Starting Out In Guitar Making

Keith Sasaki - 11:53am Jul 31, 1999

I am new to MIMF. I am interested in guitar making and wonder where should I start? Is there any particular book to start out with? What would the initial cost be to acquire basis tools and materials? Thanks for the help.

The first thing to do is read some good books on the subject. For electric guitars, try Melvyn Hiscock's "Make Your Own Electric Guitar."

For acoustic and classical, try "Guitarmaking: Tradition and Technology: A Complete Reference for the Design & Construction of the Steel-String Folk Guitar & the Classical Guitar" by William R. Cumpiano, Jonathan D. Natelson.

Both go into some detail about the minimum tool set you need.

There are many more books, as you can see in the MIMF Bookstore.

Another alternative is to sign up for one of the many seminars that guitar makers hold around the country. If you already have some woodworking skills, you can pick up a lot of information in a short period of time.

What you need to get started depends to a large extent on what you plan to do. Eddy van Halen builds his own solidbody guitars with little more than a screwdriver and some sandpaper, because he buys his bodies, necks, etc from one or more of the guitar supply houses. He likes experimenting with simplification and paint. If you want to build your own solidbody guitar, you can get by with a coping saw, straightedge, 1/4 inch chisel, and some weights for clamping, but a bandsaw, router, sanding machine, drillpress, etc. will certainly speed things up--if you know how to use them. Guitarmakers, like most other craftsmen, tend to like to get into their tools, so by the time you try to build a hollowbody archtop 8-string bass, you'll likely have a garage full, or more. Send for one of the luthier supply catalogs--they have articles on how to do things and pictures of tools that could double as very esoteric torture devices (and sometimes inadvertently do).

I've made this observation before but it doesn't hurt to repeat it.

Concerning the cost of getting into guitar making. First you look at the cost of a new mid-grade Martin/Taylor/Gibson etc. Convince yourself that you are willing to spend that much money, but don't. Now take that money and invest it in books, tools, videos, wood, abalone, tuners, etc. etc. When you have done this and have finally completed your first instrument the money will be gone. But, you'll have a beautiful instrument that you may like better than a Martin/Taylor/Gibson etc. but more importantly, you now have the skills and equipment to make as many as you desire.

That may sound simplistic and perhaps you had hoped that you wouldn't need to spend that much money. You won't spend it all at once but when you get bit by the bug the money will evaporate.

One book that I recommend is The Steel String Guitar, by David Russel Young. This book is not perhaps the most difinitive in the business but it's very friendly and makes the daunting task of building your instrument seem believable.

Starting with a guitar kit from Martin or Stew-Mac (pretty much the same kit) is an excellent introduction to instrument building. The quality of the components are excellent and if you get the video on building a kit (from Stew-Mac) you'll be guided through the process step by step. They turn out pretty good , at least I've always had good luck with the kits.

Or..you could sign up and take one of the Forum's instrument making courses, hint hint!

Deb's idea for an FAQ seems good, so I thought I'd add the minimal list of tools I'd need to build a solid-body electric-Not Norm Abhrams, not Roy Underhill...

1. Electric drill with cheapie add-on so it can drill perpendicular/true holes. Lots of bits, including some expensive Forstners. This will drill the tuner holes, the controls holes and bridge holes, as well as various holes around the guitar.

2. Jig saw, with some fine blades and some coarse ones. This will cut the body and neck profile (coarse blades) and make templates (fine blades) for routing the pickup holes in the body. (Can you say "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome"? I knew you could.)

3. Router with template bit (1/2 X 1/2 will get you by) to rout the p/u holes. This CAN be done with Forstner bits and chisels, but I couldn't get satisfactory results that way.

4. Two well-tuned elbows equipped with lots of sandpaper, a rasp and an inability to quit doing something even when you KNOW it's stupid.

Mostly, don't look at the traditional way of putting together a guitar--look around your garage/shop/kitchen and find a way to use THOSE tools to build a guitar.

I think another excellent resource for anyone interested in lutherie is the catalog from LMI (see banner ads). There is a wealth of information in them, especially for anyone interested in acoustic instruments.

My first guitar was a Martin kit. I thought that with the bent sides and shaped bracing and neck I would not have to invest a lot of money. WRONG! I had to buy the usual hand tools, also had to buy a dremel tool to do the binding properly. Had to buy a drill press to drill the machine holes nice and square. Bought a small bandsaw to saw out the top and bottom. Then tried to apply a simple finish--no such thing. Finally bought a small air compressor and spray gun so that my guitars would look like more than a hobby craft creation. So, since I had all the tools, I built guitar 2. Better, but had to buy a router, router table, bending tool, more hand tools, etc. Someone once told me: there is a tool for every purpose if you want to do a job right.

I would make a distinction between *having* to buy and *wanting* to buy lots of specialized tools. Guitars (and other instruments) have been built for centuries without all these fancy tools, and none of them are stricly necessary. Many poor South American luthiers build fine instruments with little more than a large machete, some string and a couple of rocks. Sometimes it helps to give our tool lust a reality check!

Dremel tools are nice for binding, but a razor blade and chisel work, too. Square holes can be drilled with a hand drill (manual or electric), it just requires a little more attention than with a drill press. If that is too tricky, there are plenty of jigs that align a hand drill squarely for you for about $100 less than the cheapest drill press. A handheld coping saw, or motorized jig or sabre saw is much cheaper than a bandsaw, and work just as well for cutting out tops and bottoms. Granted, they are useless for resawing raw wood, but that's not something most beginning instrument builders do on the first try. Spray guns are nice for finishing, but there are plenty of other methods, like French Polishing, which do not require a gun. I hand-applied Waterbourne finish to my last dulcimer with a foam brush and it came out great. Call me low-tech, but I built plenty of instruments using common bricks as weights before I ever acquired a spool clamp and you'd never know it if I didn't tell you. The new fretboard mitre boxes with fret location templates are a wonderful time saver, but a good ruler and a backsaw work just as well.

The point here is certainly not to beat up on James, but to point out to beginners that instrument building is certainly possible without a huge store of expensive tools. Good tools virtually always make your life easier, but if budget is a concern, you can get a few select tools now, maybe build a few yourself and acquire more later as you get more into instrument building. Don't let a lack to tools keep you from getting started.

And, as I am very fond of pointing out (having gone this route myself), check out your local Adult Ed program. If they have a woodworking course, use that course to learn about tools and tool safety, and build your instrument too.

You might want to pick up one of Sloanes books on guitar making. He shows how to do things with very few tools. Also Jim Williams takes the same tack. I kind of like doing things by hand, except scraping sides and backs, which I will never do again. I have finger boards slotted by LMI, and backs and sides sanded by the supplier; this saves alot of money on tools, especially a sanding machine. I use a $60 Sears router with a good bit and a home made base ( ala Williams ) and I have a band saw, a drill press, and an electric bending iron. The rest is a couple chisels, block and bench planes, and other common small tools. You can spray laquer from a spray can for you first project, that's what I did, and it came out OK. I've been French polishing since then, which is tricky but cheap and safe. Read alot, take your time and have fun! LMI sells boxed "kits", which includes only materials, no plans. You can save a few bucks buying this way, and you get premium grade materials for everything you need. Also you could try a simple kit like a dulcimer from somebody like MusicMakers kits. Its not a guitar, but you do alot of the same kinds of work.

Another possibility is a local woodworker's organization. Check some of the online woodworking equipment sites for a club in your area. Some woodworkers band together to buy machines then share them. This enables a group to buy top-of-the-line equipment without huge individual investment. They also tend to have experts in residence to help with your project. This is less convenient than walking out to your own garage or basement but it may be a good way to start out.

Keith, you may want to start by purchasing parts such as necks and bodies already manufactured, of which you could build a fairly simple but good bolt on neck guitar. A few years ago I was in your delima and built my first guitar from parts I ordered from various suppliers. I basically built a bolt on neck "Strat" type guitar. Is is currently my most played guitar (I think I have 8 or 10 guitars right now). It was fairly simple as I had taken apart, modified and reassembled several bolt on neck guitars before. The only tools I needed when I built my first guitar was a drill press and the usual hand tools. After I started my third bolt on neck guitar I sold four of my name-brand guitars and took the money and invested in power and lutherie tools in order to start building from scratch. I'm hooked and can't wait to start building.

I agree with all the above comments on purchasing books and videos (especially from MIMF). I would reccomend the Luthiers Merchantile international and the Stewart McDonalds catalogue for starters. Also check out their web pages, there's a lot of infomation there.

If you have a local person who does guitar repair or building, you could hang out with him and pick his brain on building and tools required.

Hope this has helped.

Bravo Everybody:

Good gravy,what a treasure this site is and is becoming! I wonder how many of us busted up longtimers look at this and say "If only this had been around when I started".

My first effort was with a "kit" which I had seen in a Constantine's catalogue I had accidentally come by. I don't know what I expected.. a snap together miracle of some sort maybe...but the "kit" was an assembly of the necessary woods, cut to approximate dimensions and no more. I then ordered the Sloane classic book as they had advised in the first place and had at it. I didn't even have the simple tools Sloane recommended. The Indian Rosewood back and sides were hideously oversize..the back almost a quarter inch thick..a nightmare for a man armed only with a paint scraper. At the time, I was a high school English teacher by day and a disc-jockey by night and could squeeze out only a few hours per week..jeez! excuse me while I wipe away the tears...OK,I feel better now...BUT I GOT IT DONE!...(pause for applause and suitable accolades)..and it played...and people said "YOU done that?"...and I was hooked. I should mention that the boxed material with the chunky rosewood back and sides ran about fifty bucks in those days.

Good luck Keith. Everyone is rooting for you.

Other possibilities are friends. My brother-in-law provides my drill press and a buddy down the street has a jointer, table saw, and a chop saw which makes a nice 15 degree slice for the headstock. You don't always have to buy it all up-front. Just what you need to move to the next level as you grow.

Charles Fox sez: "let the guitars by the tools". I sold my 3rd and it bought a bandsaw and a router. Looks like the sixth will buy my drill press.

I put out a guitar every 3 1/2 weeks, on average, and still don't own a thickness sander, or band saw, or jointer. I buy time on these from a local cabinet maker who has all the tools, and more.If I want to continue at this pace, I will have to invest a little more in tools, but I get by very well this way. At his rate of $17.50 an hour for the tools, I would need to build a lot of instruments to justify the cost of the tools AND the extra shop space required. Sorry for rambling, but my point is that if you look and ask around, you shouldn't have to buy any major tools, just buy the best hand tools you can find, and toss away all those "dream" tool catalogues.

I'm lucky enough now to have almost all the tools I need (apart from a high-rise bandsaw for resawing back and top material), but I must second Mario's and some others' comments on leveraging tools belonging to others. Mario refers to having a relationship with an individual craftsman who has the right tools; someone else (Deb?) referred to signing up for local woodworking courses and getting to use the shops there. I want to mention some other possibilities.

In my town, and in several others, a national chain of retail woodworking tools and supplies has opened "clubs" that consist of a store and a big, well-equipped shop that you can rent time in. They have the big tools, and you can plan your work to use them during your rented time and go home and do the things you don't need the big shop for. The time charges for the shop would thus be minimal.

This chain may not be the only ones doing this. In some places, local woodworking clubs maintain shops with shared equipment, sometimes in co-operation with the "Parks and Rec" or the school system or the YMCA/YMHA/YW... etc.

Most operations involved in guitar building can be accomplished easily with minimal tools. Other operations can be accomplished with minimal tools, but I wouldn't wish them on a dog. I could resaw soundboard material in an hour or two with a Disston ripsaw, but I'd rather rent ten minutes on someone else's bandsaw!

It seems that there is enough stuff on tools and books to last a life time, what about the next steps, what is the next stage and how do you go about it?

Peter, the next step is to MAKE SOME SHAVINGS. In other words you just gotta decide on an instrument and get started. There are so many reasons to not be ready. It's easy to think that you don't have enough stuff yet, or the right book, or tool. Just get started. Nothing is more important that getting a little sawdust on your hands.

Get a junk guitar from a pawn shop, yard sale, or post an ad in the local grocery store. Or check in with a local shop that buys and sells used guitars and ask him to send a couple of his rejects your way.

Then get Dan Erlewine's Guitar Player Repair Guide (in the Bookstore), and use his techniques to take the guitar apart. Even a busted-up factory guitar can teach you a lot about how they're put together and what you'll want to do better on your own first instrument.

OK. So you've read enough on the subject, and think you have enough hand tools to get going, eh ? Where to ? LMI or Stew MAC to get some wood and all the fittings required. Forget about re-sawing your own lumber for now, and buy the wood already re-sawn. If you don't have access to a thickness sander, get the supplier to do it for you. Now, using a "blueprint" or "plan" , figure the rest out . If you make all the individual(sp?) pieces before begining the actual assembly, you'll have your own "kit", and everything will self-explain, trust me. When you break it all down to seperate pieces, it will suddenly seem "very do-able" .

About that Tele I built.The wood (2x10) that i used came was chosen from a large supply because when dropped on the ground it rang like a bell.The neck was a Factory second from Stew Mac,about $50.00,The other parts-pickguard,pickups,pots,and such were leftovers---The finish is about 3 coats of hand rubbed shellac and it is so close to the look of a blackguard Tele that i don"t want to improve it,my theory behind this instrument stemmed from the story i read that stated the first fender was made from Pine,I figured hey follow leos lead and make it simple.I believe that if a guitar has good acoustic properties it will really sound good plugged in.I can Supply photos.Good luck,and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Some of you here have mentioned using a guitar kit to get started. I was just checking into a Martin rosewood kit. What kind of tools would it take to put one of these kits together. I have access to several wood shops and also have a few tools myself. Also, how could I alter the bracing that comes in the standard kit to mimic the old style Martin's. I may be reaching a bit since I have never done this before but I figure why pay thousands for an instrument like this when I can build it my self. This is a great forum and I'm sure glad I found it!

Les, I've built 3 Martin kits and was very happy with all of them. If you want some step-by-step guidance then get the video from Stew-Mac about building a Herringbone Acoustic guitar kit. I always modify the basic kit. On the rosewood kit I did I used solid maple bindings, a maple bound fingerboard, diamonds and squares for the position markers, modified the peghead shape and bridge shape. It's owner is VERY happy with it. It also had an under saddle pickup. I finished it with tru-oil.

I built one for myself out of a basic mahogany kit. It has tortoise binding with a fine herringbone purfling. An abalone soundhole, diamonds and squares position markers. I also used a slightly different bracing pattern and a slightly rounder body shape. It is finished with a very poorly done french polish. I'm planning on lacquering over this at some point.

The other one was a mahogany guitar that I kept pretty standard except for curly koa binding and a herringbone rosette. FInished in tungoil. Nice guitar.

All three of these instruments sounded better to me than many of the higher grade new Martins I've tried. Maybe it's the thinner finish.

You will need a few deep throated clamps for gluing the bridge and bracing. You will need a Dremel tool or Router plus attachments for cutting the binding channels. You can also do this by hand with a hand held purfling cutter. One of your bigger expenses will be spool clamps for gluing the top and back on. You can make them yourself but I didn't. It's a one time expense that I don't regret a bit.

Martin will gladly substitute different things in the kit for (for a modest price). I really dislike the plastic bridgepins and end pin, I also like inlays other than dots. If you plan to brace your instrument quite differently than the braces included then you may have to make your own, not a big deal. I would recommend going for the pearl soundhole, it just makes the instrument look less like a kit.

Go for it, they are a great way to start. Even after you have made a few instruments from scratch you may have a desire to ocasionaly build a Martin kit.

Kevin's 2x10 guitar reminds me of the first electric I built, a Les Paul style. It was made from three laminated layers of particle board and an old neck reclaimed from a dumpster. The nice thing about working in layers was that with a little planning, no routing was involved, because I could cut all the cutouts with a jigsaw before gluing the layers together. In fact, about the only tools used where a jigsaw, a drill, a screwdriver and some sandpaper. I'm not even sure I had any clamps. Bricks and blocks work just fine.

Not knowing anything about finishing, I smoothed the surface of the rough particle board by spreading a number of layers of carpenters glue on the surface and sanding them back until smooth. A couple coats of gloss black spray paint and a clear acrylic topcoat finished it off. It was a little on the heavy side <g>, but all my guitar playing friends were seriously impressed with both how it looked and sounded. It doesn't have to cost a lot to get started!

I decided to make my first guitar out of easily obtainable wood so that if I messed it up I wouldn't be out a lot of money. I built an acoustical archtop from a combination of info from flattop and archtop instructional books. I built the neck , sides, back, and bridge from medium flamed maple flat sawn and picked up for less than $25 from a local supplier. I carved the top from a quartersawn and laminated stair tred of Sothern Yellow Pine for less than $15. The only parts I ordered were tuners, a slotted fret board, fret wire, and tail gut for less than $60. The nut and tail piece I made from a small chunk of ebony that I bought for less than $20. I already owned a table saw, router and drill and I bought an orbital sander and a gouge chisel for less than $100. That's all folks! Although I don't play myself yet, several others have played it for me and were sutibly impressed for me to have already started a second one! Just do it!

My first solidbody was built on the kitchen table in my apartment (my wife is VERY understanding). Mahogany with an ebony fingerboard. I used a drillbit to rout out the control cavity. The guitar had 3 P90 pickups, and I cut the pickup holes using a drillbit, and an old screwdriver to clean up the edges. No other power tools whatsoever.

Getting back to the core of this discussion....I made my first classical guitar with the following tools.

Power tools:
1) Electric finsihing sander
2) Jig saw
3) Sabre saw

Hand tools
1) Smoothing plane
2) Cabinet scraper
3) 5 x 6" hand Clamps
4) 2 Chisels ½" and ¼"
5) Hammer, Screwdrivers, visegrips, various in home tools
6) Hand back saw
7) Spoke shave
8) Hand Drill
9) Utility knife
10) Sandpaper and elbow power
11) Japenese water stone

I was able to build a bending form, a workboard, and various jigs with the above. I later bought more hand tools, clamps and speciality tools as needed and my only other power tool is a table belt sander.

Most of the aforementioned tools are standard in most home workshops.

Checking out all the available books on the market, Sloane, Cumpiano, LMI, Stew Mac provide a wealth of information and tricks.

One great trick ( And cheap!!! ) is to order you lumber pre-sanded (LMI for instance do a fantastic job of choosing material and sanding same to your specs) Saves a lot of time, and they do a beautiful job.

Regards,

Ron

I've just ordered my first guitar kit from Martin. While waiting for it to arrive I've purchased a couple of "how to" manuals. Wanting my first effort of guitar building to be perfect(sure!!) I'll gratefully accept any ideas on perfecting the art of neck installation on the first try. Hoffman's website was helpful but I've got the first time jitters and Martin Cumpiano"s Guitarmaking Manual doesn't have any details on a dovetail style installation. Are there any books or tapes that deal with this problem in detail and talk on a laymen's level.

Hi George McCann:

George..how can I tell you this?..Ok, I think I've got it. There aint no way of perfecting the art of neck installation on the first try. Or the second try even. But don't let that stop you from diving in anyway. You'll get it and enjoy whole process.

Depending on which Martin kit you've picked, you may get a pre-cut neck mortise and tenon which should be fairly accurate or easily shimmed into a good fit. In that case, you have to worry about making sure the angle between the top and the ribs where the neck joins is ideal...90 degrees is a good one. You may also have to worry about the new Martin adjustable neck reinforcement which can get in the way when you are trying to adjust the neck angle. You may get a kit which has a straight tenon with a threaded brass insert and a bolt..a simple installation assuming that other elements are properly aligned. In either case, you will probably find a set of instructions which are....inadequate. Check the Mimforum library and files for loads of good information on the Martin kits. They make a nice instrument if you get them together properly.

Best of luck!

I know, I always sound like a one-man advertisement for Stew-Mac videos. The video "building a herringbone guitar kit" is a very straight-forward instructional resource for building a Martin kit. Don MacRostie covers the neck joint pretty well and tells you how to correct problems. The best part is that he gives you a very precise procedure that is much better than the Dick Boak pamphlet which comes with the kit. The booklet has some good information but I think the video is better. It's also one of the few places that covers how to finish a guitar using canned spray lacquer. It's fairly cheap, about $25 I believe. Just click on the Stew-Mac banner and you'll be on your way. Good luck, Martin kits are a lot of fun to build.

George mentions "buying a couple of "how to" manuals........",. I may, or may not, have mentioned that we all can access these manuals through our public libraries; if they dont have what you need, (very likely), they can get it for you through an exchange with other libraries. All you need is a title AND author(s), and they will try to get it for you; usually you only get to keep the book for thirty days or so, after which they must return the book to it's proper library. Eight years ago, when I found out about this, I grabbed my Stew-Mac catalog and ran straight to my local library and ordered three books at a time, every 30 days, until I had gone through everything I could imagine as being usefull. I must add that some of these books were too much to absorb in 30 days, and I ended up buying quite a few of 'em, but it was very nice to be able to "test drive" 'em first.

George, I would also advise you to ask around for other builders/ repair folks that live near you and have a good reputation. Approach one of them to mentor you through building your kit. It may cost you something for their time but you will save many headaches along the way. The good reputation part is important. There are some folks who think they know more that they actually do.

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