@riccardo

Welcome the the forum. Guitar building looks daunting but Mark Bailey explains it very well in simple steps so you are in the best place to learn. I suggest watching his free utube videos first then deciding where you want to be. Here’s a link.

https://youtube.com/c/GuitarMaking

Hi there @riccardo , welcome to the group. I don't think you need to be particularly talented with carpentry, just follow Mark's instructions and before you know it, you'll be playing your own hand built guitar.

I don't know anything about udemy codes for the design course, but I'm sure that @markbailey will be able to point you in the right direction.

Thanks @Rocknroller912 I am apprehensive but keen to get started.  Thanks for the links to the vids, I will watch those.  On the course intro it mentions drawings/plans that you can download from this website.  I haven't found those yet.

Thanks @Robin. I'm really looking forward to it.  I'm holding back starting though until I really understand what I'm going to be doing.  

Welcome @riccardo. Enjoy the learning. I've been signed up here for nearly a year now and still haven't started building.....but I'm learning a lot from Mark's online courses and everyone here on the forum. All being well I hope to cut some wood soon....... although I'm not stressing about it too much. 

🙂🎸🎶🙏

Welcome @riccardo you will find all the help you need to build your own guitar here. I don’t know about Udemy codes but following Mark’s courses and talking to people here in the forum will soon get you playing a guitar that you have made yourself. 

I've been signed up here for nearly a year now and still haven't started building....

@russ Pull your finger out and get on with it man. 🤣🤣🤣🤣👍

 

@russ Pull your finger out and get on with it man. 🤣🤣🤣🤣👍

The planets are almost aligned @boo........I hope. 🤔🤣 

🙂🎸🎶🙏

Welcome @riccardo. I've been a part of this community for 8 months now and I am currently in the middle of my second acoustic guitar build. The entire build process seems very daunting but Mark has the course set up very well. He breaks every set down into a bunch of super easy steps. Follow them and then, all of a sudden, you look down and see a guitar where a bunch of wood once was. I honestly was surprised that building a guitar wasn't as hard as my head thought it was going to be. Just remember.... No build is perfect. Every build has mistakes but most mistakes are fixable. If you are not sure how to fix a mistake, this community is excellent at solving problems. Also... I thought of my first guitar build as my "learning how to build" guitar. That one has a few mistakes in it but even with the mistakes it sounds, feels and plays like an awesome guitar. And best of all, I now know what to expect when building a guitar and I know the areas that I need to slow down a bit make sure things are right so I don't make the same mistakes on this new build. My thought is, every guitar is going to be a little better than the last one. 

I say just jump right in and get building. No better time to start than now. 🙂

Happy building. 🙂

Hey there @riccardo and welcome to the forum! As others have already made clear, you’re in the right place. Feel free to ask any and all questions, we’re here to help!

Welcome @Riccardo. I am also a first timer and have already learnt so much from Mark's videos and from everyone here in the forum. Don't be shy to ask questions as everyone is amazing and will help wherever they can. 

I also went through Udemy for the course. The design course codes were invalid so I had to contact Mark and he gave me new codes. In Udemy when you are signed in, there is a drop down menu on the right hand side of your screen. It will usually have the first letter of your name in a circle, so in your case it would be an R. It has your profile, account settings and all sorts of info. if you scroll down you are able to send a direct message to Mark. Alternatively you might be able to get a hold of him in this forum if you haven't already. 

My recommendation would be to take your time watch all the videos and enjoy the process of learning all the new skills. For me I watched the entire course first and am now watching for the second time but actually following along step by step with my build. If you have the patience to watch the whole course before touching tools and wood it would greatly help in giving a full picture of what's to come! 

Good Luck with it and enjoy!!

Thanks for all the support guys, I really appreciate it.  So I'm now about to start my drawing and getting a few things together.  Mark says to get a nut as follows 'Nut: 3/16” Tusq slotted'.  I have looked on loads of websites and can't find that exact one and I'm not sure which one to buy.  I'm planning to follow his build exactly and want the same nut.  Can anyone send me a link where to buy one from please.  

@riccardo I know I have bought the tusq nut I used from stewmac. Probably a better place to get them but that's what I decided to go with. 

Have you purchased everything else you need for the guitar build or are you searching for everything? I wrote down all the parts I needed and shopped around to get everything... basically because I wanted to try and use a certain type of back and sides and I'm a little crazy that way. If it can be made a little harder that seems to be the way I want to do it. 🙂

Now... I ask that because, if you haven't purchased the rest of the parts, then it would be just as cost effective or more cost effective to buy the kit from the bailey shop. And then you would have all the parts in the kit to follow along with the build. You would only need to look at one place, one click to get everything you need. 

@riccardo Welcome to the community !

Welcome Riccardo - we are all friendly here!

Ok thanks, I'll take a look at the kits.  Thanks

Help! I am in the process off spray Lacquer and this help, any advice.

Thank you 

Help! I am in the process off spray Lacquer and this help, any advice.

@dbell_1994 That is called “blooming”. It’s when you spray too much lacquer on at once and moisture from the atmosphere gets trapped and appears milky. To reduce this from happening, you need to spray on a dry day, not when it’s humid. Buy a humid gauge and thermometer for your workshop. 

Stop spraying any more on for now and let it dry. Then use some fine wet and dry paper to sand it back until the blooming has gone. Sand evenly with a block, don’t sand too much in one place. As you sand, the milk appearance will disappear and everything will be fine. 

When reapplying your lacquer (after cleaning), spray light coats and leave more time in between coats and wait for a dry day, not a wet one. If it is a warm and wet day, the humidity will be high, don’t spray on that day. If the day is hot and dry, it should be safer to spray but you really do need to keep an eye on the humidity. 

Thanks Boo, Big help first guitar, still learning and still have many question Its a Gloss finish can this be saved during the polishing process, 

👍🎸🎸