn't too precious.

The other thing I recommend is that you get a few extra supplies. One thing I like about my kit is that it came with enough brace material that I was sure there would be enough, even if I made a mistake and had to cut one or more braces over (which I did ).

And take your time, work at a speed that is right for you. I like to process what I've done and think about what I'm going to do next, so I often let some time pass between sessions in the shop. It's going to take me a long time to finish my guitar, but I don't feel a need to hurry.

Good luck.

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John Cavanaugh
Saint Paul, MN
"What could possibly go wrong?"

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!

lutherie is too addictive.

you've managed to resist the pull of this money pit already, so be strong brother, BE STRONG!!!!

I build a bass last December. my first.

#9 went in the post to a buyer a couple of weeks ago and #s 10, 11, 12 & 13 are all in various stages of completion.

DON'T succumb!!!

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I agree with all those who are fellow sufferers of Luthiery:


It gets to the stage where you scour hedgerows for wood...that log I cycled past and nearly went into the front of a car is still there after a couple of months...I stopped today on the way to work: and there were TWO!! One is hidden amognst brambles, I am gonna risk my dainty hands and fetch it out tommorow, seal it and bung it in the attic to dry...

THAT'S how desperate it gets...Sam Price39013.6545138889

Q: How do you make a small fortune?

A: Begin with a large fortune, then start building classical guitars.

Addictive, fun, and legal.

I'm not wanting to make a fortune: just to make stringed instruments that are not violins!!! Sam Price39013.6770023148

I too have nearly the exact tools and pile of wood more or less and the same dilemna.
Of course I decided to start building alot of the "things I needed" in order to "Build the Guitars",[i.e. thickness sander, jigs, molds etc]
and now this has become the hindrance to actually >>building the guitars!!!!!<<
I have just gotten back at it after a hiatus - but I sure will be glad when all the jigs and homemade tools are finished so I can simply build the bloody guitars!
P.S.
buying the things needed to build homemade tools, in order to "save money on buying" storebought tools, can be bloody expensive.
Cheers
Charliewood

Dave, good luck to you. I love Weissenborns. Don is a great person and
after bantering with him for maybe even eight years, I can tell you he is
highly detail oriented. You can trust him to get you exactly what you
need.

I wrote this to NathanC last week: own it in your head. Know what you're
going to be doing. Own it and trust your mind.   A lot of these steps
aren't very difficult once you break down what's going to happen.

You'll have fun

My experiences have been similar yours and the others here, spent years buying tools, making jigs (most of which I have replaced) reading books, looking at catalogues, buying wood.

It gets some better, but I still find myself waiting on something, needing something else all the time.

Good luck on your first, it is an adventure

Mike

Ok everybody. It does sound reasonable to start with a "kit". I'll take the advise! I'm going to order a kit for a resophonic square neck from "Beard". I plan to change some things on it, so it will look a little different. So anyway your points were all taken. The photos of the "First" projects has really given me something to shoot for! Hopefully progress pics will follow.

David

[QUOTE=wyodave] How many of you had a hard time getting started on your first instrument? ... So will you guys just get your big boots on and get me "KICK STARTED"??!!

Dave [/QUOTE]
25 years ago, I started to build an EIR dred. I never finished it, because..., well, every excuse in the book but mostly fear of not getting it "right" I guess. Then, last year, I built one. So yes, I can certainly understand the hesitation, and I encourage you to dive in the deep end of the pool!

Dennis

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Dennis Leahy
Duluth, MN, USA
7th Sense Multimedia

Break it down into a long long long series of easy steps that you can do in under an hour. No big time investment for each step.

I started by learning to dimension a neck blank, then a scarf joint, then slotting a head, once I had plenty of firewood for my chimenea, I tried again.

Hesh, 2 weeks ago, i traded junk that i had scrounged in exchange for a small chainsaw, don't know why but everytime my wife talks about a little trip in the country side, all that saliva keeps pourin'!

[quote=Slobbery Serge]all that saliva keeps pourin'! [/quote]

I've been meaning to say something about that Bud! Billy T39020.1442824074

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)