Develop your body building skills by starting with a kit guitar

Build Your Own Custom Electric Guitar

INTRO, WELCOME, AND VALUABLE INFO YOU NEED TO KNOW

Welcome to the course--Some words from your instructor
Why start with a kit?
Develop your body building skills by starting with a kit guitar

BUILDING A STRAT STYLE GUITAR KIT

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

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

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

1. General edge sanding considerations--watch those details! (1:58)
2. Sanding by hand and what to watch for
3. Sanding with a spindle sander and what to watch for (1:25)
4. Rounding over the edges on the back (1:53)

BUILDING THE TOP FOR THE BODY CORE (THIS SECTION ONLY APPLIES IF BUILDING A LAMINATED BODY)

** 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

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

Sawing and shaping the belly cutout curve (3:24)
Final sanding of all surfaces before dye, sealer, and lacquer steps begin (3:22)
Drilling holes for string ferrules (1:02)

WORKING WITH EXISTING GUITAR NECKS AND REFRETTING

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

Creating your own style
Preparation for finishing
Adding your name to the headstock
Creating a vinyl template for airbrushing your name
Using an airbrush to paint you name on the headstock
Final finish

** SKILL BUILDERS--INCREASING AND IMPROVING YOUR NATURAL WOODWORKING ABILITIES

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

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

Table saw
Band saw
Drill press
Chop saw
Disc sander
Spindle sander
Combination belt and disc sander

ALL ABOUT JIGS AND TEMPLATES

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

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

Introduction to wiring diagrams
Selecting the right wiring diagram for your guitar
Where to find the best wiring diagrams (easy to read and understand)
Does wire color matter? YES, and here's why...

PICKUPS: SELECTION, INSTALLATION, WIRING

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

Potentiometers (pots)--why and how they work
Switches--why and how they work
Pots for volume control--linear vs logarithmic
Capacitors and tone control
Resistors and tone control
Does it matter what kind of wire is used in an electric guitar?

HARDWARE: SELECTING YOUR BRIDGE

Overview of bridges and their saddles
Fixed bridges--top loading and string-through-body
Tremolo bridges--floating and dive only
Floating bridge setup

HARDWARE: SELECTING YOUR TUNING MACHINES

Non locking tuners
Locking tuners
Turning ratios and quality

STRINGING AND TUNING YOUR GUITAR

All about guitar strings
Stretching new strings
String bending--his there a limit to how far you can bend?
Tuning by any available means--phone, device, scopes
New strings--how to install them on non locking and locking tuners

FINISHING TREATMENTS FROM DYE TO LACQUER AND BEYOND

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

Big box stores--Home Depot, Lowe's, etc.
Stew Mac--a universe of guitar parts and tools
Amazon--the big conglomerate of everything
Ebay--another big conglomerate
Hardwood suppliers
Finishing supplies--lacquers, paints, sand papers

TELE STYLE, STRAT STYLE--WHAT'S UP WITH THIS "STYLE" THING?

Fender owns the style--but only on the headstock shape
Why the word, "STYLE" is used after the letter T or S

SETTING UP YOUR GUITAR FOR GREAT PLAYABILITY

Setting the action--distance between bottom of string and top of fret (1:17)
Adjusting neck bow with the truss rod
Destroying a neck--what does it take to break a truss rod or neck?
Intonation--the art and science of being in tune in another octave

SAFETY AND DISCLAIMERS

Safety--General power and hand tool safety principles
Safety--table saw safety
Disclaimers--your responsibility

Downloads (Finishing schedule, measurements, lists)

Laminated top, faux bound, dyed, spray lacquer finishing schedule

Develop your body building skills by starting with a kit guitar

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