A couple of newbie-questions

[JonatanOTG]

New guy here on the forum so before I say anything else: Greetings!  :redflag:

I'm not a veteran when it comes to building guitars, but I have a big interest in it and I hope that I'll get many relevant questions (and probably some stupid ones as well!) answered here. As I said, I'm pretty much new to this so you might have to put up with some silly questions from me, hope that's ok! Anyway, here's my story:

I've been looking at Warmoth guitars for a while now, thinking "Some day, some day I'll put together the perfect guitar out of that gorgeous body and that great looking neck!", you know. But I was never to serious about it. Partly because my lack of knowledge, partly because I've been telling myself "For that amount of money you could buy yourself a complete guitar without having to worry about putting it together..." But then there was a turning point. At school, we're supposed to do a kind of a exam project for our last year at what we in my country up here in cold Scandinavia call "gymnasium" (not sure if that corresponds to high school in the US but we can put it this way instead, I'm 17 at the moment). This will be like a major project reaching all over a complete school-year (again, probably not the right expression in English but well, you get my point) starting after this summer and we can choose to work with almost anything we like to.
You may now guess twice if I'm considering building a guitar. For your information, I am! :laughing7:

But before I make the decision, I need to know a couple of things.

[list type=decimal]
[*]As I said, I am pretty much a newbie at this. Do you think I'll be able to put the guitar together if I order the parts from Warmoth? I need to get somewhat of an idea of how much work is involved in this, and how much knowledge I need to have. Perhaps one need to do 2-3 failed guitars before making one that's actually playable, and if that's the case maybe I should restrain myself for some years instead.

[*]From what I've read I know that some of you guys have been building Warmoth guitars for quite a while, so here's a question for you. How cheap can you get away with a decent guitar? I'm talking body with parts and a neck. Since I'm a newbie I might not want to spend all my money on the most awesome high end guitar parts if I fail when putting them together, you know... But if I would success and it turns out that the instrument is actually playable, then that wouldn't be a bad thing of course!  :guitaristgif:
[/list]

So, what do you think? I'd be really grateful if I could get some advice on this!

Thanks! And by the way, I love these smileys!  :cool01:

 

[Tipperman]

First and foremost, welcome to the forum!  :icon_thumright:

You can get away fairly cheap, say $1000 USD, or you can get away expensive. It all comes down to what you order, what brand pickups you buy (For instance, GFS are $90USD sets while BKPs are $285USD sets), etc.

If you are concerned about assembling it yourself, I would see a guitar tech about it. There is a lot to the process if you start entirely from scratch. I usually recommend to my friends that they start by buying a neck for their Strat or Tele, and then a new body, then pickups etc.  Building your first one piecemeal like that allows you to ease into it and get an idea of what all you will need. It can be difficult to do entirely from scratch, depending on the type of guitar.

For example, building a Telecaster from scratch is fairly simple. All you need is the body, neck, tuners, nut, bridge, pickups control plate, potentiometers, switch and wiring. Building a Jaguar, as I am doing, is ridiculously complex.

I don't mean to make this task seem daunting. It can certainly be done easily and quickly, provided you have the funds and determination. If you know what kind of guitar you want to build, we have many forum members who have completed a variety of instruments, and I would imagine they would be willing to help you out. Once you finish your dream guitar, you won't be able to put it down.

 

[leo12.]

Have a look through this set of 30 odd videos, you wont need all the gear this guy uses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqLfllURlo8&feature=relmfu

 

[rapfohl09]

Welcome!! ccasion14:

I will just add to what everyone else has said by saying that if you grab your parts (body, neck, tuners, bridge, etc.), it would be impossible to get a guitar of poor quality. Warmoth's products are absolutely top-notch.

 

[Jusatele]

welcome
Warmoth is nice stuff and you can make the guitar yourself
go slowly and ask questions
we will point you to articles and answer questions
about cost, if you finish the wood yourself you should be able to assemble the guitar with quality parts, put 200 into having a professional get the set u correct and get out of it around 1000 to 1500 depending on what you pay for a body and neck
200 for  body 200 for a neck 400 in hardware and pickups, 200 for setup and you are out a grand
go 550 for body and 250 for neck and it goes 1400
pay to have someone finish it and the price goes up
But remember you end up with a boutique guitar you would pay 3 to 5 grand for.

 

[Updown]

But before I make the decision, I need to know a couple of things.

[list type=decimal]
[*] Do you think I'll be able to put the guitar together if I order the parts from Warmoth?
I need to get somewhat of an idea of how much work is involved in this, and how much knowledge I need to have.

[*] How cheap can you get away with a decent guitar?
I'm talking body with parts and a neck.
Since I'm a newbie I might not want to spend all my money on the most awesome high end guitar parts
[/list]

And by the way, I love these smileys!

Hi and welcome  :headbang:  from downunder  :icon_biggrin:

1) YES you could  :icon_thumright:

Do you want to shape / rout / paint / stain / dye etc the body and neck yourself  ?
(thats the harder part)
OR
Just getting a finished body and finished neck and just putting that together etc ?

It is simpler than you think (if you are getting parts body and neck finished 1st up)
I 1st approached it like an Affix Model  :laughing3:  :laughing7:  :laughing11:  .... but easier than that  :doh:

2) There are bodies in the Screamin deals section
http://www.warmoth.com/Pages/ClassicShowcase.aspx?deals=true&Path=Deals&Body=2
..... there's a cheaper way for staters may-be.
Also the necks .... http://www.warmoth.com/Pages/ClassicShowcase.aspx?deals=true&Path=Deals&Body=1
Same for Bass, if building a Bass.

Showcase items are cheaper than a custom build.
Some woods are cheaper than others.
Some finishes / burst's / dyes etc cost more.
Ply top (Quilt, Flame etc) cost more.
Binding or Natural masked binding cost more.
Stainless Frets are longer lasting for just a $20 extra cost.
Sometimes (mostly) cheaper to go with a RAW neck, as to one thats satin / clear finished or painted.
A Painted / Finished showcase body is cheaper than a showcase body needed finishing.

To save the penny's $$$ ...
You could wood mount the pickups your using. That would be a rear routed body then.
(that saves you the cost of pickup mounting rings and screws) .... or even the pickguard cost & screws.  :icon_biggrin:
Just get a 1/2 inch side jack hole.  :icon_thumright:
http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Bodies/Options/SidejackOptions.aspx
http://www.warmoth.com/Deep-Panel-Mono-Jack-By-Switchcraft-P724C68.aspx
(that saves you the cost of jackplate and screws)  :icon_biggrin:
Just use 1 x vol and 1 x tone knobs
(that saves you the cost in other unnecessary pots and knobs)  :icon_biggrin:
Mostly Chrome hardware is cheaper ie: bridges / tremolo's / tunners / knobs
Also some members here sell different parts, bodies / necks / pickups etc
here ... http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?board=25.0

Doesn't really matter where you cut costs in the above.
Most of the goodness / sound is from the pickups.  :guitarplayer2:
This SHOULD BE your main priority !! ...
Doesn't mean you need top notch big $$$ pickups. But not cheap and nasty either !!
Now there's plenty to choose from out there.
Not sure what style guitar your thinking of building  :dontknow:  some are easier than other's too.

Here's a good place for Wiring Diagrams ..
http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/

And here ...
http://www.guitarelectronics.com/

For what guitar you want to build  :dontknow:  just start a list of the things / parts needed or would like.
Then can get an idea of costs ect.
Hope that helps a little !!  :toothy11:

Plenty of good help around here  :hello2:



What smilies  :dontknow: 


:blob7: :binkybaby: :confused4: :glasses9: :glasses10: :headbang: :icon_biggrin: :icon_jokercolor: :icon_thumright: ??? :icon_scratch: :laughing11: :laughing3: :laughing7: :-\ :sad1: :sad: :sign13: :tard: :toothy10: :toothy11: :toothy12: :help:
:hello2: :icon_smile: :icon_tongue: :laughing8: ccasion14: :evil4: :guitaristgif: :kewlpics: :cool01: arty07: :rock-on: :redflag: :doh: :guitarplayer2: :headbang1:

 

[ezas]

It's NOT necessary to have a couple of failures 1st!!! Most people are very happy if not ecstatic about their 1st project. My 2nd project was a close to best of everything guitar for a friend and he was worried about it being as nice as a Strat deluxe since that is about what he paid in parts and professional paint job (my labor was free) and he LOVES it. I mean LOVES it. There is almost nothing that you can do that can't be put right. Totally screwed the paint job? Strip/sand and do it again. Mis-drill a hole? After you throw a few things and cry into your pillow, you glue a dowel in the hole and re-drill it. But if you read up, watch videos, go slow, think about what you are doing, you can avoid those kinds of mistakes.

It's not a good way to get an inexpensive guitar. I went budget on one of my guitars and it was probably around $800 in parts. But where I got socked with unexpected costs is in sandpaper, solvents, primers, paint, brushes, etc. It's $10 here and $10 there. It doesn't help that I had to strip my first paint job and buy more primer, paint, etc. I also bought tools that I knew would make my life easier like a 10" drill press for about $100, and a few other specialty items. But who doesn't want/need a drill press if they don't have one?

But it is a good way to get exactly what you want, and have the satisfaction of having done it yourself. It's like instant Mojo for your guitar. Like you I had the 'itch' for many/many years, and finally scratching it was a great experience for me. And I'm very happy with the results of both of the guitars I did last summer.

And afterwards you will never be one of those people afraid to touch your guitar with a screwdriver.

How much effort depends on you and your work habits. I work very slow and carefully and did lots of testing of finishes, etc. And I was doing two guitars in parallel. Practicing things first on my 'budget' guitar and then doing them on the nicer guitar I mentioned above. But it did take a lot longer than I thought it would in the beginning.

 

[KaiserSoze]

And if you aren't willing to learn how to properly set up a guitar, set aside some money for a good setup after assembly.  I'd suggest learning though.  Its something you'll need to know. 

 

[Wyliee]

Do you think you could find an inexpensive guitar in your area to use as a test bed?  Find something dirt cheap and completely take it apart.  If you have the tools to take it apart, you can put it back together.

Put the guitar back together.  Does it still work?  If not, do what you can to fix it.  What can you do to make it play better?  (ie. basic setup.)

Take it apart and put it back together again.  Did you do a better job this time?  Did you come up with any ideas how to do assemble it better or more efficiently?

Now go get some good parts and put your new skills to use!

 

[Cagey]

That's good advice. It's how I learned to do fretwork. Talked to everyone I knew and asked for guitars they'd given up on, regardless of condition. Said I'd give 'em my best shot, but be prepared to get less-than-stellar results. As it worked out, I made a number of people very happy. They got back playable instruments. Wasn't the best work you'd ever see, but it was an improvement and I learned a lot. Win-win. Now my frets are the envy of all who see/play them. Everybody starts somewhere. Nobody's born with any talent at all. We come into this world naked, wet and screaming. Thanks to our opposable thumbs and incredible capacity to learn, we invented methamphetamines flew to the moon and back.

 

[Jusatele]

Wyliee just gave great advice

about first guitars

see the one in my signature
won guitar of the month
was my first build
however, I took 6 months on it, first I researched the body wood and decided what finish I wanted and then ordered the body
A went down to the Specialty lumber store and bought a 4 foot 2x8 of ash, took it home and cut it into 4 one foot pieces, at that point I practiced my finish 4 times before doing that body, and I still took time on it and redid a few things
Then
I TOOK MY TIME ordering the hardware for the body, I did not want cheap stuff so I did with out a few lunches and stuff to up my budget till I could order the hardware for the guitar in non
discount stuff, then I ordered the neck which again meant doing without a few lunches

It was worth it and is a one of a kind custom guitar

Bottom line is Yes you can do it, and if one step is not what you can do, farm it out.

 

[JonatanOTG]

First and foremost, welcome to the forum!  :icon_thumright:

I usually recommend to my friends that they start by buying a neck for their Strat or Tele, and then a new body, then pickups etc.  Building your first one piecemeal like that allows you to ease into it and get an idea of what all you will need.

Thanks!  :icon_smile:

That sounds like a nice idea. Instead of ordering it all at one time (only to realize that half off the stuff isn't right for me!) I could focus on one part at the time. Thanks for the tips!

 

[JonatanOTG]

Have a look through this set of 30 odd videos, you wont need all the gear this guy uses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqLfllURlo8&feature=relmfu

I actually watched the final part last week! That's the kind of videos that make me inspired and I learned a couple of useful things, not least about the great amount of work you need to put on the neck and the frets.

 

[JonatanOTG]

Welcome!! ccasion14:

I will just add to what everyone else has said by saying that if you grab your parts (body, neck, tuners, bridge, etc.), it would be impossible to get a guitar of poor quality. Warmoth's products are absolutely top-notch.

Thanks!

I guess you're right, at least if I don't screw up when putting them together!  :toothy11:

 

[JonatanOTG]

welcome
Warmoth is nice stuff and you can make the guitar yourself
go slowly and ask questions

Thanks!
I have no doubt about that  :icon_thumright:
Indeed I will!

 

[Cagey]

I actually watched the final part last week! That's the kind of videos that make me inspired and I learned a couple of useful things, not least about the great amount of work you need to put on the neck and the frets.

Fretwork can be tedious and demanding, not to mention requiring a lot of expensive tools, and you don't want to experiment on a Warmoth neck. That kind of activity should be reserved for junkers or at least lesser instruments that you don't mind if they turn out less than perfect. Once you've got your chops down, then you can run with the big dogs <grin>

If you'd like some help with that, I'd suggest sending the neck to me, but if you have some local techs you can trust then that's the way to go on a first build.

 

[JonatanOTG]

Hi and welcome  :headbang:  from downunder  :icon_biggrin:

1) YES you could  :icon_thumright:

Do you want to shape / rout / paint / stain / dye etc the body and neck yourself  ?
(thats the harder part)
OR
Just getting a finished body and finished neck and just putting that together etc ?

Thanks! And thanks again for the long and awesome reply! 

YES! I knew it!  :toothy10:

Well, if I decide to order a Warmoth body (or neck), it would be a finished one. For some reason I'm a bit afraid of doing the finishing myself, but since I'm not interested in doing it either, never mind! I've seen many very nice bodies & necks in the showcase...  :toothy12:

 

[JonatanOTG]

And afterwards you will never be one of those people afraid to touch your guitar with a screwdriver.

Absolutely, that's one of the main reasons I'm considering this!

 

[JonatanOTG]

I'd suggest learning though.  Its something you'll need to know.

Yeah, that sounds reasonable to me!

 

[JonatanOTG]

Do you think you could find an inexpensive guitar in your area to use as a test bed?  Find something dirt cheap and completely take it apart.  If you have the tools to take it apart, you can put it back together.

Put the guitar back together.  Does it still work?  If not, do what you can to fix it.  What can you do to make it play better?  (ie. basic setup.)

Take it apart and put it back together again.  Did you do a better job this time?  Did you come up with any ideas how to do assemble it better or more efficiently?

Now go get some good parts and put your new skills to use!

That's a great suggestion, I'll keep that in mind for sure!  :hello2: