Official Luthiers Forum!

How many hours does it take for you to build a guitar from start to finish? Neck and paint included.I estimate 200 hrs. for me.

I'm around 100 depending on the features. Add another 10 for a cutaway.

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

Five years ago it took me 200-250. Two years ago a non fret board and peghead inlaid guitar took me 180 hours on average. Now I would say that is closer to 100 hours. It all has to do with experiance, routine and the appointments. Oh and sometimes the wood being used

I don't count in hours, I count in months (or even years). But then I'm an amateur in the real sense of the word. I do it 'cos I love it.

I would guestimate the following:

Simpler (no shell, slothead, cutaway other options) - 60-70
complex (armrest ribrest cutaway, shell, multiscale - 120 and up

My students average about 90-100 for a simple guitar.

_________________
Tony Karol
www.karol-guitars.com
"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

I'm around 80 hours for a basic guitar.

Chuck

_________________
_________________

not including finish I did one in under two days.

I can build the box in one very long day if I push it, and have some things pre-glued.

On average... 50 hours or less.

_________________
John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

Just for clarity for those that may not under stand. Obviously we are speaking of “man hours of labors” here. Not consecutive clock hours

Man, they should call you John "The Machine" Mayes. The fastest I know of takes about 35-40 hours, but he's -really- jigged up.

Soon, very very soon, I'll start building again with the intent to go for speed. Not because I'm interested in selling them, but because I want to make as many near-identical guitars as possible in a short time in order to collect data on them.

_________________
Bob Garrish
Former Canonized Purveyor of Fine CNC Luthier Services

My neophyte students build a complete instrument without paint in ten days. No materials are pre-prepared. Everything is made during the 10 day period. So, students making a non-complex instrument in a "classroom" make it in 80 hours. And, of course, nothing is pre-made or outsourced.

_________________
Sylvan
http://www.wellsguitars.com

Oh my god ... it took me around 350Hrs just to close the box (done today) on my first classical. Ok, it's the first one, and I have no power tool at all (no dremel, no electric saw ... braces were cut using my japanese saw ... ).

2 days do the box, I wasn't able to imagine it. I think I could use a turle as a symbol on my label ...

I know a local guy who has it "down to an art" as they say.

He builds and finished a basic spec guitar in 30 hours. His necks are not fully made, just roughed out for him on CNC but he still does a final carve/shape of them.

Oh, and this includes finishing.

Yes, he's that good.

And to boot, he puts out 50-60 a year at $3k + each.

That'll work!

Oh, and he can't aford to waste time on internet guitar making forums either

_________________
My Facebook Guitar Page

"There's really no wrong way, as long as the results are what's desired." Charles Fox

"We have to constantly remind ourselves what we're doing....No Luthier is putting a man on the moon!" Harry Fleishman

"Generosity is always different in the eye of the person who didn't receive anything, but who wanted some." Waddy Thomson

I finished my number 3 in 5 weeks working a couple hours each day, sometimes more, other days not at all, probably 100-120 hours without finish, and hand tools only. Since I did not need to rethink and change almost anything over my number 2, and with the added experience, it really went on very smoothly. With an established routine for all operations, it can work out very fast as others have said.

_________________
Build log

I built my last one in about 43 hours. The finish was pretty simplistic...tru-oil over z-poxy pore filler. I'm starting to run batches of parts and I'm also still filling in jigs where I need them. I do a lot of CNC work, where appropriate.

_________________
http://www.PeakeGuitars.com

Between 100 and 200 hours (more often than not closer to 100) for either electric or acoustic instruments - unless we're talking a fender style, which is more like 30 to 50 hours. Inlay and decoration and finish prep takes up a lot of time.

Impressive!

I am slow and take about 80 - 100 hours and this does not include finishing. Set-up can take another 8 hours, or usually does for me.

It serves no purpose counting the hours in the pursuit of art or excellence...


That being said, I'm a lot faster doing some fabrication in batches and knowing what I'm doing. Especially knowing what I'm doing, sort of.

_________________
Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

My two day guitar:

_________________
John Mayes
http://www.mayesluthier.com

I just finished with watching every one of John Mayes' videos. I recommend them and I note that Mr. Mayes can do some pretty amazing things with a belt sander that must save him many hours of work. Nice job on the two day build.

_________________
http://www.booneguitars.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephen-Boone-guitar-builder/488208541257210

Sure there is...It tells you where you need to improve. And if you are selling your work, it helps to gauge your $/hr. It's just basic business.

On the other side of the coin, it doesn't matter to the customer how long you spent on the guitar...all that matters is the end result.

_________________
http://www.PeakeGuitars.com

I am about 80 hours now. Once I got some power tools like a planer it drastically reduced my time and the quality probably went up as well.

If you're pursuing business, that's a different game altogether. Then, time does count.

If you're pursing the craft for your own interests, is not the pursuit itself reward? Best not get too obsessed by the amount of time invested. Being aware of the time is different from being obsessed by how many minutes each task requires.

_________________
Expectation is the source of all misery; comparison the thief of joy.
http://redrivercanoe.ca/

I used to work in a guitar repair shop that was not my own, and i couldnt stand keeping track of every minute spent on a job. Now i work for myself, making a comfortable living building and repairing instruments, and keeping track of time was the first thing to go out the window when i left the old job. I admire people who are organized with their time and resources, but i am not one, nor do i ever aspire to be. I know when something is taking too long, and i know when i am really cooking. For some of us, the days are more enjoyable and productive when focused on getting the next step done.

p.s. i really do admire you organized guys, i tried and failed to keep track of my time for a while. In the end it is the instruments we make and the quality of our time spent doing it that count, however you get there.

_________________
Jordan Aceto
Ithaca, NY

I probably have 20 hrs. on each one of these and that's not including the neck inlays.Some of you guys must be useing cnc on your guitars to be so fast. I also have to take into account cutting down the tree and milling the wood too.

I have never counted hours while building a guitar, but I suspect that I am among the slowest builders. I did feel better after seeing that Daniel Freiderich says he takes 200 hours.

_________________
Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.