Official Luthiers Forum!

Well, I hope I'm getting close to build time, but I am actually here to ask (approximately) how long it takes some of you guys to finish a guitar. Total build time that is.

I've been talking with RC Tonewoods, and am getting a list together now for my first build. I am a completely green but I want to do everything myself... bridge, neck, fretboard slotting, etc. I am just curious how long it took some of you guys to complete your first builds... and if you went on to numbers 2 and 3, how long did those take?

I know I'm going to get some broad answers, but I figure it will give me some clue as to how long it will be once I start until I see my wife again. Just kidding... I'll see her at at dinner.

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

My #1 was a kit, it took me 5 months start to finish.
They are coming together faster now with tools, jigs and most of all, experience.

Have fun and don't worry about the time. The fun is in the journey

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

What Lance says! It truly is in the journey. My guitar building gets interupted by life all the time. Work, social committments, family committments, moving, all sorts of stuff. I also promised myself that I would only work on guitars when not in a foul mood as this is a labor of love. Guess what? I find myself in a good way more often than not! Amazing therapy this building thing.

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

Right on Chris (can I call you Chris?). You're about to embark on a journey that will take you through many emotion, most of them good... The old line, 'I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me' can qualify the experience of building a guitar...

That being said, I build no.1 from scratch too. I didn't take many notes, nor did I jot down how much time it took. For the first, you'll see that there are many things that will slow you down. Jigging up (or down), deciding how you want to do a certain step and the buying/building the proper jig/tool/contraption for it... Screwing up a few pieces and then starting again... Running out of materials because you had bought just the right amount of materials you needed for the job and the subsequent wait until your new material arrives... ahem...

Now, all that being said, I did take very detailed notes of the time it took me to build no.2. It took me 140 hrs. for that one. That's bending on a pipe and hand planning everything to thickness. Finish was French Polish so that takes a fair amount of time too. I imagine that using mold and blankets to bend and using a thickness sander (which I now have!) could cut down that time by a good 15-20 hours...

Hope this helps and good luck!

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

For a first build I would say you are looking at 120-150 hours. My current build time is around 80 hours.

I know there's something wrong with me but I actually like to work a guitar like an organised project, with a list of things to be done and in what order. I sometimes track the time that things take. I blame my job for making me like this.

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David White, Toronto

"All my favourite singers can't sing."

[QUOTE=Alain Desforges] I didn't take many notes, nor did I jot down how much time it took. For the first, you'll see that there are many things that will slow you down. Jigging up (or down), deciding how you want to do a certain step and the buying/building the proper jig/tool/contraption for it... Screwing up a few pieces and then starting again... Running out of materials because you had bought just the right amount of materials you needed for the job and the subsequent wait until your new material arrives... ahem...

Now, all that being said, I did take very detailed notes of the time it took me to build no.2. It took me 140 hrs. for that one. That's bending on a pipe and hand planning everything to thickness. Finish was French Polish so that takes a fair amount of time too. I imagine that using mold and blankets to bend and using a thickness sander (which I now have!) could cut down that time by a good 15-20 hours...

Hope this helps and good luck![/QUOTE]

Good grief, it's like the man was watching me or something.      My first was exactly like this: jigging up, messing, not knowing what I was doing on the basic stuff, waiting on more materials to arrive, etc. All that added up. My first took about 160 hours, but the vast majority was using all hand tools. It was fun though!

Bill

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

My first, from scratch, took 6 months. The next two, built simultaneously, took 10 months. The current build, if I can maintain my current pace, will be about 3 1/3 months.

If I could build a good guitar in 120 hours or 140 hours I'd quit my day job and sell an instrument every two weeks. I used 120 hours waiting for glue to dry.     Actual time spent hands on might be realistic for some, I don't know, but it is misleading to a newbie, unless I just don't understand. It takes 336 hours for the finish to cure (assuming two weeks) before you can rub it out.

I would shoot for a realistic total build time of 6 months for a quality instrument for a first timer. Then you will be thrilled if you see the end in 4-5 months.   If you're not in the business, just relax and have a great time. It should only be about quality and your personal satisfaction.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

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

My first archtop took me about a year including all the jigs that needed to be built and all the research and forum scouring. If I counted the hours it took...I wouldn't be doing this as a hobby any longer

John Greven who still hand builds says it takes him about 50 hours to build a fairly plain flattop and that's with a number of guitars on the go at all times. I'll never get up to that speed and frankly if I did I would be looking for a new hobby.

It's a good question you ask. Given all the jigging you'll be doing you won't be fair to yourself if you count the hours. Instead of counting every hour, enjoy every minute. The feeling you'll have when you string up your successful first is something that can't be described and will stay with you a lifetime.

My first was an LMI kit. Took 12-18 hours a week for 15 weeks.
I thought my second would be faster, but I just got more confidence and tried newer, stranger things, and it actually took me longer.
3 and 4th, same story. I keep getting more in depth and never seem to speed up that actual overall completion time.
Seems like it never ends, but in a good way....
A lot of that, though, is starting and stopping time. I have to completely start from scratch every time I work (in regards to setting up tools and jigs) because I travel to get to my work space. Its a community space and I can't leave much of anything out.

-j.

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

Thanks for the insight guys. I am the type who will enjoy the time rather than try to race through it. That being said though, I am still the type that likes to know my progress as compared to others. I am hoping to have it dun-n-strung in about 6 months. I may be slowed down though because I currently don't have a large collection of power tools. Hmmm, maybe I'll get some tips from my uncle Ezekiel in Pennsylvania. 

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

Alain-
Thanks for the info! That timeline seems to be the one I am hearing from all the others as well. Oh, but if you don't mind I prefer Christian. Never been much of 'Chris' LOL
Thanks Again!

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Time is a great teacher, but unfortunately it kills all its pupils - Louis Hector Berlioz

Chansen / C hansen / C. Hansen / Christian Hansen - not a handle.

Christian

it depends on your attitudes to life.

i rush everything and currently have 3 builds underway and I have the next two or three forming in my mind.

here's a maple mando, a leopardwood 00 and a walnut acoustic bass


I find that the build process is a series of bite sized bits spaced out by glue and finish drying.

If I started a stopwatch I could probably build an acoustic guitar in 40 hours........

it would be playable, but not look great!!!

If you want it to look good it's gonna take a lot longer.

My evening class guitar took about 100 hours

I built TWELVE other instruments (14 if you count two flutes!!) in lunch breaks during that time.........

two of them are due to be chopped for parts/firewood......

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My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

Christian - The elapsed time is SO dependent on how much concentrated effort you are able to put in.

At one extreme, working in an equipped and organized shop, with an instructor looking over my shoulder, I built an OM from lumber to strung-up, in the white, with bridge attached with bridge bolts, in 6 days. And not long days, either - the instructor was adamant about walking away from it once you got a little fatigued - avoid mistakes and all that.

At the other extreme, a classical that I just turned over to a friend was in the shop for over a year and a half.
Built in spare time, amidst all of life's other distractions, all the other guitar and other projects, etc.

Based on the 6 day version, I'd guess my maxed-out build rate would be 50 hours to get the guitar up to the stage prior to final pre-finish sanding. This number has to stretch out quite a bit when you are doing the work a couple of hours at a time - the process of walking away and coming back to it is expensive time-wise. (That number was based on no fancy inlay, too - just my initial on the headstock and a few 12th fret dots.)

You do what you can. I have to say I preferred the 6 day version. I may be able to set aside time for something like that in August.

Jim

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Jim Kirby
kirby@udel.edu

I've built a 12 fret parlor in as little as 4 days (darn that HGF and it's
deadlines :) ), but normally it takes me 2 weeks of woodworking to complete
a guitar. Then again I've got a couple here in my new shop (aka basement)
that have been on the shelf for a couple years.

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John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I think the number thats been tossed around of 150 hrs is probably about right. maybe even 200 or so for your first one, depending on how analytical/picky you are.
Good luck!

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Ive been working 10-6 the past month (only a few weekend hours mainly
sanding/makingbridge) and hopefully with no complications will have my
first done this week.

I got hands on instruction from a well known luthier who offered classes for my first build. I had this guitar playable with no finish on it and the bridge held on with bridge bolts in 6 days. All of the jigs and tools he had made the process MUCH easier. The finish took another 3 weeks to perfect on it.

Now, I usually have about 150 hours in each guitar unless it is a "plain jane" guitar with no special inlays or finish requirements.

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Reguards,

Ken H

Like many have said....the fun is in the journey!!! Whether you take 50 hours
or 250 hours it doesn't matter. You will make tons of mistakes, but it
doesn't matter. I have learned so much from this group.

Actually the best part of the journey is the first time a note comes from your
guitar.   That first note is priceless!!!!!!!!!

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Andy Z.
http://www.lazydogguitars.com

It takes as long as it takes. No more, no less. My first was fast; including basic jigging up (forms, bender), 4 months, maybe 150 hours of work, including finishing, polishing, stringup and setup. The second was faster, but has stalled while it waits for me to make a better router binding setup.

Don't worry about the time, just enjoy the trip!

[QUOTE=Mattia Valente]

Don't worry about the time, just enjoy the trip![/QUOTE]

That's exactly what I am doing now. Taking it slowly enables me to evaluate and have that precious thinking space. Many mistakes have been made through rushing, and I cannot afford to make mistakes, for the sake of my wallet and my spouse.