Official Luthiers Forum!

Okay so i'm seriously considering what i need to start my first build of a seven string neck-through super strat. This will be my first ever guitar so im hoping all goes well but, before i start i need to know what tools i need for this.

Here's a list of things i think i might need but please tell me what i've missed!

Handheld router
Drill Press
Wood files
Sanding paper
Overhead Router
Phillips and Flathead Screwdrivers
Soldering Iron
Allan key set
Wood Glue
Oscillating spindle sander

Thanks!

Melvin Hiscock's book.

Oh yeah - and take just about everything else off your list. Unless you have the tools already don't buy a bunch of expensive stuff until you have built a few and find you really need it.

I'm not sure what you mean by overhead router but you can do well with a hand held router only and no need for a drill press or a spindle sander. Unless you have the intention of building a shop for future guitar building and woodworking then you can use that money elsewhere. You will need clamps a hand plane, chisels and something to sharpen them with, a scraper is useful, fret hammer (dead blow hammer), pickup routing templates are nice though not necessary, appropriate drill and router bits, a workbench with a good vice, measuring tools like a nice 2 or 3ft ruler and a six inch rule at a minimum, a jig saw to cut out shapes. probably forgot some other important tools of the trade.

well, if you are making the neck you'll certainly need the usual tools for neck work, if not then you need the usual tools for set up of a purchased neck -leveling, crowning, dressing, etc....
-you can put a sanding drum on your drill press and ditch the spindle sander unless you are aiming for production.
-with the correct templates and intestinal fortitude, a handheld router will handle the pocketing work for the body.
-you'll need a multi-meter and wiring schematics (available on the internet)
-you'll need clamps too. it wouldn't hurt to have a variety and multiples as well. parallel, c-clamp, bar clamp, etc..
-stuff for finishing. spraying? wiping? a good respirator for sure, finish leveling papers, buffing and polishing stuff -depending upon the finish type and level of quality you want.
-wood glue? i'd suggest titebond original wood glue.
-you might need a c'bore for your tuners depending on make and model.
-measuring tools. decent calipers, steel rules (6", 12", 24")

along with the stuff others have mentioned, etc, etc, etc,

6" engineer's scale, the most useful tool that I have....

Also - be careful of making tool lists prior to actually getting to the point of learning the processes. Lots of these lists, including my original one, can be a huge waste of money.

We all learn to build in a manner that works for us so there is a lot of variability in our processes altough the end game remains the same. When I bought my first kit I followed the "suggested" tool list and ended up spending over $2K of which less than half of what I bought is useful to me these days.

An example is the table saw, bandsaw thing. Some love their table saws and can't be without them, others, like me, don't even own one (anymore) and don't need it for the processes that we use.

If you are chomping at the bit for something to address prior to building read up on humidity control, how wood moves, etc. and how very important this all is to builders. I typically suggest to folks that working out the climate/RH (humidity) controls for your shop should be job one. Although not as important for electrics it's still important, you still have glues that have envirnmental requirements for proper curing, etc.

Hope this helps.

also, you will need fretting tools, and a spokeshave and draw knife to carve the neck.

A bandsaw is my most used power tool in the shop. It's indispensable for milling up neck blanks, brace stock, jig making, resawing, etc.

Also, its a good idea to make a chart that relates fraction inches to thousands of inches to millimeters. I made one up, printed it out, and hung it up on the wall. Seems like I refer to it often.

Grey matter.

Ok, me be a little less blunt here.

You strike me as a little rich kid that can just go out and buy a shop on daddies credit card. And thats ok.

But me whiskers tells me you be another dreamer, and thaks ok too.

No matter which...when you've had your orgasm at the tool store, got it all under one roof, plugged in and running...well then get back to us and we'll be glad to tell ya how to make sawdust with it.

Blessings
?adma

(crusty old fart ain't me!)


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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Oh Todd,

me admire your sliver tonged devilishness with verbiage, passing out the summolies
like butter and honey dripping off the spoon.

Please, brotheren of dis here "official" looferin forum, lets all be up standing a give Todd a hand.


BUT!


Me Bet: this Lawrence dudes a dreamer. You copy that Lawrence?


So...Todd...

2 years to prove* himself. If he does ... me gift him one of me hand made, signed, 5/8 inch brace shavers (O2 steel) Black African and Turkish Box wood...with MOP inlay...and with a hand written apology signed in 24k gold.

If not...
you owe me a case (24 bottles in a CDN case dude) of Cigar City Brewing Pumpkin Ale (Shipping and taxes included), their Good Gourd Almighty stuff, not that Imperial crap.


Deal?



So Lawrence W...prove dis old man wrong.
Go on ...Me dare you!
Me double dare you...Screw that ...
me triple dare you!

Otherwise kid, go mess up elsewhere.



* Proof is : pics of 7 strings strung up in the white with electronics on board posted on this forum 730 days from today.



Any of you brotheren gotts any problem with this challenge...go blow it out your ear, me don't wanna hear it.

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Ok, I am by no means a rich kid! i have a shoestring budget but no cares as to how i spend it!
After research and watching numerous videos on building guitars this was a list i crafted together, i have none of these but possible access to wood work shop. I mean to create myself a guitar for my own personal use and to learn the trade. If one handheld router would suffice then great and with regards to the neck i was planning on buying a fingerboard that is pre-slotted to avoid screwing it over by possibly putting them in the wrong place!

My shopping list is now as follows
Handheld router
Drill Press
Wood files
Soldering Iron
Allan key set
Wood Glue
Caliper
Respirator

Drill bits-
Phillips
Flathead
C'bore
Sanding drum

Anything else?
Some of this I wont have to buy as i have access to a drill and assorted bits thanks!

Yo kid...

show sawdust or
shut up!

but as always and not the less
blessings
?adma

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Lawrence,
I agree with the real Todd Stock. I would recommend you start with a good reference and skip the drill press, overhead router (?), and oscillating spindle sander, and just start right in. When you get to something where you think you need a tool, look around at what you have and see if you have something that will do, if not then you can get what you need. You probably don't need a brace shaver right now, but a brace shaver of "(O2 steel) Black African and Turkish Box wood...with MOP inlay" would be something really nice to pick up over the next year or two.
Regards and welcome.
Marty

Yo Marty...

Your right, one of me finger bracers, it ain't be nothing to laugh at However...


Me bet, challenge and prize still stand.

Oh but of course Lawrence...if you got any problems with your build...just ask, me assure you, there be way too may of us on dis here forum be just too glad to help you. Right brethren? Right!

Till then ... piss off Laurence.

oh , ya
blessings
?adma

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Hi Lawrence,
When ever you have a question about how to do something, just ask, and I'm sure several people will give you workable solutions.
Melvyn's book "Make your own electric guitar" gets good reviews, and should give you a lot of good information and point you in the right direction.

I have faith in you, and you will have to post a picture of Padma's brace shaver when it arrives!

Todd's advice is good... you really can get by with minimal tools for a one-off electric build if you think things through and get creative. Buying tools as you need them and after a lot of research for each operation is probably wisest. One glaring hole in your list is a lack of clamps... make sure to budget for several if you don't already have a bunch.

Yo Clay:

Faith is the word that immediately precedences the swindle.

"Oh Lord, please forgive the shift we hasta
go through to get the kids off their friggen asses."
..............................................................~ ?adma


Thus spaketh ?adma
Chapter 7 verse 11
?adma speaketh forth B.S.


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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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Here's another approach.

What is the very first task you are going to perform? What tools do you need to perform it? Start there.

You don't need everything all at once.

Todd, Yo Todd, TODD!

PULL BACK DUDE!

Ya, me was with you... till you sited the 'fibber in the dyke boy'. Or is that the finger in Dyke? ...Same diff.)

The bet is still on. Only now its 2 cases vs one plane. You GOT THAT!

Todd,... we,.... ok me, acknowledge that you know your stuff but but but...
Like, some times is really hard to read this crap you be layin down about
dyke boy...ya right! Why,... cuz him fingering/flatterING your ego? ThinK about it soldier!

And don't be getting me wrong here soldier...me has the highest respect for your knowledge ...and, and, ok and your alleged skills, (after all , me only heard one sound track).

But gesus dude..., you can do better than sighting your psychotic, neurotic wannabe student to support your point.

Please Dude, give dis old drunk a break.


blessings

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Audiences and dispensations on Thursdays ~ by appointment only.


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If you are going to build a solid-body electric,
I'd recommend Chris V's free PDF book. (Thanks Chris)
http://www.muxguitars.com/
The most appreciated tool I have is a set of four nut files.
The most used machinery I have are a band saw and a laminate router.
The most essential tool I have is a 24" precision straight edge (not a ruler).
Best of luck!

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wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

I do agree with Todd Stock when he says: "Buy tools as you need them". There are many specialty tools needed, but you can make quite a few of them. I will disagree with those who advise you to scratch the drill press from your list. It is one of the most useful tools in my shop. It will make precision, perpendicular bores (if you know how to orient your stock under the bit) and it will double as a spindle sander if you are clever about building simple sanding drums.

The fact is, you can build instruments with hand tools ONLY, and that has been done for centuries. The real question you must ask yourself is whether you want to work that way (sometimes a lot of effort and always demanding of precise tool use) or whether you want to ease, precision, and repeatability of a well set-up power tool. I think you will wind up with a combination of both hand and power tools.

I'm afraid you are getting more confusion than you bargained for with my answer and a lot of the others, too.

But read all you can online, acquire some books, see how everyone else does their work, and decide for yourself what you can do with various kinds of tools and then start acquiring them. All of these answers were doubtless offered in good faith, but they are all based on the experience of the people who posted them. What matters is YOUR experience.

Devote some time to various woodworking "tools, fixtures, jigs, etc." sites and forum threads and you will find lots of inspiration. That's what I did, and I am able to build instruments to my own satisfaction. And that's all that matters to me.

Best of luck.
Patrick

I forgot to add that James offered some of the best advice: Get clamps. One can never have too many clamps. You can get c-clamps and spring clamps at the local home fixer upper outlet store. Lots of info on how to build instrument makers' cam clamps on the web.
Patrick

I think Todd's advice is good too and in fact pretty much the way I did it except that when I started I was a college kid and my dad had some tools already in his basement home owners shop. I will say this, after about 15 years of doing this I finally bought a drum sander. Every time I use it I could kick my self in the arse for not getting it sooner.

So along that line of thought but more specific perhaps to some one who only wants to build one or maybe two guitars what would I suggest is a must have? I would definitely say don't get cheap drill and router bits and put some money and or time into creating something that will cut your rosette and binding accurately. My first several guitars all have beginners mistakes from using bad tools, chips that are filled in the rossette and binding. A good hammer for frets and a 3 corner fret file are also some inexpensive tools that would be very worth while.

There's some good advice above, but I have to say I don't understand the need of some forum members to be insulting and condescending.

Reading over your original question, I presume you're not an old hand at woodworking, so let me offer this piece of alleged wisdom:

Start by building a kit instrument, even if it's not your ultimate goal. Building any instrument is a poor way to get a guitar at low cost, but a great way to get started on complex woodworking projects.

So, if your intent is to get into building guitars, please consider that there's a steep learning curve, so the headstart of working with kits will be well worth the investment in $$ and time. It's all about woodworking and hand craft, and, like any other craft, it's not about the tools but the techniques. As you set about working on guitars, the tools you need will make themselves known - trust me!

Oh, and welcome to the sandbox. . .

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Cheers,

Frank Ford

FRETS.COM
HomeShopTech
FRETS.NET

Frank Ford. calm voice of reason.

Thanks for hanging out Frank. Truly one of the greats.

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

Lawrence, do you have your instructional materials lined up yet? If not, might I recommend Robbie O'Brien's Online Electric Guitar Making Course?

I know I've really been raising Robbie's flag lately by recommending everyone under the sun take these courses, but it's just hard not to. Video instruction geared towards the beginner and serious enthusiast, downloadable or streamable at your convenience, using simple methods. I just don't think you can go wrong by making this your initial investment.

FWIW, the tools I use most are easily the Stewart-Macdonald String Action Gauge, a dial caliper, and a vacuum. A 6" engineer's rule would be even more useful than the string action gauge.

Confession: The first time I built an electric, I cut the body out with a drill, then cleaned up the edges. I just drilled a thousand holes along the outline.

Lawrence,

This was posted a while ago and I enjoyed it so much I saved the link:

Maybe this will answer your question about what you "really need" to make an electric guitar.

Well worth the 8 minutes



Cheers,
Bob