Guitar build - walnut/maple neck through *Finished*

[Wil]

I've decided to build my first instrument from scratch, so thought I'd better start a build thread. I've boshed together a few instruments from parts before but never taken the plunge into woodworking and creating something from bare wood - what's the worst that can happen though eh?

As I'm not really playing any bass currently, this will be a guitar build. I've decided on a through neck design and will be using American Black Walnut for the body wings, a Madagasgan Rosewood fretboard and a single piece of plain maple for the neck. As far as the design goes, I've sketched out a body shape which is somewhere between a Gibson Firebird, Fernandes Ravelle and a BC Rich Mockingbird (pics later). Headstock will be a reverse Firebird style.

The guitar will be a hardtail, using a gotoh Strat bridge (scale length will also be based on a Fender) - once the bridge arrives I'll need to see if a neck angle will be required or not - if so I was thinking of cutting a wedge off the body side of the neck and gluing it underneath to create the necessary break angle.

I've sourced the wood already (again, pics later) and have a few hardware bits on order (bridge, tuners, truss rod, fretwire etc). As I need to build up my tools before I begin I anticipate this thread might take a while...

Toolwise (which I have yet to procure I might add) I anticipate that I will be carving most of the body by hand using a handplane, spokeshave, cabinet scraper, chisels and sandpaper after roughing it out with a jigsaw and coping saw. I dont have any real woodworking experience so I figure that using handtools and learning as I go will reduce the chances of any massive, quick and costly mistakes with powertools. I will however need to use a router for the truss rod and pickup/control cavities... terror.

I'm also unsure how I'll be roughing the neck blank without a bandsaw. I could do it by hand but the prospect of sawing straight through that length of solid maple doesnt fill me with warm feelings.

So yeah, watch this space, but bring a book in case nothing happens for a while.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Wil

[Mr. Foxen]

There are lots of woodworking places with a bandsaw about you could probably ask to borrow, or do the cuts for you. People get enthused about guitar stuff sometimes and are really helpful.

[Wil]

[quote name='Mr. Foxen' timestamp='1348485287' post='1814063']
There are lots of woodworking places with a bandsaw about you could probably ask to borrow, or do the cuts for you. People get enthused about guitar stuff sometimes and are really helpful.
[/quote]

Do you know anywhere in particular? I thought about asking in somewhere like Waghorn, but thought they'd probably get a bit upset that I wasnt getting them to build me a guitar in the first place.

[Mr. Foxen]

Waghorn has always been really helpful with my builds, used to have him do all my routing, proper enthused about making guitars. But I was thinking of just woodwork places. There's a joiner/cabinetmaker I used to pass a lot along Cheltenham road I always considered going and asking Kitto Joinery I think, but its basically pick somewhere suitable to you, phone and ask if they can do some minor sawing for some beers or whatever.

[FelixGubbins]

I shall be watching your progress with interest. Like you, I'm looking to build from scratch, but I have got a few power tools to hand, inherited when my Dad passed away end of last year. I'm finding it a bit of a daunting prospect, tbh, but I've got a stack of free wood (much of it also from my Dad) which I plan to practice on without making expensive mistakes. In fact, I might post my own thread ...

[Wil]

Here's a few pics for starters:

My design (ruler? What's a ruler?)



Rough card template:



Nice bit of rosewood for the fingerboard:



The project lead, Milo, assessing the materials:

[tommorichards]

Nice design. Im liking the lower bout contour.

[throwoff]

[quote name='Wil' timestamp='1348527796' post='1814957']
Here's a few pics for starters:

My design (ruler? What's a ruler?)



Rough card template:



Nice bit of rosewood for the fingerboard:



The project lead, Milo, assessing the materials:


[/quote]

Milo looks like he is getting stuff done.

[Wil]

I've started work on this now after procuring some tools. So far I've made some progress on the neck blank, cutting away the bulk of the wood at the sides with a jigsaw and using a #4 handplane to achieve smooth straight edges. It's a learning experience as I've not done any woodworking since school, and I recall being rubbish at it then!

[url="http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/550479_10151047128802056_1013434081_n.jpg"][/url]

[url="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/431765_10151047129152056_1378988792_n.jpg"][/url]

[url="http://sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/550766_10151051490142056_1971219927_n.jpg"][/url]


Coming on, anyway. Once I've squared up the sides and top of the blank I'll think about routing for the trussrod. Gulp.

Edited October 7, 2012 by Wil

[tommorichards]

Good luck with the truss rod routing. I had an idea to suspend it from a height with string to get the necessary curve. Hope you have a better idea.

[Wil]

I went for a dual action truss rod that doesn't require a curved channel, so in theory all I need to worry about is getting it straight. I hope!

Edited October 7, 2012 by Wil

[Wil]

Jointing the body wings with the handplane, before:



After:



The walnut is very nice to work with, and leaves a glassy smooth surface after planing. I've always loved the look of walnut so I'm pleased it responds well to being worked by a novice like myself!

Routing for the truss rod:



Routing was something that I've never done before and filled me with terror somewhat. It was easier than I thought though. It turned out a little messy in a few places, but it's nothing I cant touch up with some glue/sawdust mixed together as filler I reckon.



The headstock will be angled back eventually, at which point I'll drill through under where the nut will sit to make space for the truss rod adjustment nut.

Also started rough cutting the body wings to shape tonight:



I'm doing all the rough cutting with a £15 B&Q jigsaw with a good quality hardwood blade. A bandsaw would be better, but it would cost a fair bit more!

[Wil]

[color=#333333]Today's progress - cut the headstock angled back a few degrees, cut out the headstock itself and started shaping the neck. Lots of carving to do yet.[/color]

[color=#333333]Hand saws suck and blunt spokeshaves suck even more. The handplane is now my friend again.[/color]

[Wil]

Today I installed the truss rod (my route had to be made deeper, which resulted in it becoming wider by accident, so a fair bit of silicone sealant went in with it to prevent rattling), measured and cut the fret slots, and glued the fingerboard to the neck. I will plane the edges of the board flush with the neck once the glue dries.

[Wil]

Did a volute-y thing. Might have done it backwards... oh well! Neck carve is coming on slowly with the surform rasp - it's nearly there but still needs slimming down a touch.

[Angel]

Not really my sort of guitar shape but I'm loving the thread/info/pics. I so want to do this myself one day.

[Wil]

Cheers! I'll keep 'em coming. Wasnt sure if anybody would be interested as it's not a bass Next order of business will be getting the headstock flat/even and drilling for the tuners I think.

[scojack]

I admire the fact that 'doing it the hard way' hasn't put you off in the slightest. It's a great way to learn...i bet this wont be your last either

[Wil]

I'm already contemplating a semi hollow for the next one

It's definately been a learning experience so far, but an enjoyable one. My (sadly recently departed) grandad used to say you can do anything you put your mind to, and these days that's my motto too

[Wil]

Frets done:



Sanded the board to a 15" radius beforehand and pre-bent the fretwire by hand before tapping/pressing in place, but wasn't particularly consistent with the pre-bend and some of the frets have sprung up slightly at the edges. Had enough for today though so I'll deal with those later...

[Wil]

So, I took two years off this build as shortly after my last post I split up with my long term girlfriend, had to move house and lost my work area (not to mention my incentive to work on it). It languished under my bed during that time but now I'm nice and settled again, a few weeks ago I thought "I'd quite like to finish that". So, I've been working in my bedroom and making a right old mess, but I'm enjoying it again and it's coming on nicely. I'm still terrible at woodwork but given enough time I'm sure it will turn out alright!

Progress made - I've cut out the lower half of the body and glued the body wings to the neck - jointing those with a number 5 plane was an excercise in patience and lots of squinting at a straight edge, I can tell you. I'm now shaping/contouring the body with a cabinet rasp and tidying things up with a cabinet scraper - again, burnishing that without a bench and vice has forced me to be creative with some clamps and block of wood between my legs, but it's all part of the fun

















That's all for now... I'll try and remember to update this thread as I go. A few niggly bits of contouring/shaping to complete around the back of the headstock and where the neck meets the body, then routing the control cavity/pickups, then a loooooooooad of sanding that I'm not particularly looking forward to... The fretwork isn't exactly pretty either so I need to glue in a few that are jumping out then may apply some binding to keep things looking tidy.

[Beer of the Bass]

I like the shape - it's halfway between a BC Rich and something out of the Jetsons! What sort of pickups is it getting? Extra points for the rainbow flag backdrop too.

[Wil]

Ha, yes, the pride flag my dear mum brought me back from her holiday in San Francisco came in somewhat handy for catching dust, although it didn't really make much difference - working in my bedroom I am now resigned to dust getting everywhere. Tried a bedsheet but that was a nightmare to clean off afterwards, dust just stuck to it. Oh well, my carpets are rubbish anyway!

The shape is definitely inspired by the BC Rich Mockingbird (I've had a couple of Mockingbird basses in the past) but tweaked to my own taste (I love the lower half of the mockingbird with a shorter lower horn but the top half makes it look a bit too over the top for my liking). The tail is a little bit like a Fernandes Ravelle too.

I'm actually not 100% decided on the pickups yet - I'm thinking probably a humbucker at the bridge and a single coil at the neck, but I don't have any guitars with P90s so that's another option to consider. Could also go for a pair of humbuckers but worried it might be a bit muddy at the neck.

Edited August 4, 2014 by Wil

[Andyjr1515]

Glad this is back on the go! It is looking great. Your accuracy ref your planing is more than impressive. What's the weight like?

Your comment about binding - body or fretboard? The former I would have thought unnecessary, the latter pretty impossible with frets already in and, again, don't think you need it

Keep the thread going - it's brilliant!
Andy

[Wil]

I havent really looked that far into using binding, but I did read this which made me think it would be possible to do after the fretwork - http://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Online_Resources/Binding/How_to_bind_a_fretboard_Gibson-style.html

Really I'm not fussed on the look of binding, I just figure it'll look neater than my slightly wonky fret tangs and slightly-too-deep-in-places-but-now-filled-with-superglue fret slots