Hi there!
I am still in the process of gathering tools to (Hopefully) make my first guitar.My only experience with this sort of thing is making a few neck shims and some shaping on a body once.I have made some cabinets,tables etc. over the years but hardly any work with a router.So that part is quite new to me.I did make an easel for larger paintings once which required some routing,but i can´t really remember much about that bit...Long time ago.
Like (Presumably) many others,my way into this project is making a partscaster :-D.That and looking at a Jazzmaster body i have laying around and thinking:Why not give it a go?.Try to make a solidbody guitar!.Watching Mark´s live videos on YT steered me onwards in that direction.Exciting and a bit intimidating but with careful planning i think it will be a rewarding learning experience.
I do have a few questions if any of you guys can help?:How does it work with signing up for the courses here on the site?...I got the impression that you paid for a membership and then you could watch videos of Mark doing/guiding through builds?.
Cheers
Martin
Hi Martin, welcome to the community 👍😃🎸
Sounds like you have followed a similar route as many of us into the crazy world of guitar making!! Be warned now, it is addictive, one sniff of sawdust and you’re gone 🤣. It is, as you say, intimidating, exciting and very, very rewarding. Your past woodworking knowledge and skills will transfer nicely. Mark’s courses are simply great, watching him perform each step in the process leaves you thinking “Yeah, I can do that, no problem.” And you can watch each lesson as often as you like.
All the details of Premium Membership are available on the website, just click on “SignUp” on the home page or visit the shop. You can pay monthly or yearly for membership, the yearly one is cheaper (£16/month compared with £22/month). If you’re a quick builder you could rattle through designing and building a solid body electric, then make a new neck for that Jazzmaster body you have laying around and, before you know what’s hit you, you’ll find yourself just having a look at the Acoustic course!!🤣🤣 All of that is covered in the various courses available. As well as Mark’s expert tuition, there’s a wealth of knowledge here in the community, all you have to do is ask.
Enjoy the ride and let us see how you’re getting on👍😃
All the Best,
Brian👍😃🎸
Thank you Brian!
Yeah i paid for a monthly membership (To lurk around for a bit for a start).But how does it work with signing up for courses?(I can only watch previews of the different sections).And do you have to build a Bailey guitar or can you use all the stuff you learn and do your own design?.
I would love to try a F-style bolt on guitar. I figured i should dive straight into a bolt on neck.All the hardest parts of bulding is concentrated there and if i can´t do that with moderately success then i might as well forget about it...Or limit myself to routing/shaping bodies.
Anyway i am no way near of starting to build yet. I have some of the tools sorted but i still need router bits,fretting tools etc..I have a few tool-related questions,but not quite sure which subforum i should ask in?
If you're paying for premium membership then you should have access to all the courses, email Carol@baileyguitars.co.uk and i'm sure she'll sort you out. If you're paying supporter membership, that doesn't get you any courses. You don't have to build a Bailey guitar, you can use the skill you'll learn to build any style that you want.
@bjarni Hi again Martin, you will have to register your account (user name, password etc.), log in and look for the courses, scroll down to “Awesome Guitar Making Courses” and hit “View Courses”, choose the course you want and then you should have access to the video lessons.
Mark recommends doing the Design course first and it is a good idea. There’s nothing stopping you from watching all thru that course then watching all thru the electric guitar course, in fact I would recommend that you do just that at least once before you make any sawdust. A lot of the questions you have and will have as time goes on will be answered as you go through the video lessons. Watch the videos and take Mark’s advice, he gives reasons why he has chosen this style of guitar for a first time build. It is up to you what style of guitar you build but I would suggest that not straying too far from the style in the lessons would be wise. Maybe making a new bolt on neck for your Jazzmaster body would be a good start, there’s a course dedicated to making a bolt on neck. As you watch the lessons, you will have the option to set each one as “Completed “, May I just suggest that you only do that when you have actually completed the task, that way you have the satisfaction of seeing your progress as the build progresses 😃
I hope this answer is helpful. Good luck
Brian👍😃🎸
Payment for monthly membership says "Processing"...So i´ll be good in a short while i guess :-).
I watched Mark´s video on which tools to get.But there are a couple of specifics i have some questions about,like which fret saw to get?.There´s a Hosco fret saw with a 0.53mm kerf that i am considering...and some fret wire with 0.50mm tang width.Logic says that should work fine,but should i look for a saw that is slightly wider?.
Also about truss rods:If i want a truss rod for a 25.50 inch scale length F-style neck,single action adjustment at the heel,how long should it preferably be?
@bjarni Hi Martin, Maybe you would be better asking those questions on the Build Your Own Electric Guitar forum to reach a wider audience. I must confess to using fretboards supplied by Mark for the two necks I’ve made, they have the fret slots cut, are radiused and are tapered. From my notes I see that Mark’s fret slot cutting saw has a kerf of 0.61mm. Maybe someone else with more experience of cutting fret slots can help? Similarly with the truss rod, my experience is limited, 440mm truss rod in a 25” scale length neck with adjustment at the nut end. I know there will be plenty of people out there with the relevant experience to offer you advice on that one.
Brian.👍😃🎸
@bjarni hi and welcome. There's quite a lot on the youtube channel too under the live heading. Mark did a fair bit of streaming when covid was on the loose. He shows doing a complete build amongst other things. Won't be as much detail or as clear but still cool to weatch and learn stuff.
I'm now a big fan of his neck carving technique and use it in all my builds
Thank you guys 🙂
Yeah i watched the complete build videos....twice.Watching those made me want to try and build myself.Very inspiring!