Newbie onboard!

[Brian Fluker]

Hello! I'm pretty new to this game... Only finished 2 builds in the last 1 1/2 years (bodies only, not confident enough to try a neck yet). I have no real woodworking experience and lack a lot of the proper tools so there is a lot of trial and error to troubleshoot problems, but all in all I'm pretty satisfied with my results.

I've been lurking on this site the last few days and the instruments you guys crank out are spectacular! I really look forward to learning from this community and pushing myself to get better!

[Barry Daniels]

Welcome Brian. You definitely need to make a neck. Once you do one you will wonder why it was so scary in the first place.

[Gordon Bellerose]

Welcome to the forum Brian!
Lots of good people and info here. Stick around.

Yeah I agree with Barry. I also bought my first two necks.
Since then I have built them all, and in the process learned how to do inlay, overlay headstocks with very thin pieces of wood, and so much more.

[Brian Fluker]

I fully intend to. My biggest reason has been for lack of tools. Everything I have built was done exclusively with a plunge router, dremel tool, power drill, sandpaper and alot of elbow grease. Slowly acquiring more tools, but it's tricky at times to convince the wife that buying tools that will put MORE guitars in the house is a good idea. lol.

[Barry Daniels]

What else do you need to make a neck? Sounds like you have the basics assuming you have hand tools. A drill press would be nice for the peg holes but it is not absolutely necessary.

[Brian Fluker]

At this point I'm completely lacking in rasps, files, etc. I am with few exceptions limited to the tools I listed previously. Went through an unemployed stretch recently so tool money was tight. Planning on beefing up in the near future

[Gordon Bellerose]

You have to learn how to build stuff that she wants too.
That way the permissions required for the purchase of a tool can be a bit more readily accepted.
And quite frankly, forgiveness is easier than permission.

[Bob Francis]

What Gordon said!
I like to use a Stanley surform round file and a surform shaver to rough out necks. (about $20 for both) Those are coarse tools but if you leave them a little oversized it is not difficult to bring them down to your target profile with sandpaper.

[Brian Fluker]

thank you for the suggestions on what to look for. Build #1 was easy to convince... I've been doing mods, rewires, part builds, etc for about 15 years now and I've been dying to do an actual build for a long time... I had enough spare parts laying around that body wood was the only real expense. Build 2 was justified as a gift for her father, which I kick myself for because I LOVE that guitar and wish I could have kept it. lol. I have modded a few guitars "for her" in the past (she plays em... I play em more) so maybe I could just build her a killer pine sg with hot p90s