Don't Build a Les Paul - If this is your first Guitar Build

[@fnvdi9314]

Keep up the good work ❤️

[@theelectricluthier1928]

Thanks 🙏

[@jurgenzoller4407]

Excellent video. My next build, though not an LP, will be my 1st carved top, neck through. I am scared to my wits end, even though I've built over 6 guitars, with set necks and neck through. Thanks for your adviy

[@theelectricluthier1928]

Thanks fr the comment 🙏. I try to use templates and jigs whenever possible, they provide accuracy' but also the assurance that you actually know what you're doing 😉. Good luck

[@danielgulseren9783]

100% right. My first selfmade Guitar is a 60´s Strat. now i started a Les Paul and Yessssss this is much more Complex. Love woodworking! ^^

[@yoavbinyamini]

Thanks 🙏

[@michaelpal7641]

I am so glad I happened onto your video! The cost of a les Paul kit + the tools needed/required + the level of expertise needed for such a build is not something I can't undertake. Yes-I want another Les Paul, but No, after calculating the cost of both kit, tools and time, as well as the learning curve and frustration it would bring? I feel it would be better to just take the existing cash on hand, and save up for what my heart really wants. Thank you so much for your video.

[@theelectricluthier1928]

Thanks 🙏, glad I can help. A kit is a much simpler undertaking than a scratch build and is also much cheaper if you consider the cost of tools. However, if you are just trying to a cheap Les Paul, you will probably be better off getting a second-hand Gibson or an Epiphone.

[@wkmetaal]

Finished now my first build......., yes a Les Paul. And finished in 2023 the second. Start in march 2024 my third😊

[@PedroLucas-go6ye]

Excellent video, im a les paul huge fan, and every topic you said is true, before build my first project i googled a bunch of references, since the enhanced carving topic till the fretwork nibs technniques, but i could do it, i was so fuccused on it and i spent nights and nights thinking days and days searching a lot of contents and when my project began some frustations started to shows... But most of it was not directed on the "carpintery" technniques, but the respect of the schedule. And how to use some machines... And this was one of my most important part on the plan. To respect the step by step. If i could give a tip for guys who's starting would be... Respect the machine its dangerous! Respect the schedule. Plan every detail, test before 1,2 or 3 if you can, when you get ready, do it! And you will make any guitar you want.

[@yoavbinyamini]

Thanks for your thoughts, Pedro 🙏. This is all said with great respect to LPs and wanting to do them justice. But more importantly, it's about making the process fun. After all, for most of us it's a hobby, and what's the point of getting frustrated? We, humans, tend to bite more than we can chew...

[@chubbypapaya]

I'm in the process of building a simple LP Special style (with Custom style accoutrements) for my first build, which is essentially just like building a Tele. It's a basic slab body with a single cut, and I'm just going with a pre-built neck to keep things simple. If you wanna do a Les Paul for your first build but you don't want to hassle with the hard parts of a LP, I'd definitely recommend going the Special/Junior route. Still doing binding for extra spice, so I'm hoping it goes well.

[@yoavbinyamini]

Thanks for the comment @jack ford, 🙏.I agree that the special/ Junior is the way to go if you do want a Les Paul. My point was to try and keep it simple for the first build and it seems that's exactly what you are doing. I am sure you'll manage the bindings. Good luck with the rest of it

[@SideswipeMotion11]

If I would knew that three years ago hahaha Well, I'm gonna try making a guitar for the 3rd time, i hope this time I won't fail Your chanel is a complete blessing, thank you!

[@theelectricluthier1928]

"Failure is the best teacher". I don't think of it as failing, just part of the learning curve. Besides 3rd one is a charm' isn't it? I've made mistakes with every single guitar (and other projects) and even if no-one else sees them, I do. Going forward I at least try and not make the same mistakes twice 😜

[@patmac3510]

Do you have a video about making the Les Paul neck joint? Or a link to another?

[@reymisteryo9163]

About the inlay, can I just cut out the shape from the fretboard and pour acrilic on it?

[@anthonyzlahtic6357]

My first build was a carved top and back Archtop guitar using Benedetto's book and plans. It turned out well! Building a Les Paul is much easier!

[@davide.waterbury6295]

Most of what you said here was well thought it, interesting and accurate. I didn't build an LP until my third build. First a Tele, 2nd a LP Jr or Special style - set neck but no carve, bound fretboard only, then a lefty LP for a friend. The only exception I take with the video is the part about neck wood being difficult to come by. A 1x8 hardwood board ripped into 3 equal pieces and laminated together makes a perfect neck blank for an LP-type guitar.

[@yoavbinyamini]

Thanks for the comment David 🙏. I find it funny that your answer to my 'trying to keep it simple' is creating a laminated neck. By the way, in wood-deprived countries (such as Israel) an 1*8 hardwood board of good quality, is not easy to find. and is why most of my builds have laminated necks.

[@davide.waterbury6295]

@@yoavbinyamini Yes, of course you are correct, especially about the 1x8 availability issue. I should have pointed out that a 1x3x6ft board (actual dimensions .75" x 2.5") cut into three 2ft lengths is the same result. I was just intending to provide a reasonable option for those who want to brave the set neck build. That said, I totally agree with your explanation for not doing so for a first (or even second) build. I didn't mention that while my second build was a set neck, I screwed it up by putting an insufficient neck break angle in and had to grind down my ABS bridge to get low enough action.

[@danieldean8953]

My 1st through 6th builds were all Les Pauls 100% from scratch. They were all flawless. It is possible if you’re very well prepared and meticulous

[@redsalem7686]

I will heed your warnings....but I{m going for a LP as my first build. My biggest worry was the carved top, but I have seen template kits that allow you to use a router to get a basic shape going. Seems much easier.

[@gissenduarterodas4124]

Greaat video

[@theelectricluthier1928]

Thanks, 🙏 Appreciate it.

[@richardhinton4232]

A good in between for the hand tools and a grinding wheel is sanders I use a palm sander and belt sander for most of my body contouring and shaping with a little experience and practice you can control how fast or slowly you remove material and really fine tune the look

[@theelectricluthier1928]

Thanks Richard, 🙏 a valid point. I do like sanders myself, but belt sanders in particular can be very aggressive and sometimes hard to control, especially with low grit paper. The manual tools tend to give more control. Practice and experience will make all the difference in both cases.

[@richardhinton4232]

@@theelectricluthier1928 I agree ive gone both ways I started off with hand tools and I can definitely appreciate builders who do it all by hand but for me it was just so much more enjoyable with sanders I feel like I can use a lighter touch and slowly remove material or change to a higher grit sand paper to ease into the design more ive been doing it for a few years tho and ive learned how to control the sanders I use I definitely wouldn't suggest it for anyone I'm yet to try the sanding wheel with a grinder trick honestly it scares me to think about just ripping that much material away with every pass I just think it's a bit excessive there's wanting to get a job done faster then there's sacrificing control for speed and I feel like something as strong as a grinder definitely crosses that line

[@mgcnashville6615]

Angle grinder works great! My first time ever doing contours was using an angle grinder. Just have to take it slow and get a feel for how to use it. It’s my preferred method of getting the general shape fast. And then refining it with sanding. Shintos are good but can take a while. Plus my angle grinder was $13 compared to a $40 shinto.

[@mgcnashville6615]

@@theelectricluthier1928 but it also depends what kind of contour I want. If I’m doing a strat style arm cut, I may use an orbital sander to get that rounded melting look.

[@carrterdinkins7977]

Is a sg a bad start? I’m thinking about building a electric ukulele in an Sg shape but would that be too difficult? Just asking

[@theelectricluthier1928]

An electric Ukulele sounds like a great starting project, and it sounds like you have taken most of the additional difficulties I mentioned, out of the equation. An SG body should be much easier than an LP, the chamfered edges with no bindings make it less challenging. Take into account that Ukuleles have nylon strings and with different thickness, order, and tuning than just 4 of the 6 electric guitar strings.

[@reymisteryo9163]

How about Firebird? I really love the Les Paul, I also like Firebird and ES-335. I'm not really a fan of a Strat but I don't hate it either, I like the Telecaster though.

[@azrmrullayev8866]

Super guitar Jolana !!!!!

[@theelectricluthier1928]

Something here is lost in translation, but thank you! 🙏

[@mgcnashville6615]

I believe everything you do should be done with excellence. To the best of your ability. I knew I wanted to build guitars 2 years before I started building them. I spent 2 years studying everything I could find about building, finishing, restoration, relic work, general wood working, learning about wood, acoustics, engineering, making pickups, etc. Many things. Even sand paper. I was a total beginner with 0 knowledge. I started building small things. making guitar picks, guitar wall mounts, rings.. then Mortis tenon joints, boxes, all while learning to setup and repair instruments. Started making my own tools. And practicing various things on cheap guitars as a learning device. My first build came out perfect. The finish had flaws, but I stripped it and re did it until I got it right. It was a trans white gloss finish. No spray cans. I mixed the colors myself, using proper equipment and products. Each build I’ve done after has only gotten better, and there’s always more to learn. My point is this: learn everything you can. Spend every free moment you have learning, and gain experience starting small and working your way up to bigger things. Don’t cut corners. Do things the proper way. After All, the pros use certain methods for a reason. If you want pro work, you must learn how to do a profesional level job. And the more knowledge you have, means the more options are available to you, means a better chance of success. This goes for everything in life. That being said, don’t be afraid. You’ll make mistakes. Part of being a pro is knowing how to fix those mistakes and carry on. And the more experience you accumulate, the better you’ll get. A les Paul isn’t the easiest guitar to build, but with proper knowledge and the ability to think intelligently, I believe you can build one as your first guitar and it’ll be good.

[@theelectricluthier1928]

Well put Uriel, and thanks for your detailed input. People approach guitar building with different mindsets, experiences, and skillsets. While I agree with pretty much everything you mentioned, not everyone has the same attitude towards professional work and people do like to take shortcuts and cut corners, which is fine as hobbyists. If anything in a guitar did not come out exactly as you wish, you can either, fix it till it's perfect, redo it or just accept it, learn from it and move to the next project. I have fiddled with woodworking since I was young and much like yourself studied long hours before building my first guitar. I am trying to share my experience and gained knowledge, for better and worse for anyone to do with it as they wish. Cheers 🙏

[@mgcnashville6615]

@@theelectricluthier1928I agree. you are correct. Not everyone thinks this way. I do like to encourage people to always do their best. And to think intelligently when pursuing something. Mistakes are inevitable. It’s how you choose to handle them that is important.

[@mgcnashville6615]

And to always keep learning!

[@rhernandez39]

Alright but I'm going to make it my second guitar

[@theelectricluthier1928]

Thanks for the comment 🙏. Sure thing. Go for it. It will probably still be challenging, but that's part of the fun..

[@michaelassouline667]

יואב, אני תמיד נהנה מהסרטונים שלך. תודה! על איזה גיטרה היית ממליץ כפרויקט ראשון? בהנחה שיש ניסיון רב בעבודה בעץ בכלים ידניים וחשמליים.

[@theelectricluthier1928]

Thanks Michael. 🙏 A Telecaster Style guitar is definitely a good choice for a first guitar (especially if you're) thinking of a second). The simple body, bolt-on neck, and simple electronics will reduce the number of complications you can run into. I made a full series for a Dragon Tele, you can follow along- kzbin.info/www/bejne/h6e9enaNp56inMU If you have the experience you can go crazy with the finish and get a really nice guitar. (I love Telecasters in General)

[@michaelassouline667]

@@theelectricluthier1928 thanks! That sounds like a great idea. I also don't own a telecaster yet :)

[@yournightmare8220]

What about explorer or flying v guitar types ? Are they difficult for a first build ?

[@theelectricluthier1928]

Probably yes. The Explorer and Flying V bodies are easier than the Les Paul because they don't have the carved/ curved top and most models don't have bindings either. You can also make it easy on yourself and skip the binding on the neck. You can also simplify the neck connection and do a straight kind of tennon with a bit of an angle. Then you are really just left with the headstock angle, and You can see how I did that here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2W5dqeBmqZmkLc

[@yournightmare8220]

@@theelectricluthier1928 Thanks for the response and for the explantion, but i dont get why that little angle needed on the neck connection of explorer type guitar, i would love to know why. because of the high bridge? and how to get that angle?

[@theelectricluthier1928]

@@yournightmare8220 Most Gibson guitars that have a TunOmatic bridge will have the neck at a bit of an angle, between 2-4 degrees. Yes, that is to make up for the height of the bridge. Usually, the neck pocket itself is routed at an angle. There are other ways to get around it, like shimming, angling the heel of the neck, or lowering the bridge, but if you are staying true to Gibson's design, the bottom of the neck pocket should be angled.

[@yournightmare8220]

@@theelectricluthier1928 so if i Put a different bridge (like a strat bridge) i can do a flat neck pocket ?

[@theelectricluthier1928]

@@yournightmare8220 Yep. Put a straight edge running from the neck to the bridge and you will see how high the bridge needs to be or how angled the neck should be. I've seen people who fitted a Tun-Omatic to a fender and they had to 'dig in' to the body so it would not sit too high...

[@generalawareness101]

I have no choice in 2021 but to build my own guitar. There is no used stock, nor new stock, out there with no signs of getting better until 2022 at least. I have small hands, so I need a thin neck which makes it even worse, so I am going to build a Fender Strat style. I don't know much about finishes, and stuff, so not sure how this will turn out.

[@theelectricluthier1928]

Sounds to me like there is a nice project in your future. As far as finishes, you can always go with an oil finish look. On a good looking piece of wood they look great. Remember there are always shortcuts you can take, like buying a pre-freted neck and modifying it, or a full kit. An upgraded kit guitar can be a pretty good instrument.

[@generalawareness101]

@@theelectricluthier1928 My original intention was to go to a pawn shop and buy a 50 dollar used guitar then go to work on it, but in 2021 that 50 dollar clinker is now 300 usd (no joke). Thing is those kits are not true to spec, so the bodies are thinner to save the maker money which means trying to get new electronics/pups in one becomes a nightmare which is why I was wanting a clunker to work with that I know is the right size.

[@papacap8255]

Guitarfetish

[@generalawareness101]

@@papacap8255 I asked them back then, and they replied that none they offer is a thin neck.

[@kmatax9237]

i don't think there's any videos explaining this type of build and how involved it can be. great job! love your videos!

[@theelectricluthier1928]

Thank you! 🙏 I find that many build videos (not just guitars), look very simple and straight forward, but when you actually get into the details, you find that it's harder than it looks.

[@kmatax9237]

@@theelectricluthier1928 i absolutely agree. i remember first time i saw someone tint windows on the car and thinking THATS EASY!!! and then i try doing it myself and completely ruining the film. LOL

[@andrewgarcia3136]

There are, actually. Search bar.

[@kmatax9237]

@@andrewgarcia3136 great tip! i got one for you, keep it to yourself

[@stephenmacdonald912]

I made one came out sweet. Looks like slashes all gibson parts

[@yoavbinyamini]

That's great. 🤘 Just built one myself (Actually a kit for a change) I went for a classic Cherry burst and came out sweet as cherries. 😁. I'll have the video up soon

[@YeOldeThrashDude]

Excellent video. My first attempt was to just make a neck that fit on a guitar I already had. I figured that if I can do that, I can build the whole thing. I was right, but it was more complicated than that. ;)

[@theelectricluthier1928]

Thanks Kirk, 🙏 . Those glued in heels do tend to be challenging. The neck as a whole probably is the more challenging part of the guitar.

[@Xaltar_]

Funny, Gibson needs to watch this video, they seem to have forgotten that they need a break angle on the neck. I have seen $2k Les Pauls all the way up to $10k Custom Shop Les Pauls with either too little break angle or none at all. This never used to happen but lately it seems all too common. Finish issues on the binding, unrolled fretboard, gaps between binding fret nubs and frets that catch the high E string. The break angle is absolutely unforgivable however, you literally can not set the action properly without spending money on a low profile bridge to get your action under 2mm. The Custom Shop I saw had a 2.5mm action with the bridge slammed to the deck, the neck binding literally disappeared into the body it was so bad. What are we paying for?

[@yoavbinyamini]

Thanks for the comment. It would indeed be funny if Gibson started taking guitar-building advice from me. However, Unlike Leo Fender who thought about ways to simplify the building process, Gibsons did make it a bit harder on themselves with all the details I just mentioned in the video. Issues with the quality of production are known and there are plenty of Gibson lovers to rant about it with better authority than myself. I am actually building a Les Paul Kit right now, and you made want to run and check the break angle 😉

[@christianholmskyum1403]

Oh, I'm early today🙂

[@winteroutside7014]

meh the carved top is not too difficult. first step is to get the pickups bridge stopbar tailpiece correct then choose a design to 3D carve not the boring smooth top using a cnc machine to carve the design into the wood

[@yoavbinyamini]

Yep, carving using a CNC sure makes things easier 😆but I would hardly consider CNC a beginner's tool. Working (and knowing how) a CNC is certainly a level up as far as precision and design but I believe most first-time builders use a more manual approach. There is also a certain satisfaction in doing it the old fashion way.

[@winteroutside7014]

@@yoavbinyamini secret : Tony Stradivari used a CNC machine

[@pikachuthegayatheist6215]

I see what you're saying but not everybody goes 100% traditional. You have to think when a normal person thinks it will Les Paul they think of the outer shape of the body not the traditional hump on the top, everything else is completely custom ( with the exception that you're placing some kind of humbuckers in there, however it does not matter if the humbuckers are specific to Gibson or not ) as I said the entire guitar is completely custom to the builder, and specific to the builders design. It does not happen match 100% to the T white Gibson had designed, it only has to match a Les Paul visually just to be marketed as a Les Paul, and not all Les Paul's that are built by custom luthiers are have hump. Some custom-built Les Paul's that are made out of full metal hollow bodies, and someone did make a fender out of cement so wouldn't be surprised if someone made a Les Paul out of cement, and plated metal you can't put a hump in it unless you bend it and it's really tricky to get it correctly bent, and you can't put a hump in a cement guitar unless you make the mold for the casting with the hump in it. Both of these if you don't get the hump correct you're screwed, especially when you're trying to bend the top middle piece for a hollow-body middle of Les Paul and fuck up. See most people don't care about that stuff because it's not known, and people don't care about accuracy unless you're an out-and-out Fanboy of Gibson who has to have everything exactly 100% the way they build it at factory, or else you get sour over somebody else using the name to make money.

[@yoavbinyamini]

Thanks for the comment @Pikachu THE GAY ATHEIST 🙏. Naturally, the point of this video is that there are plenty of LP lovers who do want to various levels of accuracy, make a Gibson clone. If you have been in any Gibson relayed forum or group you would have seen ,meny opinionated fans (and I am not judging) Although I am not one to nit-pick on the fine details of models and such, there are characteristics that make an LP what it is, and for a first-time builder, these features can be a pain. It's true that you can make an LP junior style guitar, with a flat top and no bindings, but that's exactly what I am talking about. If you are essentially building an LP-shaped Tele it's fine by me. In fact, if you build any sort of guitar I think it's great 😉

[@abby-i1i]

I bought a kit build so I'm safe hehehe

[@yoavbinyamini]

Thanks for the comment 🙏. Funny thing, I also have a Les Paul kit laying around, waiting for me to find time for it. Should be one of my next videos

[@aayushkhare656]

The set neck is the scariest part for noobs

[@theelectricluthier1928]

I would prefer a bolt-on or a through-neck design, anytime. 😉

[@untrainedmechanic]

Ok he's got an accent...guess I won't be building a Les paul

[@theelectricluthier1928]

Everybody has 'an' accent... Mine is just not from your area. 🙂