What are the best ways to build guitars?

[Deleted member 5962]

I had a drill bit walk on me and break in a really nice body I had. Now I have to scrap it or plane the top and back off because it cracked both extracting the broken bits.

I have pictures of that somewhere....

Of course, my “like” wasn’t really a “like” but more of an acknowledgement. I don’t like that at all that you have to scrap one. But understand.

 

[jak3af3r]

Ouch!! That must have hurt

It's repairable. Maybe I'll make a "Lazarus" thread when I redo it.

 

[Alnus Rubra]

I would guess that all the tools needed to actually make a guitar body, neck, do frets, etc would cost more than a PRS. Unless you are going to hand route every pickup cavity, control cavity, etc. I can imagine doing this and not buying a body and a neck from someone who knows how to make them. But somehow, I doubt that sentiment will get much consideration.

IMO, you need to know how to mod them and work on them VERY WELL, before you start building them. Especially from scratch.

Hand tools are viable, you will take longer and learn far more about the timber you work with.

Different timber, as @jak3af3r has said, will react in different ways.

I was given a hand plane and a spoke shave for last Christmas. Sometime soon I will be commencing my first (built from scratch) T style guitar. I have plans and will be making my own templates.

I built my own router table a couple of years ago, bought a spindle sander and I’m lucky to have a friend who is a luthier.

But it’s a process that you have to have patience with. I would have started in March but something (COVID) got in the way.

I’ve done some carving on a carved top guitar with gouges.

I’ve stained a guitar top, with water soluble dyes.

But the road to build your own is paved with the possibility of many mistakes, which you may have to work around.

Here's before with the ferrule pilots drilled.


And now the disaster........

Fortunately, the top wasn't crazy expensive and I have another one I can replace it with. I'll probably plane off the back and cap that too but while I'm in there, I may make this the rest of the way hollow as it's a semi-hollow now. The sickening thing is how well I had it finished when it took the chunks out. Oh well.

Ouch!

 

[Wakester]

I would suggest you read up on PRSh's early history and his education level, before venturing into the world of guitar making. CNC machining requires more than a machine. You need to know how to digitize a set of drawings to be used as computer commands to guide that rather expensive machine. Drafting/Mechanical Drawing with a focus on CAD/CAM is a must. Enginnering a guitar really needs an Engineering Degree. Not to mention some form of education in forestry to know what woods to use, how to dry them, how to treat them, etc. I'm not saying its an impossible path to follow, but it certainly will be difficult. If you really want to build a guitar, get one of those DIY kits first. Learn as you build it. Then start modding it to learn from that process too.

 

[Stephen J.]

Too bad schools typically don’t have wood shops anymore. You might check to see if there are any local clubs have equipment you can use. I don’t know how far you are from this store, but see if you can get into their classes. I don’t know if they have an age restriction or not. Probably something you can do with a parent present.
https://www.woodcraft.com/stores/rockville

 

[jak3af3r]

Here's one that actually worked though as a full build all the way through. Cypress back, walnut top, and an actual solid rosewood neck (no separate fretboard). Weighs 5.3 pounds.