If just like me you are an keen guitarist, you may at some period have pondered how tricky it would be to one day construct your own guitar at home. It is a question that I wondered a long time ago and since then I have created numerous electric guitars employing comparatively basic and inexpensive tools.
Yes it really is definitely feasible to create an excellent instrument at home, and below I will run through some tips I have acquired over time and also some of the tools I have used.
The first thing I would suggest would be to look online for one of the numerous books on guitar making. In addition there are some excellent websites supplying very helpful information on the subject.
The next thing to do will be to start drawing the body shape of the guitar you desire on a large piece of paper. Look at the different double and single cutaway designs available on the market to help you with your design. You may of course just choose to imitate one of the famed models.
To start your project you will have to find a very good work area (the garage can be great) as well as some high-quality hardwood. There are many distributors of instrument wood on the internet and if you do some research you can find what hardwoods have been made use of by the leading manufacturers, such as Gibson and Fender. You'll need wood for the body, neck of the guitar and fretboard.
Many of the companies will also supply a lot of the hardware required for the project such as the machine heads, fret wire, bridge, tailpiece and so forth. They might even supply pearl inlays for the fret board. For the guitar pickups I'd personally check out a specialist maker as good quality humbuckers, Stratocaster, P-90 or Telecaster pickups are essential.
So far as the various tools required for the job go, there will be a need for general woodworking tools for example: files, electric sander, electric drill, jig saw, chisels, good quality steel ruler, sandpaper, coping saw, fret saw, soldering iron, good wood glue, some strong clamps and so forth. There will also be the need for some slightly more advanced electric tools, the most crucial being the electric router. The router is the guitar makers number one friend and will be implemented through the entire project to undertake several tasks such as: routing out the pickup and control cavities, routing the guitar neck socket as well as the truss rod channel and plenty of other jobs. You might manage with a lot of chiseling rather than a router but I would not advise this, especially as routers have come down a lot in cost. A lot of people insist that you must employ a band saw to cut out the body and neck shapes but I've always managed perfectly with a good quality jig saw.
Other tools that I use that aren't vital are an electric spindle sander, a drill press and a tiny hobby drill. The spindle sander is a wonderful way of sanding the body and neck sides without burning the wood. The jig saw can cut to within just 5mm of the finished shape and the spindle sander can finish up to the template line.
One of the most tricky aspects of the whole process is definitely the cutting of the fret slots because these have to be seriously exact. Luckily some companies sell fret boards already slotted.
When you have the appropriate wood, your design on paper, your tools (standard plus some advanced) along with your components, you're on your way.
This isn't a 'how to' article, it seeks to address whether it is possible to build an electric guitar from home, which it most certainly is. Obviously it goes without saying that electric tools can be extremely hazardous and you should only attempt a project such as this if you're self-confident in your woodworking ability, if not, you may have to just buy a guitar after all.
Griffbrett Gitarre
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