Average build times

[Craig Bumgarner]

I'm wondering how long it takes others to build a guitar and more importantly, how much time they spend at the more significant tasks which to me are building the box, the neck, finishing and assembly/setup. I know this will vary a lot depending on the kind of guitar one builds, but.....

The 6-string Selmer style guitars I build with arched tops and back (not carved) and slotted heads take about 100-120 hours. Of that, it takes me about 50 hours to build the box and bind it (I use wood purfling and bindings), about 32 hours to build the neck, neck joint, fret, nut and tuner. I spend 24 hours finishing using varnish first on back and sides, then French polish everything. The rest is making the bridge, assembly and set up.

I am reasonably happy with the time it takes to make the box, though I wish I could speed up the time I spend on bindings which is easily a third of it. Building necks one at a time seems tedious, I might start making small batches at once. The real kicker seems to be that finishing takes a good quarter of the time. How many hours does a good sprayed nitro job take?

[DJ Parker]

Hello Craig,

I have been thinking about that very question. I started my guitar building journey in January of 2011. I have yet to finish my first guitar but,,,I have seven bodies (back, sides, lining, etc...) in process and have constructed many jigs, forms, and tools for this venture. I'm not in a hurry just yet and am just absorbing as much info through books, DVD's and forum reading as I can muster. I've started with Michael Collins' instruction on Gypsy guitars and plan on finishing the three I have on the bench before thinking about the L-00's and the jumbo. I have been using the laminate technique on all so far and for that matter built a vacuum system. Well, here are a couple of pics to share. As a complete Newbie I'm hooked 100%. I only wish between family & work, I had more time to devote but hey, that's what retirement is for

Take care,

[Jim McConkey]

Jazzer, we require full names on this board, not handles. Please PM one of the moderators with your full name and we will change your login.

[Christ Kacoyannakis]

When I built my first two archtops, I took careful notes of the time it took. Including making all the jigs, it took about 250 hours, each. I did a lot of inlay, because they were art deco style archtops. Once you make your first one or two, you become more efficient.

[Patrick Hanna]

You haven't specified "archtop" but you're in this sub-forum. Frankly, I have no idea how long it took me to build my archtop. I spent almost as much time building jigs and fixtures and just plain figuring things out as I did on the instrument itself. I have a copy of "The Blue Guitar". Very interesting reading. Most of the builders documented in that book say it takes them at least 200 hours to build a good archtop. Bear in mind that they are pros who do this all the time. I think it's logical to assume the people like me will take longer for the first several instruments. All I can tell you for sure is that the investment in time is WELL worth it.

Patrick

[Michael Lewis]

My first archtop took 95 hours to the point where finish started. The finish process probably took another 40 hours. It takes considerably longer now to make the body and neck but they are also much nicer as I have learned some things along the way. As far as time for a finish, the most work and time is in the surface preparation, and then the spraying goes pretty quickly. You can't really avoid some (a lot) sanding with lacquer.

If you want to become more efficient at making guitars take a lesson from Jim Olson and get a bunch of routers, each dedicated to a particular job, and start making a bunch of instruments. You get much better at each step because you repeat several times and become familiar with the feel of it, thereby making better and more accurate cuts etc. Production is the key to learning efficiency. When you have only one instrument to do you can do whatever method to get the job at hand done, but if you have a batch of 10 you will quickly figure out more efficient (easier, cleaner, faster) methods because otherwise it would seem like forever to muddle through to the finished end.