Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello everybody, new here. I've been a musician for the better part of 8 years now and a guitarist/bassist for about 6 years. I'm a DIY kind of guy and the first thing I started on was a small tube amplifier. My attention has now been brought to the idea of Luthiers. I have minimal wood working skills(I've assisted in building some furniture) so I know I have a long way to go.

So to the point of the topic. Where do I start? I'm interested in building both acoustic and electric guitars.

Any good literature to read up on?

My question is pretty much, where does one start?

Welcome Lu.

Read, read, read. Get your hands on a bunch of books and videos. Do a search in the archives for book recommendations, all mine are still in a box somewhere from the move. Robbie O'Briens and John Mayes' DVD are great. Read the boards and search the archive...and of course ask questions. I cant stress the value of searching the archive. There's a wealth of information stored in there.

Do all this to wrap your head around the process. There's a lot of little details to learn. It's not rocket science, but it can get complicated if you think too much. I did a bunch of practice on various steps to get a fell before doing one for real. Some people just dive in. Good luck. I should also recommend getting out while you can. There's no cure for WAS!

Snap wow I'm you six months ago less the electric bit. Get the Cumpiano and Kinkade books cupmiano is very thorough though a little out of date and the kinkade comes with proper plans which I'm using to build no 1. John Mayes Advanced voicing is an absolute must in my opinion for all and the other voicing ones are good too.

Then throw yourself into it and hope your enthusiasm carries you over your despondency when things go wrong my number 1 look **** expletive of choice, but a few pros have tapped it and said it sound good, thanks Joel for help bracing.

Enjoy

_________________
Formerly JJH

I learn more from my mistakes than my successes

Welcome. Zach said it best.

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Brad
Avon, OH

Lu Ryan welcome to the OLF!

Hi Lu,
Wecome to the forum and to the wonderful world of lutherie. I bought my first "kit" guitar a year ago from Luthier's Mercantile International and haven't stopped thinking about making guitars since then. You'll end up having no money for christmas because you will have spent it all on tools and tonewood. When you're out eating at a restaurant your wife or girlfriend you will notice at time that they will be waving their hand in front of your face. Or smacking you on the forehead to get your attention. Because, you'll have that thousand yard stare in your eye and not paying attention to what they are saying. You'll be showing signs of WAS (Wood Aquisition Syndrome). Vision's of beautiful tonewood such as cocobolo, ziricote, zebrawood, dark colored chocolate walnut will be dancing in your head. You will want to end the date soon because your glue will be drying soon, and you need to get the braces radiused down to glue on the top. All your free time on the internet will be spent here on this forum staring at your monitor.

Just jump in and hang on, you'll get used to gouging your index finger with a chisel, pulling wood shavings out of the washing machine from your cloths, tracking sawdust throughout the house. You'll be trying to figure out how to use the old lady's vacuums sweeper and a dust collection system. She won't get used to having a drill press on the kitchen table, so you'll move everything to another part of the house. But, you'll LOVE IT!

Anyway, Lu, the world of lutherie will change your life. Sometimes you'll wonder why you ever started. It's like a drug, you won't even think you have a problem, but your loved ones will wonder what happened. Your mailman will get tired of constantly dropping off big packages at your door.

With all that said, go to "Blues Creek Guitars". It's up on top of this page in the Sponsors area. Call and talk with John Hall. You get a kit from him and he'll help you with any question you have. So will we.

Hutch out

_________________
"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins

Welcome Lu. First thing I would suggest is as others have mentioned, get cupmianos book "Guitarmaking, Tradition and technology" then you should also buy Robbie O'Briens and John Mayes videos. Really good to have, once your stuck you can just watch the right chapter to understand the next move. the third thing you will need is to be online on this Forum alot, and search the achives.The guys in here are worth more than any books and or videos though. !!!
Also here´s the Tutorials page http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10117&t=17905 Good luck also, when I started "not long ago (working on my first) I thought all you need is wood !!! well you will need lots of tools aswell. (this has been debated though, on how many and what kind you need, if your building from a kit you wont need as many tools, so if you dont have a shop filled with tools then go for a kit. you have several to choose from LMI, BlueCreekGuitars, stewmac.etc. If choosing Bluescreek you will have superb help from John who´s the owner. and he also have some "how to build on his site.
Hopa this gave you a little help.

Lars.

Chuck!

This is so funny and so right - especially the WAS! - last time around my parents house - my mum has a few nice antiques and things - saw she had aquired a small BRW box, about 150 years old with more spiders webs than in the barn in 'Aracnophobia' I was imediately calculating how many bridges could be made from this (about 15 at a guess) - Last Time I went over to a supplier, just to ghet some purflings for number two and I end up comming home wioth two sets of Malaysian Blackwood .... bad... wont need them for a while, but you know how it is....

I can only agree to Chucks statement !!! SOOOOO TRUUUUEEE.
I am dreaming bindings.
Lars

Welcome aboard Lu. Glad to have you with us.

Everyone has given great recommendations as to where to start. I really could not add much but it is kind of a tradition for me to give a piece of advice that will serve you well in the short term and the long term as well.

For each and every project you do buy a spiral notebook and start keeping notes. Record everything that comes to mind. When you have a trouble issue list it and how you overcame it and the outcome good or bad. List each and every specification of the work you do your thoughts at the time you do individual tasks. In other words keep a build journal on each project. This will produce two emendate benefits for you by slowing you down and making the building process cognitive from the get go. Also this will build you a huge store of knowledge in a short time and give insight into your growth as a craftsman.

Never let failures or mistakes get you too far down. They are part of the process. Expect to make them and except them. Do so and you will learn from them.

There is a saying in this trade. “The difference in a master and an apprentice is that an apprentice is learning what mistakes can be made and a master has made them all and by doing so has learned how to over come them”