Suggestions On Making My Own Guitar

[MyAmericanDream]

Hey ya'll

I have been looking up ways to make my own guitar and i was wondering if you guys could give me opinions. I play in an primarily ambient band and do a lot of ambient instrumental songs of my own so the guitar i want to build i want to have it sustain for years, and i would also like it to be a little on the brighter side with some thickness in the lows. My question is which woods would be best for that? I am also thinking about doing a Semi-Hollow, is that a good idea for longer sustain in the guitar, and would it still have a brightness to it? the set up i was thinking (sounds crazy but) i would like to have a single cole on the bridge and neck but throw a humbucker between them so i can get an arrange of different tones. Also since I'm primarly a tele guy i would like the body to resemble that.

Any suggestions would help I looked up a lot of information but they don't have a lot out there as far as semi hollow body guitars, and wood combinations just on the specific types of wood.

Thanks

Jake

[MyAmericanDream]

Also if i do go the semi hollow route, can you make it with two different woods or are you stuck on just with only one type of wood.

[torquil]

Originally Posted by MyAmericanDream

I play in an primarily ambient band and do a lot of ambient instrumental songs of my own so the guitar i want to build i want to have it sustain for years

To maximise sustain you need for the structure between the bridge and nut to be as stiff and massive as possible. In addition, the properties of the contact points for the string is important. I recommend buying a serious book on guitar-building.

Even the most sustaining guitars have very little sustain compared to many other instruments, unless you use a compressor or a very distorted sound. How about a keyboard?

[MyAmericanDream]

i use a lot of reverbs and compression so it helps but I just want to get the most out of it when i do swells and such or ring outs. Any suggestion on woods or if i should do a semi hollow even when i want a brighter tone? thanks for the suggestions ill defiantly be doing that.

[MuddyWolfJohnson]

Go to http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Bodies...dyBuilder.aspx and use their online software to design the guitar you want. Then build it yourself. Or just have them build it for you.

[chequepoint]

A semi hollow will only increase sustain if you're playing loud enough to create feedback.

If keyboard like sustain is your goal, get a sustainer unit.

[Ron Kirn]

You got mail....

Ron Kirn

[EADGBE]

The heavier a guitar is the longer it will sustain. Solid bodies will sustain longer than semi or hollow bodies. So a maple neck and maple body will usually sustain longer than a mpale neck and alder body. But some people may not like the tone. Also I believe a non tremolo bridge will sustain longer than a tremolo one. And humbuckers because of the increased output and overdrive seem to sustain longer than single coils.