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Registered
Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: chula vista ca usa
Posts: 5,697
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Going to make a guitar from scratch
Well except for the neck which is easier to just buy one. Back in the late 1970s I made a pair of Stratocaster clones from zebra wood, one light colored and one dark colored, both with Fender's Lace Sensor pickups and after playing them for 15 years or so I sold them and the amps to a fellow in a band in Tijuana MX and went on to racing the 914-6 until it was sold. Now I find there are quite a few companies that make a "kit" similar to what you can buy to put together a muzzle loader. I'll post picts of before and after once I decide the type and such. There wasn't any thing like this back then so it should be a tad easier.
John |
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06-22-2021, 09:52 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: PNW
Posts: 2,753
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FWIW, if you have not done so it will be worth your time to look at Warmoth.com. Excellent necks and bodies that you can customize to your heart's (and wallet's) content.
I have probably 8 guitars and basses with Warmoth necks and a sundry collection of custom, tweaked and stock bodies including this Warmoth chambered body, short scale Warmoth neck, blend-potted, jatoba pick guard strat. Hope you have fun. 
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gary |
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06-22-2021, 11:03 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: chula vista ca usa
Posts: 5,697
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That's one of the places I have looked. When I made the last two I bought all the parts including the ready to use necks from Moze Guitars in San Diego and the frets were inlet into ebony which looked really great with the zebra wood. I made the strat copy bodies from the large piece of wood that I had to butt join with an epoxy glue and some dowels. It took me about as long as the several gun stocks I have made from scratch. When I got the first one shaped I decided to buy a router, table, bits, ETC and the second one was much easier!
John |
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06-22-2021, 11:13 AM
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Registered ConfUser
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Waterlogged
Posts: 23,493
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Is that considered “from scratch”? After reading the thread title I expected pics of you cutting down a tree in your yard as step 1.
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Mike “I wouldn’t want to live under the conditions a person could get used to”. -My paternal grandmother having immigrated to America shortly before WWll. |
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06-22-2021, 11:26 AM
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Serial Lurker
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Mount Vernon WA
Posts: 1,252
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I dealt with USA Custom Guitars when I did my strat build. I was very pleased with them and their service. I used a MIJ body on mine and a neck from USACG. I don't know if they do finishing work there. My body was already painted and I sprayed lacquer on the neck myself.
Edit- I just tried to get a link for you and it appears that there are some issues with them. They have closed, reopened, and closed again for a move to the Midwest. With that, I'd say not to take my advice. I have no idea if it is still valid. Last edited by ledhedsymbols; 06-22-2021 at 11:54 AM.. |
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06-22-2021, 11:50 AM
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Back in the saddle again
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Central TX west of Houston
Posts: 55,930
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Quote:
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Steve '08 Boxster RS60 Spyder #0099/1960 - never named a car before, but this is Charlotte. '88 targa  SOLD 2004 - gone but not forgotten
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06-22-2021, 11:51 AM
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Back in the saddle again
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Central TX west of Houston
Posts: 55,930
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Me Too!!
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Steve '08 Boxster RS60 Spyder #0099/1960 - never named a car before, but this is Charlotte. '88 targa SOLD 2004 - gone but not forgotten
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06-22-2021, 11:53 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 17,364
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Get good with the router and a couple of stationary sander that will sand curves. Those little bench tops one are great for the money if not, clamp a belt sander on its side and go to town. When I taught wood shop in high school a little girl made one out of Padauk and sprayed it with 8 coats of clear. It was this cool natural orange color. She had a great time building it and she can't even play. She did start so that's good. Keep us posted.
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06-22-2021, 12:00 PM
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Still here
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Camphor wood.
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06-22-2021, 12:20 PM
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Hell Belcho
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Oz
Posts: 9,249
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Warmoth makes GOOD stuff. Had a custom neck made for my Jazzmaster.
https://www.stewmac.com/ Another good source of info. https://www.reranch.com/ Finishes, lacquer, colors... https://www.wolfetone.com/ pickups from Pelican Wolfe Macleod. Building a body isnt too difficult. Like anything else, practice.
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Saved by the buoyancy of citrus. |
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06-22-2021, 03:57 PM
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Registered
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Quote:
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82 SC , 72 914 |
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06-22-2021, 03:58 PM
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Hell Belcho
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Oz
Posts: 9,249
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Quote:
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Saved by the buoyancy of citrus. |
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06-22-2021, 04:01 PM
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Driver
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Slodave made a beautiful Les Paul replica several yeats ago. IIRC he made everything, including the neck. You can see if he has any words of wisdom.
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1987 Venetian Blue (looks like grey) 930 Coupe 1990 Black 964 C2 Targa |
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06-22-2021, 04:29 PM
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Navin Johnson
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Wantagh, NY
Posts: 8,773
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In the late 80's I made a guitar by hand.. I styled it after the Alembics, and custom guitars and basses Garcia and Lesh were using
Body laminated with nice burl for the top Used a spoke shave, and tons of sandpaper to shape it.. Ebony fretboard, maple neck.. I laid out and set all the frets.. State of the at DiMarzio PAFs wired every which way... Guitar didn't survive one of our hurricanes. A spoke shave is a good tool to have
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Don't feed the trolls. Don't quote the trolls  http://www.southshoreperformanceny.com '69 911 GT-5 '75 914 GT-3 and others |
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06-22-2021, 04:32 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: chula vista ca usa
Posts: 5,697
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Thanks for the info guys, there are a ton of websites that are for companies selling pretty much everything you need to make any sort of guitar. Back when I made my first ones that wasn't the case I'm afraid and the choices now are great. I have built several muzzle loaders from "kits" from companies such as Pecatonica River Supplies and even then it takes a fair amount of wood work. I have made 6 .45 caliber slug guns from slabs of fancy walnut ($$$$$$$) and I have planes, spoke shaves, carvers and most all electric tools. I think I posted some pictures of the guns I made, the last one being the single shot pistol I made.
As for pickups I am still thinking, maybe some Lace Sensor active type as I used before? John |
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06-22-2021, 05:50 PM
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Serial Lurker
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Mount Vernon WA
Posts: 1,252
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My Strat build has Lace Sensor Hot Gold pickups in it. I really love them. Very versatile, they sound (to my ear) very close to the best single coil strat pickups, and they have minimal noise when you crank it up to 11.
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06-23-2021, 03:33 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: PNW
Posts: 2,753
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Quote:
The Gulfcaster is has an ash body that I chambered. Everything blue on the body is hollow. Paint is as close to the true Gulf colors as I could find in lacquer. It has a maple Warmoth neck, Duncan Pearly Gates pickups, a flipped control panel and a coil split in the volume knob. I cannot play any of my guitars but the guitarist in our band really liked this one. It does sound amazing I think. 
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gary |
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06-23-2021, 07:39 AM
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The Unsettler
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Lantanna TX
Posts: 23,885
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Quote:
Technically he didn't chop down the tree but close enough, lol 1959 Les Paul guitar build...
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"I want my two dollars" "Goodbye and thanks for the fish" "Proud Member and Supporter of the YWL" "Brandon Won" |
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06-23-2021, 08:17 AM
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The Unsettler
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Lantanna TX
Posts: 23,885
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Quote:
BTW, where is Dave? Last activity over a year ago. He OK?
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"I want my two dollars" "Goodbye and thanks for the fish" "Proud Member and Supporter of the YWL" "Brandon Won" |
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06-23-2021, 08:17 AM
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cerealisly, that would be my contribution as well.
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poof! gone |
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06-23-2021, 08:25 AM
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Black Label
Porsche
1972 porsche 914
Ducati
1987 Porsche 930 3.3T
