Barnaby's LP Scratch Build - Hand Tools Only

[Barnaby]

Hey there!

This is my first attempt at building a guitar from scratch. What I will be attempting is as accurate a copy as I can manage of a ’59 Les Paul, but with a different top colour, inlays and headstock shape. There will be some other changes: I will use ebony, not use Brazilian rosewood for the fingerboard, I will let the control and switch cavities go all the way through the mahogany and, most significantly, perhaps, I will only be using hand tools. Not a single power tool will be employed in this build.







Here’s the maple I will be using, which came from Northridge Hardwoods, plus the neck and body blanks (the fingerboard is a different one). The maple has a beautiful figure, I think. I will be building two guitars more or less simultaneously, by the way, learning from my mistakes on the first and trying hard not to make new, exciting mistakes on the second one. After this, I will probably take a break and try a couple of different instrument styles (a ukulele, a bass and some sort of Fender…possibly also an acoustic), then come back to the LP shape with new, shiny and improved skills and try for as perfect a replica of a ’59 as I can, complete with Brazilian board, old growth body and neck and all of the stuff like correct inlays and hardware. I may even try and age that one more or less convincingly. I’m not sure. The pair I am making now, however, will clearly not be mistaken for Gibsons, no matter how close they will, I hope, be in many details.

One might well ask why I decided to build without power tools. There are several reasons. The first is sheer practicality. I live in a small Tokyo apartment with the landlord next door, so power tools – even an electric drill or a router – would probably get me chucked out in short order. The second reason is because building a guitar is, for me, a way to release stress, so I want to do it slowly. The third reason is that I think (OK…hope desperately) hand tools will give me more control over the build process. No router tearouts, no burned corners and no drills going wildly out of control…if things start to get ugly, I will have plenty of time to stop, take stock and do it properly. The fourth reason is that I want to learn how to make guitars well, and think that this is as good a way to have a self-directed apprenticeship as any other. A number of top makers say that they started with saws, chisels and planes before moving onto powered shop tools. Who am I to argue with them? Finally, I have played instruments built entirely by hand before and they are, to my mind, special. They have an indefinable quality that sets them apart. Many look cruder than factory-assembled versions, but some are made carefully enough that they are better looking and feeling than any machined instrument.



Do instruments have a soul? Maybe…maybe not. It depends on whom you ask and how metaphorical they’re feeling that day. If they do, however, then that is something that comes initially from the maker, and the more the maker works with her or his hands to produce the instrument, the more of themselves they impart.

I know it is not practical for modern professional builders to make guitars entirely by hand. Why use a hand saw when a bandsaw is faster and makes a dead straight cut? Hobbyists like me are, perhaps, the only people who would bother to do this. I may well do a horrible job and really mess things up. I will, however, learn along the way. If you follow this thread, you may as well. Either that, or you’ll fall about laughing at all the stupid things I do.

I will document every step of the build, including noting the tools used. This is partly for my own sake, to keep a record and get feedback, and partly for the sake of anyone else who starts a scratch build. Not everyone has access to a great workshop and someone might wonder, for example, how to do a 4.4-degree plane on a body or create pickup and control cavities without a router. They can then look at the way I did it and see if it could work with what they have…or use it as a starting point to come up with a better solution.

Oh - one last thing. I'll probably write a lot about how I do things and include a lot of unnecessary detail. I'll try to include interesting pictures along the way.



Oh..okay. Interesting and relevant pictures.

[free2rock]

Wow. You have a work cut out for you then. Best of luck!

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by free2rock

Wow. You have a work cut out for you then. Best of luck!

Thanks!

Why take a short way when I can go a long one, right?

Um...

[RossingtonLP]

Great

Looking forward to reading/watching your progress

I know i wouldn't have the patience

[bertzie]

The sheer level of masochism it takes to build something by hand is fun to watch.

[ptate]

About time.....

Having just hand cut a neck blank from scratch, you're just daft....!!!



Subscribed.

['59_Standard]

Apply the Straight Jacket now!

Brave man.

[61x49]

Originally Posted by Barnaby

Thanks!

Why take a short way when I can go a long one, right?

Um...

It's not the destination..It's the journey.

I'll be watching this very interesting project.

[JMV]

Subscribed!

In the end you'll have quite the connection with this guitar, I'd think.

[VictOr358]

Barnaby, good luck with the project!
Gonna follow for sure
All by hand is plain cool!

[w666]

It will be just a bit less painful if you keep your planes and chisels scary sharp. You should have easy access to all kinds of cool Japanese tools. Please show us your tools, and your sharpening techniques.

[Barnaby]

Woah - go out for a walk around the local park at night and look what happens. Fast replies, everyone!!!

Originally Posted by RossingtonLP

Great

Looking forward to reading/watching your progress

I know i wouldn't have the patience

Thanks, man. It's stress relief, as my job can be a bit full on at times. Forcing myself to have patience is good for me, I think...

Originally Posted by bertzie

The sheer level of masochism it takes to build something by hand is fun to watch.

I hope to be providing you (and others) with plenty of amusement.

Originally Posted by ptate

About time.....

Having just hand cut a neck blank from scratch, you're just daft....!!!



Subscribed.

Dude! Yeah...sorry to have been slow off the mark. I'll try to make up for it over the next few weeks. Just for you, I'll only sleep two hours a day.

It's an honour having you watch after seeing your builds. I just wish I could get you to play the thing when it's done.

Originally Posted by 61x49

It's not the destination..It's the journey.

I'll be watching this very interesting project.

Thanks! I'm happy to know that you'll be along for the trip.

Originally Posted by JMV

Subscribed!

In the end you'll have quite the connection with this guitar, I'd think.

I'm really curious to play something like this, I must admit. It will be great to get there, no matter how well I do.

Originally Posted by VictOr358

Barnaby, good luck with the project!
Gonna follow for sure
All by hand is plain cool!

Thanks, man. Love your work as well.

Originally Posted by w666

It will be just a bit less painful if you keep your planes and chisels scary sharp. You should have easy access to all kinds of cool Japanese tools. Please show us your tools, and your sharpening techniques.

I will certainly be doing that. I've been learning sharpening techniques. Thanks for the request.

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by '59_Standard

Apply the Straight Jacket now!

Brave man.

I'm not crazy, honest.



I'll show them all, all, all...(incoherent muttering)...

[ilovemypaul]

This is either going to end up incredibly awesome, or you will die trying. subscribed and good luck!

[Reverend D]

Originally Posted by Barnaby

Oh..okay. Interesting and relevant pictures.

Do you have it in black? Well Bro you know I'll be rooting for your success, can't be to hard, just leave out everything that ain't a les paul. Take care man.

Regards,

Don

[Sleator]

I watched your kit builds and thought... "Damn I can't wait 'till he tries from scratch!"
Doing it without power tool will be interesting; I've kinda talked myself out of a build 'cos I've no tools! Plus cost factor..

Can't wait see it unfold , for better or for worse!

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by ilovemypaul

This is either going to end up incredibly awesome, or you will die trying. subscribed and good luck!

There's only one way to find out, right? It would, of course, help if I was a skilled woodworker. With any luck, I will be by the end of this...

Originally Posted by Reverend D

Do you have it in black? Well Bro you know I'll be rooting for your success, can't be to hard, just leave out everything that ain't a les paul. Take care man.

Regards,

Don

You mean I can't post those pictures of my hot wife in a bikini? Well...OK, but only because you said so.

Oh, wait - I see what you mean. Get the wood and cut away everything that shouldn't be there, right? That's pretty much the idea.

Glad you'll be watching this!

Originally Posted by 21stCenturyNimrod

I watched your kit builds and thought... "Damn I can't wait 'till he tries from scratch!"
Doing it without power tool will be interesting; I've kinda talked myself out of a build 'cos I've no tools! Plus cost factor..

Can't wait see it unfold , for better or for worse!

Thanks for the support!

Honestly, the cost of tools doesn't seem like much of a factor. A router costs $100 or something, I think, but some of the hand tools I bought to do the same jobs that it can do add up to more than that. Of course, I have to factor in things like postage to Japan for things unavailable here, which makes everything super expensive.

Actually, even the things you can buy here are often priced to kill. DIY is considered a luxury activity in Japan. I went into a shop once and saw a set of the 4" Stewmac sanding blocks for something like $200 (they cost $65 normally).

As for wood, a piece of flame maple suitable for an LP top can cost around 40,000 yen...that's nearly 500 bucks!

[Barnaby]

OK - onwards and upwards!

My workspace and tools. Not the stuff of which heroic building sagas are made, alas.



I have a corner of the apartment with a folding workbench set aside for work. I also have a chunk of granite that I grabbed (with permission) from a demolition site as an extra top/counterweight. I think it was once a kitchen counter. Because I live and eat in this space - and, more importantly, my wife does too - I have to make sure that everything is spotless at the end of each session. This is not ideal, but it’s probably good discipline...or something.

First of all, the templates had to be made. Mine are from 10mm MDF. I made copies of my plan (the Bartlett version, which is amazing), checked them against the original by holding both up to a window and matching the lines and, once I had that accurate (which involved some resizing), glued the paper on, then cut out the shapes using a Japanese saw to cut away the big pieces, a coping saw to do the details, rasps and files to come in close to the lines and, finally, a razorblade as a scraper to get a smooth, 90-degree edge on both my top and bottom plates. Personally, I find it helps to think of the MDF as thick cardboard rather than wood.







Holes will eventually be drilled in the templates at the only points which will go through the whole instrument – the switch and electronics cavities.

I also made a fingerboard template out of thinner MDF. It's a quick, satisfying thing to do and feels almost like ‘real’ making.



The one thing I noticed here is that it is pretty well impossible to get the copies to match the plans themselves using the photocopier in my office. There’s always some distortion – a half mm here or there. I got closest to the actual plan by reducing things to 97% and then copying those and scaling them up to 103%. Weird.

It won’t really affect the final guitar, I imagine, after sanding and all of the other things that will happen…and, as we all know, bursts were not standardized at all. Still, it annoys some deep, puritan part of my soul. I need either access to a light table in the future when I will have a shot at my first actual ’59 replica - or will just buy three or four sets of the plans and slice ‘em up to make future templates.

[Daintree]

Hey Barnaby...
I'm along for the journey too....how could I not be

I once built a small hip roofed cottage entirely by hand tools. Brace and Bits, Hand Saws, Hammer and Chisel, Planes etc......there was no power or generator to plug power tools into anyway, so it had to be done by hand!
It was a very rewarding experience....I always thought that it must be a real buzz to build your own boat, then sail it over the oceans....and I'll confess too, that, making a guitar from scratch and then playing it...it is a good feeling.

I think you'll be generously rewarded for your efforts.

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by Daintree

Hey Barnaby...
I'm along for the journey too....how could I not be

I once built a small hip roofed cottage entirely by hand tools. Brace and Bits, Hand Saws, Hammer and Chisel, Planes etc......there was no power or generator to plug power tools into anyway, so it had to be done by hand!
It was a very rewarding experience....I always thought that it must be a real buzz to build your own boat, then sail it over the oceans....and I'll confess too, that, making a guitar from scratch and then playing it...it is a good feeling.

I think you'll be generously rewarded for your efforts.

A whole cottage? You are, seriously, the man!

I grew up on a farm, so am kind of familiar with doing things by hand (although the biggest thing I ever built was a chicken coop). Still, there's a lot of difference between putting in fenceposts and wiring them up and making a Les Paul. We'll see.

Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad to know you'll be watching.

[jonas 335]

Hi, Barnaby. I read and enjoyed your first build - I like your problem-solving approach. Good luck on the new build, I think you'll find it very enjoyable doing it from scratch.

[Thumpalumpacus]

This thread is rich with promise. Thanks for putting it up.

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by jonas 335

Hi, Barnaby. I read and enjoyed your first build - I like your problem-solving approach. Good luck on the new build, I think you'll find it very enjoyable doing it from scratch.

Thank you! I feel like one of those British game show participants at times...did you ever see those old TV shows where people had to solve a bunch of problems before they could move on? Luckily, as I am also the only contestant, I get the prize at the end!

Originally Posted by Thumpalumpacus

This thread is rich with promise. Thanks for putting it up.

Thanks for watching. On my last build, I learned how important the support that people on here offer is for someone in my position. I really appreciate it.

[Barnaby]

Right then - more!

After the templates were done, it was time to start on what will doubtless turn out to have been one of the biggest, most time-consuming jobs of the entire build process – cutting out the body. I started by measuring my blank and marking the centerlines for both length and width on each side. Then, using a template, I drew my body outline on both sides and drilled through the blank at the bolt points. From here, I attached the template pair, checking the fit against the drawn outlines and centerline. As long as I didn’t cut into the templates themselves, I’d be fine. Also, they acted as useful references to keep things at 90 degrees.







First, I cut away big pieces using the Japanese saw. This cuts very quickly and well, but is a little too flexible for comfort at times. I’m now better at using it and thus have more control, as one might imagine after so much practice, but it’s still not the perfect tool for this. Then, I went in with the coping saw, aiming to stay around 2mm outside the lines all the way around. This was a long, blister-inducing job, but my skills with the saw got better and better, allowing me to cut relatively quickly as I progressed. All up, this part of the build took me a day and a half, but I imagine I could do it in a few hours the next time. I’ll doubtless find out as I work on the second body blank soon.





With the body cut out, it was time to shape it properly. I did this first with rasps and a surform, moving next to files, sandpaper and a cabinet scraper, all of which let me get pretty well exactly to the line on both sides, flush with the template. The hardest part was sanding inside the horn, but I managed that with my handy-dandy round sanding block – a chili sauce bottle.







As a sidenote, a friend has just asked me to make him a Telecaster-type guitar. I decided that I’d do it by hand again, but with a pine body…much softer than mahogany and easier to sand. I’m really looking forward to it!

[straightblues]

Looks like a great start. I will pull up a seat and be watching as well.

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by straightblues

Looks like a great start. I will pull up a seat and be watching as well.

Welcome to the party!

[ptate]

Man, you must have arms like Popeye now.....!!!!!!!

The time consuming bit is yet to come with the detail; sorry

Looks great so far though...

Oh, BTW, a cottage doesn't have any curves and the margin for error is a lot greater...

Keep going and remember, whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger

[Barnaby]

Originally Posted by ptate

Man, you must have arms like Popeye now.....!!!!!!!

The time consuming bit is yet to come with the detail; sorry

Looks great so far though...

Oh, BTW, a cottage doesn't have any curves and the margin for error is a lot greater...

Keep going and remember, whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger

As long as my wife doesn't kill me, I should survive.

I think my forearms are going to explode once I finish the neck blank cutting - that's going to be a tough job and a half. The details may seem like a relief after that!

Thanks again, dude. Knowing that you'll be out there laughing your head off as I get totally out of my depth makes it all seem much more...

...comforting.

[free2rock]

This is gonna be LEGENDARY!!!

[dazzypig]

Great stuff man!

Lookin' sweet, can't wait to see how this turns out. Very inspiring!