Some questions about a project..

[Mallowpuff]

Hello again!

Alright, so my father decided he wanted a project to work on, and with me playing guitar and him thinking about starting, he has decided that he wants to build a guitar. He is a professional woodworker, so I don't think it should be to difficult. Alright, here are the questions: We will be buying a neck separately, what would you guys suggest? The cheaper the better, but if the body turns out good I want it to be good quality obviously. What kind of wood? We live within like 10 miles of a wood shop who carry what seems like every kind of wood I see guitars made out of. And lastly, how hard is it to put veneer on a guitar? My father was planning on using an exotic type veneer, staining it, and the clear coating it.

Thanks for any info, and I'll have tons more questions once this gets started!

 

[Lazarus1140]

Re: Some questions about a project..

Acoustic or Electric

 

[Mallowpuff]

Re: Some questions about a project..

Acoustic or Electric

Woops. Electric. Maybe I should have stated that.. :lol:

We're still making an electric but now I'm just wondering, how hard would it be to make an acoustic?

EDIT: The shape of the body, does it change the tone or anything? I mean we plan on making it a double cut kinda strat like, but different.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Some questions about a project..

For a professional wood worker a solid guitar body should be childs play... almost any type of wood can be used, most of the woods used have been done so due to their historical use in instruments, their availability and their cost. You can make solid guitar bodies even out of the humble pine tree. Alder is common as dirt in the US and used in many guitars for this reason.

Veneers are no more difficult on a guitar body than they are anything else. Their success hinges mostly on how well you clamp them during the drying.

The most difficult aspect of this will be the specific routing... each bridge uses its own type. He needs to make a good plan.. what scale length will dictate where the bridge goes. The pickup choices will determine the shape of those cavities. He must decide on the shape of the heel of the neck. None of it is complicated it just has to be planned out.


Necks are trickier...

 

[Mallowpuff]

Re: Some questions about a project..

For a professional wood worker a solid guitar body should be childs play... almost any type of wood can be used, most of the woods used have been done so due to their historical use in instruments, their availability and their cost. You can make solid guitar bodies even out of the humble pine tree. Alder is common as dirt in the US and used in many guitars for this reason.

Veneers are no more difficult on a guitar body than they are anything else. Their success hinges mostly on how well you clamp them during the drying.

The most difficult aspect of this will be the specific routing... each bridge uses its own type. He needs to make a good plan.. what scale length will dictate where the bridge goes. The pickup choices will determine the shape of those cavities. He must decide on the shape of the heel of the neck. None of it is complicated it just has to be planned out.


Necks are trickier...

Thanks! For the wood type, yeah they have alder and it's quite cheap. But does wood like poplar or mahogany not make a better guitar? Sorry for sounding so experienced.. Also, how many pieces of wood should be used? My father said if you use one solid piece it has a large chance of warping.

Yeah, I need to look around about this. What kind of bridges do you like? As for the pickups, again I'm not sure what kind like Single or Humbuckers that will be used.. Honestly this sounds like it's going to be really fun..

I'm just gonna buy a neck, either off of a used guitar or a new one from somewhere are other.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Some questions about a project..

What is better? Different woods are just different. Some are easier to work with cause they are softer and dont splinter as easy. Some are used cause they are prettier if you want a transparent finish on them. Most guitar bodies are multiple pieces though its not hard to find one piece bodies. Ive seen cheaper guitars made of as many as 7 pieces. Though most are either 2 or 3.

Alder is a great wood... no way around that. The problem with mahogany is... what mahogany there are like a dozen different varieties of lumber being sold as mahogany when the reality is that only 2 are actually mahogany. Another wood that looks great and makes great guitars is swamp ash.

Hardtail bridges are easier to route for. Some are easy enough they dont need actual routes only holes drilled. The schaller 475 is this way. Its a nice bridge and costs like 60 bucks. There are also flat mount strat bridges and bridges from hipshot and gotoh that are nice and are easy to install. Becareful though as some bridges work better with carved top bodies and some like tune o matics require the neck to be set back at an angle.

Trems are much more difficult to route for but not at all impossible to do.

Just sounds like you need to sit down and make a plan for it.

 

[Mallowpuff]

Re: Some questions about a project..

What is better? Different woods are just different. Some are easier to work with cause they are softer and dont splinter as easy. Some are used cause they are prettier if you want a transparent finish on them. Most guitar bodies are multiple pieces though its not hard to find one piece bodies. Ive seen cheaper guitars made of as many as 7 pieces. Though most are either 2 or 3.

Alder is a great wood... no way around that. The problem with mahogany is... what mahogany there are like a dozen different varieties of lumber being sold as mahogany when the reality is that only 2 are actually mahogany. Another wood that looks great and makes great guitars is swamp ash.

Hardtail bridges are easier to route for. Some are easy enough they dont need actual routes only holes drilled. The schaller 475 is this way. Its a nice bridge and costs like 60 bucks. There are also flat mount strat bridges and bridges from hipshot and gotoh that are nice and are easy to install. Becareful though as some bridges work better with carved top bodies and some like tune o matics require the neck to be set back at an angle.

Trems are much more difficult to route for but not at all impossible to do.

Just sounds like you need to sit down and make a plan for it.

Thanks so much for the help! It seems like we may go for Alder as I know they have it there, and it's quite cheap. I liked the mahogany for the look of it, but we're using veneer so it doesn't really matter.

As for the bridges, we think we're gonna do a hardtail but not sure yet. Like you said, we're going to start making a plan and I'll post back on here when we start getting some ideas.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Some questions about a project..

Templates are the key my mUn

 

[Mallowpuff]

Re: Some questions about a project..

Templates are the key my mUn

Where are they found?

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Some questions about a project..

Where are they found?

You can make them with some ply wood or you can buy them. I have done both. Here are some i ordered not so long ago.



Then you need a plunge router and some good template flush trim bits.

 

[Mallowpuff]

Re: Some questions about a project..

You can make them with some ply wood or you can buy them. I have done both. Here are some i ordered not so long ago.



Then you need a plunge router and some good template flush trim bits.

Thanks! Where did you order them from? Or where would I order them from in the US? It's possible my father is going to want to do something completely original but I'm not sure yet. I'll talk to him sometime tomorrow. I was gone at a bowling tournament all of today and will be most of tomorrow so not much time for me to talk to him yet.

 

[kramersteen]

Re: Some questions about a project..

Thanks! Where did you order them from? Or where would I order them from in the US? It's possible my father is going to want to do something completely original but I'm not sure yet. I'll talk to him sometime tomorrow. I was gone at a bowling tournament all of today and will be most of tomorrow so not much time for me to talk to him yet.

Well you can do what ever shape you want. the bridge layout and neck pocket and pcikups will remain as long as you use the right neck for the scale.

Not sure where you can get them from. research it.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Some questions about a project..

Templates:

http://store.potvinguitars.com/guitar-templates/

Necks are a rather critical part of the whole. In fact they make much more difference to the whole than the body. I'd go Warmoth or USACG and get some good wood and fretting rather than trying to cheap out.