Assemble

[Wrangler]

Hey guys.

Just received my parts for building a complete guitar. Now my question:

    Whats the best order to assemble your guitar?

        What parts are first, second, third, etc.

Thanks  :rock-on:

 

[JamesL]

I always just do the body then the neck and out the two together..

 

[DocNrock]

What are you building?  It makes a difference if it is a front routed body with a mounting pickguard vs. a rear routed body.  I agree with JamesL in that I do the body, then the neck, then mount the two together, but obviously there are details omitted here.

 

[dbw]

Yeah James is right, but the real question is where to start on the body.  It's like, tuners on neck, done, now everything else goes on the body, and you don't know where to start.

I've learned a little by trial and error... what sort of guitar is it?  Top or rear rout?  What about the controls, bridge, etc...

 

[stratplayer1]

I did mine in this order, unpack everything, wire and mount all electronics to pg, , test electronics through amp, mount bridge and any other hardware (strap buttons etc.), mount wired up pick guard if top routed, do tuners/ string tree, , neck + body, strings , adjustments, JAM arty07:

 

[Wrangler]

Rear routed carved top soloist. Two humbuckers, one tone, one volume.

 

[RLW]

A hard lesson I learned about top-routed bodies is to mount the bridge before you drill the holes for the pickguard.

 

[mayfly]

A hard lesson I learned about top-routed bodies is to mount the bridge before you drill the holes for the pickguard.

Yep - I usually install the neck as well before drilling the pickguard holds.

Here's my order:

1 - Mount tuners
2 - mount bridge
3 - attach neck and control plate if it's got one (my builds are mostly telecasters).
4 - position pickguard and mark holes
6 - un-attach neck
7 - mount pickups (top route) and wire it up.
8 - drill pickup holes and mount pickguard
9 - attach control plates
10 - solder on the output jack and mount jack plate
11 - attach strap buttons
12 - attach neck
13 - string it up and attach string trees
14 - set 'er up
15 - play the hell out of the thing in smoky bars.

Hmmm  - that's a lot of steps! who knew it was so complex? :dontknow:

 

[DocNrock]

Rear routed carved top soloist. Two humbuckers, one tone, one volume.

You have the simplest approach awaiting you.  Mount the pups, mount and solder the electronics (including the jack), mount the strap buttons, mount the tuners, and then put the neck on the body.  Add strings, etc.  :icon_biggrin:

 

[dbw]

Personally I don't screw the humbucker rings to the body until the neck is on... I just tape the pickups in place with blue tape until I've got a high E and low E string on it.  Then I drill and screw down the rings, so I can get the pole pieces aligned under the strings.