Making a guitar

[cabhats]

I've been thinking about this since I started playing. Since I have some woodwork/electrical skills, and pick up practical stuff like that almost instantly I don't see why I shouldn't make one. I also have some access to tools, although I'll probably take it somewhere to get the body shape cut out first.

I'm kinda taking it slowly so I get it right. To start with I'm looking at what type of wood provides the best sustain, and what tone such a wood would provide and how much sustain I should compromise for tone etc. So far I figure Mahogany is a pretty safe bet when it comes to the body, but I haven't quite decided yet. Mahogany also seems to be pretty readily available.

Does anyone else have experience with this?

Also I'm looking around now, but is it possible to have the neck as part of the body instead of attaching one later? (provided the wood is suitable for the neck as well as the body)

[Kenneh]

This could help you in the part about guitar woods. And yes, mahogany sustains a shitload.

http://www.jemsite.com/jem/wood.htm

I guess the neck as a part of a body is possible, but its probably not a good idea. You can look into making the neck so that it extends to the whole body length and then glue the wings that would shape your guitar on afterwards, but I'm not sure about making a one piece guitar.

I assume you're making an electric guitar.

[cabhats]

Yeah it's going to be electric. Acoustic guitars are swell and all, but they're also a lot harder to make.


http://www.jemsite.com/jem/wood.htm

Apparently the site's under construction.
I found this here (http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/options/options_bodywoods.cfm) which rates woods according to sound, and comments on their typical properties. Which makes me think mahogany's definitely the way to go.

You can look into making the neck so that it extends to the whole body length and then glue the wings that would shape your guitar on afterwards
That is a good idea. The electrics will also probably be easier this way.

[Kenneh]

Mahogany's pretty heavy though. It's probably gonna be heavier than a Les Paul because you're making everything from mahogany, and judging by how you're talking I'm guessing you're making a strat-shaped guitar.

But the sustain is going to be fucking awesome.

[cabhats]

Mahogany's pretty heavy though. It's probably gonna be heavier than a Les Paul because you're making everything from mahogany, and judging by how you're talking I'm guessing you're making a strat-shaped guitar.

But the sustain is going to be fucking awesome.

Nah I'm sick of the strat body shape. I think it's just boring and overused.

I'm loosely basing it off an SG so it shouldn't be too heavy. Although I'll probably make it a lil thicker than a normal one, and make up my own variation on that general style. Hopefully I can chuck together a couple of designs on the CAD software we have at uni.

The sustain is going to be killer! Even Moog makes their guitar bodies out of mahogany, so hopefully it'll turn out kinda like one of those.

Also not to get too crazy, but I like this idea too. That way you can't bump the tuning knobs too easily.
link (http://www.etribe.com/guitar/constrct/images/70_top.jpg)

[CnGy]

When you do this you should give detailed takes of it. So I can use your experience when I go about doing it.

And make sure to make it look nice and weird to make it worth all the trouble.

[cabhats]

When you do this you should give detailed takes of it. So I can use your experience when I go about doing it.

And make sure to make it look nice and weird to make it worth all the trouble.

Yeah, I'll put stuff up as I go along. I'm also going to try keep the costs down as much as possible, since I'm a student.
Also this is going to take a long time because I can't really afford to buy all the bits at once, and if I take my time it's less likely that I'll stuff something up and have to start again.

I'm almost thinking about using old mahogany furniture for the body because it's dirt cheap here. Although I'm looking into that because I don't plan on compromising for any quality.

It should be reasonably crazy, but simple at the same time.

[Slater]

Nah I'm sick of the strat body shape. I think it's just boring and overused.

I'm loosely basing it off an SG so it shouldn't be too heavy. Although I'll probably make it a lil thicker than a normal one, and make up my own variation on that general style. Hopefully I can chuck together a couple of designs on the CAD software we have at uni.

The sustain is going to be killer! Even Moog makes their guitar bodies out of mahogany, so hopefully it'll turn out kinda like one of those.

Also not to get too crazy, but I like this idea too. That way you can't bump the tuning knobs too easily.
link (http://www.etribe.com/guitar/constrct/images/70_top.jpg)

WHOA!!! You tune it from the body? That's odd.

[cabhats]

Alrighty then! I mucked around with solidworks for a bit and came up with a body that I might use. It's nice and simple and not really like any other one I've seen so far:Linky (http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs27/f/2008/175/a/b/Guitar_concept_by_cabhatsmarsp.png)

The shape's not quite done yet. There's still a few practicality issues I can see with it, but I'm getting there.
The gap in the middle is for the neck. I'm definitely changing that, because it would probably be too weak if I left it like that.

[Kenneh]

Make sure to get your string measurements correct or you're going to completely fuck up your intonation.

[cabhats]

Make sure to get your string measurements correct or you're going to completely fuck up your intonation.

Yeah, I was going to either get a replacement fingerboard for a guitar, and make sure the bridge and stuff are the same distance apart as they were on the original guitar. Or make a copy of one, because knowing me I'd fuck it good and proper if I had to work out all the fret spacings and measure them and cut the grooves and whatnot.

[Chaplin]

Alrighty then! I mucked around with solidworks for a bit and came up with a body that I might use. It's nice and simple and not really like any other one I've seen so far:Linky (http://fc06.deviantart.com/fs27/f/2008/175/a/b/Guitar_concept_by_cabhatsmarsp.png)

The shape's not quite done yet. There's still a few practicality issues I can see with it, but I'm getting there.
The gap in the middle is for the neck. I'm definitely changing that, because it would probably be too weak if I left it like that.
That's interesting. Be sure to post photos after it's all done, I'd love to see it. What are you gonna do for pick ups?

[cabhats]

That's interesting. Be sure to post photos after it's all done, I'd love to see it. What are you gonna do for pick ups?

I shall, just gotta remember this is taking at least a couple of months, so it's gonna be a while.

I dunno what brand pickups I'll buy, I'll go play some guitars in a music shop and see what sounds nice. I don't wanna make pickups just yet, I might try that later though.
I'm going to put a humbucker on the bridge, and just a single on the neck, or a single in the middle and another humbucker on the neck.