Ep.1: Preparing the Body and Neck - The 9 Hour Build

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

Hello everybody! Thanks for your support so far - unfortunately Episode 2 is running slightly behind schedule. It is currently uploading, but we are being somewhat scuppered by rural Dorset's internet speeds... Fear not, it will be landing in your subscription boxes within the next couple of hours! All the best - Team Crimson

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

Not with cnc at all, only half of our guitars go anywhere near one if those. My first, and truest, love is building instruments entirely by hand and with 90 or more hours to spend I would be right in my element!

[@Roro-ki4bb]

Hello, Good Morning @Crimson Custom Guitars. I have been playing for 12 years now on albums and studio projects and concerts but lately I just feel the need to want to build a guitar based off my 70's strat and the music man majesty because of I'm not satisfied with what I'm seeing in stores. I have little woodworking knowledge but I'm determined to build my dream guitar. Just want to know where to start in building a sing coil, 24 fret maple fingerboard guitar that has the 5-way switch and pickups like a 70's strat but the body and volume knobs of a music man majesty. I just wanted to know if this can be done realistically before I even start?

[@ObiWanAugus]

What is the name of the wood of the body? Thanks

[@audiotechlabs4650]

Ben, I have been following you and your channel since you first started on KZbin. You may not have intended to make this series a teaching series, but every thing you post have teaching built in them. Teaching is basically sharing. Thank you for sharing! The trick/tip of routing the truss rod cavity before you cut out the neck, is very smart! I will treasure all of your videos. Thankz

[@UBRLND-X]

I love the mad genius that is Ben Crowe. To be honest, i am starting to think that all of us that find passion in guitar building ARE mad, but you only become a mad genius once you find your process, focus, and stride at building guitar(s) rather than "a guitar." thanks so much, Ben for being the spark that has lit my fire at this incredibly passionate trade. I hope one day to be labelled a "mad genius" as I will know then and only then that I have achieved true focus, process, and stride.

[@eivindnyhus9181]

Finally, a great luthier channel using the metric system! Why havent I found you guys earlier? So much easier to understand.

[@cmdrcrimbo]

It's only in the US they use the wrong measuring system, Its antiquated and should be abolished. Lets be honest base 10 is a piece of cake compaired to base 12 (feet) then base 16 making up the inch, Counting in 10's 100's and thousands is much easier than a whole number base 12 (inch) and then 16th's, 32nd's and 64th's etc.

[@ParasitikOne]

Chris Bradley it is funny because even when using inches precision machinists then break the inch into hundredths and thousandths

[@winstonbryant9168]

I know it's learn as you go, but you've been doing this for a few. Organization is the KEY. A place for everything, and everything in it's place. But you the man, Do the Damn Thing.

[@eliotmccann2589]

l love the voice over- it lends a Kenny Everett-esque quality to the proceedings.

[@leocomerford]

I'm getting Terry Wogan myself.

[@KristonAbbott]

Eliot McCann, it was all done in the best possible taste.

[@scottjacko87]

Welcome to Crimson guitars. Ben Crowe, master luthier and master voice over guy.

[@wallacesheckells9280]

Love the concept of concentrating on the build and not explaining things as you go along. I'm sure it helps with your concentration. Stop worrying about time and do your thing. Can't wait for the next one.

[@pasavvas]

The voiceover is genius!

[@theguitarpicker]

Just found this and am looking forward to binge watching as many of them as you have finishing, beats heck out of the crap on Netflix! I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for doing this, It's pretty awesome that you were willing to take the time. Can't wait to see the difference between the 90 hour build and the 9 hour one!

[@CountryHouseGent]

I can imagine a Crimson Guitars Luthier's Masking Tape Trick Kit in a Box. A roll of Crimson Guitars Masking Tape, with the logo all the way through and a bottle of Super Glue and Accelerator, both with the logos on. All presented in a tidy wooden box. "The perfect gift this Christmas for the luthier who has everything." :)

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

+CountryHouseGent if only we were allowed to ship accelerator.. I can do the rest though, throw in a nice burnisher too and it could be more than a gimmick. What do you think?

[@CountryHouseGent]

Crimson Custom Guitars yes, some couriers are funny like that, though it can be done, otherwise how would you buy it online? :) I wonder if the trick would work without accelerator (hold it down longer?) Would a wooden burnisher be usable. A nice use of all those small lumps of leftover maple and walnut.

[@shaunhastie8096]

Just finushed watching your 12 hour build, well and truly inspired to make my first gutair, I'm a cabinet maker and have some stunning timbers crying out to be a gutair, I'm looking forward too watching the rest of the nine hour build, absolutely stunning work sir

[@walterrider9600]

thank you . Ben this takes talking to your self to a whole new level . thank god i am not the only one .

[@alexvath2838]

Drinking beer, binge watching guitar building videos. Just finished watching the 6 hour build. Epic job, by the way. But seriously the drinking game idea comment you made there I feel is going to make this an interesting night for me

[@MrEBDragon]

The voice over is legendary!!!! Like seriously cool!

[@foxmeisteruk]

Your love of wood is infectious!

[@orovillesfinest1]

enjoy every bit of what you do just started getting into guitars and I am very fascinated with the whole thing I think you should challenge yourself and do an acoustic guitar

[@patrickjaroch5084]

love the stuff you make, its great to see all of your hard work paying off. ivebeen following your videos since you were in the garden tusked away in your shed. and its so inspiring to see how youve grown

[@philgodfrey877]

The voice over is brilliant 😂😂 can't wait to see the rest. Thank you

[@evanbagshaw9397]

Love the conversation with yourself at the beginning of the video :)

[@skeembot]

This is a much better concept! Well done.

[@marko247]

I guess i better make myself comfortable. A whole guitar in 9 hours? Bring it Mr Crimson man!

[@kearnsguitars2236]

In one of your builds you said the reason for the "greatest luthier trick ever" was due to not being able to get a strong enough dbl sided tape in the UK. Do you have a recommendation for any in the US or what exactly is the excelerant you use with the super glue?

[@JentySteP]

haha this is incredible and a massive insight. The voice over humour reminds me of Peep Show.

[@soulcutterx13]

Sad -- was hoping for the hand tool build. That said, I've been waiting for another build event, regardless of what it ended up being so I'm not really in a position to complain, am I? Looking forward to this over the next however long it takes to upload.

[@smgcustomguitars7233]

had a drink everytime you used the pencil, as you suggested.. now I'm drunk just after 10 minutes XD to be serious, much respect! Love this playlist and the voiceover is great!

[@shanesmrf]

I don't know what's more entertaining: the voice over, the beautiful sapele, or Ben's purple pants. lol

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

+shanesmrf they're not purple irl, bloody camera chose to leave me looking as overweight as usual but change my red(ish) levis purple!? I mean, the indignity, I haven't worn purple in, like, months! :)

[@caloss2]

Burgundy Levi's surely ?

[@walterrider9600]

Ben thank you and all

[@lmagine6494]

Where did you get the wood from? It's stunning!! I want to build my first guitar and use something like that but I'm not sure where to source it and of prices, could you help?! Thanks in advance :)

[@behemothokun]

don't try to unbox pickups for 15 minutes this time.^^

[@MouldyGuitars]

think its mentioned in another video but what make of propellant pencil is that ? would be more consistent than a normal pencil

[@jonathanoakey4745]

Any particular reason why you happened to mention the possibility of routing the truss rod channel too deep and ruining the neck, Ben? ;)

[@edwardchester1]

Love the talking back to yourself voiceover.

[@DeathFromAbove1981]

Lovely out-of-body-experience commentary 🍻

[@winstonbryant9168]

So is ep2 up here yet, at the end of the video, the banner said click here for Episode 2, but it didn't come up. how do I see episode 2

[@Deprived_Games]

Five minutes in and the crazy surfaces. Talking to past Ben like he can hear you.

[@pdstokes8]

Excellent vid Ben, sorry for being behind the times but I've only recently discovered you :)

[@caloss2]

The commentary puts me in mind of Terry Wogan during the Eurovision song contest.

[@JimmyJames714]

I love the voiceover idea!

[@bradblakeley4053]

What's the style of brush you always use to sweep away your work surfaces called/intended for so I can source one...?

[@esa062]

All the time I was expecting you to start answering your voiceover :-)

[@davidhartman7660]

was having a drink for each time the pencil came out !

[@shooteroffuture]

I need more of this right now!

[@woodartberlin4852]

greetz from berlin ! i love your work, the shop and staff. if i would life in the UK i would consider working for free :D keep up the good work. cheers from a grumpy knife maker.

[@donniegarnett3762]

I had my router bit slip twice. Learned that lesson the hard way. Fortunately it wasn't deep enough to go all the way through my required depth.

[@viktortulbya2107]

at 53 mins i want to know, do you ever fear that while cutting the headstock angle like that, a slight angle on your neck from the (shape cut) will make your headstock tip at an angle sideways relative to your neck/fretboard

[@steelwarrior105]

I love how giddy ben gets when he starts scheming

[@bisquit1980]

Lol, It seems like you are filming yourself and doing the voice over at the same time Ben!

[@David6.3]

first time viewer here, the voiceover is quite amusing.

[@lukefresh58]

will it blend ?

[@john-paulwright5328]

So glad it's not just me that's terrified by the router table.

[@pasavvas]

You should do a david attenborough style commentary to these videos.

[@unsaltedskies]

"And here, we have, the hallowed luthier, in his native surroundings. Wood chippings, the buzz of the band saw, the fresh aroma of lacquered guitar tops. And look! The heard are grazing at their sawing hole running wood through plainer and lathe."

[@rootvalue]

Auto generated captions don’t seem to be working on mobile. Would love to know what you’re saying.

[@lakeJesus]

you can save some of that wood and make a fret board. like make a dark neck with a light colored fret board that would be awsome.

[@chucknowakowski6676]

41:20......"you've got to pull out, and got at it at a slightly steeper angle".......Ben you've never been more right........😂😂😂😂😂

[@elijahmthompson2313]

seconds later..... "Lets attack it from the bottom"

[@trevorkipling4901]

14:58 "What I hadn't realized, what uhh...was that I needed tooo uh...pull up my pants." Love your channel!

[@Ibaneddie76]

BEN USE PUSH BLOCKS ON THE ROUTER TABLE YOUR HANDS ARE VALUABLE.

[@stevenpropst4794]

how come you choose not to use epoxy adhesives when you assemble your neck components?

[@plevyan]

Enjoyable video as always

[@jameslewis2635]

Why do I have a feeling that if we did take up the drinking every time the pencil came out there would be people dying of liver failure?

[@phantomstratocaster]

what's the difference between a job and a hobby? a time schedule

[@moimeme7839]

How fast can you make a telecaster with a humbucker in the bridge and a lipstick pickup in the neck?

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

About 8 hours if I'm really trying.. I would suggest taking time though and spending about 30 to 40 to get every bit perfect.. B

[@cmdrcrimbo]

You have to pull out and push it back in at a slightly different angle, If you look carefully you can see some sparks! Lol Ben you have a way with words my man. My reply, Thats what she said!

[@MrBingping]

Is using carbon rods as effective as a laminate neck? I love the look of a one piece neck, but the stability can be pretty shite honestly.

[@dowrow6898]

I honestly have no idea, but I think that laminated neck would be a better idea, because you have cross-grain + glue holding the neck in place

[@Ibaneddie76]

SHOULD HAVE USED THE THINNER BAND SAW BLADE FOR THE RADIUS CUTS BIG BEN.

[@A1BASE]

HOLY SHOUTING, EDDIE! I SUSPECT SOMEONE WITH BEN'S EXPERIENCE KNOWS THIS, BUT FIGURED IT WASN'T WORTH THE TIME TO CHANGE BLADES AND RE-SETUP THE BANDSAW - it is a timed challenge after all.... ;)

[@Ibaneddie76]

ACTUALLY HE HAS TWO BAND SAWS ONE WITH A THINNER BLADE THAT YOU OBVIOUSLY DIDN'T SEE, HE USED IT IN THIS VIDEO THATS WHY I MENTIONED IT. I'M NOT YELLING I'M GIVING CONSTRUCTIVE ADVICE FROM ONE WOOD WORKER TO ANOTHER, YES BEN IS A GREAT GUITAR BUILDER BUT WHEN I SEE SOMEONE DOING SOMETHING WRONG AND DANGEROUS IN A TUTORIAL MEANT FOR THE PUBLIC I WILL SAY SOMETHING, NOT BECAUSE I'M (YELLING) BUT BECAUSE I WANT BEN AND ANYONE USING THESE VIDEOS TO BE SAFE. BY THE WAY THERE IS ALWAYS TIME TO DO THINGS THE CORRECT WAY SPECIALLY WHEN MOVING BLADES ARE INVOLVED. I GET IT THOUGH YOU ARE ON BEN'S BALLS IT'S COOL IF YOU WANT TO DO IT THE WRONG WAY, I WON'T YELL AT YOU HAHAHA.

[@-IYN-]

15:00 excellent tiny plumber butt-crack at the bottom right of our screens. Otherwise Crimson guitars are amazing pieces of art!

[@antnecro]

35 minutes in, and I'm drunk from the pencil challenge...

[@MrMPunky]

Uhh yeah! C'mon Ben!

[@OlivierJ_61]

Yes ! A new challenge :)

[@stkeeley]

Why plane the neck when you will be carving it anyway? your videos are outstanding by the way.

[@camerontgore]

shane keeley in woodworking when ever you make or rake measurements you want as close to perfectly level surface to insure exact measurements. Just a tried and true part of woodworking.

[@loulou4587]

6:00 made my day

[@Ibaneddie76]

IF YOU USE 2 PUSH BLOCKS ON THE NESCK WHILE ROUTING YOU CAN MANEUVER THE NECK MORE FREELY BECAUSE YOUR HANDS WON'T BE IN THE WAY PLUS YOU GET A MUTCH MORE POSITIVE HOLD ON THE WORK PIECE MEANING MORE DOWNWARD FOCE WITCH EQUALS LES CHANCE OF NECK BEING RIPPED OUT OF HANDS AND LESS LIKELY TO HAVE TEAR OUT. I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PUSH BLOCKS THAT YOU USE WITH A JOINTER OR TABLE SAW. IT WORKS GREAT AND FEELS AND IS MUTCH SAFER. I DON'T LIKE WATCHING UNEASY PEOPLE ROUT BECAUSE THATS WHEN ACCIDENTS HAPPEN.

[@jollyroger833]

Why did you decide to put carbon rods in this neck?

[@demantoid418]

Just a joke when I say he must like talking about him self. I do realy like to watch his vids.

[@AndrewAHayes]

I have never heard a router bit described as a router cutter, is this a translation in Benish?

[@Venge94]

man i hate router tables, on the first neck i built the route went perfectly, the second...well lets say i had half a headstock missing somewhere in the workshop haha

[@ola_rinta-koski]

Been there, done that, the trick is to leave as little to be routed away as possible. Too much and it will grab.

[@Soulleecher]

where to acquire the carbon fiber rods?

[@seanbova]

Stew-Mac, Allparts, possibly WD Music... most luthier supply places have them

[@wolflahti412]

Most any hobby/model shop

[@2AChef-n-BBQ]

Ben, are you this scattered in person? I really think you could be greatly entertaining playing Darts. could be tge longest game of cricket ......ever.....lmfao

[@HighlineGuitars]

Palm-a-lay

[@Joeobrown1]

let's start an argument... reckon the tone of the 90 hour build is better than that of the 9 hour?

[@Anon-21j]

Joe Brown I doubt there will be much tonal difference. Feel, however, SHOULD be better on the 90hr one

[@Anon-21j]

mr42ndstblvd Dude, the 90hr one WILL be hand built. If I'm correct, all guitars Ben are directly involved in making are. The CNC is for their One-line of guitars

[@horacebugzapper499]

35:10 what the hell was that?

[@legentilmiguel3071]

Maybe you should export guitars to mauritius

[@addictchris2503]

Ive heard you say several times now that you hate router tables. I cant for the life of me imagine why. Did your best mate when you were kids router himself or something?

[@johne7100]

Oven cleaner! Yo!

[@krustybuzzard2477]

What is the main reason that you don't like router tables.

[@lakeJesus]

in some weird way, you are technically talking to yourself.

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

+Mcshnuernobet 4 luthier-ception?

[@KristonAbbott]

Crimson Custom Guitars, with the voiceover it gives the impression that you are also behind the camera filming yourself, after some freak time travel event. Brilliant.

[@dowrow6898]

now make a guitar with only hand tools in less than 24 hours

[@brynjones7371]

Is Ben South African?

[@legentilmiguel3071]

Your guitars are nice and cool but their are no bass guitars

[@bratislavdragic3059]

I love you and your videos and your company and everything... but sometimes I just want to scream SAY IT ALREADY.... SPEAK UP LAD... CONCENTRATION PLEASE...

[@mickjd]

So awkward to watch. Said Hi Hello... hi like 8 times. Why Awkward pauses? 😖 lol

[@keithwallis9799]

Because he's English. That's just how we are. Ben does well to hide it most of the time ;-)