My problem with building guitars

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I’m on guitar build no:6 now, a bass for a change. All planning is done, detailed plans drawn up, hardware and wood 80% purchased etc. It’s time to start the woodwork. At this stage I always seem to have the same problem. I don’t remember what I’m doing! I can never seem to remember what to do and in what order, and needless to say it’s important to do some things in the right order. Every time I tell myself to make notes, and every time I just don’t do it well enough, or lose them.

To that end, does anyone know of any online resource that has that sort of info with text and maybe pictures as well? I know that there are a lot of videos on how to do everything these days, but I don’t want to sit through hours of videos looking for the info I want, I’m just looking for quick reminder reference materials.

There was a really useful web page that I used to like called something like ‘Telecastle’, and some guy did exactly that, building a guitar and going through everything in order with lots of pix. It was ideal but now it has gone.

Do you guys just remember everything? Or do you have your own reminder stuff?

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Comments

  • WezVWezV Frets: 16547
    its just in my head tehses days as a mental list, but i used to write it down and tick off as i went
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  • Andyjr1515Andyjr1515 Frets: 3127
    axisus said:

    Do you guys just remember everything? Or do you have your own reminder stuff?

    People sometimes ask me why I do such detailed build threads.  To be honest, it's as much about having a handy reference for reminding me what I did (right and wrong) for the next one as ever it is about being overly altruistic  ;)

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  • RolandRoland Frets: 8591
    You’re tackling several different problems here. What’s the normal sequence for building a Telecaster, which includes things like not drilling the hole for the jack socket before routing the body edge for binding or round over. 

    The other is that most home builders aren’t building a standard guitar, using factory jigs, where the build sequence has been tested and refined over many builds. We make some decisions as we go along. We also change our minds. Sometimes to recover from a cock-up. Sometimes because the parts we’ve got don’t fit, maybe the pickup windings are wider than the base plate. Sometimes because we want to try a different part or method. We need to pause occasionally and think things through. In these circumstances there’s no substitute for pen and paper and a cup of tea.
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
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  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11413
    I'm also not sure there is always a single right way of doing things.  I've been watching some of the stuff Mark Bailey has been posting on YouTube recently.  He does some things differently to what I did when I went to Crimson last year.
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  • RabsRabs Frets: 2602
    tFB Trader
    axisus said:

    Do you guys just remember everything? Or do you have your own reminder stuff?

    People sometimes ask me why I do such detailed build threads.  To be honest, it's as much about having a handy reference for reminding me what I did (right and wrong) for the next one as ever it is about being overly altruistic  ;)

    Yes I find this too.. I have done build threads since my first ever attempt (over on the Gibson forum)..  And as well as sharing with everyone I also use it to look at what I have done in detail. Sometimes I spot things that I didnt notice while I was actually doing it :)  
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  • kaypeejaykaypeejay Frets: 776
    Rabs said:
    axisus said:

    Do you guys just remember everything? Or do you have your own reminder stuff?

    People sometimes ask me why I do such detailed build threads.  To be honest, it's as much about having a handy reference for reminding me what I did (right and wrong) for the next one as ever it is about being overly altruistic  ;)

    Yes I find this too.. I have done build threads since my first ever attempt (over on the Gibson forum)..  And as well as sharing with everyone I also use it to look at what I have done in detail. Sometimes I spot things that I didnt notice while I was actually doing it :)  
    Yes, yes, do this. I love reading build threads and @Rabs and @Andyjr1515 ;do them so well
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  • guitargeek62guitargeek62 Frets: 4067
    Hmm, you could quite easily draw up a process flow for this, but it might be overkill as it would either be
    1. Very specific to a certain build;
    2. Too high-level to be of real value; or
    3. Full of so many permutations that it's not worth making
    There's probably a middle ground version of 2. that would work, more of a decision flow though rather than a process one.

    If there's interest then I'll take a shot at it, otherwise I'll be in the back, napping.


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  • TTonyTTony Frets: 27345
    Hmm, you could quite easily draw up a process flow for this, but it might be overkill 


    Also, there are many ways of building a guitar.

    Sometimes it's A -> B -> C -> D -> E

    Sometimes it's B -> A -> D -> C -> E

    etc

    There are probably a few "always do this before you do that, otherwise you won't be able to do something else (at least, not very easily)", but it's more an art than a science ...
    Having trouble posting images here?  This might help.
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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    TTony said:

    There are probably a few "always do this before you do that, otherwise you won't be able to do something else (at least, not very easily)
    yeah, those! Let's list those!!
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  • RabsRabs Frets: 2602
    tFB Trader
    What.. Like..
    If doing binding.. Do it before you glue the neck in...

    Dont drill the output hole till after you have done the binding  :D 
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  • SteveRobinsonSteveRobinson Frets: 6914
    tFB Trader
    In the book "Electric Guitar Making & Marketing" by Leo Lospennato, there is a diagram in the front that itemises the steps you need to take in a sort of flow chart.

    I don't think the diagram is comprehensive or even particularly accurate but it might be of some use?


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  • usedtobeusedtobe Frets: 3841
    It’s not finished, yet?
     so if you fancy a reissue of a guitar they never made in a colour they never used then it probably isn't too overpriced.

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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    usedtobe said:
    It’s not finished, yet?
    Correct. Takes a long time when you are in full time work with longish commutes!
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  • JohnS37JohnS37 Frets: 345
    TTony said:
    Hmm, you could quite easily draw up a process flow for this, but it might be overkill 


    Also, there are many ways of building a guitar.

    Sometimes it's A -> B -> C -> D -> E

    Sometimes it's B -> A -> D -> C -> E

    etc

    There are probably a few "always do this before you do that, otherwise you won't be able to do something else (at least, not very easily)", but it's more an art than a science ...
    Ah, so that’s where I have been going wrong.
    I was trying to do A > B  > P > Z > X.
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