How to Begin Guitar Building - Guitar Builder's Basics Podcast - Episode 196

[@nekotorvic3026]

If this serves anyone... I never ever ever worked with wood in my life. I didn't even know wood needed to be dry in order to work it. All of a sudden I had a sudden drive to build myself a 6 string fretless bass. I liked the shape of MTD basses so I wanted a carved bass, a pretty top and different colour veneer in between the top and core of the body. I spent a year watching crimson guitars and whatever other guitar building video I could find, researching about wood, looking up how to use the tools i thought i'd need the most, how to apply finish etc etc. It took me about 8 months of hard work, after the year of research and binge video watching, but I ended up with a beautiful 6 string fretless bass with a figured walnut top, poplar in the middle, walnut body, maple one piece neck and ebony fingerboard, that's ergonomic, well balanced, has a good tone in general and even a professional bassist praised when he got to play around with it a bit. It's not flawless and the finish could be better... but it functions great and still looks amazing. This bass is my baby and I love it. And it came from literally not knowing anything about working with wood or even the most basic about instrument building... hell I didn't even know what a truss rod or a scale length was XD I didn't use practice wood, I didn't buy a cheap instrument to try customising. I just went straight to it, and it worked for me, in great part because i had two main focuses. 1-Gather all the necessary info and keep it in mind, ALWAYS. And 2- Measure, Measure, Measure, Measure...then maybe cut.

[@jeffparryncc1701]

Well done mate, bro fist for you 👊

[@bobbypablo2617]

i realize it is kinda randomly asking but do anybody know a good place to stream new tv shows online?

[@pablomekhi2290]

@Bobby Pablo Flixportal

[@bobbypablo2617]

@Pablo Mekhi Thanks, I went there and it seems like a nice service :) I appreciate it!

[@pablomekhi2290]

@Bobby Pablo you are welcome :)

[@nickstratton7256]

Hey, that's me! Thanks!

[@simonecamplani2430]

Lucky man

[@MichaelBLive]

Do both. Start with upgrading junk first. Then be realistic about what tools you will need for a complete build.

[@MichaelBLive]

Although, IMO don't buy all the specialty tools upfront. It gets expensive quickly. Best to ease into it as your confidence grows and interest grows with it.

[@donc3076]

For what it's worth, I can speak of my own experience as maybe a starting point (or cautionary tale!). I started building acoustic guitars about 2-1/2 years ago with no woodworking experience. I will say that I had 30 years experience as a machinist/engineer, which helped me with some translatable cutting and engineering skills. However, wood is far different from metal so there was a significant learning curve none the less. When I decided to do it, I started with a kit for my first guitar from LMI that provided all of the raw materials I needed, which helped as I had no idea what I needed. It also prevented me from having to go out and buy a planer, a jointer, a thickness sander, etc. Before I started the build, I watched hundreds of hours of tutorial videos (which is how I started watching Ben's channel over 2 years ago) and read numerous articles and books on guitar building. I got enough from these resources to get going. Even with all of that time invested, that first guitar was a mess! But I decided to keep going. I have since purchased 2 complete guitar building video courses, a course on fret work and a course on setups, and took a 2 day intensive master class with luthier Kent Everett (invaluable). All of these resources have helped me build 5 more guitars and each one has been an improvement on the previous one. So, having said all of this, here are my observations for you to consider: 1. As Ben said in the video, you WILL likely mess up your first guitar. Be prepared for that and just use it as a learning experience. 2. My first 5 guitars I stuck with the exact same design. The only thing I changed was wood species. I would recommend this to cut down on the variables. 3. Use as many different learning resources as you can find. I faithfully watch all of Ben's videos as well as about a dozen more luthiers on KZbin. I have found that seeing different approaches of the same thing helps understanding. 4. Don't be afraid of messing up and making major mistakes because you will! Like they say, if it was easy everyone would do it. It's the skilled craftsman that can make a mistake and learn how to fix it without being able to tell anything was wrong afterwards. As Ben says...just do it! Good luck!

[@wilfredjbrimley]

The biggest disadvantage of the building from scratch option is compound errors. You are not going to learn much from the build with a poor neck pocket, bad break angle, and terrible fret job all on one guitar. By modifying existing guitars you can concentrate on one thing at a time. If you try a fret job on an existing guitar and it turns out bad, you know YOU screwed up the frets and you learn from that mistake. Plan your learning out one area at a time, then after you have experience and confidence put it all together in a complete build. Good luck!

[@francois-josephguillaume3853]

What makes your videos so nice is probably how friendly and honest you are with the viewers !

[@Jbeliski]

So how come I have as yet to see an acoustic guitar build. That's the real true art I think. I know you can do it Ben!

[@lukeeeopoleable]

Thanks Nick for asking the question and thanks Ben for the incredibly inspirational words. I have been tearing apart guitars since I was 12 and 3 years ago I decided to build my own from scratch when I came across some mahogany in my Nans loft (oddly it was perfectly straight and only needed a light plain even though it was up there for 30+ years..). I’m still building it now I’m taking my time and keeping it minimal as to reduce the risks of failure and due to limited tools but your wise words have just given me a huge kick up the arse and I’ve just made massive progress including a failure which I quickly rectified thanks to you many other videos. Hopefully I will finish it soon and I would love to show you and get your opinion on it if I ever get the opportunity to do so. Very grateful you take the time to make these wonderful helpful and entertaining videos.

[@kevinc6323]

the most important thing is looking at your errors and working out why they have happened. My first guitar I sanded the side of the fretboard and neck until it was perfectly straight, smooth and too narrow. My second, I invested in a better router bit for copying templates, but after half a dozen attempts at copying a template, and getting odd results, i've noticed the bearing is not actually centred properly. Mistakes are good, probably essential - as long as you learn from them all. I'm taking the hardware from one guitar to the next until i get woodworking i am happy with.

[@INFIDEL82AA]

This was the first video that I have watched on Luthiers. I really enjoyed it. It was honest, and also motivating. Yeah... It's hard for someone to jump into any field of craftsmanship and get busy crafting. Most people, I have found, really don't know how to use basic tools properly... the RIGHT way, as they were intended to be used. Or, they simply do not even know what the RIGHT tool for a particular job is. Hammer and nails? Too easy! A rather self-explanatory task. But rasp, a chisel, even a file... they all have distinct angles upon which they are to be held, in order to do what they are designed to do. THAT is just ONE example. Now, compound that upon the any given number of tools that are required to build a guitar from scratch, start to finish! Someone can find themselves out of their depth real quick. So, if someone is not familiar with tools in general, and or how to use them properly? Well... that's an entirely different stage of the process that has to be mitered first, BEFORE anything else, a craftsman cannot CRAFT if they do not know how to use the tools of their particular trade. In my field (Machining), tools can kill you! Not a nice pretty precise-cut type death either. More like a get your hand snatched-off type of death... quite ugly. So, there is a huge danger in using power tools, whither proper training and safety precautions. Anyway, I'm sorry to ramble. I really thank you for your video! I appreciate it, and will watch several more. Take care!

[@stuartgrier5605]

This message is so true. So far I have renovated a strat and a les paul and I have built a strat kit - i got a kit because I wanted to learn how to finish a guitar. I think Ben at Crimson Guitars is an ace bloke and he explains things very well in an easy to understand way.

[@petermorgan7805]

I feel I need to give a shout out to you, Ben, and Dan at Guns and Guitars. When I set out to rebuild (understatement) my PBass I bing watched these channels, especially Crimson. I really appreciate that you don't just say, 'Cut here,' but also go into the why behind the doing. The thrill of doing this is amazing. I've modded the PBass and am working on a Jackson JS22R now with a scratch build to follow. One anecdote: due to a blunder, two deck screws I was using to reinforce the neck joint were 1/4 inch too long...they went through the rosewood fretboard. However, I heard you say, 'the difference between a luthier and a hobbyist is the ability to fix mistakes,' so I drew on several techniques I have witness and fixed it. The fretboard is not fretless, and the location of the error makes no difference in play at all. Thank you for the advice, and keep it up!

[@Tyndaal604]

I’ve watched a whole lot of guitar builders on KZbin lately, one of the most important things I’ve seen them do is that they make mistakes! But it’s important to have the knowledge to take care of that mistake mid-build and take your time. If you know you’ve messed up and you know how to fix it, DONT leave it!

[@kohl-1934]

I began with minor guitar repairs and found that by purchasing guitars from ebay and gumtree I could buy the tools and parts then sell it covering the next purchase and the tools and parts needed. When I needed help I checked out youtube and forums. I loved spending 20 hours a week after work and on the weekend as it was passion and not work. Take necks for example I started off with light recrowning and was then soon doing full refrets and I found that I really liked to put exotics boards on necks or re-radiusing existing ones and I worked on a lot of bodies carving access and re routing pickups and neck pockets and even refinishing as well. Now I am preparing for a 3 year course in guitar building finishing and repairs which is going to amazing!!!

[@zeffneeson7599]

Hi Ben I've built 6 guitars from scratch all strat and tele type to get me started all made on a table in my bedroom and outside with massive help from yours and other KZbin vids Thank you for your time and knowledge. My next build is from my own design really excited about it and love every minute except soldering lol have recently bought a few of your great tools love them 😁

[@HBSuccess]

Ben- THANK YOU for putting the apostrophe in the right place in the video title. You’re (or is it ‘your’ 😂?) the most literate builder on KZbin.

[@JDStoneCreations]

Actually I just want to say, your advice of "just jump in and go for it" is exactly what I did having seen your videos. I built a complete custom guitar with inlays and LEDs and all sorts, ready for youtube... then the hard drive corrupted and I lost it all. Still have the guitar, and I have you to thank for inspiring me to build it! Cheers Ben!

[@LieLikesMusic]

Thanks for all the amazing info! I’ve decided to re-fret my first guitar neck. So this puts things into perspective. Cheers

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

My pleasure, good luck with your first refret! B

[@tolertoxin]

lie you are everywhere lol.

[@LieLikesMusic]

​@@tolertoxin Oh hey! What can i say. I'm interested in a myriad of things related to music.

[@daleturner3507]

A luthier friend told me to do all of these things. He said start by modding a cheap guitar. Learn to solder, dress frets, etc. then buy a kit and put it together. Maybe 2-3 kits. Then try one from scratch.

[@ronnelle3108]

Thank you for your honest opinion and especially emphasizing that skills take time. That’s what a craft is about.

[@deathruddlesdeathruddles5438]

Cheers Ben, fantastic soul baring. It means a lot! about 2 years into making fine jewellery and still getting frustrated that stuff doesn't turn out like the videos i'm watching! It's nice to hear that an accomplished person had the same troubles! I have a challenge for you ben, order a load of mixed hardwood firewood, then make a guitar out of it! would love to see a patchwork body !

[@quibster]

At any level there are mistakes to be hidden, wood is not necessarily consistent, human error is always conceivable, even a CNC isn't perfect. It isn't the amount of experience in the craft that determines your ability to know about the ways of 'hiding crimes'. The experience in the craft itself is more determined by those final touches. (and sanding, and sanding, and sanding) It is the knowing _when_ to use a loose tolerance and _when_ to use a tight tolerance, it is everything that separates the craftsman from the novice. - Adam Savage kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXbFgHqfhc5nbtU Moreover, it's not like there's any kind of correct or academic way to build a guitar. You're not better than anyone else at it because you can do it well, or finish a project in less time, it's just like learning anything, you are constantly adding to it. It's unfair to say someone could build one or two guitars and then 'think' they could go into production. There is no discussion of the time spent on those instruments, they could've been working on a new advancement or development in any one of the old, inefficient designs available for guitars. Developments that are valuable oust the 'traditional' guitar buyer attitude every time. It's only in the last few years we have seen people getting really wacky with it and ignoring to a more absolute degree, the traditional standards that are holding back the craft. The modern player is looking for more than just fender tones, or a slinky Ibanez with high output pickups. Forget a Les Paul, give me something with the same woods that is 1/3 the weight and with a well thought out control scheme to interface with. Move forward, don't cling to the hopeless drivel of people trying to sail you down the river with traditional values. If you want to make a T type guitar, go ahead and do it, just make sure before you set out, that you have added to the design in a way that when completed, it will be more than the sum of its parts. I'm not talking about aesthetics, I'm talking about innovation and I don't care if it's bolted on, strapped on, zip tied on, made of copper water pipe you ripped out of your kitchen installation steampunk abomination looking device, just do something original and for the love of whatever you find good in this world, don't try to be like Gibson or Martin. Companies so far up their own ass, in terms of the history and tradition of the instrument, that upon failure to innovate, an inherent fear of innovation is instilled in the business, leaving the traditional aspect as their only selling point. The value of guitars built traditionally is just a ploy, the only arguments made for it are fallacious as soon as you compare the cost. Building guitars has never been an exact science, so if you want to do it, accrue some woodworking 'tricks' and ways of 'hiding crimes' and 'faking it' from the likes of Crimson or Matthias Wandel, 'maker' channels like Tested, MN Projects, Scrap Wood City and learn a bit about some basic Electronics engineering from the likes of AvE, bigclive, TechIngredients. From there, get your tools and go, but if your tools are broken you should probably look at tool repair/tool making channels like HandToolRescue or Will Matthews. Matthias Wandel - kzbin.info kzbin.info/door/3_AWXcf2K3l9ILVuQe-XwQ Tested - kzbin.info MN Projects - kzbin.info/door/f1t8-CrDNF2yq9GstC58sw Scrap Wood City - kzbin.info/door/ocEQojx6I6s9K_Ah2rTSlQ AvE - kzbin.info bigclive - kzbin.info TechIngredients - kzbin.info HandToolRescue - kzbin.info/door/asG9kJWi1eVxM0QkyqKVJQ Will Matthews - kzbin.info/door/h9J-RX5wpjjJdYZ3WVkrYg

[@johnnyghoul8100]

My first fingerboard I made I didn't have a radius block so I used the same technique I used shaping the neck the faceting technique lol good times🤘 This year I'm building my 150th guitar and have done thousands of repairs and I can say I'll never be done learning ... challenge accepted 😎

[@johnandkassbolles7708]

Love your videos. I have experience with woodworking, but when I decided to get into guitar building, I chose to buy some cheap guitars and learn how to modify them as a way to break into it. The main reason I chose that route was because I knew NOTHING about working on guitars and am the world's worst solderer. However, in retrospect I probably could have started with a kit, because in the time it took for the cheapos to arrive, I learned a world of information about the subject thanks to videos like yours. At this point, I don't ever see myself making a neck, although I do see myself making bodies.

[@Smegness]

Ben - sir I have to say I love your videos and all that you Crimson produce. Some day I will own one - thank you for being an inspiration. Keep up the great work. Smeg approves

[@stenmartens7179]

I have some experience with knifemaking and a little bit of experience making silver jewelry, and in both cases I have seen other people at the same job. the thing that stuck with me the most is that you have to be in the right mindset to do a certain job - Ben has said this in the past a couple of times as well. you need to be aware of what you are doing, and what is going to happen. and when you're working with (power) tools especially. try to dismantle the complete process into logical steps you can follow and keep thinking about the order at which you do them. with knifemaking for example I once accidentally glued the scales onto the steel before fine sanding it, and ended up with 2 spots on the knife i couldn't reach anymore. or I forgot the drill a bigger hole needed for the pins in the handle, and hardened the steel - at which point it wasn't possible anymore to drill out the holes. those failures are bound to happen, but you just need to chance of them happening to be as small as you can make them. making a good thoughtful design/drawing with measurements and all is a great thing to do as well. it takes all of the thought processes around that out of your head, so you can focus on the task at hand.

[@spectre601]

Always love your videos Ben! Straight honest and very educational. You don't see that often nowadays. Thanks for what you do.

[@wombat6]

"don't watch TV while routing" sounds like someone did do that before xD

[@dalgguitars]

If you start with the attitude that your first guitar will be a learning experience you can't go wrong. Like someone here says, "perfection is the enemy of accomplishment." Save your good wood and good hardware for your second guitar. Go For it! Learn to love sanding.

[@esa062]

I'd say the main advantage of starting by improving an existing instrument is that you get fast results when you are most impatient. Building a guitar takes time and you will not hear how it sounds until you get it stringed. I started by improving a strat copy until it didn't have anything original left, and that was several different projects. I think that was a good way for me.

[@azrael1365]

All your videos are fine! Thanks for all. (Don't blame me for what is next, it's only my own experience...) I'll say (by finding new mistakes to do), build a neck, it's hard, it requires precision, technic, patience... I've learnt a lot from wood (and me)... and build a body to fit it. Build a second neck, or a third, and then, maybe you'll decide to buy one factory made... I think (and I have heard it from lot of guitar players), that neck sensation is probably the most important part of a guitar. The body too, but the feeling of the player comes from the neck. If you make a good one, you will have make half the way. A solid body may be a good choice to begin, it requires less experience and less tools (router, clamps, thicknesser, binding iron, steam chamber...) I started (I'm still a beginner) whith no money and build with scrap, so I don't loose much... Don't begin with expensive materials, it will be a waste... Your first guitar will be great, until you buid the second ;)

[@SonicSalute]

Excelent video. you were especially accurate on explaining how the business should work, and how to enjoy it at the same time. Cheers man, you gained a subscriber today

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

Glad it was helpful and thanks for subscribing, it really helps! B

[@aipsong]

I can say from first hand experience, that working with seasoned guitar builders is an extremely efficient and productive way into learning the trade.

[@peterbaker3878]

I would really love to go to your school but I live in Detroit, Michigan. Your Crimson Guitar School would be a Huge Success here in the U.S. Ever think about branching out to other countries?

[@JDStoneCreations]

Excellent video, but the very first few seconds look like you forgot who you were or why there's a camera there lol

[@tonto7752]

Hey ben ..great vlog and very very true ..in all that you said keep up the good work ..great channel which has taught me a lot ..thank you and keep on keeping on 👍

[@michaelhermsmeyer2155]

I would say a good place to start is by buying a quality Crimson guitar kit! Most of the hard work is done up front for you but you will learn about assembly, fit, finish etc... Build the first one as per Ben’s instruction, start to finish. Then get another one of the same model. Do it again! A third one, again! You’ll learn a lot as you simply have all the parts and pieces in your hands. You’ll see how everything fits together and even start to have ideas for mods of your own! Try a different pickup route, make a custom pickguard, try different finishes and colors! You’ll be on your way in no time! As far as starting by refinishing an old guitar, I’ve done it! Yuk! Got one hanging in the garage half stripped cause I can’t breathe the dust and everything in the garage is now white! Lol! To me, it’s easier building a new body from raw wood. But there is valuable education gained from every aspect of the building, repair and modification processes! I’m nowhere close to where I’d like to be, I don’t have the time or money to jump in head first. But I’ve done my own repairs and mods for decades and even built about five guitars. I’m not sure I will ever have the patience to make a neck (that I like) from scratch. There are many available. I have cut a Tele headstock on a kit neck though. Took my time, did it right and it turned out pretty good. I’ve also done a mahogany Tele body. But I’m stuck at the point of routing the neck joint. I don’t want to mess it up! Lol! Might just lacquer it and hang it on the wall as is! Like Ben said, keep doing, keep learning! Repeat! That really goes for anything you do in life! Cheers and thank you Ben!!!

[@hermannseib]

I'd argue that for the first one or two builds it would probably better to go with a lower quality kit. In fact, I'd say go as cheap as you can. Try to get the best out of it, fully knowing that it won't become a masterpiece. Learn about its shortcomings. Learn how to overcome them. Then, when you are fairly confident that you won't mess it up through beginner mistakes, lack of knowledge, and of practice, go for a high quality kit.

[@docoluv9]

Hey Ben man is been awhile. I know you are a busy person so if you cannot answer back is all good buddy. I got my room opened up at my home. My friend was storing things in there. Gonna be creating a hobby area for building guitars, crocheting. Etc. I wanna build with zero electric tools. All by hand. At least my first few. Maybe add a scroll saw not really sure what else I would need a scroll saw pretty much has the sawing down with most everything I would need. Anyways I'll be looking back over this site as usual for references. I have some books as well. Wish me luck buddy.

[@TheRealZookness]

December of last year I decided to try my hand at luthier work as a side note/learning experience to accompany my endeavor to start playing the electric guitar again. Began with a 20 year old squier strat in my closet (coincidentally my first ever electric guitar). Fried a few cheap pots, destroyed a headstock (enlarging tuner holes with a hand drill is a no-no) found that battery powered soldering irons are rubbish, learned that measurements are very important because despite visual comparison via the internet, guitar hardware IS NOT universal, learned that basic garage tools will only get you so far, some stuff you need the specialty luthier tools for (assuming you want it to be all the way right, not just "close enough"). Ended up with an ugly, smells like spraypaint beast that ultimately doesnt play half bad and sounds fairly decent for a first time endeavor. I say, jump in, so long as you are prepared for the possible eventuality of having nothing to show for it but some learning (worst case scenario) but you might surprise yourself, and what have you got to lose?

[@seanfuller1561]

If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it!

[@gavannapper2348]

I don't know about in uk but in us most high school's have ffa chapter which teaches basics of wood and metal working

[@skyrock931]

Hey Ben this is Ben! You should do a collab of some sort with Alec Steele. He makes beautiful Damascus steel tools and blades. Maybe you could do a guitar that could incorporate something of his. He is also UK based. Just a thought.

[@johnandkassbolles7708]

Speaking of "intelligent order", do you think that possibly it would be a good idea to locate the bridge and string holes before cutting the body shape? It seems to be that on something like a Tele kit build that does not have pre-drilled holes, part of the difficulty stems from trying to locate holes with an irregularly shaped material stock. Whereas if you started with a blank with a clearly defined center line and knew, I guess, the location and dimensions of the neck socket and neck, you could more easily locate the bridge.

[@stevejazzband]

Progression should be safe... I tried to jump into building furniture without a class or a mentor and got bit by a router table. I would recommend studies in safety then building a box, then a cabinet with nice faces, then a furniture piece, then a guitar, then another... I'm building a dirt simple guitar now, my first and I know already it'll never play, but I'll keep building it until I've made all my mistakes and then build another... I did upgrade all my guitars before I cut my first one... Do both..

[@andrewantonyrushton3614]

Because wood is quite pricy, what I learnt on was scaffold boards cheap easy to cut with a hand saw and rough as hell so will teach you all you need to now about sanding.....

[@RandySchartiger]

great info Ben thanks for sharing it!

[@GrumpyTy34er]

I had no skills. First instrument is a ukulele made of scrap wood and a piezo disk pickup. The frets are nails. I used hand tools. Somehow, it sounds great, is loud, looks unique, and is basically a scalloped ukulele. It's wide, sure, and not going to win any awards (and definitely wired "wrong") but still. 10/10, would make again.

[@steverees1936]

Thanks for sharing this video Ben. As usual this video is honest, informative and fun to watch. I have recently finished building a kit guitar that was bought as a Christmas present and now would like to progress onto building one from scratch. I have had previous wood working experience, but the one thing that makes me nervous most about guitar building was the neck construction and you gave the answer I wanted to hear, by starting off by making bodies and buy the necks. Would it be possible to add fret boards with more exotic woods to a ready made neck to make it more custom designed? Thanks again for another excellent video. :-)

[@Steph-de6ne]

I had a cheap chinacaster and one day as i was looking at LP reviews i saw Bens video about the fake LP some guy brought in. Than i saw the refret video and realised that my chinacaster aint that great so i decided im going to get someone to do it for me. Afrer whatching some nore videos i saw that the tools used did not need to bee pro luthier tools but also some alternatives from a good quality hardware sotire. Than i decided i want to level and crown my frets and that should cost me about 25€ instead of 250€. That was about 2 years ago. Now i have bloody vice on my table, saw dust in my snout and a big pile of wood in the corner of my room, and i also have a need for a workbench and a workshop. Ps. dont wory about the money, i spent way more than 250€ so it was totaly bloody worth it!

[@stenmartens7179]

great comment haha, made me laugh. totally recognizable. I had someone refret my Martin recently because I couldn't do it for the price he offered as i needed to buy tools for it as well. But the next refret im just gonna bite the bullet because I can already see flaws in his job im pretty certain with the knowledge Ben has taught us and some oldschool common sense i can do a better job

[@nickouellette484]

Question about grounding bridges: on a multiscale bass or guitar where the saddles are individual (not one piece) what is the best way to go about grounding the bridges? Thanks for the help.

[@clarkemeister5]

Two great videos Ben, I'm just starting out and your videos have been an inspiration, and hilarious.

[@1961jscofield]

Confirmed: Ben's new band is called "Men With Sheds." MwS, I can just see that stage logo now!

[@revy_moto]

Today I've been fine sanding a guitar that I've sanded all the paint ect off... Totally not the easiest thing, but presentence prevails.

[@daniellacatton]

Get a cheep kit guitar from gear for music ... Make it your own and turn it into a monster. Change pickups. Necks etc .. rewire it and make it the best you can and then learn the set up .. If you have the hunger to do it you will make it into a great guitar .. When you know what your doing then move to better things .. Never rush the job .. you will mess up .. - Daniella. x

[@narbonneguitars9331]

Hey Ben...could you show your first couple of builds if you have them an compare to your work now ...just a thought to show dedication an passion for building creating an seeing your strides at getting better...

[@A1BASE]

He burnt them, if I remember correctly.

[@wolflahti412]

My first guitar plays well and looks great - from a distance. On closer examination, it can be seen that the neck/body fit could be better. I know what I did wrong and how to fix it on my next build. However, the finish on the neck is questionable; the layers of paint make a "step" down from the finished surface to the bare wood on the side of the fingerboard. That I have no idea how to fix. None of the thousands(?) of KZbin videos I've seen address this. A single color wouldn't have such thickness, but this has a reflective coat, a translucent coat, a burst coat, and the clear coat (and maybe a primer underneath it all). How to deal with it mystifies me.

[@dpdupuis5]

I thought that was great advice Ben, good answer!

[@barrycharlton6228]

Hi, can any of you help me? I'm building my first guitar. I bought all of the parts because I'm just not capable of building from scratch. I've watched loads of vids but I'm a bit confused. I'm waiting for my Stunnig Stains to arrive so I can apply them to my guitar body. It's an Alder wood Strat body. I sanded it down to a good finish but what I want to know is - do I need to wet sand the guitar first? This may be a silly question but I dont want to ruin it and I'm very new to this. Thank you in advance. Realy enjoy you videos.

[@Sotek101]

Ben, you mention workshops full of tools and you go along, did you remember what they are called? got any links?

[@djstringsmusic2994]

Every time I've stripped a guitar I just use an orbital sander and 60 grit paper. It goes quite fast lol.

[@TheNeonRabbit]

"Find new mistakes to make"

[@lukakorsic5820]

Good job, I just wanted to say thanks for this good content.

[@SalvvOrtiz]

I built a solid body electric guitar, the body is 1 1/2" thick, thinner than usual guitars. Is it ok, or do I need to make it thicker?

[@creekrocklofi]

Hey man. I have always enjoyed your videos and have found them helpful. Also, I have always been impressed with your tool rack. Not to be a smart ass but I am curious. With the high pressure aversion to pointy things reaching a fever pitch on your side of the pond, is that tool rack now to be considered a weapons rack? Will this witch hunt for all things sharp effect your operation? I mean, a man walking out of your vintage tool shop with a shiny beveled chisel might be likely to get his ass sacked up and thrown in the pokey. Or would he? I just hope you can continue what you do unmolested by the forces that run amuck. Take care and stay sharp.

[@XOKNP]

On a side note, does anyone know when the guild memberships will be available again?

[@bentyreman5769]

perfection is the enemy in life, people are too afraid of mistakes

[@Bizman62]

Get a neck, build a body. Whether you succeed or not, build another body for that neck. When you have more than one fully functional bodies made, make necks for the extra bodies. When all your bodies have a nice neck, move to the next type of neck joint and start over. A guitar building course at the community college will give you access to all kind of tools plus guidance from both the master and the fellow builders for a very decent price. With any luck the tutor isa trained and experienced luthier, at worst he "only" knows how to safely use the power tools and follow instructions and measurements.

[@ChrisFranklyn]

You don't need a guitar to practise with stains.

[@michaelg.woodley3732]

Chris Franklyn too true. Honestly I bought a bunch of maple veneer and that worked like a charm for staining practice!

[@A1BASE]

Oh. And Templates... Build your skills by building templates. They're the most important thing in the world when it comes to guitar building apart from the setup. Yes. I know you've got a really nice piece of Sapele or Wenge and you want to get cracking on the neck with it, but trust me. Make templates first.

[@aquajew3000]

What about buying a neck and building a body

[@NoPlaceForTheDead]

I'd like to see a daily youtube history list of yours, or your subscription list.

[@apinakapinastorba]

How not to get into building guitars: spending your time on forums, face book groups and youtube comment sections, instead of doing. Just go for it :)

[@sosouth15]

Love the channel, man, but your beard makes your head look like a guitar pick.

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

Lol! B

[@brianjordan3063]

Great, now I can't unsee this.

[@danielcap270]

I have that shirt

[@tomahoks]

So, your videos are on focus now, I might re sub...

[@MarcinOfTheNuclearVillage]

F.A.I.L. - First Attempt In Learning

[@MCENTYRE]

reminds me of stewie

[@wits_end]

Alas, I'm on the other side of the world... otherwise I'd probably be haunting your shop by now...

[@jeffparryncc1701]

#1 Buy $50 pawn shop electric guitar #2 have a beer, take a breath #2.5 Pull said guitar down and sand down to bare wood #3 Remodel said guitar, change the guitar shape to something more awesomer #4 Stain, dye, paint, oil your new beast #5 learn how to remove and replace frets by watching youtube over and over again #6 Rebuild and string said beast with new gear or use the old gear #7 Sell said beast #8 Do step #1 to #8 again = an immense amount of satisfaction and frustration all at the same time.

[@kennjrgensen9021]

It wouldn't be the right intro, if Ben didn't comment on how long his intro is.

[@keliweisgerber3896]

I've heard good feedback about the Woodprix plans.

[@brandonnavarre3360]

eyyy 50 views first comment when i looked frankly im entirely aware no one cares but i did it anyway

[@Vothtrucks]

I keep moving forward in the video waiting for instruction... but just talk , talk , talk .

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

Podcast.. this is all about talking, most of our other videos are building though

[@joelederhouse8421]

Grandpa knows how to use tools.

[@A1BASE]

There's absolutely no reason your first guitar shouldn't be perfectly functional unless you're lazy. Every single piece of information is available on the internet - how thick should my body be? What's a scarf joint? How long is a guitar??? 10's of thousands of people are available to ask questions of... The internet is one of mankind's greatest inventions. Use it. Do your research and critically, PLAN what you're doing before you do it, practice on a scrap piece then execute the plan. When using a power tool for the first time put the following into youtube: 'Beginners guide to [X]' That's a good start. Go onto a wood working forum, explain you're new and ask 'what's the most important thing I should know about this piece of equipment to keep me safe?'.

[@BetamaxV]

jeeeeesus! listening to this guy is like pulling teeth. I'll find a better video.

[@dtjb1962]

Most artists, are their own worst critic. Myself included

[@dtjb1962]

LIFE Learning Is For Ever