How to make a guitar body template using a router

[@ChrisFranklyn]

Writing measurements on the template is ingenious! I often write them on the body itself when working it... then stick a template on and can't see them anymore 🤣

[@DevilAndSons]

Ha, that's so funny. I tend to write them on scraps of wood and paper then they all get muddled up so this is the safest way. Although sometimes I write it on the side that ends up face down!

[@ChrisFranklyn]

@@DevilAndSons Yes, that''ll easily happen if it's a lefty you're building.

[@DevilAndSons]

I get everything upside with lefties.

[@NewLifeWithGuitar]

I only started learning how to play the guitar about five weeks ago & I'm documenting my entire journey on here so watching this was super interesting!

[@DevilAndSons]

Thanks so much for watching. Ymthat's going to be so interesting documenting your progress.

[@NewLifeWithGuitar]

@@DevilAndSons Yeah it'll be interesting to say the least... for good or bad haha! Your videos really are super inspirational & motivational... & interesting! Looking forward to more!

[@DevilAndSons]

That's very kind of you to say.

[@HellishFigure86]

This is the video I never knew I needed! I've been desperate to find a Kramer Baretta template for ages in the UK. Now I can just make one from my own Kramer 🎸 Thanks Daniel ❤

[@DevilAndSons]

It's a pleasure. Just be super careful with the router bit not to catch the paint work on the guitar body, and to avoid any scratches when clamping down . Have you got a super guitar in mind then?

[@HellishFigure86]

I noticed that when you were tracing the cavities onto a piece of plan paper you mentioned that it is important that you have it lined up with the body. To help with that maybe you could try graph paper so you can index it against the center line or some other frame of reference? Just a thought 🤷🤘

[@DevilAndSons]

That's a good idea. Because it doesn't actually have to be perfect, but just lined up and in the right place for drilling (but I avoid the edges) I can feel confident that I won't catch the body, but graph paper would avoid any problem.

[@barrychristian4050]

Good video Daniel, some great tips. I like the fact that you wrote lots of info on them, very easy to forget details down the road, I would add to that tip by taking some pics or short video of any specific details especially if you're not keeping the original body would help. Also not sure if you've covered this in other videos but always go against the rotation of the cutter, a general rule of thumb being for hand held routers is anti clockwise around the outside of the work piece and clockwise for internal holes/cavities. For router tables you move the work piece against the rotation which can confuse some people 👍

[@DevilAndSons]

What a good idea, I never thought of filming the guitar before, so sensible. I have another video coming about router direction and grain direction... this video was becoming just to long. Thanks for watching.

[@xopycxopyc]

I just thought yesterday. how to remove an accurate template from your guitar and do it carefully. Thank you!

[@DevilAndSons]

Great timing then. Thank you for watching.

[@gothridercreations]

Great video, good tips for upping your template game 😊

[@DevilAndSons]

Thanks so much.

[@DevilAndSons]

Thanks for joining the live chat just now. Can I email you about the Luthiers' Lunch Break? What's your email (or send me a message on [e-mail])

[@npinder2002]

Excellent explanation, thank you

[@DevilAndSons]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.

[@fatpotanga]

Great vid Daniel. Your recent short brought me here. Ive wondered several times about doing this very thing. I still have my first electric guitar for my 13th or 14th birthday (a Hohner strat copy pre-Arbor) awful cheap thin ply body and terrible hardware, but a lovely neck and oodles of sentimental value. A good project to Hohn (see what I did there?) my skills on. I also have the same lino near my bench and in a bathroom.

[@DevilAndSons]

Ha, that lino is awesome. Thanks for watching, commenting, and such a great pun. It's awesome to still have your first guitar. If you do start a project please let me know how you get on, and if I can be any help.

[@fatpotanga]

@@DevilAndSons thanks Daniel, I will. I still have boxed pedals with receipts from then too. You wait long enough, you wake up one day and realise all your gear’s vintage 😆

[@DevilAndSons]

Ha. I just sold a pedal, it was a first run of a Rainger FX which they don't make any more. I ended up selling it for less than I paid, but I don't care as I spent the money on new router bits. Priorities have changed from playing to building.

[@fatpotanga]

@@DevilAndSons definitely a result. I keep meaning to cash in a few things for tools etc but to my wife’s delight I have a habit of just keeping things. apart from a Line 6 M9, I still own every pedal and guitar I’ve ever had!

[@donniecook3000]

Really good video i like it a lot

[@DevilAndSons]

Thank you so much, I appreciate you saying that.

[@donvanco3078]

Acrylic is great for "Master" templates - that you use to make templates that take the actual brunt of the work and become somewhat sacrificial. .

[@DevilAndSons]

That is a very good point, thanks for commenting with that. I often make sacrificial template copies of the mdf ones too.

[@DJAguitars]

Great video 👍

[@DevilAndSons]

Cheers!

[@robtoothill]

👍👍 Nice vid.... just one caveat - it only works for bolt-ons. It's a bit more difficult making a template from a set- or through-neck. 😉

[@DevilAndSons]

Ha, now that would involve some highly skilled router work.

[@stephencraig8578]

Do you have any videos for a headless guitar bridge with tremolo? I have a headless guitar with a fix bridge but, I want to route it out to put in one with a tremolo. Thx

[@DevilAndSons]

I have a video about one but I don't have a video about the template or routing kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHfLe6lvocuMr7M

[@Nimgoble]

How do you handle a body where the neck cavity and neck pickup cavity are one hole, but different depths?

[@DevilAndSons]

In this video you may see I make a small template that fits in the main hole, to be a guide for how to rout at different depths. I've got another video where you can see it in action. Let me just find the clip for you...

[@DevilAndSons]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/eGaxlmqhopp4pLM&si=XnlLObL-PcK6dm9P this is my video showing the template in use. At 5:40 you'll see how I deal with the issue you mentioned.

[@Nimgoble]

@@DevilAndSons Thank you!

[@DevilAndSons]

@@Nimgoble It's a pleasure. What are you working on?

[@Nimgoble]

@@DevilAndSons Replacement body for an Ibanez 7421. Neck pocket has been the hardest part. I tried your "small template" technique and it worked! Made a small MDF block that sat in the neck pickup route.