Starting from scratch.!!

[kieran_doc]

Ok, so ive been playing guitar for a few months now and I love the look of this cool type of guitar! I want to build one and what I want is all the experienced guys here to give me a place to start!!! I have been trawling through this forum and find the amount of information endless and helpful.. I have seen the posts on the stewmac and catto plans and how they are both usefull!!
So.... does the type of mahogany used make a differance? (I have brazilian mahogany at my disposal). I would like any comments or tips regarding the neck/fretboard. And would really like some guidance on what type of pickups to get???
Please bear in mind I am a relative rookie and Im not trying to reproduce a perfect LesPaul guitar, I am trying to learn as much as I can about the guitar with respect to electronics set-up etc.....
So to summarise. I am looking for help with:
Guitar plans,
Wood selection,
Neck/Fretboard,
Pickups/Electronics.
Thanks

[H.E.L.Shane]

need to know a couple thing about YOU first...

Type of Music you play

What tools you have availalbe, both wood working and finishing (painting)

if you are not looking to make an exacting guitar, the Mahogany you have will be acceptable.

[TKOjams]

search the web for guitar building sites and read everything you can get your eyeballs on.

[bfcg]

You say "rookie" and that is fine. Around here you will find many tips, pictures, help and support. An exact replica of any guitar is not important, building something that is both playable and sounds good is fundamental. Once you have achieved that, you should then move on to the asthetics. Most first builds are a learning process. Ther are valuable lessons even in assembling a bolt on.
There are many other factors that come into play here such as:
Do you have any wood working skills?
Do you own or have access to certain tools?
If we help you, do you promise not to cut off any fingers?



The type of wood does make a difference. For a first guitar maybe you should stick to traditional woods ie. Mahogany, Maple, Ash, etc.
I have been building for a while now and I still use crap wood in all of my mock ups just to get my jigs and templates verified before moving on to good wood.
Bass wood and Poplar are common woods that I use in my mock ups.

[Wizzle]

Make Your Own Electric Guitar bt Melvyn Hiscock is a good book with tons of info, I also have another book on a PDF that I might be able to email you. I haven't built my guitar yet, I'm still gathering the tools and it's a pretty expensive process...

[kieran_doc]

Thanks for the replies guys... I know i said I wasnt trying to get an exact replica but what I meant is that I'm not going to kick myself if the guitar is an 1/8" out in any dimension! I am trying to make it as close as possible... I have all the tools i need as my oldman is just in the process of completing a violin at the minute (so hopefully he hurrys up so I can get going). The main reason I ask for help here is because I wonder about the accuracy of the plans available! And I have little idea of the electronics needed i.e. pickups etc.
bfcg: I am fairly confident I have the skills to pull this off, I have been building stuff from wood since I was 10... I have planty of tools available (oscillating sander, table saw, bandsaw, routers, compressors, sprayguns etc). And I promise not to cut any fingers off LOL...


HEL shane: I like to play a bit of everything from G N R, AC/DC, KOL, basically pop rock type of stuff,, not into the really heavy stuff.
If you say that the mahogany I have availabe will be ''acceptable'' what would the ideal type be? And would you not recommend this mahogany??

Thanks again's

[kieran_doc]

Originally Posted by Wizzle

Make Your Own Electric Guitar bt Melvyn Hiscock is a good book with tons of info, I also have another book on a PDF that I might be able to email you. I haven't built my guitar yet, I'm still gathering the tools and it's a pretty expensive process...

Thanks Wizzle I will get on that,,, what plans are you gonna use for your build?? I would be very grateful if you could forward on the PDF book,,, thanks

[Wizzle]

Originally Posted by kieran_doc

Thanks Wizzle I will get on that,,, what plans are you gonna use for your build?? I would be very grateful if you could forward on the PDF book,,, thanks

PM your email and I'll try and send it (sometimes I get problems with file sizes).
I haven't used any plans as yet, I just laid my Les Paul flat on some Christmas wrapping paper, drew around it, folded it in half lengthways and cut down the fold. Once I did that I marked a centre line on a piece of plywood, taped the half guitar (non-cutaway side) to the line, drew around it, fliped it over in a kind of mirror image and drew around it again so I was left with something like the shape of a Les Paul without the cutaway (I added the cutaway with the other half of the wrapping paper outline).

[lvvein]

hmmm... catto's body plans are pretty good, why not use that?