Mescalito

Im just drawing up some designs. I think ive pretty much decided on the shape. My camera is broken atm though so i will post later. I guess it makes this a bit of a mute post. But its started and i just thought i'd share and use this for any updates I have. Actually.. if any of you are in the know about the tech side of guitars.. some materials and setup suggestions would be useful. I intend it to be an electric guitar.. and atm im thinking of using either Maple or Ash.. but i cant decide if i should do the whole thing in one wood or make the body and stem separate.. using different woods.. probably.. Hmmm. Thinks. Time to work on some more deisigns. This is a little longer term project of mine.. although im craving to rush it on ahead. Maybe if its high quality.. which I intend it to be.. they may someday serve as a useful investment.

Matt

420smokeman

i just bought a actuall gutair no that i can p[lay somwehat, i love making up stoned songs, so fun

__________________
cause there aint nothing else to do and any where i go i know im you and i keep coming back forward through to myself

Mescalito

Design 1.. very crude. It was more about the shape when i was drawing it. I want a design that flows more though.. and will probbaly be black on a surface of glow in the dark paint.. or visa versa. Im wokring on that now.

Attached Images

 

Mescalito

Design 2. Didnt quite work out as i imagined.. but none the less.. the result is ok. I will do a few of these until i perfect my design. It would be nice if i could just draw the outline and then use paint on the computer to test different colour fills. I will figure that out when i deicide on a design.. if someone knows though.. please share!

Edit: Oh yeah I want my design to be sexy and incorporate some sybology that i like.. so far its working out nice. I like me some nice curves.

Attached Images

 

DrChronic

Looks tricky to craft out of wood man, i dunno how experienced you are but that design is damn intricate.



Perhaps just chosing an outer shape and building that first might be a better start? then you can start to choose what sort of carvings and lines you want on the surface of the wood..


And as far as wood types, do some research on which one provides the best acoustic, i have been told that the wood an electric guitar is made of realy affects the sound.


Also perhaps buying a neck pre made may be a smarter plan? i mean making a dead straight neck that can resist the tension of six strings will be hard and if the strings start to bend the neck you are fucked. Also accurately fretting the thing would be a nightmare!!!!


I have heard that you can get kits for these things, like everything you need except the body, might be worth buying that and just focusing on the body.


I dunno, i am no expert but that is pretty much what i have heard from people who know what they are talking about.

__________________
SUCK MY SOPPING CUNT

Mescalito

Yeah that sounds like sound advice man. Although for the design.. it will be whatever i chose or nothing. I guess when it comes to seeing how adept my carving skills are.. thats if i carve.. i should do.. but when it comes to that i will know what designs im capable of.. then adpat design.. or improve skills. Either way i cant wait.

As for the next.. you pointed out one of the obvious difficulties which i overlooked.. getting the correct fret spacing.. so yeah thanks for that. I do have a guitar to steal all the required parts from.. although i think i will end up taking the stem from it. Although i need to check it over properly.
The coils dont seem high quality and are basically fucked. Heres a pic of it. In fact drawing the deisgn on this one is what provoked me into wanting to build/design my own.

Attached Images

 

generic_hippie

Got a friend who carves wood, he put a guitar neck on a cannabis leaf.

It looks way cooler than it is to play.

__________________

Love

is my
favourite DRUG...

mj23

not to be an ass.... but what happened about your master plan in thailand or was it taiwan where you were asking for volunteers to come over to you and you would provide them with living expenses

Mescalito

Why are you an ass for asking a question?

It's going to happen in some form.. just later than planed. I need more money first, and a little more time planning. Also various other business ideas have been revealed. I do leave for Thailand again though on a language mission.. learn to write thai and speak more.. and teach english to earn more. I go in about one month. Yes.

M

mj23

i thought you might think that my post implied that i think you start projects and don't finish them often

reverie

M, my dad has made his own guitars before..I believe he took a course for it at music school. Any specific questions you have?

__________________

Elegies and Reveries to No One. Aka: Poetry and shit.

HTAM

Thats quite a large project to embark on. If you haven't read up on the parameters concerning scale and radius of the neck, I'd suggest you do that first. A lot of hard work that you may potentially do on other things may be all for not if things like that aren't considered.

On your choice of woods..
Hard maple is loud and has great reponse in upper mids and highs, but a tapered tight low end which can be fattened up with the right pick up.

Soft Maple had very tight pores and the highs tend to get compressed. Bright sounding mids, but dull lows. Pick up choice is definately important to enhance the voice of the guitar.

Ash will generally give you a bright tone with long sustain because of its density. You should determing whether you have swamp ash or northern ash because of the differences in density, though. Really light density is prime for a blues style tone of guitar.

I really like the design you've made for the body of the guitar, but I'm not sure how practical it may be, specifically the horns. It looks like, based on scale, that you have about 2 inches of clearance between the inside of the horn and the neck joint. That could hamper fret access and playability, but it's really up to you.

What I would suggest you really become knowledgable about is the finishes that are available and how they contribute to, or can negate, the overall tone of your guitar. I'd also really study the choice of wood you make and see what pick ups are available and compare the way they are 'voiced' so you find the best combination. Do not combine passive and active pick ups. One or the other.

You will also need some specific tools so that you can get the best results.

'luthier tools' should get you some good information on Google.

Keep us updated. Good luck.

HTAM

osirus2020

Uhh, the second one looks like a persons ass, i like the first one. It wouldnt be too hard if you know someone with a scrollsaw. I wouldnt recommend a bandsaw, the blade is far too big.

__________________



ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

Captain Cannabis

i am planning to build an acoustic guitar some day. i've talked to some people and it looks like i'm going to have to build my own jig to bend the sides.

i skimmed through this thread, but that picture looks pretty cool. definetly let us know how its going, problems you encounter, etc.

__________________
fuck the monkeys

Mescalito

Thank for all the input everyone! I will keep this updated as it flows in.. I think i will be working on another design today. Building will not comence for a few months yet.. and..

Sometimes yes.. im guilty of not finishing things.. but it happens less of the time than the things i do complete. This guitar will be done within this year i expect. So stay tuned y'all. Also Cap'n Cannabis.. you should start to build it now. It would be sweet if someone else were doing a similar project at the same time. So come on.. who else wants to build a guitar?

M

Mescalito

Design 3. Not as well drawn as i would have liked.. but here it is. Im still for number 2 for now.. but with adaptions. On this one ive shortened the length of the 'horns' and used a compass for the cheeks instead of freehand.

On all of them I have been drawing in pencil.. doing the outline in pen.. then rubbing out the pencil and colouring in with coloured pencils.

M

Attached Images

 

Mescalito

I couldnt find many photos of custom ones which i actually liked. I guess the people that build them like..? That carving at the top though is sweet.. and the first guitar aint bad.

M

Flamingnun

__________________

Lloydy

nun those are fuckin mint haha

__________________
Keep the red flag flying high

clive

includes samurai sword