I Just Built A Guitar!

[Answerprancer]

I found a Squier Telecaster in cash converters last year for 99 quid and did a double take wondering if it was from the era when Squier were making necks as good as top line Fenders. It was :-) (1989 Samick)

So I discarded the body and bought a nice swamp ash blank from ebay, applied some flame maple veneer to the top, sanded it, stained it and started finishing it with Rustins Plastic Coating (the same stuff Brian May used on his "Red Special") then I ground to a halt as I had some issues with crazing, cold weather/having to do it in the garage, oh and being chucked out of my old place.

Sooooo Six months on and I moved house and decided to re-start the project. I carried on with the finish and got it right. Lots of wet/dry paper and T-Cut later, it has come up really nice so I bought a bunch of decent electronic stuff: Switchcraft pots/plug hole, Seymour Duncan pickups, bunged the whole lot together in about three days, new strings, set the string heights and intonation ...bingo!
It sounds absofekkinlutely lovely :-)
I might post a pic of it if anyone's interested.

Oh, question ...has anyone else here built a guitar?
How did you get on/did it work out well?

[1ozzy]

Never built one, refurbished a few with one of my sons, timber work, changed pick-ups, adjusted stuff etc.
Can't play an instrument myself but enjoy creating with wood, metal, glass etc.

Love to see some photos.

[Mamyalynne]

I haven't , however have been surrounded at times by boys building and tweaking them - my late Husband and his brothers were in bands (one still plays) and my Nephew is out on Long Island (The Hamptons, very swanky) teaching the young of the rich how to play.

Well done AP, be proud of a job well done.

Love to see a pic, will look in tomorrow, off to bed now.

[Answerprancer]

Thanks for the interest :-)
Here it is...
http://i1028.photobucket.com/albums/y348/Photator/Guit%203_zpsmb0fb3mt.jpg

[1ozzy]

Great finish!!!

Looks excellent.

The warm fuzzy feeling when a build comes together nicely,,,enjoy it. ;-)

[Answerprancer]

Thanks Ozzy.
Indeed, first guitar I've ever built, albeit from finished off components.
It was almost too good to be true. I have a Fender Stratocaster and the neck on this home-built Squier turns out to be more accurate.
It weighs a ton but I find that somewhat reassuring.

[Answerprancer]

..."albeit from finished off components"
...except the body, all my own work on the finish :-)

[1ozzy]

I'll send the link to my son, I'm sure he'll appreciate the job you've done.

Back to the table saw now, been building a table on and off for a little while.
Feel motivated again after seeing your project.

Cheers

[Answerprancer]

Glad to have been an inspiration :-)
It's spring, it's 2.30 in the arvo ...Now get on with it!

[1ozzy]

11;30 am here, springtime
Where are you?

[Mamyalynne]

Very smart AP, the pleasure of a job well done is great.

[brainiac]

Guitar looks great, AP. Really like the small head, similar to very old Fenders - the bass Sting still uses (as on 'Later' on Friday) has a tiny head for a bass, and must be seriously old.
Did you see James May the other night in 'The Reassembler' on BBC 4? Every single component of a Squier Stratocaster down to the last nut and screw was laid out on a white table and the programme consisted of him slowly putting it all back together. Strangely captivating! Might be available on iPlayer

[Lie-in King]

It looks great AP, you can be proud of that :-)

[Answerprancer]

Thanks for the kind words folks.
Brainiac - yes I did see it, ages ago, right up my street it was :-)

[trt]

Your Guitar looks great,

I made one AP when I was serving my apprenticeship as a pattern-maker/carpenter, and was allowed to use the workshop, when most of everybody had gone home.
I made it from scratch, using plywood, and odds and ends, and just copied the shape from a photo of the Your Guitar looks great,

I made one AP when I was serving my apprenticeship as a pattern-maker/carpenter, and was allowed to use the workshop, when most of everybody had gone home.
I made it from scratch, using plywood, and odds and ends, and just copied the shape from a photo of Hank Marvin's guitar.

I bought all the frets, strings and pick-ups, from a music shop, and decided I would make the arm longer, to look COOL, but when finished, it wouldn't tune :-)

Looked good though.

[Patsy33]

Wow! What an accomplishment. I like to strum on my cheap modern acoustic from time to time... Seriously though, you can be very proud Answerprancer, looks fantastic!