Official Luthiers Forum!

Hi Guys, I want to build a Les Paul. Do you know of any good web sites for building them? Good books on Les Paul guitars? I've never built an electric, but I have built a couple hundred acoustic guitars. Thanks!

I have found that the luthiers corner over on Mylespaul.com has a lot of good stuff.

I don't know why this thought is so funny to me, but I guess it goes with your picture. You'd think someone would have an online apprentice for a Les Paul by now. Here's a couple blogs with some good information. I haven't built one myself. I'm just getting around to my Online Apprentice CD for the Hauser.

http://home.asparagine.net/ant/blog/?page_id=4
http://eksomething.blogspot.com/2008/12/hey.html

Kent

I hear that Melvin Hiscock's book is good, but never read it. There used to be a pretty good plan drawing of an old Les Paul Custom available from StewMac, which I found helpful to work from. It has been replaced by a more detailed plan set taken from a 1959 Les Paul Standard. I haven't looked at that, but it's probably an improvement. The original plan didn't have contour information. I would think that the StewMac plan is all you'd need.

I call these more-or-less pauls:

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

Great build going on here:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-de ... build.html

Beautiful Howard and I had no idea that you play on the dark side too! I want one!!!!

In addition I am pretty sure Musical Instrument Makers Forum has plans too. www.mimf.com

Darrin

David, the MyLesPaul forum makes conservative classical guitar people seem pretty radical. I've read arguments there about the impressive sonic benefit of authentic Brazilian Rosewood fingerboards-nothing else will do. Not everyone is like that, obviously, but it never ceases to amaze me what the electric guitar people will argue over.

Any particular reason why its a Les Paul that you want to build?

The MIMF plan is for a '59 Les Paul Jr.

Plans are here. too: http://www.guitarplansunlimited.com/Gibsonish.htm

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

I've been playing guitar for 30 years. Classical as well as electric. I've always loved the Les Paul guitars. I play an old Explorer that I love. I might make one of those too. I have all the electric guitar making books, the stewmac LP plan and templates from http://www.guitarbuildingtemplates.com I've been wanting to get around to building one for many years. I guess the thing I'm most interested in is seeing how guys are carving the top.

Great videos. I have never made a Les Paul, but have made a few archtops. I draw the topographical lines like Chris does. I then drill graduated holes to depth as per Benedetto's book. Then I start from the outside with the safety planer and work my way from the outside in, using the drilled holes to gauge my depth. This way, I dno't worry about losing my lines. The same but a little different.

The second link is the blog from my build. If you have any questions during your build, feel free to ask. Mine didn't come out perfect, but I sure learned a lot.

Eric

I would think that your experience building hundreds of acoustic would be a great start. Stew Mac has a good Les Paul blueprint that i think would all you would need. Never built a Paul since i own a Gibson flame top but have build a tele and and SG from plans years ago without online help since there wasn't any at the time but it would have been nice.

The most accurate "Burst" era plans have been newly offered by Tom Bartlett-"alk-3" on My Les Paul Forum. MLP has several extraordinary builds-- search "Wilkinson build," "ex-nihilo build(s) "icegator8", inspectorted and more. Several luthiers there build exact replicas and there are kits too. mt

PS Bartlett is "Eastern Maple Hardwoods"-he sells tops, kits and more. I have the plans and they are excellent and Tom does some top blanks for me. He is a very nice man.

I just finished carving a mando and used one of these. http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx ... at=1,41182

I honestly couldn't think of a better tool for carving a top. That, a sharp goose neck scraper and ROS. A Les Paul is on my list also. And a Tele and a ................

Show us a picture when you're done David.

Danny

My favourite tool for carving is currently my angle grinder with a flap sanding disk in it. No lie.

On my first few I did the 'stepped' thing, and may do it again if I start building towards a specific curve or template; these days I 'simply' route an index ledge (bowl bit) around the edge to taste, and then sand away the rest with the angle grinder, smooth things out with a random orbit sander, fine-tune the carve using an ibex finger plane and finish up (including recurve, etc) using a scraper. Good fun. Some people don't like the angle grinder because it's very, very agressive. You need a very gentle, light touch with it an get used to how it handles (the high velocity rotation gives it a sort of gyroscope effect).

Re: Les Pauls, while I can appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into a lot of those replicas, I don't see why one would want to build an exact replica including all the 'design flaws' (stupid handling of binding, poorly thought out truss rod access, one-piece, headstock-break prone neck), but then I guess I've never quite fetishized a specific guitar model to that degree.

Great info here. Thanks for starting this thread. Maybe move some of it to the tutorial section? Those LV planes look great!

Mike

Hey Dave, I hate giving out other websites here but, jump over to projectguitar.com and check out there forum. Lots of creative ways to carve tops over there...

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Rob

MyLesPaul forum is new to me, but there's so much great info over there! Thanks for the link.

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/luthier ... build.html

Ex-Nihilo's build threads are so inpsiring . . .

I acquired all the wood and parts for an LP last spring. This thread's inspiring me to get it done. As soon as I finish my acoustic.

Hello David, okay?

If you want some help for build your LesPaul, I can help in any way possible, I luthier in Brazil, I teach online there.
Any doubts so ask if you want to add my msn: valter_bergamo@hotmail.com

That's pretty much how I would do it. I use an angle grinder extensively, this would be pretty much a no-brainer for me but I can easily see how its an issue for others. It all comes down to what experience we bring in.

And I agree with Mattia about the rest, too.

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

I loved the MyLesPaul forum link and really took off with it. Here are some of the great resources I've found in the past week:

Ex-Nihilio's first build (includes top carving): http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/luthiers-corner/25441-wilkinson-les-paul-build.html

Ex-Nihilio's second build (CNC top): http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/luthiers-corner/38166-ex-nihilos-2nd-lp-build.html

Ex-Nihilio's YouTube channel documenting detailed steps of a build: http://www.youtube.com/user/A1373S9865

Bartlett Woodworking's plans, templates, tops, kits, etc (the templates used in these threads): http://www.bartlettwoodworking.com/body.html

Tom Bartlett's thread documenting a build (more sophisticated techniques): http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/luthiers-corner/68330-bartlett-build.html

John Catto's drawing of a '59 Les Paul. More accurate than Stew-Mac's plan:

Ex-Nihilio's top contours based on Stew-Mac plan:


Ex-Nihilio's top contours after input from Catto: