Wanting To Start Building Custom Guitars Need Help

[AlexR]

Re: Wanting To Start Building Custom Guitars Need Help

I'd have to add, if the OP is just wanting to build for himself and his own use, then by all means give it a go. Kits are a great way of starting out as you can do the sort out finishing/aging steps and know you'll have a perfectly functional instrument at the end of it.

Most of the advice (mine included) is based on the premise of him wanting to make some form of living out of the endeavour. Many of us have assumed that this was the intent, although on a re-read it seems like many of us have perhaps taken a 'leap of assumption'.......based on some of the musings like the being sued bit.

[ehdwuld]

Re: Wanting To Start Building Custom Guitars Need Help

I have toyed with the idea as well
I have done much of what my first post said

Import the finished husk
Modify the way I want
And play them

For me this skips the wood working and finishing
The binding
The layout of frets and scale length
The placement of the bridge
Shape of the neck
Etc

I make my requirements to a foreign builder

And then modify what he sends me

Mine are for my own use

I sometimes think I'll order a dozen husks
And start selling them online

Then I realize the folly of this
After the body , which I can order assembled from a maker
For less than the price of the materials locally
Then the expense of premium electronics and hardware
Just initial costs are more than I can expect to recoup in a crowded
Budget market

And without some celebrity endorsement
No matter what your view of the unknown brand
Without some marketing, you are a budget brand until you build a reputation
This may take a while

In the mean time you have to move product in order to build a reputation

At cost or at a loss, in order to get them in the hands of players to rave about them

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Wanting To Start Building Custom Guitars Need Help

Like others, I'm not totally clear on what your goals are. But in any case, I would recommend getting your feet wet before jumping in head first.

Buy a kit. Do some modification of the shape. Learn about the basic electronics involved and maybe modify that...slightly (like pickup splits). Then learn about finishing your guitar...staining and bursting techniques, materials, etc.

There is no need to spend a lot of money on equipment at first. Just find out if this is REALLY what you want to get into. If you decide that you DO want to do this, expect to spend thousands of dollars on some very basic tools and equipment and eventually tens of thousands of dollars on more and better equipment. Expect to spend several years just learning how to do it from your own experience and mistakes. And if you are good, have a lot of artistic and woodworking talent, are enthusiastic enough to devote hundreds of hours of your time each year, and sacrifice some relationships in the process, then in 5-10 years you may be able to actually sell one of your guitars.

Otherwise, think of guitar building as an expensive but rewarding hobby.

PS: don't worry about EVER being sued...it's not gonna happen.

[orpheo]

Re: Wanting To Start Building Custom Guitars Need Help

Kits are a great way to get a feel for it. I did that with warmth parts before I started to do all the woodwork myself. I am doing all the woodwork myself not because it is cheaper; it is not. I simply enjoy this stage of the build the most.

[AlexR]

Re: Wanting To Start Building Custom Guitars Need Help

^ And you get complete choice concerning all creative aspects.