Building Les Pauls - Part 1

The first in a series of videos showing a comprehensive build schedule for a Les Paul guitar.

[@stealingtomorrowband]

Round 2 watching this build series... Great job and tutorial my friend...

[@mudylafeet]

My second pass on this 12 part series, astounding work Sir!

[@flashbak01]

Hi Freddy, it's great to see more tutorials coming from you! You're one of the best! :)

[@paulanderson5492]

Thats so great to see you working in the garage with your old man. I wish i had more time to spend making or fixing stuff in the garage with my pops

[@jjl567cat7]

Way to go Freddy! When you see the loving care that Freddy puts into these builds it makes you think if the modern 'mass produced' versions are really worth the fortune they charge. Great work, can't wait for the next part! Best, Jonathan

[@jbonham78]

lots of useful tips in this series - thanks so much for sharing your knowledge!

[@skeleon246]

Great video, Fred. Can't wait to see the next part!

[@thomasmussari2819]

Hi Freddie, it's great to see a new project! I will be watching!!!

[@chrisferguson237]

The best in depth, from scratch, guitar build series on KZbin!

[@brians5978]

What a great idea Freddy and looking forward to the series. That maple looks really good.

[@jamie3183]

Nice to see, and looking forward to the series, and what comes next. Taylormade hat - Fore!

[@mike5058]

Looking forward to this series!

[@jagoff62]

I just subscribed because I love watching old world craftsmanship.This is the second time through this series for me. Freddy, you are to guitar building what Stradivarius was to Violins and Cellos!

[@jadedsoul1]

But he aint using a log from prehistoric times thats been in a river for eons. it seems..

[@superglou913gomez3]

These videos are fantastic! Thank you!

[@masterbeernuts9344]

Superb vids i wish id been your apprentice for the last 10 years. This is the only thing in the world that really interests me or gets me ticking so to speak. I would definitely choose that 'wild' bookmatch. Love it!! Thank you so much for your les paul series. So much attention to detail and obv love for your work. Good on ya mate

[@eighttracklover1]

Glad to see you back Freddy!

[@romanrist3278]

Nice series Freddy. Quite enjoyable to see your meticulous and well explained work methods :)

[@michaelcross934]

beautiful, freddy - jus' plain beautiful.... art at it's best. Cheers, Mike in Victoria

[@Terry3Gs]

VERY nice series Freddy !! Look forward to your other video's of this !! =)

[@thadbiser]

Yes! Been waiting for you to do this for a long time. Thanks Freddy!

[@jadedsoul1]

May be a good guitar builder but the documenting is a tad lengthy. please cut down on your explaining freddy. aint no 5 year olds gona be wanting to build a burst. yes we know how to select some bookmatched tops jeebs...

[@gordonbrown5476]

@@jadedsoul1 Yes--we get the idea on planing Fred

[@Krencik68]

I like the series looking forward to next episode

[@GordoFlach]

Neat work Freddy, as always! Greetings from Santiago, Chile

[@MrPaolo101]

Im looking forward to this!...

[@nicolosanna555]

You should collect this building series in a playlist, that would be great!

[@klink287]

I like it when you work with Dad. Nice plane skills mating the maple resaw. Paul Sellers would be proud.

[@flowryan5829]

Just watching it for the third time, it‘s really damn exciting to see such high levels if craftsmanship in action. How I would love myself such a beauty of a guitar. Keep up the great work And Greetings from Germany, the land of the famous „Schrägmaß“.

[@TempoDrift1480]

Started at part 11 and started from the top. Really cool your Pappy is there too.

[@RichardFriendartist]

one of the best builders!

[@nicolasrivera5310]

Freddy!!! nice to see you man!

[@willdenham]

I wish I had access to a shop like this, to my own single cut LP.

[@shoroumeskisntrobowbirinei9549]

ótimo trabalho! ! good job.

[@ggparma1]

he's back!

[@willdenham]

Nice maple!

[@nitr0junki3]

One board in the top wasn’t flat prior to jointing. That’s what threw the angle off during the jointing operation.

[@kfowler8]

Great vid Freddy. One thought on your template to evaluate boards. I bought a thin sheet of plexiglass from Home Depot and drew an LP shape on it. Works great because you can see the entire guitar (both sides).

[@FreddysFrets]

Thanks! Good idea.

[@steveh365]

Great Job, Very Nice Work.. I am building a shop and would like to ask what is the minimum size Band saw necessary for resaw work? Including wider body guitars like Explorers.. Thanks

[@TheHirade]

I guess you love your job :)

[@electricwally]

Real nice! Where did you get your Les Paul templates? Thank you.

[@These_go_to_eleven_1959]

I really love that "sugar maple" for a top! How much would a Historically accurate R8 be to make? I have a stellar 2018 True Historic R9 VOS but want a R8 and feel you know who not only charges too much are too hit and miss with QC!☹

[@zazuzonker]

It's so great that you and your dad are working on this together. Is he a guitarist too?

[@FreddysFrets]

Yes it is great to work with my dad. He is not a guitarist but he taught me virtually everything I know about woodworking.

[@donvanco3078]

You should consider making a "shooting board" for your plane work.

[@FreddysFrets]

I use a shooting board for acoustic guitar tops and backs, but I don't find it necessary for thick pieces. Thanks for the comment!

[@peterlamborn]

Freddy, Can you please tell me how to find a center line? Peter

[@rohankhemraj]

great video! I have a question...Could you have used a leveling beam and sandpaper to fine tune the high spots in the joint?

[@FreddysFrets]

Thanks Rohan. Nothing produces a better joint than a handplane. The action of a sharp blade slicing off a continuous shaving leaves the surface with cleanly severed wood cells free of loose fibres, this is perfect for joining. Also, it's important to understand how wood glues work. Roughening surfaces for gluing promotes "mechanical adhesion" which is fine for the way some glues work....such as epoxy. But wood glues work in a different way..."specific adhesion". Scientific research has shown that mechanical adhesion is insignificant compared to the chemical attachment due to molecular forces between the adhesive and the wood surface.

[@youtubecommentor4480]

Hi Freddy! At 12:15 you begin planning the edges of the maple top in the vise. Can you please tell me why you chose not to use a shooting board with the plane positioned on its side? Planning freehand in the vise would tend to cause the plane to ‘perhaps’ wobble and not remain dead-flat on the wood as the plane moves down its length. But it sure turned-out great otherwise. Just trying to learn. Thanks Freddy!

[@FreddysFrets]

Great question! I only use a shooting board if the pieces are thin...like for joining acoustic tops and backs for example.. In this case where each piece is maybe 3/4" thick or more, it's quite enough width to keep the sole of the plane supported so the plane can't wobble.

[@billberry7444]

what is the mahogany body blank thickness

[@aerobatic1977]

The video and the author would have got like from me only for the “index pin” tip, i’m not saying about the whole video which is great!

[@SmokeFlame1]

Just curious. Do you live in the Burlington area? I'm in Hamilton and have been to Exotic Woods many times. Watched this whole series. It's wonderful.

[@FreddysFrets]

I used to live in Burlington, now I'm in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

[@ScatterLee]

Good job Freddy, do you prefer quarter sawn or flat sawn for the tops?

[@FreddysFrets]

Thanks! I rarely see quartersawn sugar maple in that width....naturally I would prefer it if I saw it!

[@paulasmith4587]

I bought a slash AFD on line & I dont believe its the real thing ,,so I want one of yours..So please let me know how much for a 59.

[@electricwally]

Thanks Freddy! Do you wipe the glue off the centerline after clamping or sand it off after drying? Thank you.

[@FreddysFrets]

I find that it's most effective to scrap off glue after it's cured but not totally hard. So.....a matter of hours.

[@electricwally]

@@FreddysFrets Thanks Freddy. Appreciate the help.

[@flowryan5829]

How much would you want for one, my highly skilled, canadian friend? I‘m on my fifth watch through the series now and now I want one.

[@FreddysFrets]

Hi Flow Ryan.....you can contact me for details......freddy at freddysfrets dot com

[@scottwhite4711]

Hi Freddy. Is that a No. 6 plane you used to joint those ends?

[@FreddysFrets]

Yes!

[@sndrman]

Great information,incidentally you, look a little like Alex lifeson

[@electricwally]

Did you utilize specific build plans as a reference for your "Burst" video series? My understanding is most base their build on the detailed Bartlett plans sold at bartlettguitarparts.com/

[@Max-The-Axe]

You should have included the template

[@jamestabor4330]

Freddy do you sell these LES PAUL AND how Much

[@FreddysFrets]

Hey James! You can contact me here: freddy at freddysfrets dot com for details.

[@paulasmith4587]

How much for a stock burst??My name is jimmy.

[@FreddysFrets]

contact me directly for a quote freddy at freddysfrets dot com

[@paulasmith4587]

@@FreddysFrets Ok.

[@feedmet899]

hey ragh guitar..gimmi a les paul guitar..i wanna rock the world

[@aevoguitars2576]

nice idea with the cardboard freddy frets! ive just had sugar maple delivered from kevin at curlymaplewood.com very nice quality.. i got some torrefied stuff.. nice colour👍

[@eduardogoncalves4635]

I hope Gibson watched your videos, maybe they'll learn how a Les Paul is made.

[@maratazatovich7852]

Вандал! Сколько клёна потом в дрова?!