Home Grown Guitars: Pics and Tales

[Gumby]

Hello Everybody,

I'm starting a new project, I'm building myself a new ax. I'm sure others have tried it. I would love to see some pictures, and here some tales. Maybe even a little advice.

This is a spin-off from a previous thread:
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=79139

[george4908]

Well, since you asked. Here's a folder of pics of me and my friend Norm each building our first guitars in his garage:

http://snipurl.com/telebuild

You will see that at one point, mine was going to be ice blue metallic, but I had trouble getting the flakes to settle uniformly, so I stripped it and went with Les Paul gold (which was much easier to work with). Here's the finished guitar:

http://snipurl.com/GoldtopTele

Note additional holes above the bridge plate -- a reminder to me to be more careful! I'm going to be starting on my second Tele shortly.

Here are Norm's guitars -- he's since built five more. He's seriously good.

http://snipurl.com/normsguitars

[emjee]

Woah, thats a badASS Lester LP C*py!!! Beauty of a top, the binding looks excellent from the angle from which they were shot!
Binding correctly done is a lost artvto quote Gene Baker.
What kinda p'ups are in the LP?

Matt

[lhallam]

Wow, impressive.

[george4908]

>>What kinda p'ups are in the LP?

Gibson '57 Classics.

[sonicparke]

Here's my project that is now off to a friend, David Myka, for finishing. When I get it back I'll post a finished pic.

http://www.smrp.com/guitarsmall.jpg

[Chiba]

Check out the pictures :) (http://www.unlikelyprofessor.com/gallery/tele_custom_project)

I didn't *build* it, but I did assemble it and do all the conversion work.

A few years back - call it 6 to 8 - I had a pair of '74 Tele Customs. I loved the sounds I could get from the combination of the single coil in the bridge and the humbucker in the neck, and I really dug the look (I had 1 black and 1 blonde). What I couldn't get used to was the really narrow nut width and the very round fretboard radius, and I eventually sold them both. My ears were sorry, but my hands were happy!

About 18 months or so ago, I stumbled on a great deal on a used '98 American Standard Telecaster in white, my favorite color for a guitar. I played it like that for a while, then got this crazy idea...

...hey, what if I 'converted' it into a Tele Custom?

Sure, it would have been easy to get a new pickguard, put a humbucker in the neck, and just go - but part of the Tele Custom charm is the look. The massive pickguard. The Les Paul-style controls. The fat headstock.

My first goal was to find the right neck, and I ended up with an '02 American Strat neck (maple/maple, of course). I chose Seymour Duncan for the pickups, a Five-Two for the bridge and an Alnico II Pro for the neck. I went with Sperzel tuners (ok, they came with the neck :D) and a Callaham bridge. I had the knobs custom-made, and with all the parts in hand, I got out my Dremel.

It took a whole afternoon to rout out the cavities for the switch and additional controls, but it was totally worth it! The guitar is nigh on to alive, it's present and responsive and sounds great. I keep the neck pickup split most of the time, and thanks to SD's forward thinking, when both pickups are on (and the neck is split), I get hum cancelling. Brilliant!

So while I technically didn't MAKE the guitar, I did make it...sorta!

--chiba

[Gumby]

Thanks everyone. Very nice pictures. I'll write more when I get a chance. Note taken about the bridge holes, George. Still, nice choice with the LP gold. Looks real fancy.

[Schroeder]

Past projects:

Three of my completed projects (all but the Black Cherry PRS Singlecut in this pic) (http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/2794211/34058050.jpg)

Santana Copy (http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=3012991&uid=995811&members=1)

Current project (this is one of two identical bodies):

http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/7146815/93768598.jpg

The Chopper Guitar that is in Shovelhead's paint booth right now...

http://pic7.picturetrail.com/VOL208/995811/3593976/91770943.jpg

[Schroeder]

George, very nice work man! How do you keep your shop so clean!!!

Gumby, let me know if you need any help. I am a very good enabler when it comes to guitar building!

[fred dons]

this one I'm working on right now
http://www.pixum.nl/members/freddons/?act=a_view&album=440038&i_pos=121&ktw=5990992872c7402064fe414e5e8e0228

the inlay design was a bit "borrowed" from Nik Huber
http://www.pixum.nl/members/freddons/?act=a_view&album=440038&i_pos=122&page=16&ktw=47a074df8712e27462a4b04eff415732

[robmarch]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/robmarch/PictureLAetc_020.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/robmarch/purple_front.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/robmarch/rm_headstock_small.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/robmarch/elephant%20guitar/sideshot.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/robmarch/elephant%20guitar/elephant_with_tuners.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v82/robmarch/elephant%20guitar/CopyofIMG_0225.jpg

Pic overload!!!

nice pics, Schroeder, those look really nice.

I'd definitely do it, building a guitar in any form (even assembling a kit) is very educational and rewarding.

[Gumby]

I'm already on the search for materials. Thinking about pu config, electronics placement, and I'm happy to know I can get some help here from some obviously talented people.

Rob, really dig your headstock shape. very cool guitars.

I'm having a blast already, and I've only just begun.

[gtrcollectr]

My buddy Joe and I have started building in his garage. We have completed a strat body and a couple of LP Junior bodies and pickgaurds. We have yet to start on the necks but should get to that pretty soon. I am amazed at the talent of a lot of the home builders that we have here.

http://glasselevator.net/joe/strat
http://glasselevator.net/joe/lpjr

Todd

[EVO]

here are some of mine

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL19/1984863/3837712/47399280.jpg
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL19/1984863/3837712/47380734.jpg
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL19/1984863/3837712/49726761.jpg
can you say flame myrtle!!
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL19/1984863/3837712/49726752.jpg

[EVO]

http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL19/1984863/3837712/49947542.jpg
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL19/1984863/3837712/49947539.jpg
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL19/1984863/3837712/49947553.jpg
and lastly a pic of uncle ted holding this guitar at a signing
http://pic3.picturetrail.com/VOL19/1984863/3837712/90116862.jpg

[Gumby]

Good work EVO, very nice porn... That flame myrtle is nice.. Des Moines isn't far from me. Where do you get your wood?

[Mike M]

Here a couple I have built. The first is a 59 LP clone and the other is a Gustavsson clone, I just finished.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v164/mmallady/?action=view&current=DSCN3244.jpg



http://photobucket.com/albums/v164/mmallady/Special/?action=view&current=DSCN4840.jpg

[pugsfly]

Originally posted by Mike M
Here a couple I have built. The first is a 59 LP clone and the other is a Gustavsson clone, I just finished.

http://photobucket.com/albums/v164/mmallady/?action=view&current=DSCN3244.jpg



http://photobucket.com/albums/v164/mmallady/Special/?action=view&current=DSCN4840.jpg

Wow!! That's some nice handiwork. :dude
Build me one? Haha.. :D

[Crazy Carl]

Here's my first, still in progress-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v206/Lingenfelser/topshot.jpg

1st 2 coats of lacquer went on yesterday, so she oughtta be done in 3-4 weeks. Been working on 'er evenings & weekends since January.

[sonicparke]

Originally posted by Crazy Carl
Here's my first, still in progress-
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v206/Lingenfelser/topshot.jpg

1st 2 coats of lacquer went on yesterday, so she oughtta be done in 3-4 weeks. Been working on 'er evenings & weekends since January.

I like the body shape. Looks really nice.