Looking for a Dallas/Fort Worth area luthier/woodworker

[mark1178]

Hey folks,
So I found out today that the Starcaster won't come in a solid body, so I decided I will just build the guitar off the design I drew up a few years ago.

Template next to my Gibson sg

Problem is I don't have the routing tools to do so. Live in an apartment so I'm limited as to what machinery I can use here, so I'm wondering if there's anyone in town that can route this out for me. I have the template here and am willing to pay. 5 years ago I would have just cut this with a saw by hand but I'm having fun with my new-found love of arthritis.

My plan is to order a body blank from warmoth, with the routing channels I need routed out and have someone in town route the body shape, then carve out the comfort contours by hand. If you're out of town, I might consider it, I'd prefer someone in town.

Let me know if you can and what you would charge.

Again thanks.

 

[DangerousR6]

Well I'm just outside of Dallas, N.E. to be exact, and there is  DFW Custom guitars  972-689-0483 - Dave@dfwguitars.com That's the only one I know off the top of my head. There was another I found sometime back near Mineral Wells, but I can't find his website anymore. If Warmoth's custom shop won't do it with your template, then there is another guy I had make a few custom bodies for me. K N E guitars in Oxnard, CA, guy does a super job. His stuff is super accurate and dimensions are spot on with Warmoth necks.

There's also avent guitars in Farmers Branch  http://aventguitars.com/

 

[mark1178]

Thanks Dangerous, I emailed all the luthiers I could find including yours. First come first served...unless someone gives me a good price.

 

[mark1178]

Found a guy in Dallas who can do it! Saving myself a bunch of money and getting my custom guitar built!

 

[DangerousR6]

Cool deal... :headbang1:

 

[DangerousR6]

I know you found someone to build your body, but here's the other guy I had mentioned that I couldn't find..Just in case.. :icon_biggrin:
http://mojobodies.com/

 

[mark1178]

Thanks D, I've got Brian at http://www.brianpaulguitars.com/ to work on it.

 

[DangerousR6]

Thanks D, I've got Brian at http://www.brianpaulguitars.com/ to work on it.

No problem bro, you might even could take his class and build it yourself... :toothy12:

 

[mark1178]

Thanks D, I've got Brian at http://www.brianpaulguitars.com/ to work on it.

No problem bro, you might even could take his class and build it yourself... :toothy12:

Lol trust me I want to take the class, but still not willing $2,500 for it, that and I can't seem to trick the wife into saying yes to it.

I can do almost everything needed to build a guitar, except for the major woodwork, fretting, measuring (I hate math)...but, I want to, just gotta convince the lady upstairs. And I've been staring at the warmoth site for around 19 years, so I think I owe me for all the creepy staring I've given the site.

 

[Cagey]

The parts you can't do, like cutting out bodies and laying out necks, are largely things you don't need to do. There are many dozens of places to get that sort of thing done for you at a fraction of the cost it would be to do yourself. You'd have to invest thousands of dollars into tools, which means you'd have to make a lotta bodies/necks to get that money back. Doesn't make sense, unless you're trying to go into business making guitars. Then, good luck. There are many dozens of places who've invested tens of thousands or more into CNC machines who'll kick your ass.

Not to discourage you at all, but you have to be realistic. Unless you're offering something truly unique that everybody wants (at least at first when it still seems to be unique) you don't have a prayer. At this stage of the game, the only feature anybody has to sell is price. Raw bodies are otherwise commodities. Strat and Tele bodies are as common as herpes, and the rest of the market is too small to pay any attention to.

 

[mark1178]

The parts you can't do, like cutting out bodies and laying out necks, are largely things you don't need to do. There are many dozens of places to get that sort of thing done for you at a fraction of the cost it would be to do yourself. You'd have to invest thousands of dollars into tools, which means you'd have to make a lotta bodies/necks to get that money back. Doesn't make sense, unless you're trying to go into business making guitars. Then, good luck. There are many dozens of places who've invested tens of thousands or more into CNC machines who'll kick your ass.

Not to discourage you at all, but you have to be realistic. Unless you're offering something truly unique that everybody wants (at least at first when it still seems to be unique) you don't have a prayer. At this stage of the game, the only feature anybody has to sell is price. Raw bodies are otherwise commodities. Strat and Tele bodies are as common as herpes, and the rest of the market is too small to pay any attention to.

Absolutely agree with you on all points. If I wanted to sell guitars, I would have started years ago, right after I did that whole "buy and 60-100 dollar guitar from a pawn shop and sell it for 100-150 after fixing her up" I did way back when you could find $60 beaters and some kid who doesn't want a Squire strat.

I would have built this guitar years ago, just never had the funds. Not in a band anymore either so it's just for the pure pleasure and one realistic thing I can knock off my bucket list.