Building a guitar. . . . Hummmm...

[Ronkirn]

This is the ugly the resin in the Mahogany leaves….



this is after a touch with the sand paper…



Now… where did I put that roundover bit….



set up the router, and round over the bugger…



rk…

[Ronkirn]

Of course the round-over operation leaves a bit of tar too, but it’s now time to go over the completed body with 220, to give it a preliminary sanding.



She is now complete with the exception of the binding… that will take a few days to get here…





Oh under normal circumstances… yesterday would have taken about 30 minutes….today’s operation about 45…. It takes a little longer having to take photos and keep dust out of the Nikon….

So … I’ll bee baaaack..

Ron Kirn

[bglaze]

Truly amazing! This is becoming addicting to watch, Ron... I wonder if even Fender's Master Series builders are as thorough and precise.

[bglaze]

I wonder if it'll be even heavier than a Les Paul when assembled.

[Ronkirn]

nope, should be about 7.5 pounds, a LP has a thicker body,

rk

[bglaze]

Wow, 7.5lbs really doesn't seem that bad for a 1 piece mahogany body.

[boris bubbanov]

Delightful.

Great thread, great photos.

Ron, is the lower bout profile a perfect mirror image left to right, except for the flat spot or your template?

I ask because a Warmoth Tele body (no flat spot) laid directly over a USACG Tele body seems to show the USACG body with its flat spot is expanded out around the area where the flat spot is located, so that if one cares to, the bout can be rerounded to eliminate the flat spot, and match the Warmoth profile. (I rounded the bout and edge area some, left it somewhat flat, - split the difference, you could say. )

Also, is the dust and shavings of the mahogany at all an irritant to your system?

Bubbanov

[tdowns]

Awesome post Ron. I can't wait to see what is next.

[kp8]

Thank you Ron. This is so fun to watch. Very nice timing with the fundraiser! hehe! It is stuff like this that makes the TDPRI such a great place! Thanks for taking the time to do all this.

[Ronkirn]

may I ask how much it actually cost for building your own guitar?

It really depends on your sourcing, and the tools you already own. But typically the lumber for the body will run about 6 bux a bf (board foot). It requires about 4 bf (board foot) per body. So body will be about 20 – 50 bux, that’s your call.

Neck, 150
Keys 40
Retainer 2 bux
Neck plate 6 bux
Screws?? Go to Ace….50 cents

Pickguard, Garolite, I’d guess about 15.00
Pups.. Again your call any where from 50 bux to 350 (Bardens)
Electronics, 2 pots 10.00. . I switch 12.00
Wire. . Yank it out of the TV, there isn’t anything worth watching anyway.
Bridge, say 50 bux.
Jack plate & jack 20.00
Control plate, 15.00
Knobs, 10.00
Strap buttons 5 bux.
Paint?? Again it’s up to you… let’s say 50.00

I think I got it all, but much has to do with your resourcefulness, and here’s a tip. Trying to save money by buying your stuff off eBay or other similar non-verifiable sources is almost certainly gonna cost you MORE in the long run. Even if all the gizmos are the correct size, you must consider shipping for each transaction. If you get it all from, say. . . Allparts, you have one shipping charge, and no Doctor charge to get the migraine taken care of resulting from trying to mix MIJ, MIM, American (assuming you actually get a Made in the US part) and just plain counterfeit parts to fit on one guitar.

Also, for those that want to make your guitar using only genuine OEM parts, you have absolutely no way of verifying that your parts are as stated, thus the uncertainty will be haunting you (today is Halloween) from the back of your mind. If you order them from Allparts, a Fender distributor, they come in the Fender packaging. Plus, some OEM Fender parts are simply a repackaged part from an outside source and Harry, Phil, Shawn, or any of the guys will redirect you to the unpackaged duplicate saving you a few bux.

So cost in the above situation would be somewhere in the 400.00 range. Not too shabby when you consider what an education costs these days. And fun…you ain’t gonna believe this stuff.

Ron Kirn

[Nick88]

wow great stuff and thanks for posting all of this - it is really appreciated

i just bought your templates from ebay and so this provides a perfect picture accompniment to the guide provided

[Ronkirn]

For those that are "getting the bug" and contemplating making one of your own... Hey... welcome to the party.... but... heres another money saving tip...

Keep the first couple kinda conservative. Don't head up the learning curve buying the most expensive parts you have ever dreamed of... because you will learn much, and what you want in your guitar will change considerably..

so forget the 200 dollar bridges, the 500 dollar figured necks, the 2000 dollar vintage Nocaster pups... just keep it reasonable... then in about 3 guitars, you can jump off the deep end... the water's fine....

Ron Kirn

[Buckocaster51]

Originally Posted by Ronkirn

Keep the first couple kinda conservative. Don't head up the learning curve buying the most expensive parts you have ever dreamed of... because you will learn much, and what you want in your guitar will change considerably..

Ron just ain't a whistlin' Dixie here.

That describes the process I have have been going through.

Five years ago, I had never swapped out a pickup in a Tele. Then I started taking those baby-steps. Usually 2 forward and 1 (or more) backwards.

With help from people like Ron, Terry, Jack, and a host of others, I have finally gotten to the point where I sort of know what I am doing and what I want.

And I am having an absolute blast with this stuff!

Cheers

Steve Dikkers
aka Buckocaster51

[Taipan]

Ron
-Good stuff here - Love those details - Keep um coming

[telechaser]

This is good information while waiting for my parts to arrive. I'm going through baby steps as well; just ordering a body to finish and putting things together. I'm thinking of investing some money on tools like a drill press and a work bench. There's always little projects around the house that I can do.

What tools do I need to start building? Since I started changing pickups and hardware, it's just a matter of time to do a build from scratch. I've got some interesting projects in mind.

Thanks Ron and I'm taking notes. It's Add to Favourites -> Guitar Stuff -> TDPRI.

[Ronkirn]

Boy... don't ask me about tools.... I am a tool hound.....I'm worse than a Yuppie with a Cocaine addiction...

What?? Huh??? Oh. . . I was asked anyway...

First... getcha a couple of subscriptions to wood working magazines.... a lotta that stuff is useless, like you really need a Key, Notepad, Cell phone charging station to hang on the wall by the kitchen/garage door... but...

Reading the tips like how to make a Template of Snoopy's head for the wall mount on the above, can be extrapolated directly into something really important... like a Tele...

and Of course you will find to do so, you need a Band saw.... a real one too... those little table top rascals?... fugiddaboutit... they just won cut it. . . the body either...

You are Muuuuuuuuch better off buying a used quality machine and bringing it back to specs than buying a cheep home duty hunk o junk, cause if you do, get 2, so you can screw ‘em to a piece of wood and make bookends out of ‘em after 2 jobs.

I’d say, Band saw, paint sprayer, any and all sanding machines (within reason)... Table saw, Jointer, planer, panel sander…Small ‘fridge for the beer… and a hoast of hand tools, drills, bits, saber saw.. it goes on and on…

Here’s what I suggest also, do not limit your knowledge of woodworking to guitar bodies… your skills develop exponentially if you explore extracurricular projects…. So build the Snoopy wall hanging key rack, you’ll learn much, and there’s no pressure regarding what kinda tone it’s going to produce.

Just go get some wood and get dusty…. Man.. you’re gonna love it…

rk

[bglaze]

Originally Posted by Ronkirn

Boy... don't ask me about tools.... I am a tool hound.....I'm worse than a Yuppie with a Cocaine addiction...

What?? Huh??? Oh. . . I was asked anyway...

First... getcha a couple of subscriptions to wood working magazines.... a lotta that stuff is useless, like you really need a Key, Notepad, Cell phone charging station to hang on the wall by the kitchen/garage door... but...

Reading the tips like how to make a Template of Snoopy's head for the wall mount on the above, can be extrapolated directly into something really important... like a Tele...

and Of course you will find to do so, you need a Band saw.... a real one too... those little table top rascals?... fugiddaboutit... they just won cut it. . . the body either...

You are Muuuuuuuuch better off buying a used quality machine and bringing it back to specs than buying a cheep home duty hunk o junk, cause if you do, get 2, so you can screw ‘em to a piece of wood and make bookends out of ‘em after 2 jobs.

I’d say, Band saw, paint sprayer, any and all sanding machines (within reason)... Table saw, Jointer, planer, panel sander…Small ‘fridge for the beer… and a hoast of hand tools, drills, bits, saber saw.. it goes on and on…

Here’s what I suggest also, do not limit your knowledge of woodworking to guitar bodies… your skills develop exponentially if you explore extracurricular projects…. So build the Snoopy wall hanging key rack, you’ll learn much, and there’s no pressure regarding what kinda tone it’s going to produce.

Just go get some wood and get dusty…. Man.. you’re gonna love it…

rk

What kind of medical insurance do you recommend for those of us who have 10 thumbs?

[Ronkirn]

100% comprehensive.....

rk

[Wild Rice Chris]

Originally Posted by telechaser

I'm thinking of investing some money on tools like a drill press and a work bench.

Don't buy a nice work bench! You'll get mad when you scratch it.

[gtech]

$400.00 seems like a realistic amount.

I normally pay $50.00 for the wood and calculate $50.00 for the paint.

The rest is around $300.00, or more if I use gold hardware or fancy pickguards.

The tools?... just don't ask

[tuuur]

Originally Posted by gtech

he tools?... just don't ask

Well, we did, didn't we?
This is one informative thread! Seems I have to save up for some tools before I'll get to build another guitar after my current project.

[bobthecanadian]

Hey, I live in an apartment in Taipei and have no workshop and limited storage space. Is it possible to build a reasonable guitar from scratch using some basic power tools. Maybe a drill, jig saw, and a couple of others.

I guess what I should be asking is how to get started with the little bit that I have.

Current inventory:
1 cordless drill
1 skill saw
assorted screwdrivers, wrenches and sockets
a few soldering irons
a multimeter
etc...

Come to think of it, maybe I should build a portable combination storage box/workbench/router table thingamajigger. Anyone got a plan for this?

Any thoughts?

Bob

[Ronkirn]

Bob, check out japsul's thread http://www.tdpri.com/forum/telecaste...ecaster+ripoll

Seems it's possible to build a tele with a butter knife, an empty Kleenex box, and 2 olives. Really, what he has accomplished with limited resources is amazing.

rk