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30 Sep 02 - 03:50 PM (#794202) Subject: Building your own guitar From: Eric the Viking Hi- I am the sort of person who lives by the motto-measure twice, cut once. In my case (as Mrs V will tell you) it's measure 6 times, cut once and then buy another piece of wood But, I have a friend,(don't we all?) He is a master joiner, a real craftsman. He and I were talking about him (not me-you fools!) building a guitar, or mandola.He's never ventured into this area before-he's not a musician-don't start on me!! Anyone have any plans, or know good sources of plans please? Thanks Eric |
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30 Sep 02 - 04:26 PM (#794232) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Bee-dubya-ell If I were doing it I would start out with one of the kits available from Martin for a first project. That would give you a good look at how to put one together without having to deal with a lot of the issues involved in making one from scratch. Then, if it turns out well, proceed to a more "from scratch" project. I have a friend who has built a couple of great sounding guitars from Martin components that flunked quality control due to minor cosmetic flaws. Martin will sell them to you dirt cheap. Total price to build a D-18, around $100 USD. StewMac (Stewart-MacDonald) is also a good source for materials and, I'm sure, plans. Sorry, too lazy to do blickies right now. Bruce |
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30 Sep 02 - 05:11 PM (#794264) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: GUEST,wdyat24 This is a GREAT thread don't stop now. I always wanted to build my own acoustic guitar, but alas never made the time and I was afraid of the inevidabble failure that would result from such an ambitious desire. I bought all the books (at the time) about guitarmaking by Irving Sloane, Russell Young, et al. Now I am thinking of a meaningfull way to spend my retirement. You're right, I should have started to learn this craft years ago, but...I also want to craft my own electric guitar. Is that any easier? wdyat24 |
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30 Sep 02 - 07:05 PM (#794350) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: CraigS Building electric guitars is easier, but is easiest if you are skilled with an electric router to shape the bodies with. The tricky part of building accoustics is gluing all the bits together, the tricky part of building electrics is getting the neck set absolutely right. There is a useful book on building electrics by D Brosnac. When everything has gone wrong, or you want a book with plenty of insight, Guitar Repair by Hideo Kamimoto can be useful. Whatever, luthierie can be sometimes found as an evening class subject. |
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30 Sep 02 - 07:38 PM (#794383) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: GUEST Great site for budding guitar makers and his book is now considered a 'bible' for guitar making.Average handiness with woodworking tools all that is required. http://www.cumpiano.com/ |
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30 Sep 02 - 07:39 PM (#794387) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Murray MacLeod Eric, the first thing your friend should do ( assuming he does have internet access) is visit The Musical Instrument Manufacturers' Forum where he will find an unbelievable amount of information and advice relating to all aspects of guitar and/or mandola manufacture. Murray |
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30 Sep 02 - 07:44 PM (#794396) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Murray MacLeod GUST's advice above requires a little qualification. Cumpiano's book is most definitely not regarded as a Bible for guitar makers. It is well worth perusing, but is flawed in several aspects and has caused much head-scatching among would-be luthiers over the years. Murray |
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30 Sep 02 - 10:32 PM (#794540) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: X There is a review on Stewart Mac's guitar kit at; www.frets.com |
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30 Sep 02 - 11:15 PM (#794568) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Lane Just wanted to see if I could do it..... www.frets.com http://www.cumpiano.com/ |
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30 Sep 02 - 11:27 PM (#794575) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Bee-dubya-ell This Link will take you directly to the review in question. At the time the review was written, StewMac was apparently not offering a bolt-on neck option but they now do. Note that they only do make kits in dreadnought size. Martin offers 000 and J size kits as well, including a 000 cutaway. StewMac also has both F-5 and A-5 mandolin kits tht look really nice. |
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30 Sep 02 - 11:29 PM (#794578) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Lane Ooopppss.... try this - the review of the Stewart Macs kit is very good: I'll try again: http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Reviews/Products/Parts/SMHBKit/smhbkit.html |
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01 Oct 02 - 05:21 PM (#795045) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Eric the Viking Thanks so far, I don't envisage myself getting involved in the building of it. Just the playing. Couldn't find a price for the Frets kit (Stewart Macs kit) How would I obtain Martin bits in the UK? If possible? (Any ideas?) |
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01 Oct 02 - 06:08 PM (#795063) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Jon W. Murray's link should read Musical Instrument Maker's Forum - it's not really for manufacturers, but for makers of one instrument at a time whether professional or amateur. I belong to it, and visit it nearly every day. Also, check around your area - there might be a luthier or even a luthier's organization that will help you out big time. |
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01 Oct 02 - 06:30 PM (#795074) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: harpmaker Iam shure that from what you have said about your friend that he/she could make a stunning LOOKING guitar. But make no mistake, this would only be the start of a long road of understanding accoustic instruments. I could go on and on but, if you only want to play a good instrument, you can get solid wood guitars these days at affordable prices. Dont get me wrong, Iam not trying to put you off the idea, I think it is great---just letting you know what your in for! If you decide to go ahead, I can point you in the right diarections. |
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01 Oct 02 - 07:44 PM (#795120) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Bee-dubya-ell Martin sells the kits throught their 1833 shop. Here's a direct link to it. |
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02 Oct 02 - 01:51 PM (#795595) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Eric the Viking Thanks harpmaker, I have a pretty good sounding guitar and it plays well-you were in the session with it at the Yorks gathering, and never reckoned that my mate would have an understanding of creating the tonality of it. Good woods and technique must go a long way-but experience will provide more. It's just the start he is after. He's not looking for business, just the creative experience. Your help would be very much appreciated, and I'll get back to you Cheers Eric |
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02 Oct 02 - 01:55 PM (#795598) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Eric the Viking Bee-etc. Thanks for the link, this looks interesting, how do kits compare pricewise with a USA ready made Martin? Cheers Eric |
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02 Oct 02 - 02:34 PM (#795646) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Murray MacLeod Sorry Jon W, I stand corrected. Murray |
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02 Oct 02 - 03:02 PM (#795671) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: GUEST,Claymore You can price the kits from Stewart-McDonald (a tool and parts supplier for would-be luthiers) at stewmac.com, or do a search using the above name and "fretted instument tools". If you want to compare real world prices, go the elderly .com or search "Elderly" and "musical instruments". While slightly higher than real world prices, Elderly's has long been considered the "Blue Book" of most stringed instruments, and a good reference guide to their pricing. Putting your name on their catalog list (as well as First Quality instruments) is a good idea for your friend, just for gaining the knowledge of what is out there in the way of kits, specialized tools, wood blank purchases, and instrument repair parts. Good Luck! |
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02 Oct 02 - 03:19 PM (#795691) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Bee-dubya-ell Eric - As a rule, the kits cost about 1/3 to half of what a finished guitar of the same ilk would cost. However, as has been pointed out, if you want to build an instrument, whether from a kit or from scratch, do it for love, not for money. Do it because you (or your friend) would like to say, "I built that", not to try to save what is, in the long run, a relatively small amount of money. |
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02 Oct 02 - 06:06 PM (#795816) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: harpmaker looks like yer getin' the bug!! |
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03 Oct 02 - 03:28 PM (#796333) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Eric the Viking Yeah, it's for the love of wood and challenge that he want's to have a go, not the love of music. He's into Heavy metal (I am as well, and not after making a Les P copy-he's got all sorts of specialist tools-well his Mrs says so!!) As for getting a cheap guitar- I said that earlier that's not what the experience is about.He's after the creative experience-I never even get to play it. He might just hold it to say he built it. Cheers Eric |
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03 Oct 02 - 06:31 PM (#796417) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Lane Well... now I've got the bug. Ordered a Martin kit today - will apprecaite any advice on building it. It sounds pretty straightforward... finishing is one question.... |
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05 Oct 02 - 04:35 PM (#797534) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Eric the Viking Lnae-are you in the UK? What are postage,carriage costs? What about import tax? |
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05 Oct 02 - 07:44 PM (#797547) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: McGrath of Harlow Neither Hobgoblin, the Music Room nor Thrift Music appear to import or stock any guitar kits. But I imagine they might be helpful in arranging an import into the UK. |
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06 Oct 02 - 12:40 PM (#797658) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Bee-dubya-ell Just to show that building a first guitar from a kit is a reasonably intelligent way to get your feet wet, noted California luthier Lance McCollum built his first guitar from a Martin kit. Now he builds 'em for the likes of Dougie MacLean, Richard Leo Johnson and Alex de Grassi. A friend just had a McCollum custom built and I do believe it is the most beautiful guitar I've ever seen. It looks a lot like the photos of "Lance's Personal Grand Auditorium" on the website. Mike didn't pay $11,000 USD for it though - only $6,000 (and that's with him sending Lance the wood for the body from his own stash). And this is a guy who just got a custom Goodall a couple of years ago. Must be nice. |
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06 Oct 02 - 01:57 PM (#797697) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Lane Eric, No, I'm in the US... sorry, I can't help regarding UK shipping. But you could certainly call or e-mail Martin - go to the Guitarmaker's Connection. They were really helpful. Cant wait to get this kit.... this will be a new adventure for me but do-able, I hope! Any pointers will be appreciated! Lane |
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06 Oct 02 - 06:47 PM (#797894) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Lanfranc Eric It could be worth contacting Trevor Durrant in Colchester (trevor@tdguitars.com 01206 576474). He worked at Martin for a while, is a Martin agent, and seems pretty good at getting Martins and Martin bits at good prices. Four mentions of Martin (whoops, five!) in one post, is that a record? "It fell about the Martinmas, when nights were long and dirk, When her three sons came haem to her, and their hats were o' the birk" Six, even Alan (who is demonstrably over fond of guitars born in Nazareth!) |
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07 Oct 02 - 02:16 PM (#798393) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Eric the Viking Thankee all, keep the info coming. |
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07 Oct 02 - 02:25 PM (#798398) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: McGrath of Harlow If Eric, or anyone, gets to find a UK supplier, please post the information here. |
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07 Oct 02 - 04:22 PM (#798465) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Lane Eric, Now that you've got me hooked on this idea.... I found the following site.. there's a ton of information there, great stuff - and a forum on builiding acoustics that's fantastic. Blue clicky attempt to follow: http://www.mimf.com/ Lane |
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07 Oct 02 - 06:29 PM (#798508) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Murray MacLeod Lane, I think you will find I gave you this link in a post above about seven days ago. Nonetheless it is just about the best resource on the net for anybody wanting to build an instrument. Murray |
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09 May 06 - 04:53 PM (#1736479) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Barbara Well, I have joined the gang of idiots who are doing this, apparently because there wasn't enough stress in my life since my daughter left for college. I have the top and back braced at this point and am about to bend the wood for my sides; I'm making the show from scratch using black acacia (like koa) for the back and sides and spruce for the top to make a guitar like the old parlor Washburns. Right now I am having trouble getting my top to ring the way I think it should, and I worry that I have already shaved the braces too thin. You know how they tell you to tell when the braces are thin enough? The tap tone stops dropping lower. So how do you know it's lower enough? Also ended up with a double action truss rod, and am vacillating about using it, or going for the old single shaft of mild steel. (some of the double action ones break). Definitely an act of love, though. I am ecstatic when something comes off, deep in gloom when it's not working. Oh, another place you can get kits, supplies and cheaper hardware than StewMac is LMI, Luthiers Mercantile Int. in Healdsburg California. Advice welcome. Blessings, Barbara |
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10 May 06 - 07:58 AM (#1737061) Subject: RE: Help: Building your own guitar From: Grab Long time back now, but just in case McGrath or others are interested, there's a build-your-own-mandolin book by a guy called Troughton (no, not the Doctor Who bloke!) which includes a list of places to buy stuff from. I've yet to get the time to do anything about it, but it might be worth checking out that one. Even if you're not interested in building a mandolin, it might still be worth getting that book for its section on tools for instrument-making. Wherever there's some special tool you need (like steam-bending gear), there's instructions in that book for how to make it yourself from random bits of wood or metal. As far as I'm concerned, that section alone is worth the price of the book. Graham. |