warwickslade
Strummer
Posts: 29 
My main instrument is: Avalon L32C
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Post by warwickslade on Apr 23, 2013 15:49:13 GMT
I have long held a wish to build my own guitar since a schoolmate's dad made one in 1958. (The gloss paint did dull the tone somewhat.) I wondered if this was possible. I have seen kits for sell and courses to go on. There was a good one in Italy for four weeks but this made getting home to feed the dog a bit difficult. I have GCE 'o' level in woodwork, tools, (hammer and screwdriver), and I had a workmate, but it got burnt.
Is there any way I could get to build a guitar without buying expensive tools and setting up a workshop. I have a couple of Martins, a couple of Gibson's and an Avalon so not much to match for quality.
Oh and I'm 70 with fading faculties.
Has anyone any printable suggestions for a practical solution to my last wish.
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ocarolan
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Post by ocarolan on Apr 23, 2013 16:37:01 GMT
Peter, there's lots of people here more qualified to answer you than I am, but I share your hankering! It's certainly true that it is possible to build a guitar on your kitchen table with only a minimum of basic hand tools, but I have a sneaky feeling that it would need to be a true labour of love and that various more specialist bits of equipment would ease the burden, speed things up, and assist in accuracy in key areas. I'm sure someone will be along to talk some real sense soon, but in the meantime, have you explored StewMacs kit pages? Yopu can check out the instructions to see what needs to be done, and even look at suggested tool lists - though the latter are probably more of a pitch for you to buy lots of them from the same site! www.stewmac.com/shop/Kits.htmlMaybe you could try making a uke first....? Keith |
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richm
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 47
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Post by richm on Apr 23, 2013 18:32:48 GMT
You certainly can build a guitar, it is possible to do it on nothing more than a flat piece of plywood or MDF, a no. 4 plane and as many clamps as you can pick up at a car boot sale (and possibly a few trips to your local guitar maker. Like Keith said, Stewart Macdonald sell good kits, for a bit more choice you could go to www.lmii.com/, or www.tonetechluthiersupplies.co.uk/kits/acoustic-instrument-kits.html for a kit that looks like all you need to do is glue it all together, depends how much of it you want or can make yourself. Rich |
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davewhite
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Luthier
Aemulor et ambitiosior
Posts: 3,548
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Post by davewhite on Apr 23, 2013 20:42:47 GMT
What Rich said and more to the point what Keith said. A ukulele kit might be a good compromise. These links may be of help: www.kitguitarsforum.com/www.kitguitarsforum.com/board/index.phpOh and I'm 70 with fading faculties. Has anyone any printable suggestions for a practical solution to my last wish. I believe that 3D printing technology is coming along in leaps and bounds so that if your faculties eventually fall off you can get a 3D printer to print a new set for you  |
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Post by earwighoney on Apr 23, 2013 21:37:59 GMT
Warwickslade,
I don't know where you are based but around the UK some luthiers/colleges run courses where you can build your own guitar. It comes at a price, but if I was looking to build my own instrument that'd be the route I would take.
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warwickslade
Strummer
Posts: 29
My main instrument is: Avalon L32C
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Post by warwickslade on Apr 24, 2013 7:27:37 GMT
I am based in Poole, Dorset. Thanks for advice. Some of those kits look good and the price within reach. StuMac might be the way to go. I will follow up and give this some thought.
thanks again
Peter
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Post by earwighoney on Apr 24, 2013 8:17:59 GMT
I came across this in Devon and this in East Sussex. Both are quite expensive though. Blair Russell in Bristol charges £12 per hour for teaching. My local Adult education college has evening courses, there might be one in Devon where you based which might have something similar. |
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Post by keithambridge on Apr 24, 2013 13:46:51 GMT
My brother built a Stewmac 000 12 fret just to check it out.
Ok, he is a skilled luthier and he upgraded the kit with wood bindings etc, I have to say it looks and sounds fabulous, and he still has it so he must like it too!!
Go for it!
My 79 year old friend is going to be visiting my workshop occasionally so that I can help him build a baglama, he's now had enough of OU courses!
Keith.
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warwickslade
Strummer
Posts: 29
My main instrument is: Avalon L32C
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Post by warwickslade on Apr 24, 2013 15:19:34 GMT
I have checked out the stewmac dreadnought and it seems the bees knees on both quality and price. At £339 it it just what I wanted. However reading the instructions on line I saw the list of tools required. To buy the list of essential tools it is another £400 or so.
If there are any retired (or dead) luthiers with a shed full of tools I could be interested. I am in no hurry as this would be a 2014 project.
(Sorry I did not mean no hurry for a luthier to die)
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Post by keithambridge on Apr 24, 2013 15:40:31 GMT
Part of the fun of building (for me) is making the jigs and tools needed.
Ok, I'm a carpenter so I have tools, lots of them!
If you have no tools you will need to get some but remember that guitars have been around alot longer than battery drills and Bosch routers!
Also, Stewmac do tend to push their tools on you with their (very good) free articles etc.
I would say your first job is to decide what tools you need and what you can do without, then check out ebay!
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warwickslade
Strummer
Posts: 29
My main instrument is: Avalon L32C
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Post by warwickslade on Apr 25, 2013 7:57:09 GMT
Part of the fun of building (for me) is making the jigs and tools needed. Ok, I'm a carpenter so I have tools, lots of them! If you have no tools you will need to get some but remember that guitars have been around alot longer than battery drills and Bosch routers! Also, Stewmac do tend to push their tools on you with their (very good) free articles etc. I would say your first job is to decide what tools you need and what you can do without, then check out ebay! Sounds like very good advice. Thanks. I need to study each tool suggested and look for alternatives. I do have an old electric drill but would not know a router from a route map. Peter |
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Post by keithambridge on Apr 25, 2013 14:51:15 GMT
I've just looked on the stewmac site at the "tools for a dreadnought guitar" and in my opinion you can get basic cheaper tools that will do the job.
For example;
fret leveling file, use a normal 8" or 10" file without a handle (grind the point off the tang)!
peg hole reamer, I use a small rat tail file (twist it anti-clockwise).
fret cutters, grind the back off normal strong wire cutters so they cut close to the fretboard.
A cheap plastic faced hammer for fitting frets.
etc etc.
I think the toughest part without modern tools in the binding and you could always seek help with that.
Good luck!
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richm
Luthier / Guitar Maker
Posts: 47
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Post by richm on Apr 25, 2013 17:27:34 GMT
I would try looking for the non retired and definately non dead luthiers around you. A living one will be able to give you far more advice and help than a recently departed one would! The tools you need to make a guitar can seem quite daunting and expensive so why not get in touch with a guitar maker who has all the tools and jigs you need.
You are most welcome to pop over to my workshop; I am in South Wales, so probably a little bit far away for you but I seem to remember there are quite a lot of guitar and violin makers in Lewes which might not be too far away from you? (It might not be, my geography gets a bit sketchy once I go over the Severn bridge)and they may be amenable to giving you have some guitar making classes.
Rich
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