id like to build my own lp

[lp junior freak]

wat should i do ive been looking at prints and shematics i need a body pattern and a neck i have some wood but i need it cut. um simple suggestions would healp wat kind of hardware to use and u know everything . i appreciate ur advise

[Archon]

Isn't that kind of like covering a song?
I was considering crafting my own Les Paul, but I had what I can only refer to as a revelation:

I'll just design and build my own guitar. period. One that no-one else will ever have. Shape, weight, hardware config, custom tailored in every way to my own tastes. Maybe that sounds arrogant...but as a songwriter/performer of my own original music; It just seems to me that crafting a guitar to try and replicate a Les Paul is somehow...not really justifiable. If you have the skills, the resource, and time to craft a good guitar, do yourself the honor of making it your own. You deserve it.

...and who knows; your guitar may just turn out better than any Les Paul you could buy. Don't ask me to come up with the odds on that one, though. Just know that anything is possible with the right imagination.
=)

[The Stumble]

Hi LP junior freak

I for one think its a good idea building a les paul style guitar as your first project

I have just started building one myself and find it very useful to see how it all goes together on the historic les pauls i own

If you can recreate a les paul then you can customize it to suit your requirements

I recommend your next 2 purchases be the following

Les Paul Plan at Stewart-MacDonald

and Amazon.com: Make Your Own Electric Guitar: Books: Hiscock

good luck

Dan

[lp junior freak]

thanks

[GuitarGal]

Good luck~

[Paul]

everyone would but a les paul is probably the hardest solid body guitar to make.

the hardest thing to do is the carved maple top.
every little small measurement every little detail its very hard to do.

the neck is also very hard to do, you have to get the grain orientation to 14 degrees the right curvature for the fret board the right neck pitch fret fileing the list goes on and on.

your best bet is to get a les paul and customize it.

eg: i plan to get gibsob les paul standard made to suit a bigsby. then I'm going to replace the pots and wiring with vintage bumble bee resistors ect.

[Iceman0124]

A kit would a good place to start, also, what wood do you have? Not all wood is suitable, or attractive.

[SABLE]

Originally Posted by Archon

Isn't that kind of like covering a song?
I was considering crafting my own Les Paul, but I had what I can only refer to as a revelation:

I'll just design and build my own guitar. period. One that no-one else will ever have. Shape, weight, hardware config, custom tailored in every way to my own tastes. Maybe that sounds arrogant...but as a songwriter/performer of my own original music; It just seems to me that crafting a guitar to try and replicate a Les Paul is somehow...not really justifiable. If you have the skills, the resource, and time to craft a good guitar, do yourself the honor of making it your own. You deserve it.

...and who knows; your guitar may just turn out better than any Les Paul you could buy. Don't ask me to come up with the odds on that one, though. Just know that anything is possible with the right imagination.
=)

i guess you have a point, if that song was a 50 year old legend, is the most bought song ever, and is made of maple on mahogany. if not then oh well. and maybe his shape is the les paul shape, he likes heavy guitars, chrome hardware, and will custom tailor it to whatever he wants. either way, you shouldnt mock him under the pretence of which guitar he wants to replicate, or if he wants to at all.

[TeleDog]

Building a LP may not be that complicated after all if by "LP" you mean a nice electric guitar that looks the part, but with alterations to make the process of building it a bit easier.

You can try building a nice LP Junior style guitar with parts and kits available. You can get the parts you need, from the body to the neck in your choice of wood, binding and even inlays! You can even apply a nitro finish for the guitar to age properly over the years.

You can then move on to your own selection of pickups, pots, nut, tuners, capacitors and wiring. The possibilities are really endless.

The major compromise, you won't have set neck with a long neck tenon, that's why I said "LP style" guitar. But I have played a few instruments built that way and they sound amazing, they feel right too, but you need to take your time and be patient to make sure you do it right.

[Ole'Lefty]

A good first time,if you have limited tools and little fine woodworking experience is Ried and Sons, on ebay, kits at $155.95.(search Les Paul kit in guitars). It is a set neck kit. I don't have one, but I bought two acoustic kits for friends as presents and with some good work, they will be a decent first guitar. I am doing a full fret dress and converting to bolt instead of dowel on the acoustics and they are completing them in my shop. After you do the LP kit, then you will be ready to stretch your wings and do much more from scratch. If you don't know how to wire one, I can do a harness with gold connectors and color code-it would use USA premium parts and humbuckers from GFS-that guy has a lock on real tone for the money- I have used the "crunch PAF" pair-they sing! I am about to try the HB size P90's, too.

It is a really base kit- maybe I would buy one myself and "build" along with you and photo. (The fancy builders could hoot at us for entertainment! "The MagicMustang Guitars, LLC" [tm] Basement MLP Build for Dummies) I'm a dummy, you know.Mike T.http://cgi.ebay.com/ELECTRIC-GUITAR-...742.m153.l1262

[Nikkolette Moore]

Take your time, get the Stewart Macdonald blueprint, measure twice, cut once. having access to a true Les Paul will help alot for comparisons. The hardest part making a standard Les Paul is carving the top, but it can be done. Good luck, you will enjoy the finished product very much if you take your time, research, ask questions.

[kingofnima]

hey

great idea of building your own les paul. Have you ever checked out the warmoth website? they make bodys and necks. you could get some really high quality and sweet looking parts there and than put it together. It's still a lot of work and you can customize it to whatever you want.

[andy007]

Check out this guy's blog. He's building his own Les Paul in his home workshop. This should give you a good idea of what is involved.

The Accidental Luthier