# Guitar kits... Good or bad?



## Buffalo Bilious (Aug 20, 2007)

Someone mentioned making guitars in another thread, and I know C-Dog and some others here have made a bunch of them.

I've been eyeballing the guitar kits that Grizzly sells.

Obviously, there's not a bunch of woodworking involved with these things, it's more of a finishing project than anything else.

But my questions are:

- I'd think these would be a decent tutorial for a noob to learn how to make guitars... would you agree?

- The one pictured here goes for $395. That won't break the bank, but the price isn't very far away from what a good used "premade" would cost at the pawn shop. Beyond the "I made it myself" factor (which is always cool), if it plays like a Walmart Fender, then it's all just lipstick on a pig. Has anyone tried one of these Grizzly kits? Were you happy with the hardware spec? How does it sound after it's put together?

Thanks.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Start from scratch. If you don't already know this site check it out.

MIMF.com

Any questions feel free to P.M. me.

Good Luck.:thumbsup:


----------



## johnep (Apr 12, 2007)

As a complete beginner I would make the first one from a kit just to see how things fit together. As you do this you will think of better modifications and can then make your second instrument from scratch.
johnep


----------



## TexasTimbers (Oct 17, 2006)

I have never liked kit anything. If you are going to build one, build one you can be proud of. Building one from scratch would take more work and time but the amount of pride you can take in it would be incomparable. 

When you build something from a kit, there is always that feeling that you have kinda decieved people who "Ohh" and "Aww" over it because you know you really didn't do the hard work. Even if you say "Well I build it from a kit" they say "Well still . . . . "

Just my 2 coppers. I have never built a guitar from scratch or a kit either so whatta I know. I have however built alot of furniture from scratch and early on I put together a couple of desk kits. It's no comparison man. Do it from scratch.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

My reasoning for starting from scratch is; would you build your first table from a kit to see how it goes together??? The components aren't too hard to make. Just take some time and plan [and draw] everything out first.
The trickiest part is getting the frets in the right spots. I would suggest buying a pre-slotted board. I have a fret slotting jig that you could use in your sleep!!! But I build more that one or two guitars so it was a wise purchase.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Oooo...I almost fergot.
Get a copy of "Make your own Electric Guitar" by Melvyn Hiscock. It's considered the guitar makers bible by many aspiring luthiers.


----------



## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

I've only built one guitar, and it wasn't a kit, so I can't give an answer about aspect. I do know that the president of Grizzly is a very involved and hands-on business man who's also an accomplished luthier, so I'd be surprised if it wasn't a pretty good kit. Their website features a bunch of incredibly detailed guitars that he's made.

For my guitar project, I went mostly from scratch but used a prefabbed Fender "Mighty Might" neck to make the whole project less intimidating. I researched the pickups and the wiring schemes a little bit, and bought most of the electronics used. Since I don't play I can't really judge how well it plays, but many aspects of the play-ability are adjustable. We spent some time dialing it in and my son and others who've played it say it plays well. I can say that it sounds alot better than any Chinese strat clone I've heard. All in all it was the most challenging project I've done to date, but it was also the most rewarding by far and I'm really glad I decided to go with my own design. The whole project cost < $150 total, until I followed it up with a home made tube amp from scratch.:thumbsup:

Please keep us posted with your progress regardless of which path you take!


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Nice werk Scott!!! More pics please!!!:thumbsup:

My first...I won't tell you how much stuff I botched up on that guy!!!


----------



## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

My other son wants a bass guitar. It is addicting, and very cool to learn about all the "stuff" that makes it tick! ...so was the tube amp ('cept for the 350v jolts from the filter caps! :blink: )

...more pics...


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Watch those filter caps!!!! They CAN kill ya'!!! Gotta bleed them ta' ground if I'm correct.

What finish did you use???


----------



## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

The zaps from those caps definitely got my attention! Never had a zap hurt as much as those....geez.

I used spray on poly for the final coats, and got scolded by a seasoned veteran for that choice! :blink: I now understand that nitrocellulose lacquer is the preferred finish! :huh:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Nitro or, if you want to be a little more enviro-friendly KTM9 waterborne.

Although I've used tung oil too.


----------



## jodiemeglio (Jan 2, 2007)

Guitars look good, how about a picture of that amp? I got rid of my tube amp a few years ago but now i really miss it. Whenever I win the lottery or quit spending all of my money on wood and tools I'll buy a mesa.


----------



## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

jodiemeglio said:


> Guitars look good, how about a picture of that amp? I got rid of my tube amp a few years ago but now i really miss it. Whenever I win the lottery or quit spending all of my money on wood and tools I'll buy a mesa.


The amp is just a simple 5 watt single ended variation of a Fender Champ/Gibson Blues Jr. type. The chassis was from a 1939 Stromberg Carlson that belonged to my father. I was able to use the chassis and the power supply. It got stuffed inside a housing from a Bosch American radio from around the same era. I'm obviously biased, but the sound smokes his Crate 30W....those tubes have such a neat sound that's best described as sweeter when it's clear and much cooler sounding when it distorts....plus they glow in the dark better! :thumbup1:















We also built a crude pine box and put a 12" Fender Blues speaker in it, so we ended up building the entire chain...which was easily two steps further than I'd originally planned. One of these days I'll getting around to finishing the speaker box. :icon_redface:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Nice!!!:thumbsup: 

This thread got me thinkin'...so....I'm gonna start showin' some of you how I build a guitar neck.

In this photo there are some flame maple binding strips and some purpleheart that we'll be using with the 1/4" birdseye fretboard blank. 

On the left is a pre-slotted,store bought ebony board.Center is the blank we'll be using next to a half done fingerboard and, finally on the right is a {mostly} finished neck.

I'm new at this so be patient.:laughing: 

I'll cover fingerboards, binding, neck construction,trussrods and anything else I can think of as this goes on....and on and on and on and...well, you get the picture.










Hope someone will return the favor someday and show me how to build furniture. I suck at it!!!!:laughing: :thumbsup:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Well let's get started with EVERYBODYS favorite subject...MATH!!!:thumbdown: 

If you have already determined your scale length 25" in this case [nut to bridge] you need to calculate where to put the frets!!! From the nut to the 12th fret will be half of the scale length.

Calm down, it's easy. Well sort of....

Take your scale and divide it by 17.817.That will give you the 1st fret placement. The remainder will be the "new" Scale length. Divide that by 17.817 and so on. It doesn't matter what scale you chose the math works.

I'm lazy and can't be bothered to do the math on every guitar I build so I bought the fret slotting jig from Stewart MacDonald Guitar Shop Supply.

Just make sure you referance off of a jointed surface though.

B.T.W Do this set on an un-bound board1/4" X 3" X 20". Once bound with the purpleheart we don't wanna cut through that. The saw should be no more than a .024" kerf and not much thinner either.Frets won't fit otherwise.

As soon as my sneaky sneak of a roommate gets back with the camera I'll post more pics.


----------



## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Thanks for the great info CD! This is gonna be awesome info to have on hand! :thumbsup: Awesome enough that maybe it merits it's own thread, then the admins could make a "sticky" out of it or archive it for future reference. You do know you're starting to the stir the urge in me to build a 2nd axe! :w00t: :sweatdrop:

I'm no expert in furniture building but I'd be happy to reciprocate in any way I can! ...this is the sort of stuff that makes these forums so valuable! :smile:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Thanx man....Yer right...I just thought of the fact that I hi-jacked this thread. Ooops.:laughing: I get a little passionate about this subject.


----------



## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Corndog said:


> Thanx man....Yer right...I just thought of the fact that I hi-jacked this thread. Ooops.:laughing: I get a little passionate about this subject.


The opposite of passionate is depressed so roll with it while ya got the urge! :thumbup:

ps. I wonder if Buffalo Bilious has made a decision yet?


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

I've had the "urge" for the last 15 years...my bank account reminds me every day!!!!:laughing: 

My intention is to show Bill and others that it really ain't that hard. But you can make it as hard as you want to. Try an arch top jazz guitar for example....those are next on my "to-do" list.:yes:


----------



## jpw23 (Jan 6, 2007)

Corndog.....I would appreciate seeing a step by step on the neck building. I built one.....many years ago, got it right but it was hard to do(compound radius) at least for me. Tools seem to be a big expense in this business as well.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

I'll get into that too. A couple of files and a spoke shave....and a few tricks as well.:thumbsup:


----------



## jpw23 (Jan 6, 2007)

I bought a bunch of different radiused cauls.......transition from one to the other was tough.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Sorry, I mis-interpreted what you meant. Compound radius fingerboards were a gimmicky thing as far as as I was concerned. Nothing wrong with a 10" radius board.Or 12" for that matter. 16" might as well be flat.


----------



## Buffalo Bilious (Aug 20, 2007)

knotscott said:


> ps. I wonder if Buffalo Bilious has made a decision yet?


No decision yet...

However, C-Dog's tutorial here is an eye-opener. C-Dog, keep 'er going, I wanna see how this turns out! :thumbsup:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

I shall. But, unfortunately I have a day job so it's gonna have to be a weekly thing. Thanx for the interest!!!:thumbsup:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Just got our own camera so we'll get goin as soon as I get 'er together!!!:thumbsup:


----------



## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Corndog said:


> Just got our own camera so we'll get goin as soon as I get 'er together!!!:thumbsup:


....sounds like it's time for a "Kodak moment"! :thumbsup:


----------



## rob.hough (Jul 27, 2007)

Just carve that sucker by hand. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59LX11nwjAU


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

rob.hough said:


> Just carve that sucker by hand.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59LX11nwjAU


THAT'S what I'm talkin' about!!!!:thumbsup:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

This is the "miter box" that I was talking about.
It uses an indexing pin and a template to correctly saw the fret slots.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

First joint an edge..WOW BREAKING NEWS!!!!:laughing: 










Next rip to roughly 2 1/2"










Double stick tape the blank to yer jiggy thing...store bought or home made. Saw the slots.Duh...











DO NOT saw all the way through!!!! Again....DUH!!!!:laughing: 










Next we'll taper the board and add the binding.

Sharpen yer planes folks...


----------



## rob.hough (Jul 27, 2007)

Very nice! I'm not sure if I mentioned this before but I run the MCS message board - they have a section called "The Brotherhood of Wood" where they share building ideas/tips, etc. You should check it out some time. I'm sure they would get a kick out of having another luthier around.

http://mcs.acidpit.org/


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

The first page was too metal fer me!!!!:laughing: 

I'll check it out later....thanx though.:thumbsup:


----------



## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

What in heavens name is that tool :laughing:, 2500 (?) members 1000's of "tool talk" posts...and someone captured a photo of a dude using a plane


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Well, you know I'm different.:laughing: I "kiss" all my jointed edges with that #06 Fore plane.

Thanx fer noticing though!!!:thumbsup:

P.S. Betcha didn't catch the ogee on the end of the board that I'm planing. Re-use reduce recycle...


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Pretty, huh!!! 15 mins of work and this is what we have!!!










Mark out 27/32" at the nut on either side...and 1 1/32" @ the "12th" fret location. These are rough dimensions based on my fret board with my binding I ALWAYS leave room for "fidgeting". It IS hand made after all.

Tapered...










Anyhoo... here's that hand plane again...










The final dimension is 1 11/16" at the nut and 2 1/16" at the 12th fret. We are putting on a roughly 3/32" purpleheart binding on either side. I STRONGLY urge you to DRAW out your guitar and have all your parts ready to go!!!! I just want to get you started....


----------



## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Corndog said:


> P.S. Betcha didn't catch the ogee on the end of the board that I'm planing. Re-use reduce recycle...


To be honest I don't have a clue what your are up to :no:, guitar building is out of my league. I think it is cool you are taking the time to help the guys who read this thread, even with my distractions.

The only thing I did catch (besides the Record fore plane) was this...I see the bark is _still_ on it. :laughing:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing: Yup!!!!


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Well, the last of my birdseye has a bunch of screw holes in it..gotta work around it I guess...


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

A bunch of broken hockey sticks....










Turns into a neck before your eyes!!!!










The maple is around 3/4" thick the purpleheart is 1/4"....the headstock is about 13 degrees.[????]

It's gettin' late and I will continue tomorrow if anyone cares....:glare: 

Truss rods and fretting!!! WHOO HOOO!!!!!:laughing:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

All the stock that I've used so far is flat sawn. The "hockey sticks" once turned on edge will become....quarter sawn!!! Great neck stock!!! Got that trick from the great Bob Benedettos videos.:thumbsup:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Fingerboard bound in purpleheart.










Any questions so far???


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Got clamps???
Here's the 5 piece neck lamination all glued up. The peghead ears go on later.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Time to start thinking about a body shape don'tcha think???
You may wonder why I started with the neck...I've built a few of these things so I thought I'd start with the most "difficult" part.

IMHO the design is the most difficult part. Like I said before...draw EVERYTHING FIRST!!!!


----------



## jpw23 (Jan 6, 2007)

Very informative so far.......I'm seeing a few places where I could have made it easier on myself:thumbsup:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

To anyone else a couple of pieces this short are scrap...to me though...

7 3/4" X 20" X 1 5/8". Most bodies are 1 3/4" thick so I may put a 3/4" top of quilt maple on it.Maybe not.


















The blanks are alder by the way...


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

jpw23 said:


> Very informative so far.......I'm seeing a few places where I could have made it easier on myself:thumbsup:


Ooooooo!!!!! Where???? I LOVE easy!!!:thumbsup: Any input helps.


----------



## jpw23 (Jan 6, 2007)

Corndog said:


> Ooooooo!!!!! Where???? I LOVE easy!!!:thumbsup: Any input helps.


Mostly the laminated neck parts......I carved mine out a single chunk of wood.....the fret saw jig(that would have been easier) really, just seeing someone that knows what they are doing helps a lot.:thumbsup:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

I do my necks laminated because...
A: 3/4" flatsawn is easier to find that 8/4" quartered and a HELL of a lot cheaper... and...

B: Cosmetically, I like the look of the contrasting woods.

But yeah, a one piece neck is historically how it's done. Fixed a LOT of Gibson necks though...it's a weak area around the headstock.

A Spanish scarf is another thing altogether. Looks cheap to me but it IS a good joint.


----------



## jpw23 (Jan 6, 2007)

I imagine that a laminated neck is much stronger overall.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

I always stand on mine...if they break I start from scratch. Only had one break.


----------



## jpw23 (Jan 6, 2007)

did you biscuit or peg anywhere between the laminations?


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

jpw23 said:


> did you biscuit or peg anywhere between the laminations?


 Uhhh...no. Not necessary.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Anyone that doubts the strength of a laminated neck...
Here's 180 lbs of me STANDING on it. The headstock it still only 3/8" thick. I have yet to put the head plate and back plate on.










...I think this one's a keeper!!!:thumbsup: 

9/16" thick at the nut and 3/4" at the body joint.


----------



## BudK (Mar 6, 2007)

Corndog , so what your saying is that the best kit is the one you make from scratch ! Too cool . 
Cant wait for the next installment .:thumbsup:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Thanx,man!!!:thumbsup: 
If ya' think about it, you just make a couple of parts and put 'em together.
Just a few edge joints,a few routs and a mortise and tenon. Simplistic explanation I know but that's all it is really.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Well I guess I gotta back up a little...

The "hockey sticks" are 3/4" X1" X 28 1/2" long.
Purpleheart is the same but 1/4" thick.

19'" to the headstock angle and 9 1/2" for the headstock.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

I needed a truss rod for this photo blog so I turned to an old neck. A little heat and you can see the strength of PVA...










Vinegar works too but not on oak....something to do with the tannin.Turns it black.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

O.K....truss rods. They're meant to counter-act the up-ward pull of the strings.
Mine are 3/16" mild steel threaded for a 10-32 nut. It's commonly known as a compression style rod. There's a threaded rod bearing against a fixed rod...blah blah blah...google it.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Hey Daren...there's one of those crazy old hand tools again. I think it's called a "scraper".:laughing:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

One point on design...bass players are a lot more open to new stuff than guitar players. Throw a set of .105"-.045""s on a Queen Anne High Boy and a bass player will buy it.... if you 3 tone sunburst a Queen Anne High Boy and write "Fender" on it guitar players will start a blog on how un-original it is.....:blink: :laughing:


----------



## Daren (Oct 14, 2006)

Corndog said:


> Hey Daren...there's one of those crazy old hand tools again. I think it's called a "scraper".:laughing:


You and your primitive tools, I honestly don't see how you get anything done :laughing:, I did not see the plug in on that scraper ? I did watch that video of the dude whacking away at the neck with a hammer and chisel, good stuff.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Well lookkie what I found under the couch!!!! I'm not kidding!!!
Book matched flame maple!!!! I was wondering where that was!!!:laughing: 

Perfect headstock plate for our project!!! SCORE!!!:thumbsup:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

WEIRD TOOL ALERT!!!!!!
I'll fill ya' in later...:laughing:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

More "primative" tools...:thumbsup:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Uhhh.... Bill???? Are you still there or did I scare you off???


----------



## karma_carpentry (Nov 19, 2007)

I'll tell you how I place my frets - I use a digital tuner when I have the whole guitar assembled and strung, and mark the locations of each fret on the high and low E strings. Then that's where the frets go, even if they're sideways or whatnot. It has ended up being great for intonation.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

karma_carpentry said:


> I'll tell you how I place my frets - I use a digital tuner when I have the whole guitar assembled and strung, and mark the locations of each fret on the high and low E strings. Then that's where the frets go, even if they're sideways or whatnot. It has ended up being great for intonation.


I'm sorry but that makes absolutely NO sense!!!
You build the whole guitar and THEN fret it???
It's like making a BLT and raising the pig for the bacon!!!


----------



## karma_carpentry (Nov 19, 2007)

Corndog said:


> I'm sorry but that makes absolutely NO sense!!!
> You build the whole guitar and THEN fret it???
> It's like making a BLT and raising the pig for the bacon!!!



Well, it either works or it doesn't, and it works !

I love your photos and thanks for posting all of them !


----------



## karma_carpentry (Nov 19, 2007)

By the way, Geoff, what is the tool in that last photo, the one with three bearings - is that for bending the fret wire before you press it in the slots ?


----------



## karma_carpentry (Nov 19, 2007)

Corndog said:


> I'm sorry but that makes absolutely NO sense!!!
> You build the whole guitar and THEN fret it???
> It's like making a BLT and raising the pig for the bacon!!!


On the other hand, the way it's normally done is like pre-cutting all the sections for installing crown molding. You can get close, but there are a lot of factors that can make you off by a small fraction. Usually it's small enough that it's not very noticeable, but I do notice better intonation in my guitars than in most.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Sorry guys, no guitar porn t'day.:huh: Sharpening duty.:glare:


----------



## Buffalo Bilious (Aug 20, 2007)

Corndog said:


> Uhhh.... Bill???? Are you still there or did I scare you off???



LOL... still here. Not a'skeered, but scratchin' my head a bit, (of course).

Seems pretty straight forward so far... keep 'er goin'! :thumbsup:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

I will. My keyboard packed 'er in yesterday so I was unable to continue. :thumbdown:


----------



## aclose (Nov 11, 2007)

wow, awesome thread! i just read through these first four pages and am looking for more. keep'er coming CD! :smile:

/me: adding guitar to list of projects...


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

It's kind of embarrassing to admit but one of the reasons that I haven't been posting is the fact that I lost my 1/4" router bit in that cacophony I call a bench!!!!:laughing: Found it. We shall continue today with the truss rod channel. :thumbsup:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

1/4" bit set to cut 7/16" deep slot in the dead center of the neck blank.
Gotta love your workmate and tool guide for this kinda stuff!!!


----------



## karma_carpentry (Nov 19, 2007)

That's great, corndog - keep posting please.
I have never put a truss rod in my guitars, but I think I will do it soon.

A few days ago I saw a special edition Martin guitar that had a laminated neck - and I mean laminated with 1/8" or small pieces, so maybe 20 to 30 pieces across the width of the neck. I wonder it that would be more stable, like an LVL is more stable than a doug fir 2x12 both in terms of strength and not warping over time with humidity.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Framus did that in the '60's and Phil Kubicki did in the '80's. I 'spose it's more stable. I don't see why not!!!:yes:


----------



## jpw23 (Jan 6, 2007)

I had an old Framus guitar several years ago.....not a real bad chunk of wood


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

I saw one a few years ago...47 piece Finnish birch. Ya' still need a truss rod mind you...but that thing WOULD NOT MOVE!!! Ugly as sin but stable.


----------



## BudK (Mar 6, 2007)

:thumbsup:I've got one of Phil's later guitar neck's on my only 6 string electric .... a maple work of art ....Body is a ,
Slab of mahogany and maple . Body by M.H . 
A wonderful toneful sustain monster .


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

"Work of ART" That's what I like to hear.:yes: Sometimes you get it right sometimes you're POOCHED!!!!


----------



## MeatPuppwt (Dec 16, 2007)

What type of woods do you recommend using in the guitar? I imagine that the type would effect the tone, sustain, or clarity. Is using a straight grained wood recommend over a highly figured piece? I noticed that you said you where using an alder body and might laminate it in quilted maple. Does a 1 piece body sound better then a laminated body?

BTW, thanks for taking the time to do this thread. Been looking at getting a new guitar and after reading this think I'll try making a new one instead of shelling out the cash for one of those prefabs that looks like the every other guitar player has.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

That's a tough one!!! Too many variables to list right now. I'm up to my elbows in MDF dust and haven't even THOUGHT about guitars fer a while. 

I'll try and think of something for ya' soon.:thumbsup:


----------



## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

MeatPuppwt said:


> What type of woods do you recommend using in the guitar? I imagine that the type would effect the tone, sustain, or clarity. Is using a straight grained wood recommend over a highly figured piece? I noticed that you said you where using an alder body and might laminate it in quilted maple. Does a 1 piece body sound better then a laminated body?
> 
> BTW, thanks for taking the time to do this thread. Been looking at getting a new guitar and after reading this think I'll try making a new one instead of shelling out the cash for one of those prefabs that looks like the every other guitar player has.


I _think_ Sitka spruce is one of the preferred woods for the sound board, but am not certain... :confused1:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Acoustics yeah. Quartered bear-claw sitka is prime......but I only do electrics.


----------



## karma_carpentry (Nov 19, 2007)

I use western red cedar and sitka spruce for tops. I have only built 4 so far. I used lumberyard cedar for the last one and it was the best sounding ! But that's because I've been learning much more about design and construction, not necessarily because of the soundboard wood.

Anyway, I have used Spanish Cedar for the first body wood, and mahogany for the other three. Spanish Cedar is used often for classical guitar necks. I would suggest mahogany as the wood of choice for your first guitar. I wouldn't try straying until you learn all the factors in building a guitar, then stray to more exotic things. That's definitely what Cumpiano recommends in his book.

But for fretboards and bridges, you can experiment -- I have used bloodwood, rosewood, canary, freija, muiracate... it's fun stuff.

By the way, all of my guitars are small-sized. I've been designing a travel guitar.

Here's a photo of my third guitar at my website.


----------



## karma_carpentry (Nov 19, 2007)

By the way, for the lumberyard cedar top, you have to be sure to choose a quarter-sawn piece. Then I took it and planed it to 3/16" and then I sanded it down further to varying thicknesses.

I have seen reports of people who have built entire guitars from a shipping pallet, for the fun of it, and it reportedly played very beautifully. I bet you could get a nice spruce top from a quarter sawn section of a spruce framing lumber. Just find a section that is quarter sawn and tight grained and clear.


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

That was Bob Taylor.


----------



## BudK (Mar 6, 2007)

:hang:Bump .... 


Is this one of those " pregnant pause " things ?


Your killing me .:smile:


----------



## Corndog (Apr 26, 2007)

Sorry...if you look at the "Show us your shop" thread you'll understand why I had to...um...pause!!!:thumbsup: 

My walls go up at 11:00A.M.!!!!!


----------



## joesdad (Nov 1, 2007)

:laughing:...I was wondering the same Cdog, I'm in the process of refinishing an old arch-top acoustic right now that was my grandfather's, so this thread got me psyched to build my own. Not an archtop for my first one, but a basic flat body steel string.

I have debated building a new neck on this guitar though. the fingerboard is a little rough, the neck is straight, but too fat for my liking, and I don't want to _practice _(fabricating) on this one. I'm probably just going to replace all the hardware that is missing; nut,bridge,tailpiece, broken tuners etc.. and leave well enough alone.

I'll post some pics when it's done, the before and after should pretty cool, this thing was hammered.

I really like those laminated necks you build, that's the thing that got me thinking, and can't wait till you're back up and running...:thumbsup:


----------



## Youngman (Dec 28, 2007)

Corndog, I would not know a fret from a fretter but the thread has some real meat and I too am interested. You might get a kick out of this, I share a shop wall with a recording studio...go figure. Makes for some early morning conversation when a drummer has left his girl parked on our front steps because he forgot he brought her.:laughing: needless to say the real recording is done at night. Can you say day time thickness planner.....:laughing:


----------

