Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi, i just became interested in building a guitar, but i have no experience/idea how to and was wondering if ne one could get me started with some tips/designs/tools that i will need etc... any help would be appreciated

thanks,
andy

Welcome Andy from another Andy
The OLF is a great place. All levels of experience here.
Most recommend starting with a kit first to get a feel for the construction of a guitar.
Several of the OLF sponsors including John Hall, LMI and Stew Mac make nice kits.
Just ask questions and we will be glad to help

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

Hi Andy and welcome to the forum.

Can you tell us a bit more? What is your previous woodworking experiences? How are you set tool wise? What are you interested in building. "Guitar" covers a lot of ground.

Tips huh? Well, start by reading all you can get your hands on. Go through the archives. Check out the Tutorial page. Bear in mind that we just did a major move and we are still unpacking, putting things back where they belong. So, check it out frequently over the next couple of months.

And remember, you can't build just one.

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Aoibeann

wow, thanks for the fast and help full responses, just one more question, could i have the links to those kits u mentioned?
To answer Aoibeann's questions. my previous woodworking experience is making a marshmallow roasting stick lol (aka none). i dont really have to many tools but i am willing to get them. and i am interested in building any acoustic guitar (nylon classical or dreadnought preferably) that would be easy to make, seeing that this will be my first, ive been playing since i was 10 and now 7 years later i just really want to build my own.

Here are the kit links
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Kits.html
http://www.lmii.com/
follow the kit wizard
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1&zenid=72e2a9c5f701035b9e67fffe3aec4dae

Many here have started from the above kits

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

hmmm...... i just looked at the kits and they are pretty expensive and im not sure i want to spend that kind of money on my first one, for fear of messing it up but i will consider the mandolin or ukulele from http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Kits.html

if there r ne other cheaper solutions they would be much appreciated

thanks,
andy

I think, "easy to make" would not be part of the lexicon for guitar building. Kits will be easier than starting from scratch, but will take meticulous detail work, and careful following of plans. Consider the help you figure you may need before you are done too. The LMI Kits come with a CD or DVD of building a guitar, and that is very helpful. John Hall's kits come with access to his excellent advice and his ability to help you through rough spots by answering your questions on construction, and giving you pointers on how to proceed. Or, if you really want to punish yourself, you can buy wood, and build from scratch. However, unless you were making very intricate marshmallow roasting sticks, that might not be your best direction to take. Good luck on whatever you decide to do, and welcome to the OLF. You can learn a ton there. Check out the archives and the Tutorial page.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

First off Andy, welcome here.

There really is no such thing as an inexpensive first guitar. You could choose inexpensive woods, but unless you have the skill to cut some of your own back and side sets from lumber yard woods it honestly is less expensive to buy a serviced kit to get going.

LMI has one of, if not the lest expensive kit out there at $290 but that doesn't include tuners.

The first thing I did when I wanted to build my first guitar was to pick up Guitarmaking: Tradition & Technology and honestly I read it cover to cover at least twice before I even bought wood or parts. Now, it's considered to be slightly outdated but you can get more up to date details on what to do here. What reading the book will do is give you a really good idea of what it takes to build your first guitar. The book also focus' more on hand tools which is good because they are generally less expensive than power tools.

Now just so you know, I think a first guitar will cost you roughly $1000 once you've bought or rented some tools or shop time and bought your first kit. I don't want to discourage you rather give you a good idea of what you're getting yourself into financially.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, there are a lot of people here who like to help.

Welcome again.

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"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

Andy, welcome to the OLF!

I'm with Waddy. I'm afraid there's no quick and painless way to build a guitar. If you find kits are expensive, you can always try to source and buy the woods and sets yourself, but by the time you find everything and bring them all down to size to work with (thicknessing), it might prove easier to just buy a nice mahogany kit where most of the machining is done for you.

I don't know how you're set up for tools, but I imagine you'll have to thickness everything by hand plane. Not that there's anything wrong with this as I've done it many times before, but the romanticism of the act quickly wore off for me.

Regardless, you'll need to tool up and build at least a few jigs. I'd recommend the very first investment you make is buying 'Guitar Making - Tradition and Technology' by Cumpiano/Nathelson. Although some of the methods and techniques are dated, you'll get a very good idea of what you're getting yourself into. At the very least, it's the best primer on how to get going with minimal power tools.

Hope this helps,

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

Welcome to the OLF Andy!

One other suggestion for you is if you use the link for the Stew-Mac kits, click on the d*eadnought kit, you will see a free-for-download PDF file of the kit instructions. This will give you a very good idea of what is involved in assembling a guitar kit and it includes a recommended tool list too. Be advised though that the recommended tools are not all needed.....

Welcome aboard.

Greetings Andy -

In order to get your feet/fingers wet, you might want to try one of the dulcimer kits from Stew Mac. It's a little cheaper and it will give you the opportunity to do some basics without incurring huge tool expenses, etc. I found it to be a great starting point when I started out a while back.

By the way everyone - I'm new to the forum as well. Been playing around with building and repair (mostly repair) for the last several years and am looking to do more building as time allows. I guess you'd call me a hobbyist - for now, anyway! This looks like it'll be a great resource and I hope I can contribute to the knowledge base . .

Welcome!!

I would say that starting with a kit is a great way to get into luthiery. That option wasn't there in the "olden days" and people jumped straight into the deep end!!

But again, I would echo the sentiments of everyone here; for someone who has minimal woodworking experienc,e a kit is the best way to go.

Thanks everybody for all the suggestions and help, i was searching through the sponsors websites and i found that RC Tonewoods is located about 10 mins. from my house so ill also be contacting them to see if they cant help me get started with supplies and such.

Thanks again,
Andy

That'll be a great start Andy.

You won't find a better man than Bob Cefalu to point you in the right direction.

Bob

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Bob Connor
Geelong, Australia

Oh my!!! I'm soooo happy I don't live 10 minutes away from the Zootman! After having me charged with tresspassing, he'd have to put a restraining order on me eventually!!!

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

wow u guys know the "Zootman"?, not that i am impressed or ne thing.... jk. But seriously is he nice/get's along with kids? and do u think he would set me up with a package deal, and help me get going? or should i just give the man a call my self?


Thanks,
Andy

Welcome Andy,
I know what you mean about not affording to dish out a wad of cash for a box full of wood that you'll have to saw and glue together. You should try it.
Check out this cat building a guitar on YouTube. He uses tools that most folks already have hangin' out in the garage. Whatever you decide to do, I hope your first turns out to be fabulous. You have the most important tool you need right now...Desire. You could have a whole shop full of tools and a hundred chisels, but if you don't have the desire to build what good are they? Go make that guitar.....you know you want too!

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"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

Hey Andy,
I built my first uke from a Stew-Mac kit. Went real well. You may have some stumbling blocks but nothing forum folks can't help with.

Lefty

Andy, I met Bob Cefalu aka The Zootman last summer in Toronto (I'm from BC) and let me honestly say, you will not find a more helpful and caring person who is also very excited about guitars than Bob. He loves people and he really is great to just hang out with.

Al's right, If I lived 10 mins from Bob's place, he would have to either hire me or set my up with some concrete shoes and chuck me in the river (I hope he'd hire me).

I can't say for sure, but my guess is Bob would most certainly set you up with a great "kit" and he may even rent you some space in his new shop to work on your project (who knows, this may just get him building again which would be really great)

Andy, honestly look him up, he's Da Man you need to see. He'll make you an offer you can't refuse

Just some inside jokes, don't mind me

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My Facebook Guitar Page

"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

Andy,

If you think about it the price of a quality kit renders a guitar worth many times it cost. you can't get into this craft for less frankly.

Now if you do not mind a ply body kit Grizzly.com has a classical and steel string kit. but frankly you will learn near nothing from them as they are an assembly kit only and the boy is pretty much made.

you might try a mandolin kit for less money.

The truth is to buy all the materials and consumables for a solid wood guitar you would be looking at around $400-600 depending on the woods and consumables you buy. with time and patients the guitar the quality kit will produce would be in the 1K-3k value range when completed.

Sad to tell you this can in no way become a inexpensive hobby to get into. Once you are hooked the cost of the wood and parts will just become a drop in the bucket compared to the things you will find yourself occurring. But like my wife said in the vary beginning of my addiction to this craft, "at least I know your not in the bars"

Back in the jolly old UK (which is where I hail from originally ) the northerners have a saying:

"You don't get 'ought for nought"

(where 'ought is pronounced owt, and nought is pronounced nowt)

It means "you don't get anything for nothing", of course....

Andy, I don't want to appear to be negative, but like Michael and the others said, there's a certain minimum number of shekels that you're going to need for tools and supplies in order to build a basic guitar yourself. Maybe you need to wait until you're earning, or perhaps find a college course in lutherie?

Or, perhaps we could try appealing to OLF'ers for help......guys, what do you say, would Lance/Brock go for a "Sponsor-a-Newbie" idea where those that want to can pitch in with a small something to help (e.g. cash/wood/tools/supplies)? The whole program could be kept on the down-low to keep it from becoming a circus. Obviously, it would need to be better thought out than this, but it's a germ of an idea that we (you) might like to consider taking action on....

Dave F.

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Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"