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Thread: Ever Make a Guitar from Scratch?

  1. #1
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Ever Make a Guitar from Scratch?

    I can't remember ever seeing a guitar on here that one of us made from slabs of wood.

    Have you ever made one, and did you keep it?
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Re: Ever Make a Guitar from Scratch?

    Yes, several. The only thing I didn't do was carve the neck & cut the fret slots, but I did buy raw maple necks & finish them in lacquer. The bodies were mostly alder, w/one made from African mahogany
    The body I carved from a 2 piece center-seam alder blank is the one on the left in this photo. The back contour was a pain to carve, & the irregularities of hand-tooling show up easily when the guitar is in hand & you can eyeball it in person. Even so, it might be the best sounding & playing strat that I own right now, & I own a lot if them. It's in the neighborhood of 7 lbs

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    Forum Member phantomman's Avatar
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    Re: Ever Make a Guitar from Scratch?

    Do paper guitars count?

    I used to draw guitars all day long in junior high.

    "When injustice becomes law then rebellion becomes duty."

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    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Ever Make a Guitar from Scratch?

    Quote Originally Posted by phantomman View Post
    Do paper guitars count?

    I used to draw guitars all day long in junior high.

    My French teacher caught me drawing a Strat and threatened that he’d paddle my bum if he caught me drawing guitars. I still did so. Always the guitars were left handed.

    Cogs, that’s magnifique— I learned French as an adult lol. What major tools did you use?
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: Ever Make a Guitar from Scratch?

    Hopefully Telenator will pop in here and show off his RickenRocker guitars, as well as his handicapped accessible bass/guitars. He does great work.
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

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    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: Ever Make a Guitar from Scratch?

    Quote Originally Posted by Cogs View Post
    Yes, several. The only thing I didn't do was carve the neck & cut the fret slots, but I did buy raw maple necks & finish them in lacquer. The bodies were mostly alder, w/one made from African mahogany
    The body I carved from a 2 piece center-seam alder blank is the one on the left in this photo. The back contour was a pain to carve, & the irregularities of hand-tooling show up easily when the guitar is in hand & you can eyeball it in person. Even so, it might be the best sounding & playing strat that I own right now, & I own a lot if them. It's in the neighborhood of 7 lbs

    Wow, great job!

  7. #7
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: Ever Make a Guitar from Scratch?

    Quote Originally Posted by gibsonjunkie View Post
    Hopefully Telenator will pop in here and show off his RickenRocker guitars, as well as his handicapped accessible bass/guitars. He does great work.

    Hopefully he’ll come back too. He’s been away.

  8. #8
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Ever Make a Guitar from Scratch?

    I've been mulling a symmetrical, slab bass or guitar. It'll be a while.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Re: Ever Make a Guitar from Scratch?

    Quote Originally Posted by ch willie View Post
    Cogs, that’s magnifique— I learned French as an adult lol. What major tools did you use?
    Pretty common woodworking tools:
    Jointer, planer, bandsaw, router. Some of those you can work around & fudge, but a router (& a couple different bits) is pretty much indispensable

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    Re: Ever Make a Guitar from Scratch?

    Most of the family, technically none from "scratch"; From left to right:
    1. Strat of Unknown Origin. Refinished in nitro cellulose lacquer 2. USAGC neck & hand-carved alder body 3. Super light Fender Custom Shop '55 Strat ash body & Allparts FAT flamed maple neck. 4. USACG alder body & Fender American Original '50s neck. 5. USACG neck (brazilian rosewood fb, super fat flamed maple) & Fender '60s Classic body (stripped & refinished in DuPont lacquer)

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