View Full Version : making your own guitar
Wideboy
09-03-10, 05:25 PM
always fancied doing it so i decided to have a go today :p, finished the body today, i had a old SG body kicking about so this is sort of based on a SG/strat/jag stang, made from wenge as i have sheep loads of the stuff, not sure about the neck or anything else, some one recommend me some pick-ups ect?
http://forums.sv650.org/picture.php?albumid=552&pictureid=4124
http://forums.sv650.org/picture.php?albumid=552&pictureid=4123
http://forums.sv650.org/picture.php?albumid=552&pictureid=4125
im not sure about the top hook bit (the clawy type bit on the top right), looks out of proportion to me so might cut that down, needs to be left a few days to mature so the timber goes jet black then see what it looks like
speedplay
09-03-10, 05:28 PM
I've got some spare B.C Rich BDSM pickups kicking around here..
Wideboy
09-03-10, 06:28 PM
what are they like? im after a bluesy type sound, B.C is heavy metal? :confused: i not sure
also anyone made a neck before, would like an insight into it, can see roughly what to do
BDSM pickups
Wrong forum, mate :thumbsup:
Didn't Brian May's dad make his guitar out a bog seat?
speedplay
09-03-10, 07:14 PM
Didn't Brian May's dad make his guitar out a bog seat?
The pickups are pretty versatile I've got them fitted in my warlock and have still played blues on it.
And wasnt red made from an old mantlepiece?
i made a fretless bass a few years ago. in terms of making the neck by far the easiest method is a "neck thru" design where the neck is integral to the body, i.e. pickups and bridge are mounted on same piece of wood as fretboard and the rest of the body is made from 2 bits of wood glued on either side.
getting an even radius on the fretboard can be tricky, you can make a sanding jig using a router fixed at a set radius but you can buy a jig for about a tenner which might be better.
the hardest part of making a neck is cutting fret slots. if youre out by the tiniest amount in measurement or cutting then the intonation will be off. again you can buy a jig but ive not tried this way.
good luck :thumright:
Wideboy
09-03-10, 07:57 PM
think i'll do it by hand, route a bit of it but finish it with a spoke shave, trying to think of a design for the head
phil24_7
09-03-10, 09:53 PM
Looks good so far. Is that wood a hard or soft wood and would it be suitable for a work bench?
Wideboy
09-03-10, 10:04 PM
Looks good so far. Is that wood a hard or soft wood and would it be suitable for a work bench?
very hard and yes......... if you have ALOT of money lol
i made a fretless bass a few years ago. in terms of making the neck by far the easiest method is a "neck thru" design where the neck is integral to the body, i.e. pickups and bridge are mounted on same piece of wood as fretboard and the rest of the body is made from 2 bits of wood glued on either side.
getting an even radius on the fretboard can be tricky, you can make a sanding jig using a router fixed at a set radius but you can buy a jig for about a tenner which might be better.
the hardest part of making a neck is cutting fret slots. if youre out by the tiniest amount in measurement or cutting then the intonation will be off. again you can buy a jig but ive not tried this way.
good luck :thumright:
You don't have to be that accurate. As long as you calculate and measure each fret cut from the same point, ie the nut, then the errors don't accumulate. Small errors will make small changes in pitch, which are barely noticeable, especially on an even tempered scale, which is a compromise anyway.
Fretboard radius can be a problem. Truss rods aren't easy to install either. Fret files are a specialised tool and can be expensive. Also, a decent set of tuning heads aint cheap.
Cutting the nut also need special fine saws. You can compromise on all these things, but then you end up with something that isn't all that good.
if you use a standard neck width and fingerboard radius then you can buy a nut ready slotted for about a quid. never had a problem with truss rods, just ensure ends are tight but middle has a little clearance. and dont put it in upside down..
true nuff about measuring from nut tho. accurate measuring tool with a long enough range essential.
also another point about wenge- being a generally dense wood it will tend to have a bright tone, so for a mellow bluesy sound you'll want to offset it with low output pickups with a rounded tone
BernardBikerchick
10-03-10, 01:38 AM
top guitar !!!!! i know this cool guy mike who makes his own guitars too :D
i think he guitar looks a bit like my belly lol !
Wideboy
10-03-10, 01:08 PM
What pickups would you recommend? all i know is my other guitars have them lol
MCN_LiamM
10-03-10, 03:21 PM
Wizard pick ups always get a good right up and there's plenty of choice.
Personally I'd go for some Tele' style pick ups.
http://www.wizardpickups.co.uk/index.asp
What pickups would you recommend? all i know is my other guitars have them lol
That's just like, how long is a piece of string.
It depends on what sound you want, whether you prefer to play clean or distorted, how many tone options you want, and of course, how much money you have to spend.
I prefer a twin humbucker setup with coil taps and just about every wiring option under the sun included, but this is probably just because I can.
Unfortunately I don't have enough experience of different types to give a recommendation - I've got Schaller "2 in 1s" on one guitar and EMG active pickups on the other, but these are about 18 years old now so hardly relevant.
Edit: They still appear to be available and don't seem to have changed at all.
Do your research.
Oh... you are. Just on a bike forum. :D
Wideboy
23-04-10, 06:57 PM
slowly coming together (ignore the cramps, glue is setting)
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs468.snc3/25667_384611924332_669224332_3669933_5537856_n.jpg
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs468.snc3/25667_384611934332_669224332_3669934_5324722_n.jpg
i had 5 mins on Tuesday at work so i made the neck out of beech with a wenge fretboard. This evening i had nothing planned so dabbled a bit and drilled out a hole down the centre of the neck and screwed in a 10mm threaded steel bar to help prevent the neck bowing. Depending on how strong i feel the joint is from the neck to body i may whack some screws in from the back and grain plug them of make up a nice stainless plate to cover them
sorry for crap picys i'll get some better ones tomorrow when i've sanded it all up
phi-dan
23-04-10, 07:08 PM
I've got a pair of Hot Slags (http://www.irongear.co.uk/irongear_018.htm) doing nothing in the cupboard if they floated your boat. I dropped them into a 70s les paul copy and it sounded awesome, just a little too hot for me tho so I put the originals back in and sold it on for a profit. For me P90's do the trick - just got to see what fits your playing style and desired tone.
phi-dan
24-04-10, 08:00 AM
What finish are you going for? Please don't paint it, or sunburst it - just something to bring out the grain
widepants
24-04-10, 08:12 AM
What finish are you going for? Please don't paint it, or sunburst it - just something to bring out the grain
thinking of wrapping it in tin foil for that shiny look
speedplay
24-04-10, 08:19 AM
thinking of wrapping it in tin foil for that shiny look
Classy:thumleft:
BernardBikerchick
24-04-10, 08:21 AM
wooooooooooowww i know a man called Mike who makes guitars ! thats pretty cool man !
it looks like my belly shape !!!
speedplay
24-04-10, 08:23 AM
top guitar !!!!! i know this cool guy mike who makes his own guitars too :D
i think he guitar looks a bit like my belly lol !
wooooooooooowww i know a man called Mike who makes guitars ! thats pretty cool man !
it looks like my belly shape !!!
Talk about short term memory Dervla....
phi-dan
24-04-10, 08:31 AM
thinking of wrapping it in tin foil for that shiny look
Hmmm, nice
blue leds up the fret board as well? :D
widepants
24-04-10, 10:23 AM
thinking of some the colour of dyno rod vans
thinking of some the colour of dyno rod vans
Classy
carbon effect with blue anodised bits bolted on!
widepants
25-04-10, 12:10 AM
carbon effect with blue anodised bits bolted on!
naaa
try harder
i had 5 mins on Tuesday at work so i made the neck out of beech with a wenge fretboard. This evening i had nothing planned so dabbled a bit and drilled out a hole down the centre of the neck and screwed in a 10mm threaded steel bar to help prevent the neck bowing. Depending on how strong i feel the joint is from the neck to body i may whack some screws in from the back and grain plug them of make up a nice stainless plate to cover them
not heard of either of those woods being used for neck/fretboards. I've got a beech strip down my neck and it's been fine but it's also got mahogany either side of it. Is wenge hard enough for a fretboard? Don't know much about it. If it's as hard as rosewood or ebony it'll be fine.
10mm steel bar as truss rod? It'll be heavy. I know - my first guitar just has a steel brace glued in and it weighs a ton. The most common truss rod design is bar about 5mm dia laid into a curved channel. Tighten it and it tries to straighten, bending the neck against the string tension. I do know that some manufacturers use a straight rod but not sure how effective it is. But with 10mm, I doubt you'll need to adjust it at all.
Last point - when flatting off the frets, it's normal to tension the truss rod slightly to bend the neck back. This makes your frets slightly lower in the middle where the string vibration is the largest. This can't be done with a straight rod.
Looking good though :)
And +1 to not painting it. Oil + wax for a matt finish, or Rustin's Plastic Coating for a deep gloss. Oil + wax isn't very hard but is very easy to repair any damage. The Rustin's stuff is hard as nails and can be applied inches thick if you really want.
thedonal
25-04-10, 01:57 PM
Nice project Wideboy!
Pickup wise, for a nice bluesy sound, you could try a Seymour Duncan 59- classic 59 Les Paul tone. I've got one in my Hot Rod Strat- it sounds ace. Nice and chunky, like.
Maybe a JB for the bridge?
yorkie_chris
25-04-10, 03:28 PM
I bet a rifle stock in that wood would look nice...
Wideboy
25-04-10, 07:50 PM
yeah wenge is a pretty tuff wood, blunts your chisels ect very quickly
all info on the hardware is good info as I've never taken any of my guitars apart
thedonal
25-04-10, 08:29 PM
Any idea on your pickup configuration yet?
2 or 3 pickups? Also- where you're going to locate the switch etc, as it will make the routing easy or complex!
Allparts UK are a good source for guitar electronics.
If you're getting humbuckers, I'd recommend CTS 500k audio taper pots* and decent capacitors (probably .22s) for tone- Sprague Orange drops are reasonably priced or you can go for paper in oil caps (apparently the best sound when the tone is rolled off- rich and resonant). I've got Orange Drops in 2 of my guitars and they sound great.
Single coils will (more often) need 250k pots and the capacitors can vary (my strat has Noiseless Hot pickups, 250k pots and a .22 capcacitor)
Get decent wiring as well- I think it's 22 or 24awg for guitars, and make sure it's all shielded!
This site's a great resource for wiring diagrams- http://www.guitarelectronics.com/category/wiringresources/
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