Sharp as a marble

[cwbork44]

I've been wanting to build a guitar forever...and I've come to this site to piece it together at least a dozen times over the years...I always get confused and frustrated because I'm not smart enough to understand certain measurements that I would want in my build. So I just give up...

 

[Cactus Jack]

What is it that you want to do? If you want to build a guitar from raw materials there are a few guys here who do high level work. If you want to assemble a Warmoth guitar, you can accomplish that with a screw driver, socket wrench, and a soldering iron. Seriously, it can be that easy. Let us know what you're thinking.

 

[cwbork44]

I know exactly what I want it to look and sound like and want to simply assemble warmoth parts. Problem is I don't have any idea what the radius I want is...if I want it to be gibson/fender scale...tuning peg hole size, jack size, among other things.

 

[Cactus Jack]

Welcome to the world of Warmoth. You have been officially sucked into the tornado of endless options. Enjoy it!

I recommend you look at LOTS of pictures, read LOTS of posts, and ask LOTS of questions. The details will fall into place.

 

[rauchman]

Yeah OP, I've been there.  So many choices to choose from and so many of them I have no experience with.

I built a Warmoth Tele last summer.  Choosing woods, frets, neck shape, tuner holes, bridge routes, pickup routes, etc. was almost paralyzing. 

Research and read as much as you can.  This site is fantastic, another you may want to peruse is TDRI (Telecaster Forum), specifically the DIY subforum.  Like here, lots of great info on building your own. https://www.tdpri.com/categories/the-diy-channel.45/

As a starting point, what have you played that you have liked, and what did you like about it?  Did the guitar that you like have a 25.5" / 24.75" / other scale length?  Start with a Standard Thin neck profile from the Screaming Deals section or Showcase and the same with a body that interests you.

Best advice is, don't go bananas with "out there" choices.  Keep it relatively simple to start with and learn from there.  I've never been a Tele player, but decided to go with a Tele because A.) I wanted to experience what the hype was about and B.) it's a very basic guitar to build.

 

[NedRyerson]

I know exactly what I want it to look and sound like and want to simply assemble warmoth parts. Problem is I don't have any idea what the radius I want is...if I want it to be gibson/fender scale...tuning peg hole size, jack size, among other things.

That's totally understandable. It's how I ended up here myself!

I've got my mental picture of what I want to build, and also have some digital mock-ups to either confirm something was a good idea or prove that it was a terrible idea.   And during the design phase, I also Bob-Rossed myself and stumbled into some happy accidents that I wasn't expecting but took the design in a different direction.

Lots of Internet research all across YouTube, from builds to finishing to pick-up selection.  Aaron's videos are incredibly helpful, especially the one posted about conversion necks and how a Gibson scale is meant for a certain type of body versus a baritone scale neck for another body style.  I especially like Darrell Braun and Brad Angove on YouTube. 

I look at guitar building the same way as guitar playing.  When I first picked up an electric guitar, I had no idea what I was doing.  Not a clue about electronics, amps, effects, none of it.  I picked it up assuming that I could just plug it into my bedroom stereo system and be cranking out rock'n'roll.  I thought the guitar was a POS because I didn't get what was in my head right away.  It was another 2 years or so before I finally learned what "amps" are (I was a sheltered kid, and this was an era long before Internet).

Fast forward over 30 years later to modern day, and I'm finally getting better at playing triplets!  Still can't explain to you how to play specific augmented and diminished chords, though.

Point being: don't beat yourself up for not "getting it" right away, especially if you're staring at the big picture of the whole guitar all at once and getting overwhelmed. Narrow the focus and zero in on one component at a time.  Learn the options and characteristics of that one component, write down which one(s) you prefer, then move to the next component.  Then, since you're armed with knowledge about component 1, you can come back to it to readjust if something you select later down the chain won't be compatible with it.

 

[rgand]

Welcome to the forum. Definitely look through the showcase to see what's there. Those parts are made with the most commonly chosen options. You can't go too far wrong with that.

Pick the body shape you like and see what the showcase ones are set up for. When you get overloaded with information, ask on the forum about whatever it is and you'll get loads of useful information.

I recommend staying with standard options because those are fine. For your neck, step out and try roasted maple. That doesn't require a finish and will save you a bit of money up front. On top of that, roasted maple has a spectacular feel, unlike what you'll find on a standard production neck. Most necks in the showcase have a standard thin contour and a 10-16 compolund radius. Watch the heel shape. There are two: Strat and Tele. Get the one that will fit the body you choose (a tele heel pocket will take either but you will have a slight bit of a gap on both corners).

For the sound you want, go to Youtube and listen to people playing the pickups you may want to use. Lots of players like to demo their pickups so you'll get an idea of what they can produce. that'll help you decide which pickups to go for. Remember that you can always change those out and sell the old ones on ebay (for less than you paid but not at a total loss) if you want so you won't have too many lying around unused.

The main thing to remember is to ask questions. Many forum members here have been through a lot and can give you good guidance.

 

[cwbork44]

So many supportive replies, thanks. I highly doubt I'll be able to find what I'm looking for pre-made...I want a tele body, no pickguard, only a bridge pickup, strat trem route (gonna drop in a vega trem), I want a reverse tele headstock with a wizard profile, 22 fets...I know I only want a volume knob and a 3 way toggle placed where it is on a LP (to use as a kill switch), 6100 frets...ideally in gibson scale length, but not a deal breaker...no clue on radius, jack size, tuning key size...

 

[stratamania]

Get a 10-16" compound radius.
7/8" jack size
Schaller bore for tuners which will fit well Schallers, Hipshots and Fenders for example.

 

[cwbork44]

Thanks for the intel...thinking I want to drop in a tone zone (hum), but no idea if I want rear or top routing???

 

[stratamania]

Thanks for the intel...thinking I want to drop in a tone zone (hum), but no idea if I want rear or top routing???

Do you want a pickguard or mounting ring?

If a pickguard you want top rout
If a mounting ring rear rout.

 

[cwbork44]

Thanks for all the intel. I don't want a pickguard or mounting rings...I want 1 bridge humbucker mounted to body one volume knob and 3 way toggle located where it is on a LP or tele custom to use as a kill switch...also have no idea about nut width.

 

[stratamania]

Then you want a rear rout routed for a wood mount bridge humbucker.

What sort of guitars have you played before that should give an idea about nut width.

 

[cwbork44]

I've got lots of fiddles...5 LPs (2 standards), a professional tele, an 89 Ibanez RG 560, 84 G&L Superhawk, Wylde Audio Barbarian and Blood Eagle, Gibson Gospel, Godin acoustic tele, Bunkman dinky strat, Tacoma Koa acoustic...lots of toys...But I still suck.

 

[NedRyerson]

Thanks for all the intel. I don't want a pickguard or mounting rings...I want 1 bridge humbucker mounted to body one volume knob and 3 way toggle located where it is on a LP or tele custom to use as a kill switch...also have no idea about nut width.

1 11/16" is typically the standard width.  In the Warmoth custom builder, all the info buttons will give you some of the basics as well as their experience over time.  It's how I convinced myself not to make foolish decisions once I read up on certain features and wondered "what if....?" 

 

[Bob Hoover Ross]

I can certainly commiserate with OP: I don't think I was even aware that some of the measurements Warmoth asks you to spec existed! So I certainly agonized quite a bit before placing my first order.

There were two "ah-ha!" moments that helped me though, one of which came before I'd ever placed an order. It's an offshoot of the Ignorance Is Bliss mantra: I realized that since I didn't know what my preferred neck shape or fingerboard radius or fret wire size etc. were, it probably didn't matter! And a quick scan of the instruments I already owned confirmed that no two were identical, yet I never found myself picking up one instrument and thinking "oh, this is all wrong, I can't play this guitar!" I just played it.

So I took some wild guesses with my first order and hey, whaddya know? It came out just fine. Perfectly playable, comfortable, not at all weird, it just feels like a neck should feel.

The other "ah-ha!" moment was after I placed my first Warmoth order and I got all the parts and I put them together... and they all fit. Rather nicely. Like, perfectly. I'd wager that the neck joint on my most recent Warmoth bass is tighter/snugger/more solid than that on any Fender bass I've ever owned.

So yeah...dive in, maybe take some measurements of your favorite instruments, but don't be intimidated by stuff that seems overly analytical, and don't be afraid to just take a blind guess on some specs. It'll work out and be a wonderfully playable instrument.