Did you build a wall ornament or a playable guitar the first time ??

[ScotttheScot]

I’m just curious not sadistic I would like to know was your first Guitar a wall ornament or was it playable ?

 

[Skyjerk]

Reposting from the other thread…

my first guitar was 8 or 9 years ago, and turned out quite nice. It’s living with a guy in New Jersey who occasionally sends me emails with various questions and always tells me how his friends try to buy it from him.

like my current “Bushido LP” it was a neck-through-body Les Paul style guitar. I already had some decent skills with wood and hand tools before I tried building one, and I also got a LOT of advice from people on this forum.

This is the one right here…

It played and sounded great and was my main gigging axe in my band for several years

 

[ScotttheScot]

Reposting from the other thread…

my first guitar was 8 or 9 years ago, and turned out quite nice. It’s living with a guy in New Jersey who occasionally sends me emails with various questions and always tells me how his friends try to buy it from him.

like my current “Bushido LP” it was a neck-through-body Les Paul style guitar. I already had some decent skills with wood and hand tools before I tried building one, and I also got a LOT of advice from people on this forum.

This is the one right here…

View attachment 616536

Beautiful !!!!!! That’s one sweet sausage !

 

[Joe Desperado]

Back in the 80s when I started building, there was no internet and books were limited on the subject. My first two set neck guitars definitely looked home made. The workmanship was ok, but the materials were not modern or professional looking. IE: dowel rods for dot inlays, crappy rosewood fingerboards and mismatch of body woods etc. The next few decades, I made dozens of solid body guitars with bolt on necks. All were of pro quality. It wasn’t really until 2000 or 2001 before I started making set necks again. This time with slotting templates, real woodworking tools, proper materials etc. The results were much better. Today, with the internet and forums like this, you get to share experience and tips like nothing we had in the past. New builders are making better guitars than we ever did in the beginning.

 

[ScotttheScot]

Back in the 80s when I started building, there was no internet and books were limited on the subject. My first two set neck guitars definitely looked home made. The workmanship was ok, but the materials were not modern or professional looking. IE: dowel rods for dot inlays, crappy rosewood fingerboards and mismatch of body woods etc. The next few decades, I made dozens of solid body guitars with bolt on necks. All were of pro quality. It wasn’t really until 2000 or 2001 before I started making set necks again. This time with slotting templates, real woodworking tools, proper materials etc. The results were much better. Today, with the internet and forums like this, you get to share experience and tips like nothing we had in the past. New builders are making better guitars than we ever did in the beginning.

What nice inspiring and honest reply!
I’m building my first guitar making mistakes but loving it all the same. I had a shop for almost my whole life and hit a rut . I can build pretty nice and complicated furniture but I got tired of it and almost sold all my tools until I saw Freddy Frets on YouTube and I was hooked.
No looking back thanks to guys like you!

 

[Freddy G]

First guitar i built sounded and played nice. You can hear it on Jeff Healey's "Feel This" record.

 

[Tweaker]

Shoot, the guitars I make now still don't look professional! They've all been playable though. I started with little electric ukuleles (it doesn't get simpler than that). My focus was bridge location and correct fret spacing...my thinking was that even if the final product looked horrible, it would at least play the right notes




To be honest, that's still my approach to building instruments. Most guys on here deserve the luthier title. Not me!

 

[Joe Desperado]

First guitar i built sounded and played nice. You can hear it on Jeff Healey's "Feel This" record.

Really? I was a huge Jeff Healy fan. RIP. That is a great album including Cruel Little Number. We used to cover songs from that album and Hell to Pay. .

 

[Freddy G]

Really? I was a huge Jeff Healy fan. RIP. That is a great album including Cruel Little Number. We used to cover songs from that album and Hell to Pay. .

Yes, really! I was Jeff's guitar tech during the recording of that record. Jeff liked my guitar and used on it several tracks on Feel This including the solo on Cruel Little Number

 

[Skyjerk]

Yes, really! I was Jeff's guitar tech during the recording of that record. Jeff liked my guitar and used on it several tracks on Feel This including the solo on Cruel Little Number

Dude, I’m not in the least bit surprised by this news

 

[Joe Desperado]

Yes, really! I was Jeff's guitar tech during the recording of that record. Jeff liked my guitar and used on it several tracks on Feel This including the solo on Cruel Little Number

Dude, I am envious of your experience with Jeff. While many of us have built (and have played with, opened for, or repaired guitars) for the stars, he was seriously one of my favorites, and influenced my playing for a decade.

 

[Skyjerk]

Dude, I am envious of your experience with Jeff. While many of us have built (and have played with, opened for, or repaired guitars) for the stars, he was seriously one of my favorites, and influenced my playing for a decade.

I built a guitar for some guy in New Jersey that nobody ever heard of

 

[Joe Desperado]

I built a guitar for some guy in New Jersey that nobody ever heard of

I built a guitar for a guy at the same address as I live. Nobody has heard of him either.

 

[Freddy G]

Dude, I’m not in the least bit surprised by this news

They were good times. I drove up to Toronto every day to the studio (which was actually a mansion they built a studio in). The house was very large....big marble foyer with a massive spiral staircase that spanned 3 floors. We had the drum kit on the main floor at the bottom of the stairway and room mics scattered all over and up the staircase. A Bonham-like arrangement. I was using my late younger bro's Gibson GA-17 amp as my test amp for setting up guitars. The producer liked the sound of it and asked if they could use it for the record. There was a dumb waiter that went from the basement to the top floor of the house....maybe 2.5 or 3 feet wide. We put my Gibson amp at the bottom of the elevator shaft and attached a Neumann KM84 mic to the bottom of the elevator. It was used as a reverb amp! Need more reverb? send the dumb waiter up another floor. lol

Dude, I am envious of your experience with Jeff. While many of us have built (and have played with, opened for, or repaired guitars) for the stars, he was seriously one of my favorites, and influenced my playing for a decade.

Yeah, I chalk it up to being lucky...right place at the right time.
Jeff influenced my playing too....but probably not how you'd think. You see, when I first started in the studio with him he sent the guitars I just finished setting up back and said "no good" which shocked me because I thought I did a pretty mean set-up.
It turned out that I had to set-up the guitars the way he played them. Across my lap, with the neck on my left leg. So I learned a bunch of chords and licks with the guitar like that and my left hand fretting the way he did. That whole arrangement DID affect the set-up and intonation etc....

 

[Freddy G]

I’m just curious not sadistic I would like to know was your first Guitar a wall ornament or was it playable ?

So Scott....what's going on? are you having problems with your first build? I'm guessing so otherwise you wouldn't have posted the question.
Don't give up. Just pay attention to your mistakes.....they are always the best teacher. AND, you have one huge benefit that I sure didn't have when I was coming up....a community like this!

I can tell you a story about that first guitar I built. It was easy. But I had all the time in the world at that age and I thought about it a lot before I started the build. Well, that and the fact that my pop taught me everything about fine woodworking.
When I say the build was easy.....that's not entirely true. The finishing process kicked my ass. That was really discouraging. The guitar was very similar to Skyjerk's style of superstrat. Mahogany body, flame maple top and neck through construction. I wanted to finish it in trans black. But there was no knowledge resources I could find on how to do that. So I added black dye to clear coat and ended up with a solid black guitar! lol
I was pissed and promptly stripped the whole thing and started again....abandoning the idea of trans black I went with a trans purple instead. But the purple I got was a putrid shade of magenta/mud. And I gave up and figured I'd just move on.
But when Jeff played it he liked it. When he was tracking with it the producer said to him...."don't ever let anyone take a picture of you with that guitar....that's one ugly color"!

 

[ScotttheScot]

First guitar i built sounded and played nice. You can hear it on Jeff Healey's "Feel This" record.

Amazing …you are luthier in the first degree I’ll bet hide glue runs in your vains. A metaphor of course you have been very helpful and you video on YouTube Burst build 1-12 have been my guide post .
Thanks Fred ,say hello to the shop Meastro and tell him no more cutting hammer handles he’s moved on to building amp cabinets even though he’s not getting paid .

 

[ScotttheScot]

So Scott....what's going on? are you having problems with your first build? I'm guessing so otherwise you wouldn't have posted the question.
Don't give up. Just pay attention to your mistakes.....they are always the best teacher. AND, you have one huge benefit that I sure didn't have when I was coming up....a community like this!

I can tell you a story about that first guitar I built. It was easy. But I had all the time in the world at that age and I thought about it a lot before I started the build. Well, that and the fact that my pop taught me everything about fine woodworking.
When I say the build was easy.....that's not entirely true. The finishing process kicked my ass. That was really discouraging. The guitar was very similar to Skyjerk's style of superstrat. Mahogany body, flame maple top and neck through construction. I wanted to finish it in trans black. But there was no knowledge resources I could find on how to do that. So I added black dye to clear coat and ended up with a solid black guitar! lol
I was pissed and promptly stripped the whole thing and started again....abandoning the idea of trans black I went with a trans purple instead. But the purple I got was a putrid shade of magenta/mud. And I gave up and figured I'd just move on.
But when Jeff played it he liked it. When he was tracking with it the producer said to him...."don't ever let anyone take a picture of you with that guitar....that's one ugly color"!

On the contrary my resolve is only stronger!!! I can build really good furniture ( string inlays and so forth) but I got bored had a major heart attack and fell in a rut a John Deer couldn’t pull me out of and yes thanks to this community and YouTube and you,Guitars are my calling !
I almost sold off my whole shop when I saw your video !
Yes I have made mistakes ( bought an under sized neck blank, building guitar tools, collecting tools, making guitar gigs ) … distractions. But I’m still having a blast and that is the sign through all the mistakes and distractions it’s still fun .
I am going to move forward always and if this one gets screwed to the shop wall so be it …. On to the next and I can’t wait!!!!
Thanks so much Fred !!!!!!!!

 

[Freddy G]

Amazing …you are luthier in the first degree I’ll bet hide glue runs in your vains. A metaphor of course you have been very helpful and you video on YouTube Burst build 1-12 have been my guide post .
Thanks Fred ,say hello to the shop Meastro and tell him no more cutting hammer handles he’s moved on to building amp cabinets even though he’s not getting paid .

A metaphor of coarse sandpaper....

I will see the Maestro today.....going on 86 years old and he just finished building a wrap around cedar deck with staircase and railings for the front of his house. By himself. Man, I dont have that much energy!

Hey what is that tool in your third pic? A router attached to a radial arm saw? Tell me about it.

 

[ScotttheScot]

I’m writing from the hip this morning sorry when I started that I almost sold off my shop when I saw your video I mean to I kept my tools because of your video.
Honestly you could probably just make videos and make a lucrative living off it.
The interaction between you and your pop is priceless. My father had 7 kids and didn’t have the time or patience to teach us his skills… It would be go get me a saw …. NOT THAT DAM SAW (when the job wasn’t going well ) when it was going well it was go get me a beer and don’t take a sip on the way back .. witch I always did. He’d look at the bottle and look at me and smile.
I’m sorry I’m so sappy and philosophical this morning it’s good to be alive and building GUITARS !!!!!!

 

[ScotttheScot]

A metaphor of coarse sandpaper....

I will see the Maestro today.....going on 86 years old and he just finished building a wrap around cedar deck with staircase and railings for the front of his house. By himself. Man, I dont have that much energy!

Hey what is that tool in your third pic? A router attached to a radial arm saw? Tell me about it.

Yeah my father in law is Otto Hellenbach and he is 87 and unfortunately he is a care giver to my 90 year old mother in lay and I honestly don’t know how he does it we held of course.
Otto asked if I would like his old radial arm saw and I balked at first then I thought that would make a really nice over beam router !!!
So my neighbor Norm works for a structural steel company and said he would fab up the router plate for me (we do favors for each other) so yeah it’s awesome.
It routs, cuts, dados, etc…..
I plan on getting a fret saw blade and setting up a gig to do fret boards !
It’s an old Craftsman built really well if you over in the states text me and will give you the nickel tour .