Official Luthiers Forum!

Hey there. Ever since I was a young kid I've wanted to build my own guitar and now that I'm an adult, I figured it would be a good time to get to it. But the reality is that while I have experience with tools, I have zero experience with real lutherie. None. I also am a college student, and I don't have any tools. I have no delusions about how difficult this all is and how much it will cost, but I'm willing to spend as much time (and money) as it takes to get good at this. So, a few questions:

1. I mean, can it be done? I bet I could build myself a body, but how about carving necks? I'd like to be able to do that eventually but I don't have the money to go to a luthier school.

2. What are the bare minimum (I really mean bare minimum) of tools that I need to get the entire job done, neck carving included? I make a lot of money during the summers but the reality is that I only have maybe $500-1000 to spend on tools.

3. For my first build, would you recommend a bolt on or set neck design?

4. What are some good books and videos I should look at to increase my knowledge?

Thanks in advance for the help! I look forward to learning from all of you.

Sure, it can be done. I mean, I'm a high school student and I don't seem to be having too many problems.
Bare minimum, you need a jigsaw to cut out the body, something to carve the neck (search for threads a bout that, there is certainly more than one way to skin a cat), and a router. With a hardtail bridge you might get away with a hand drill, but a drill press definitely comes in handy.
Good luck!

If you have the patience & determination, of course you can do it.

Bare minimum:
Jig saw - or some sort of saw that can cut curves.
Chisel(s) and some way to sharpen.
Router but you can also mortise (dig holes in wood) with a chisel.
Drill & bits.
Layout tools - combination square & good straight edges & rulers.
Files & rasps for shaping curved surface.
Sandpaper & sanding blocks.

As you start working on it, you'll learn what other tools would make the job easier.

It's a great hobby/experience. I wish I had gotten into it sooner.

Kevin Looker

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

The first tool you need is Melvyn Hicock's book. He will talk you thru building three different styles of bodies (set neck LP style, bolt on Tele style and a through neck bass). He talks about tools, with the idea of a minimum shop in mind, also covers finish, electronics, and design theory.

If you insist on doing each part of the guitar a lot of different tools become necessary. By purchasing some of the parts premade you can eliminate buying certain tools (and some hassle). Necks and fretboards are a good example - mitering a fretboard requires some real precision - it is so easy to buy a board from StewMac or LMI.

The easiest electric to build is a bolt on neck flat top like a Tele. Minimum power tools would include a band saw or possibly saber saw to cut out the shape, router and bits (and templates) for the pockets and pup cavities, chisels, files and rasps for shaping the neck, drill motor (a drill press is nice) for various holes. Making a fretboard involves some sort of miter box and a sanding block of the proper radius. Good measuring tools (long and short straightedge, machinist rule). If you want to do any inlay a dremel with a router base is nice. You'll need finishing supplies and a soldering iron. Finally, a bunch of special lutherie tools (fret and nut files).

If you are only going to build one I would suggest looking into precut and routed bodies (Warmouth, StewMac, lots of other places), a preshaped neck and fretboard. Do the assembly, learn to finish, install the electronics and do the setup - you'll have a great custom guitar. If you want some idea of what is involved with making a carved top set neck (LP clone) here is recent build thread on mine

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/sho ... e-Les-Paul

Of course it can really be done. Everyone here, including the most experienced and seasoned full-time professionals, had to build a first one. Then consider all the hobby builders like me on this forum. We all got it done--and I'll wager there are many thousands more of us in the guitar making universe than there are full time professionals. Everyone has to build a first instrument.

My advice: Plunge in. You'll make mistakes like everyone here has made them before you. That's the beauty of this forum. There are lots of people here who have encountered everything you can possibly encounter on your first, or fifth, or twentieth instrument. These are good, generous people here, and they will leap to your aid.

Just take the plunge. And good luck to you! One final thought: Don't delude yourself into thinking you'll only build one instrument. You will get addicted to the process along the way. You'll most likely build more than one. Thus, more goofs, more help from the forum, etc. etc. etc. etc. That's just the way it goes with this obsession.

As to your other questions about resources and tools, you're going to receive tons of advice about all that. Filter all that and decide what might work best for you on a single, FIRST instrument. Then branch out and acquire more tools, build more jigs and fixtures, and so on, and so forth, etc, etc. It's too soon to say whether you'll build an instrument that is good enough for your purposes, but I expect you will. After that, "good enough" is a concept that will expand in your mind, and you'll need to try another just a little better and then you'll realize you are hooked on the process and the quest. That's all part of the fun.

Patrick

You may want to try a kit for the basic assembly, setup, and finish experience.
I bought a Tele kit from Guitar Fetish for around $100. It was a good kit and made a pretty good guitar.

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http://www.lmii.com/CartTwo/thirdproduc ... +O%92Brien

"Build an Electric Guitar with Robbie O'Brien"

Everything you need to know, including what tools to get.

Get on craigslist for a bandsaw, drill press, router, drill, etc.

Don't skimp on the specialty tools though, go to LMI or Stewmac: Fret files, nut files, fret saw, etc.

You should bolt your set neck onto a theory of which one sounds better and chart the frequencies for us.

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http://www.tinyhouseandland.com