Still got the urge…
My continuing desire to build a guitar continues unabated. Worse, I’ve found a couple that walk through the process step-by-step.
I admit it—I like building things, at least conceptually. Creating something, a physical object, by hand is radically different from the intellectual wrangling of my workaday life and an interesting diversion. It makes me feel good when I actually create something, though I will be the first to admit that I don’t have the experience, tools and patience for some projects. Still, I can’t help but think that making a guitar would be a good project. I’ve posted about this before.
Most sane people would start with a bolt-on guitar. Sane people just buy finished guitars. But I’m not like most people, I’m looking for a set-neck guitar project. And I’m bolstered by what I’ve seen other “regular guys” (read: not professional luthiers) have made. Here are a couple of examples I found on various Les Paul forums. Both builders are, I think, English teachers not luthiers or professional woodworkers. And they both made great Les Paul-style guitars in their home shops. Amazing.
Building a ‘59 Les Paul Replica
Building a chambered Les Paul-style guitar
Now that Rist Guitars is making routed bodies available, I might have to jump in and give it a try. Goldtop, anyone?
Comments
Hey mate!
Well well, this is a very nice Blog ya have here man!
That link you have above…( I know its old & all)—>Building a chambered Les Paul-style guitar<—
Do you hapen to have the images saved for that post?
I’d love to check out all his work on that one.
Cheers Kurt….stoked with your little site.
I see my Future DTM guitar, the original order you posted years back, interesting.
Nath
www.sikaudio.com
Come, join usss!
Found your blog while searching for some info on amplifier kits (I’ve almost settled on a Trinity TC15), since I clearly don’t have enough to do or enough addictive, expensive hobbies… Most of what little free time I’ve got, though, I spend building guitars. Have been doing so for about 9 years now, although med school does tend to limit the amount of time in the workshop. My first guitar from scratch (ie, not bolted together using parts, did one of those too) was a chambered, set neck, carved top PRS-styled instrument, and it came out very well. Few things I’d do differently now that I’m older and wiser and have a better developed sense of design (ahem), but it’s certainly an achievable goal. Addictive, but what isn’t?
My recommendation: buy Melvyn Hisock’s ‘Make your own electric guitar’ (book, that is), head over to mimf.com, register, peruse the library, head over to projectguitar.com, peruse (and ask questions in) the forum and various tutorials, and/or feel free to shoot questions in my general direction.