| Project by Obi | posted 126 days ago | 657 views | 3 times favorited | 13 comments |  |
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After speaking with a fellow Lumberjock and good friend about building an electric Guitar I decided to post the progress of how to build one here.
Since this is not a “Full-time” gig at the moment I am not doing this full time but I can get you through this as I build one (or 4 as the case may be).
In the first part of the building process you need to determine what kind of Giutar you want to build. The things to consider is Bass vs. 6-string. And then you need to decide whether you want a bolt on neck, a “set-neck” (which I havent done yet, but have a few Luthier friends that can help or a “Neck-Through” where the neck runs the entire length of the guitar.
In these first photos I have a Bass Neck with truss rod and fretboard already put in/on (truss rod has been put “in” the dado slot in the neck and the fretboard has been glued on).
One more thing you need to consider is what “style” of fretboard to use. There are several, what I call styles, ranging from 3 different Gibson fret layouts, a Fender layout and a Paul Reed Smith layout. All these are common on these different makes of guitars and the fret layout template can be purchased from Stewart=MacDonald ( from here on referred to as “Stew-Mac”.
The fretboard that im using on the Bass is a 34” scale bass layout.
To get started on this design I used a 3” x 3” piece of laminated Maple/Purple Heart/Brazilian Cherry neck and it should be 40” long (just to be safe).
There is no room for anything short of perfect as harmonics are very important. Everything must be square, strait and perpendicular.
After The neck is laminated, I cut a 12 degree rake 7” from the head of the guitar.
By placing a piece of self adhesive 60 grit sandpaper on a perfectly flat object and making sure that there are three lines (approximately 1 16th” apart from where the rake in the neck starts I turn the neck top-down and make sure that the head piece is perfectly strait, square and perpendicular.
this is all for now, you can e-mail me at obiwan_themonk@yahoo.com if you have any questions, and I’ll do my best to answer them. Or bounce there from here
I’ll try to get some more pictures as soon as I find someone who can operate a camera.
-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/
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13 comments so far
rikkor
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7632 posts in 359 days
posted 126 days ago
Cool looking headstock on the middle one.
-- Maplewood, MN
Obi
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2152 posts in 721 days
posted 126 days ago
That was quick… and thank you.
-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/
rikkor
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7632 posts in 359 days
posted 126 days ago
Hey, I follow all the luthier threads. I am looking forward to following this. I’ve never tried building an electric.
-- Maplewood, MN
Obi
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2152 posts in 721 days
posted 126 days ago
Building an electric seems much easier. An Accoustic seems too fragile. This thread might take a while to complete. I have about 5 bodies already cut out, five fretboards already slotted, now I just gotta catch up with the necks.
-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/
Texasgaloot
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345 posts in 185 days
posted 126 days ago
I’m with Rikkor. Sort of a semi-professional luthier myself (semi-amateur?)
I’ll be watching, for sure—looks good so far, and some wild colors!
-- There's no tool like an old tool...
CharlieM1958
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4192 posts in 703 days
posted 126 days ago
Looks great so far. I’ll be watching.
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
Napaman
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1783 posts in 561 days
posted 125 days ago
looks fun…i will be watching…then listening???
-- Matt, Napa, CA...177 days to sanity...
Roz
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260 posts in 271 days
posted 125 days ago
Cool, I am really interested in your project.
-- Terry Roswell, L.A. (Lower Alabama) "Life is what happens to you when you are making other plans."
jockmike2
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4136 posts in 731 days
posted 125 days ago
Nice project Obi, where you been keepin yourself? mike
-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com
Dick, & Barb Cain
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5066 posts in 784 days
posted 125 days ago
This should be an interesting blog.
The neck looks like it’s going to be a beauty.
I’ve made a guitar, but it’ll be nice to see your process.
Don’t worry about how long it takes, I’ve got patience.
-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1
Obi
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2152 posts in 721 days
posted 125 days ago
Mike… I’ve been in the shop. Between the guitars and the cam clamps I hardly ever take time out for anything else. Oh, wait… after I made the first guitar , which I guess Dick missed, I learned how to play it. Took me 30 days to learn how to play it well enough to play it every Sunday at church so I also have practice on Thursday evenings.
And I bought 40’ of 1/4” steel so I got started on a project to make 40 cam clamps. SO figuring the cost of making them it turns out basic cost of materials is about $2.00 and once I start mass producing them I can probably make 20 pair a day.
So I guess I have been a little busy.
Oh and I got a Bass that is across town at a friends I’ll get pictures of it to post.
-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/
Napaman
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1783 posts in 561 days
posted 125 days ago
obie…amazing…one more thing to think about in terms of your true genius…you are were waaaaaay ahead of the rest of us in terms of efficiency…the gas savings along on your transportation to work and back would afford me a new set of tools and materials a year…
-- Matt, Napa, CA...177 days to sanity...
Obi
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2152 posts in 721 days
posted 125 days ago
Matt,
It wasn’t accually by choice as much as it was neccessity.
-- http://ye-olde-cabinet-shoppe.com/