DESIGN AND BUILD THE GUITAR THAT MEETS YOUR NEEDS--do it yourself.
Learn everything needed to design, build, finish and set up a world class guitar. My name is engraved and filled with 23 karat gold leaf in the design to the left. A custom truss rod cover was created from Zebrawood. You can learn how all of this was done and copy my success.
DESIGN AND BUILD
SOME OF WHAT'S INCLUDED
(REVIEW THE "WHAT'S IN THE COURSE" SECTION BELOW):
- Skill Builders show you how to improve on your natural abilities to work with wood and specialized tools
- Sources for timber, hardware, and finish supplies
- Dozens of videos show exactly how I build a custom laminated body and assemble a top selling, gig-worthy guitar that can take on any "corporate" guitar building company
- Plenty of photo examples
- Measurements and diagrams
- Making perfect solder joints
- Creating PERFECT joints, curves, and finish work
- Durable, long lasting, recipe-driven finishes
- Setup techniques for maximum playability
- REVIEW THE FULL COURSE CURRICULUM BELOW
VOLUME AND TONE CONTROLS, SWITCHES, CAPACITORS, RESISTORS AND WIRING
- LEARN all about the electrical components of your guitar.
- DISCOVER how to add new functions to existing setups, upgrade, and understand why things work the way they do
- LEARN soldering techniques that will ensure you never have a cold joint and failure
- UNDERSTAND how tone is created and why it matters
- UNDERSTAND volume and tone controls and how to choose from the bewildering number of different types on the market today.
WHAT'S IN THE COURSE?
INTRO, WELCOME, AND VALUABLE INFO YOU NEED TO KNOW
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BUILDING A STRAT STYLE GUITAR KIT
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- Where to purchase a kit and what to expect
- Unboxing and evaluating the Strat style kit (4:04)
- SANDING--Smoothing the front and back of the body (1:36)
- SANDING--smoothing the sides and curves of the body (3:04)
- Using a neck holder to manipulate the body (0:50)
- FINISHING--Using Japan Drier and removing fine scratches (2:25)
- FINISHING--Applying the oil finish (2:07)
- FINISHING--Wet sanding with BLO and Japan Drier (1:38)
- FINISHING--Buffing the finished body before waxing (2:18)
- FINISHING--Applying paste finishing wax (1:12)
- FINISHING--Final polishing of the waxed finish (2:19)
- Organize and identify the hardware (1:50)
- Drilling pilot holes for spring claw screws (2:11)
- Installing the bridge (3:02)
- Installing the pickguard/pickups/controls assembly (5:44)
- Attaching the bridge ground, spring claw and springs (4:55)
- Installing the tuning machines and screws (2:56)
- Bolting on the neck (3:22)
- Removing protective wrap and knob removal trick (3:10)
- Installing new strings (4:10)
- Adjust spring tension for tremolo action (affects string tension) (1:45)
- String tree installation (2:11)
- Stretching new strings (0:49)
- Adjusting the saddle height and string height (setting the action) (2:32)
- Tuning the guitar to the standard E A D G B E (1:34)
- Dive bombing--does the guitar stay in tune after diving? YES! (0:59)
- Truss rod adjustments if needed (1:43)
- Strap button installation (0:39)
- Pickup height adjustment and 5-way switch designations (1:49)
- Final thoughts and shots of the Strat style guitar kit (0:59)
- Finishing Schedule for using an oil finish
BUILDING A TELECASTER STYLE GUITAR KIT
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- Where to purchase a kit and what to expect
- Sanding the body in preparation for finish (same technique used to sand Strat style guitar)
- Oil finishing (see the FINISHING lessons below under STRAT style kit)
- Installing pickups
- Installing the bridge
- Installing controls--switch, volume, and tone pots
- Installing the neck
- Installing the tuning machines
- Installing strings and tuning
BUILD A CUSTOM BODY CORE TO YOUR SPECS IN ANY STYLE
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- Important info... ** READ THIS ** before starting this secion
- Cutting body core segments to rough length (1:17)
- Ripping body core segments to rough width on table saw (1:11)
- Thickness planing the body core segments (1:10)
- Jointing the edges of the body core segments in preparation for edge gluing (1:13)
- Laying out body and top before glue is applied (0:29)
- Gluing and clamping the body core blanks together (7:10)
- Removing glue squeezeout and prepping for gluing on the top (0:47)
- Removing the core from the clamps and cleaning up the glue (1:25)
- Mark center line and outline the body shape (1:10)
- Cut out shape on band saw (2:22)
- Creating the shape with a spindle sander (0:53)
- Creating the shape with a template and router table setup (5:41)
SANDING THE FINAL SHAPE
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BUILDING THE TOP FOR THE BODY CORE (THIS SECTION ONLY APPLIES IF BUILDING A LAMINATED BODY)
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- ** Please read this note before starting this chapter **
- 1. Measuring and cutting the top to length (0:24)
- 2. Resawing the top--bookmatching (0:46)
- 3. Surface planing the top to thickness (1:43)
- 4. Ripping the top segments to width and jointing the edges (2:16)
- 5. Checking core and top for final thickness before glue-up (0:36)
- 6. Making registration pins to align top and body core before gluing (2:37)
- 7. Making a clamping pad for top glue up
- 8. Gluing and clamping (laminating) the top to the body core (6:34)
CREATING CAVITIES -- ROUTING FOR THE NECK, PICKUPS, CONTROLS, AND TUNNELING FOR WIRES
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- 1. Drlling neck bolt holes and preparing for neck pocket routing (2:14)
- 2. Routing the neck pocket (1:58)
- 3. Cleaning up edges of neck pocket (1:47)
- 4. Evaluating the placement of the neck in the pocket (1:25)
- 5. Marking scale length, pickup cavities, and bridge placement (3:57)
- 6. Bridge placement and drilling pilot holes with self centering bit (1:24)
- 7. Hogging out the pickup cavities in preparation for routing (1:53)
- 8. Routing pickup cavities (1:32)
- 9. Drilling holes for pots, preparation for routing rear control cavity (0:54)
- 10. Routing the rear control cavity for the electrical components (1:34)
- 11. Drilling access tunnels for pickups and bridge ground wires (2:34)
- 12. Creating the tunnel for the output jack and wires (2:51)
- 13. Routing the rear control cavity (1:34)
- 14. Routing and drilling the slot for the 3-way switch (2:43)
- 15. Creating a mortise for the 3-way switch to sit down in (1:39)
- 16. Sealing and copper shielding the control cavity (1:54)
- 17. Covering the bottom of the pickup cavities with copper foil (0:49)
BELLY CUTOUT CURVE CREATION AND DRILLING STRING FERRULE HOLES
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WORKING WITH EXISTING GUITAR NECKS AND REFRETTING
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- Why working with existing necks makes sense over trying to build your own neck
- Refretting--removing the existing frets
- Refretting--cleaning up the fret slots
- Refretting--bending fret wire to match the neck radius
- Refretting--cutting frets to length and organizing them
- Refretting--pressing new frets into their slots and trimming the ends
- Refretting--filling the voids between fret and fingerboard
- Refretting--checking the new frets for level
- Refretting--leveling all the frets at once
- Refretting--dressing the fret ends
- Refretting--final scratch removal and finish polishing
HEADSTOCK DESIGN AND MODIFICATION
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** SKILL BUILDERS--INCREASING AND IMPROVING YOUR NATURAL WOODWORKING ABILITIES
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- Why skill builders are so important (and why you don't want to skip this section)
- Using yellow wood glue (aliphatic resin vs pva)
- Creating perfect glue joints
- Drilling holes that are dead centered where you want them
- Measuring accurately every time
- Setting the table saw fence accurately
- Drilling to a specified depth accurately and precisely
- Using cyanoacrylate (CA) glue to fill, repair, and join parts
- How strong is a glue joint? Part 1 (1:28)
- How strong is a glue joint? Part 2 (2:10)
- Drilling the right size pilot hole for any size screw
- Using a cabinet scraper and drawing a sharp burr (3:41)
- Edge glue strength test: Is glue stronger than wood? (1:28)
HAND TOOLS USED IN GUITAR BUILDING: EVERYTHING YOU'LL NEED AND WANT
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- List of hand tools I use in building electric guitars
- Cabinet scrapers--using them effectively (3:41)
- Digital calipers--how they work (2:52)
- Low angle block plane (5:24)
- Hand saws--Japanese flush cut and others (0:48)
- Screw drivers--tips and best practices in their use
- Wood and metal files and rasps
- Wire cutters, nippers, needle nose pliers
- Wood chisels and mauls
- Gyroscopic cordless screwdriver by DeWALT (2:31)
- Self centering drill bits (1:12)
STATIONARY POWER TOOLS USED IN ELECTRIC GUITAR BUILDING
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ALL ABOUT JIGS AND TEMPLATES
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- Why you need jigs and templates and the problems they solve
- Body templates--buy them first then copy them
- Pickup pocket templates--how to use them
- Control cavity templates--how to use them
- Neck pocket templates--how to use them
- Templates to buy and templates to make
- Templates for Floyd Rose floating bridge--how to use them
- Creating your own design in an MDF template
- Creating templates and jigs from acrylic sheets
- Making a custom control cavity template
ALL ABOUT SOLDERING: PRO TIPS AND TRICKS
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- Introduction to soldering--why good technique is important
- Selecting a soldering iron--irons that work, and those you should avoid
- Soldering fundamentals, tips and tricks
- Recommended solder type--and what not to use
- Practicing your solder technique--building skill
- Soldering mechanically connected wires vs non mechanical connections
- Soldering wire to switch terminals
- Soldering wire to pot back and lugs
- Using shrink tubing to protect and beautify
- Protecting components from heat overload using shunts
WIRING DIAGRAMS: HOW TO READ THEM, HOW TO USE THEM, WHERE TO GET THEM
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PICKUPS: SELECTION, INSTALLATION, WIRING
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- Pickup selection fundamentals
- Humbuckers--about their construction
- Single coils--about their construction
- Wiring humbucker pickups--simple overview
- Humbuckers wired in series
- Humbuckers wired in parallel
- Coil splitting--it's what we do to humbuckers to change their tone
- Wiring a single coil
- Making your own single coil or humbucker pickups--overview
TONE CONTROL: POTS, SWITCHES, CAPS AND RESISTORS
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HARDWARE: SELECTING YOUR BRIDGE
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HARDWARE: SELECTING YOUR TUNING MACHINES
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STRINGING AND TUNING YOUR GUITAR
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FINISHING TREATMENTS FROM DYE TO LACQUER AND BEYOND
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- Wood preparation for any liquid finish
- Polymerizing oils--boiled linseed oil based brands
- Spraying lacquer from a rattle can
- Spraying lacquer from an airgun
- Pre catalyzed lacquer vs catalyzed lacquer
- What is lacquer anyway?
- Working with water and alcohol based dyes
- Water based finishes
- Solarez UV cured finishes
SOURCES FOR PARTS AND MATERIALS
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TELE STYLE, STRAT STYLE--WHAT'S UP WITH THIS "STYLE" THING?
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SETTING UP YOUR GUITAR FOR GREAT PLAYABILITY
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SAFETY AND DISCLAIMERS
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Downloads (Finishing schedule, measurements, lists)
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HOW TO SELECT AND INSTALL THE RIGHT HARDWARE FOR YOUR GUITAR
You'll need a bridge, pickups, cover plates, screws. You'll need tuning machines, pots, knobs, and capacitors. Everything that's added to the guitar body is hardware, and it should all work together to create the instrument of your dreams. The course goes in-depth into hardware selection to create a cohesive whole where all parts work together.
CHOOSING WOOD SPECIES
What woods work best in an electric guitar? Should you use Alder, Ash, Basswood, Bubinga, Cocobolo, Ebony, Koa, or one of three different types of Mahogany? What about Maple and Padauk? Poplar? Rosewood? Walnut? I'll provide insight into all of these and provide characteristics of each.
ELECTRONICS, SOLDERING, AND DESIGNING CONTROLS
All you need to know about designing the layout and specifying switches, pots, capacitors and wire for your electric guitar.
- Learn about the electronics that make your guitar sing.
- Tips and techniques to create better solder joints
- Complete soldering course included!
SKILL BUILDERS
Working with tools is easy, and especially easy when you know specific tips and techniques related to guitar building.
- LEARN about hand tools used in the creation of electric guitars
- LEARN about the power tools used in the creation of electric guitars
- BUILD YOUR SKILLS by following the skill building section of the master course.