Great Guitar Build Off 2021- Episode 1 - Making the Neck | Building a Great Guitar from Scratch

[@SimonDuffy2]

How refreshing to see 2 things amongst the majority of these videos. 1: a list of the stages of progress and 2 a far better ratio of explaining to actual building footage and I'm always impressed with how your guitars turn out.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hey Simon, Thank you very much for your comment. I really appreciate your feedback and I'm very glad to read you like the concept of this video. I intent to keep this format for at least this series.

[@connerjairo7492]

i realize I am kind of randomly asking but does anybody know of a good place to stream new movies online?

[@augustusedgar6835]

@Conner Jairo flixportal :)

[@connerjairo7492]

@Augustus Edgar Thank you, signed up and it seems like a nice service :) Appreciate it !!

[@augustusedgar6835]

@Conner Jairo you are welcome =)

[@adamcone6856]

I just received that Infinity router bit about ten minutes ago. I have the big one, but it is too large to do necks or bodies with any small radius curves. I am rewatching these neck videos trying to gain insight into a workflow I can manage. Your videos are invaluable to a novice wannabe luthier like myself. Thank you Daniel. Always a pleasure to see your work.

[@MixingGBP]

I just added a fence like yours to my oscillating sander. It works well! I learned that this thing is more than capable to rip the board out of your hands and send it across the room into the wall cracking your finger board. Ask me how I know that 😂.

[@matthewdrake9699]

I started out years ago learning more and more about guitar building from maximum guitar works.. and being wowed by his workshop and premises, but this channel shows that great things can be done in a small shed/workshop… absolutely love it!

[@dawnpsy6663]

Just to drop, If I ever had the money, the builder I would choose to build my dream guitar, would be you. Meticulous, passioned and very professional... Love your videos and guitars... Maybe one day

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Dawn Psy, Thank you very much for the huge compliment. And who knows... maybe one day.... My stock models might be of interest to you perhaps.

[@dawnpsy6663]

@@UnquendorGuitars I checked on them, believe me, but for the salary here in Portugal even the stock is way too expensive..for me, a father of 2, lol...Maybe a T Shirt or, suggestion here, a custom leather strap😁😁😁😁

[@mrwaffles1394]

@@dawnpsy6663 The t-shirts are very comfy.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

@@dawnpsy6663 I understand, no worries. If you like a T-shirt please check my Merchandise Store via the link in the video description. And about the leather straps.... I need to find the time to finish the ones I started a couple of months ago. As soon as I have some stock I will mention this in a video.

[@SweetTGuitars]

Hey man, I am so glad you are in this. We expect something stellar from you my friend. I can't wait to see your build. Best of luck. Thank you for all you informative videos. I have learned so much from watching you build. Peace brother!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Sweet T Guitars. Thank you very much for the compliments. I now definitely feel the pressure. Hopefully I'm not going to disappoint by what I'm building and staying true to what I think makes a great guitar without going overboard with decorations.

[@KMarieVermeulen]

No matter how far you get in this competition, I’m so proud of you ❤️

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi KMarieVermeulen, Thank you... and I know..

[@denislamadeleine1181]

Wow Daniel, once again you amaze me. Your so talented and your attention to detail is unmatched. I love where you are going with this and can't wait to see the next episode. Wonder what you're up to for the body. Surely we won't be disappointed. Best of luck to you in the competition my friend and I'll be anxiously waiting for the next part of this build

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Denis, Thank you very much for the kind words. The body will be episode number 3 so you'll have to be patient for a little longer and hopefully I won't disappoint you.

[@SweetTGuitars]

The infinity bits are really great man. Smooth and clean.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Yes they are.

[@radovandragun7673]

Nicely done Daniel, wishing u all the best for winning this thing...

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Radovan, Thank you very much for your support!

I love this fretboard made of marble wood, it looks original yet natural. Great work !

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Hervé, Thank you very much. That was exactly the look I was going for with this fretboard.

[@CoraTreeCustomGuitars]

OHHHH THIS SUUUUUCKS!!!!!! My favorite KZbin guitar builder is now my COMPETITION!?!? Daniel, I am SO happy to see you're participating in the GGBO. I have paid homage to your channel in several of my videos, and even have an entire video dedicated to your work! Best of luck to you: no way I'll win the contest with my first build, so I am officially #TeamUnquendor from here on out! Thanks for your content and the rich education I'm receiving from you. Now if you'd come over and clean & organize my dungeon, that would be AWESOME!!!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi CoraTree Custom Guitars, Thank you very much for your comment. I honored by your support and you mentioning me and my channel in your videos and I hope you'll do well in the GGBO. Although it's your first build you never know. At least have fun with it and try and learn as much as you can from the experience. Good Luck!!

[@janzelf]

Hey! Another Dutchie! Great builds! Greetings!

[@stevenboyer8887]

It would have been great if you had shown how you select the grain and laminated the neck blank

[@matthewdrake9699]

I think he pre bought it like that

[@mrwaffles1394]

Hey Daniel, really looking forward to what you come up with! Until next week!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Mr Waffles, Thank you and I hope you enjoy next week's video, but until then... Have a nice week!!

[@edadpops1709]

Agree Infinity dual bearings are awesome.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Edad, Yes they're incredible.

[@richarddewit6856]

That's a nice piece of wood with a beautiful grain. I wonder what you plan to do with the body. I'm starting to fall in love with this one a little bit already.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Richard, Thank you very much once again. Just wait and see... and good to hear you're liking this one.

[@dmgshop7446]

your videos are great! A ton of great info as well! I'm just starting to build my own necks and your videos are very helpful! thanks!

[@realitystudioscustomshop]

Great vid, brilliant explanation of your process and you got a lot into the episode without feeling rushed... plus it all looks great... obvs! :D

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Reality Studios Custom Shop, Thank you very much for the compliments. It's good to read you like the format for this series. You're mentioning exactly what I hoped to achieve.

[@Pete1390SDR]

Great start Daniel... the neck is beautiful. Good luck in the GGBO!!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hey Pete, Thank you very much for the compliment.

[@mikeivey8471]

Great job !! That neck looks fabulous !!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Mike, Thank you very much.

[@ADGGuitare]

Waw ! Really nice ! Great Job Daniel !

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi ADGuitare, Thank you very much!

[@chogumchonsa]

Fantastic; I'm so excited for this build and how many people will be exposed to your channel. Good luck, sir.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hey Joe, Thank you once again for your support. I hope this GGBO will indeed introduce more people to my channel and Unquendor guitars.

[@r.llynch4124]

Mega bit is the best for bodies and necks from stock using templates. I love your videos, very detailed from a true craftsman.

[@robertr4193]

Looking very nice. Lovely looking fret board nice design of the neck executed very well. Looking forward to seeing what the body turns out like.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Robert, Thank you very much for the compliments. It's much appreciated.

[@steveroberts]

Daniel you do it again. Nice

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Steve, Thank you once again for your support.

[@billsguitargarage]

Very nice, that fret board is amazing

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Bill, Thank you very much!

[@tangomoocow]

Probably the best neck video I’ve seen to date 👍

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hey Colin, Thank you very much for the compliment!

[@optonaut]

wow! That´s a really cool looking neck! Stunning! Want to see it laquered :) Greetz!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi optonaut, Thank you very much for the compliment.

[@runningwithscissors0911]

Nice shop! Such fine work. Lovely fretboard. Looking forward to more.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Running with Scissors, Thank you very much!

[@eldereth]

Love the checklist! So useful and informative :)

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Eldereth, Thank you. Nice to read you like the 'To-Do List'. It makes it worth the effort to make the graphics.

[@rustic35]

Great video and I really like the timber you used.

[@davidriel7805]

Very cool. I love your work and your attention to detail and you make it look fun. As a new guitar builder your videos are very inspiring to me. Thank you

[@JohnClothier]

Off to a fantastic start Daniel! This will clearly be another stunning guitar, far better than my poor effort!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi John, Thank you very much, but don't sell yourself short....

[@juliansuarez3849]

So cool neck Dany!!!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hey Julian, Thank you!

[@doglegsteve8363]

great idea with the spindle sander trick - thank you for sharing that

[@TornelliGuitars]

Hi Daniel, really glad you’re doing a build, love your content 👍

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Cool Wood Italy, Thank you very much for the compliment.

[@john.galbraith]

Really nice. I’m looking forward to watching the progress.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hey John, Thank you very much!!

[@crazyworldbigsound]

Great video. I have not built a neck from scratch yet - this video will really help me when I give it a try.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Crazy World Big Sound, Thank you very much. Good to hear my videos are providing you with some useful information. I even have some more in depth videos on making a neck by hand on my channel if you like to know more.

[@AlexisGuitars]

Great video and beautiful looking neck!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Alexis Guitars, Thank you very much. I really appreciate it.

[@OnTheFritz602]

Very impressive!

[@angusmackay7281]

Beautiful craftsmanship, as always.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Angus, Thank you very much.

[@markpickardlife]

excellent workmanship.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Mark, Thank you very much!

[@coregeek]

Working on my second guitar build now. Picked up some great tips. I will definitely utilize the spindle sander with a fence trick. Love how this is looking.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Coregeek Creations, Thank you very much. Good to learn you're getting some useful information from my videos.

[@davy755]

Love your work Daniel, but god damn it, why do you have to make it look so easy?

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi David, Thank you very much. It might be pure talent, patience, practice, a combination of these or good video editing skills. Without making a joke. I believe it helps me to follow specific processes and use methods on which I can improve each time I make a guitar. I truly think 80% of the build and required skills comes from the head. When splitting up a build in specific tasks it's easier to focus on that task and do it to the best of your abilities. And of coarse a video also makes it look a bit easier.

[@Maik_Adriano]

Hey Daniel, thanks for the Video, nice to See Perfection as always😊 where did you get this lovely neck blank from? Would you send me a link to your Dealer😏🤟

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Maik, Thank you very much. I really appreciate it. I have my neck blanks custom made for me by a Dutch supplier called "Masave Fijnhouthandel". I will put the link in the video description.

[@christoddheartogold]

I agree with you about volutes!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Chris. Thank you. Nothing beats a nice volute.

[@FrugalFixerSpike]

Due to a shop 🔥 , I am not in. But Brother, I'm pulling for you, craftsmanship is impeccable! My start in on ny channel. I like glue ups!!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Frugal Fixer Spike, Sorry to hear that. It must be devastating to have something like that happen to your shop. I hope you'll be up and running again soon. Thank you for your support and compliment.

[@FrugalFixerSpike]

I pulled out a project, I a. Going to put together, its cut and ready. Lost the neck during the fire, so going with a kit neck. Thanks

[@adrienami8958]

Hi Daniel, the check list was a good idea! Can I ask you how many hours you spended only with the neck and what is the hardness scale the marble wood? Good luck at GGBO!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Adrien, Thank you. I think I spend about 20-25 hours on the neck up to this point if I had to guess. Keeping track of time is not my strong suit. I always start by trying to keep a record but sooner or later I forget. Also filming every thing takes up a lot of time which makes it even harder to know exactly how much time I spend actually building. About the hardness scale... I have no idea... it's hard. Google says: 2,530 lbf (11,250 N)

[@danielrose7311]

Hi Daniel, (Great Name btw) I noticed a scene where you picked up a remote & turned off a device so you could talk. I think I recognize that remote. Is it for a Wen Air Filtration unit? I have one in my shop & the remote looks identical. Great build series. I realize this is several years old but I just discovered your channel. You've got a new fan! Cheers from Detroit, Michigan USA

[@stevenewbold3616]

Hi Daniel. First of all, beautiful build. There’s something that puzzles me about your process that I hope you can clear up? You profile your headstock shape when the neck blank is square and then cut the headstock angle top first then the bottom cut to give the final headstock thickness using the masking tape as a guide (great tip!). So the result of this seems to be that the tip of your headstock and the edge of any contour is still perpendicular to the top of the neck and not perpendicular to the headstock angle. I think you can clearly see this at 6:42 and I can only assume the laminated strips viewed from the top of the headstock will always be this way. Yet by the end of the video and in subsequent videos, the tip of the headstock and other “vertical” edges now seem perpendicular to the headstock itself. Where does this happen in the process? And how do you do this while maintaining the original headstock shape. It’s hard to find a frame that shows this on the complete guitar so maybe I have this wrong but it’s a bit confusing.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Steve, Thank you for the question and a good point. Let me try to explain. When I cut the headstock to an angle the sides stay perpendicular to the neck and top of the headstock. The 'tip' of the headstock is however at a slight angle and stays that way. I think it enhances the curve at the very tip. I don't know how to explain this other than the shape of the headstock and the angle at which you cut it doesn't effect sides. It's the same when you cut a regular shaped beam at an angle let's say for a scarf joint. Any minor deviations are corrected when sanding the sides. I hope this answered your question.

[@anthonyglaser929]

great video, thanks for posting.

[@Overit5000]

Love it but why no scarf joint?? 😭

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi JP Rognvald, Thank you!

[@we_are_the_de_wits]

Goudmijntje dit Kanaal! Groetjes uit Canada!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hey AdriedeWit, Wat leuk een berichtje in het Nederlands uit Canada, En hartelijk bedankt voor je leuke reactie.

[@delneypersaud5545]

I just love your work. What is the name of the other wood used in the neck build. I know maple but I’m not sure I’ve heard that other name before.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hey Delney, Thank you very much. The neck is made up of: Maple, Zebrawood(Zebrano) and Ebony veneer in between all the stripes making it a 9-ply neck.

[@hamercalif]

Nice done sir

[@michaelmather3817]

Beautiful, love your videos!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Michael, Thank you very much!

[@fatpotanga]

Really enjoyed that. Looks stunning and I’m going to enjoy watching your build. I’m new to your channel so looking forward to exploring your previous work, once #GGBO21 is over. I’m foolishly trying to watch and support *everyones* build, particularly the little guys with little or no subscribers, it’s time consuming!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi fatpotanga, Thank you very much. I hope you enjoy my previous content as well. That sounds like a lot to follow all participants in the GGBO2021. Good luck with that and thank you for your support.

[@fatpotanga]

@@UnquendorGuitars yeah, I’m not optimistic 😂

[@linadecaseleycarloss5838]

EMG... also make band saws :-)

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Yes they do.. It's a special Luthiers bandsaw. Designed to only make guitars with. ;-)

[@jaytysver8832]

Daniel shown a picture of my neck man was it in very bad shape it took a lot of sanding to get it to this point now with to Radius the neck the 12 before I put on stainless steel brush and I’ll go with the brass nut

[@jaytysver8832]

Guess can’t show a picture but watching u I am learning and other shows as well all I can say is thank u sir

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Jay, Good to hear you're making progress on your build and that my videos are helping you with it. Good Luck.

[@linadecaseleycarloss5838]

Hi Daniel. Did you make the blank yourself or buy it in? Asking as I do not yet have enough clamps etc & plaining skills to do it myself. Cheers, Ade.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Ade, I used to make the blanks myself, but these days I have them custom made for me. It's not that hard to do by hand and you don't need that much clamps if you use a clamping cauls. But it does take a lot off time which is hard to justify to a client, that's why I outsourced it.

[@linadecaseleycarloss5838]

@@UnquendorGuitars Excellent - I am considering it for my own build. Can you recommend a specific company?

[@Ramplcro]

Cool and nice organized workflow. How does marblewood feel under the blades/saws? It looks pretty nice. Looking at wood-database.com seems similar to ebony, little more heavier and stiffer?

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Nick Guitar, Thank you very much. The Marble wood feels good under the blades. It planes easy enough with little to no tear out. Sawing the fret slots was less fun to do. Like with ebony the saw tends to jam quite frequently. And yes it feels very stiff especially when the fretboard is quarter sawn.

[@Ramplcro]

@@UnquendorGuitars Thanks man. Can't wait for the other parts of the build.

[@martenvanderee7841]

Very beautiful wood for the fingerboard Daniel. Kudos for the risk you have taken there. It looks very good. Does it apply to smooth feeling you are referring to? I wish you a lot of success in this competition! KR, Marten

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Marten, Thank you very much for the comment I'm glad to know you like the fretboard. I think I was referring to the back of the neck and the overall shape. But although the Marble wood has a bit of a open pore structure, after fine sanding and polishing it also feels very nice.

[@ivanlitvinov9917]

Daniel, is there any rule or way to find correct truss rod for my future project? I mean we have to use "x" mm for 24.75 scale, "y" mm for 25.50 scale. So is there any traditional sizes of truss rod for each one of scale sizes? Thank you in advance!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Ivan, I recently answered the same question somewhere in these comments so if you don't mind I'm copying that reply. "My main parts supplier for example mostly sells two lengths. 460mm for Guitar and 610mm for Bass. This lets me believe it doesn't really matter that much, however if you make a short scale Bass you might expect a shorter truss rod. I haven't looked into this in depth myself as my guitars all have the same scale length and number of frets and I have only build one 34" scale Bass guitar, but if I had to guess the truss rod must ideally run from the nut to the start of the heel of the neck with the center somewhere around the middle of the neck (not the 12th fret). At least my guitars are designed like that. There must be a science behind it but I can't give you a definitive answer unfortunately. Even the guitar building/design books I own don't mention this."

[@ivanlitvinov9917]

@@UnquendorGuitars Daniel, Heel erg bedankt! Many thanx for this information!

[@tonevertonguitars]

The better jog!!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Thanks!

[@adamcramm]

How many hours does it take you to build a guitar from start to finish?

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi adamcramm, These days it takes me somewhere between 120 and 160 hours to build a single guitar. It depends mostly on the model and the finish. I sometimes spend more time on sanding and applying the finish than it takes me to build the entire guitar.

[@adamcramm]

Unquendor Guitars thanks for the response!

[@wobamusic]

Hey Daniel, thank you so much for sharing your precious knowledge in your well done vids....chapeau monsieur....I'm planning to build a bass guitar and I benefit so much from them🙏👌 I'm wondering where you get from your neckblocks... Kind regards from Duitsland

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Wolfgang, Thank you very much for the compliment. I have my neck blanks custom made for me by a Dutch supplier called "Massave Fijnhouthandel" from Zwolle.

[@andriitymoshenko6962]

Hello, i've been watching you for a while now, since i am planning on making a bass guitar, and i am wondering how to find the correct length for the truss rod, obviously, if it's too long it just won't fit, but what if it's too short? How much shorter, if compared to the length of the fretboard, can it be? Would it have serious impact on adjusting the neck, and playing the instrument? Thank you for your videos!

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Andrii, Thank you for your question. I don't know if I'm able to answer this though. My main parts supplier for example mostly sells two lengths. 460mm for Guitar and 610mm for Bass. This lets me believe it doesn't really matter that much, however if you make a short scale Bass you might expect a shorter truss rod. I haven't looked into this in depth myself as my guitars all have the same scale length and number of frets and I have only build one 34" scale Bass guitar, but if I had to guess the truss rod must ideally run from the nut to the start of the heel of the neck with the center somewhere around the middle of the neck (not the 12th fret). At least my guitars are designed like that. There must be a science behind it but I can't give you a definitive answer unfortunately. Even the guitar building/design books I own don't mention this. Good luck.

[@jimivandebeek]

Great video, dank!

[@scottmartinezguitarandbass]

Would you be open to sharing your to do list?!

[@RomanLeonidovich]

Из такого хорошего бруска для грифа я бы изготовил два грифа для гитары. Головку грифа я бы вклеил под углом, а не вырезал бы из тела этого бруса. Основная причина почему бы я так сделал - это экономия материала и более надёжное соединение наклонной головки с грифом. Ибо есть недостаток у многих Gibson LP и подобных гитар - в шейке от напряжения выламывает головку грифа, так как в основном на таких гитарах головка не вклеена под определенным углом, а вырезана из общего бруса, и в месте перегиба присутствует обрыв волокон дерева.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Roman, I couldn't make two necks from the single blank because of the heel of the neck. Besides saving on material I personally don't 'believe' in the additional strength of a scarf joint. This might be the case for headstocks at an 'extreme' angle (>15degrees), but I use a relative shallow angle on my headstock, perfectly quarter sawn multi-laminated blanks and a volute so I am not at all worried about the integratie of the neck and headstock.

[@RomanLeonidovich]

@@UnquendorGuitars I see. I saw such a bar into two parts and make two fretboards for the guitar from two parts. I stick the head of the neck at an angle. I wish you good-sounding guitars!

[@rickritman6913]

Waar koop jij je nitro finish? serieus eeh al maanden op zoek.

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Rick, Persoonlijk gebruik ik geen Nitro finish op mijn gitaren. Maar kijk eens bij TLC Guitar goods die hebben het zo wie zo en is een Nederlands bedrijf met hele goede service en website.

[@rickritman6913]

Precies wat ik zocht , en nog veel meer haha. Dank je voor de link,

[@rickritman6913]

Ik ben bezig om een Gibson RD standard 1979 te restaureren . vandaar Nitrocellulose bedankt voor de link.

[@mattomon1045]

Hi

[@UnquendorGuitars]

Hi Mat!

[@luthiferbuilds]

im going to make 2 more accounts to like 2 more times so i can be the 666th like on this video!