The Complete DIY Guide to building a Guitar Neck from Scratch (WITHOUT Special Tools!) Part 1

[@gmjsimmons]

Watching you do things like this with imprecise hand-held tools is amazing. I look at a project like this and tell myself "No way." Not you, brother: you've got guts. Love your philosophy on mistakes, too.

[@MicahBurginGTVPO]

Huge thing about learning to build necks is that it opens up neck through body construction. After making necks for a few bolt on guitars with my own necks, I finally felt comfortable jumping to single piece construction. (Obviously more than one piece of wood lol) That's great, and really opens up the world of lutherie to you for more creative endeavors. I know my first neck through coming up to tune and playing was a massive confidence boost. Thanks Dan for making me realize I can totally build my own guitars, you really did give me the courage to just do it instead of doubting the wood, skills, or tools I had to make instruments with.

[@KingBespokeCreations]

“The wrong way but faster”! I love it. Top job, any technique that works is the right way! 👍

[@GunsandGuitars]

Agreed! Thanks Chris!

[@brandonlee2237]

Love the concept of everyone can build something with the tools that we have, these type of builds are awesome and unique. Keep up the good work

[@famitory]

if you're willing to have an asymetrical profile you can do the whole back of the neck with just a good sharp spokeshave or drawknife and then some sandpaper. takes longer but it's a lot more relaxing than power tools, and you make easy-to-cleanup shavings instead of sawdust.

[@jonclegg9169]

I don't go quite as minimalist in neck building, but it's great to see you doing this. I have a router-sled jig that I built from MDF for planing long skinny things like bass necks; fairly inexpensive to make. Right with you on making mistakes! Learning how to fix your mistakes also helps with improving your technique.

[@GunsandGuitars]

I think I might try the router sled for the next neck.

[@barbarianatgate2000]

Great video! The one tip I'll offer regarding the router is to switch to a round base. If for any reason your router snags or shifts slightly, the corner turning into the fence will draw you off your center line. A round base can rotate all during your cut, and it will never shift your bit.

[@JoeTheGuitarGuy96]

Dan, it’s cool to see you venture into neck building. Can’t wait to see the result of this neck.

[@StandTallTx]

"That came out exceptionally perfect." I love how satisfied you sound. I probably would too!

[@superglou913gomez3]

I really appreciate this video. I haven't had the courage to take the leap into building a neck from scratch. You really make it seem attainable. Thank you.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Just watch some more KZbin videos, see how everyone does it, then adapt their methods to your tools/style. It’s not that hard, just time consuming!

[@ConstrutorMusical]

I have the same jigsaw... Sometimes a have the same problem... It's very easy to tilt it... But I never remember to put it straight again... Great content, as always

[@peterbayerlemusic]

This is gonna help so much when I make my own neck for a custom built guitar!! Thank you very much!!

[@JoeTelly]

i made my first one with standing annual rings for a homemade walnut body mosrite copy and was very surprised at the amazing result of this neck producing such dynamic tones. The four guitars I built before with purchased necks have been disassembled again, the necks scrapped - the bodies are now waiting for a self-built neck ;-)

[@trivialtrav]

Thanks for this. Most guitar building videos start with purchasing hundreds of dollars worth of templates and speciality tools. That's on top of the $100,000 worth of other tools they usually use in the videos.

[@BlackheartChimera13]

I'll tell you why you would want to make it yourself. All you are left with in terms of pre-made necks are Bolt On and Set Neck. Fine if you like those, but ok what if you want custom inlays? Again can't do that with premades. Baritone scale? Yeah I have yet to find one for that. Ok here's a cheeky one, Neck-thru. Yeah that's basically the entire instrument minus the body i.e. no sides to house the electronics. This is exactly why I'm looking at videos like this to figure it out so I can make my own. Good stuff by the way.

[@grandolddrummer]

That figure on the neck is gorgeous! Nicely done.

[@andrewarnold3982]

GUNS, GUITARS!?!?! ITS LIKE MY TWO FAVORITE THINGS PUT INTO ONE CHANNEL

[@Buddy-sl1ti]

Dude when I made my first guitar (solid neck jackson randy rhoads) I used a regular wood router to remove the bottom part. I cut in depth only according to the shape (pattern) of the fingerboard and it turned out, as it were, walls that served as a support for the router. Then I trimmed the sides that you trimmed first. And in order to give an angle to the back of the neck, it is enough to remove a few millimeters from one side. The grinding machine will help. As a last resort, a bar with sandpaper. I think my method is easier. I think your method with cerecular is dangerous to health. Dude, you will be making a lot of guitars and you have to take care of yourself.

[@hextray]

You are a true professional. Of the Dan Thompson way. Always the best way.

[@sunsetarchitect]

I absolutely love that you include your disastrous mistakes in the videos! Never stop being real!

[@DefenderTIM]

Curious to see how you're able to recover from that one. Stray jig saws have steered me wrong (heh) more than once. When I profiled the first neck I built I first made a bunch of shallow cross cuts with the circular saw and broke away the bulk of the waste. Then I made a little sled base for my trim router, clamped the neck face down with a shim under the nut to raise it by .070, and essentially surfaced the back of the neck to my desired thickness. It worked great (as you know, it was that red guitar I made you try out) and left me with a straight reference down the center for the actual carving, which I accomplished with a coarse rasp.

[@hdbasses]

Who’s your supplier? I’m tired of building necks from scratch. Lol

[@peternotpeter]

Cool, can't wait to see the result. thanks Dan

[@nadiapaiva8170]

Thanks for the video Dan, this really is my favourite channel on KZbin. Have a merry Christmas!

[@rbilleaud]

I need to build my own neck because no one sells a 23" scale neck. I have small fingers and recently had my first opportunity to play a Peavey T-15. Blew me away. I'm a reasonably competent woodworker and have actually built a couple of Frankenstrats. I've always wanted a Melody Maker or LP double cut style body so this is the perfect opportunity to try it out.

[@travistaylor1716]

I needed this two weeks ago, but mine turned alright by my standards for a first timer

[@vanshankguitars]

Hey Dan! Quite a few brave moves there! I stopped using tape to cover the truss rod. I'm just more careful with the amount of glue used and how close you can go to the slot with the glue. Another option is to remove the tape after spreading the glue.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Yeah I’ve seen people do it all three ways. What it comes down to is I really should have been more careful cutting the tape as close as possible to the slot. I left on a little too much and that’s what I cut into. There are no mistakes, only lessons!

[@robinfeathers7134]

NOOOOOO! I'm sorry to disagree with you, Dan, but as someone who's been building guitars for over 40 years and formerly worked in the Safety Office aboard US Navy Aircraft Carriers, I have to say that your use of the circular saw in this video is a great way to cause a permanent injury to a power tool novice! PLEASE DO NOT RECOMMEND this method of building a guitar neck! Having your fingers that near to the blade and trying to plunge cut like that is a recipe for disaster. It's also inviting a blade kickback!

[@alanr9634]

Couldn’t agree more that looked really dumb to have your hand that close

[@justinlong688]

You can’t be serious? You must not have any real woodworking/ building experience. A plunge cut on a circular saw is perfectly acceptable practice. What is proper practice? I don’t know about you but when I hold a saw I do it with my hands just like he did.

[@ClaudineyDSA]

I like it, I'm going to use this technique to build my guitar, it's going to be really cool 👍😊

[@invaderraven1]

I use a round over bits for shaping my necks. However I put my router into my router sled. A company called jse makes different neck profile bits

[@USBlues]

SJE

[@jonnysinger4325]

Guns and guitars? That’s a sub right there

[@bradleyclosson5042]

That doesn't make sense to me that having the true rod upside down would change the tightening direction. It still tightens when turned clockwise.

[@franckydookie]

Because instead of pushing against the fretboard it's pushing against the back when you tight it, it makes sense to me but I can't explain it better

[@charleswallace5818]

Thanks for sharing. Stay safe and God bless. And hope you have a Merry Christmas

[@richardkepenach1999]

This is great to see a neck build with real world tools. Luckily I have band saw but I definitely want to try making a neck

[@death32815]

What type of home depot do you have? Im lucky to find pine.

[@DefenderTIM]

Yup, all I have at mine is red oak, poplar, and pine. Didn't stop me, though--my first scratch build is a red oak neck-thru with poplar body wings built up from 1x boards. :D

[@GunsandGuitars]

Tim I’ve been to your Home Depot (in Lawton) and personally have purchased hard maple there 😂

[@GunsandGuitars]

Derick, it’s in the premium hardwoods section, sold by the foot.

[@DefenderTIM]

@@GunsandGuitars Well then you'll have to come back and show me where it is, 'cause I've never found it. :D

[@death32815]

@@GunsandGuitars Clarksville TN does not have such fancy things, but i really do appreciate the advice, next tim im out of town i might shop at home depot for some guitar building wood.

[@writer5802]

Watching you do that plunge cut with the circular saw with your finger as a guide really made my butt pucker.

[@jellovator]

I would be concerned about the moisture content of the wood if it's something bought from home depot. Usually wood is kiln dried (or left to dry naturally for several years) to remove the moisture, otherwise the wood will shrink and warp over time.

[@tomdoolittle7604]

Little of topic, but I'm trying to restore a westone demention 4 bass and am looking for a new bass bridge. Mount hole spacing is 54mm top to bottom and 57mm side to side. Hope you can help!!

[@ulfdanielsen6009]

Just wanted to wish you and your familiy a merry youletide and a happy new year. Looking forward to following whatever educational projects you´ll come up with in the the coming year. Seasonal greetings and best wishes from from the high north in Scandinavia.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Thank you!

[@codylambert4348]

Would this work for mahogany boards as well? Menards carries them and maple.

[@BBGuitars]

BRB, just ducking out to throw my jigsaw over the fence, I can never get a straight cut. My only real concern here is that when you have exposed the tape it means that section of the neck has become a weak point, we have some wood to wood contact with glue adhesion, then where you can see the tape we only have a wood to tape to wood with the tapes adhesion on one of the wood to tape surfaces. Normally where there is tape we have wood encapsulating it all round so it doesnt matter, with the tension of strings and any applied force from the truss rod it may want to open that spot up. I hope in this instance im wrong but if I saw that id have been rescuing the rod and starting over....

[@johnmoran4469]

Where you made the mistake. Finish your cut with a small Japanese pull saw instead of the jig. It's worth the $20 and the effort. It would be a good tool for what you are doing. Very flexible. Very sharp.

[@MrDaveKC]

That's a very interesting way of creating the neck. I'm subscribed so I'll look forward to seeing how this gets pulled off. I do think you shouldn't need to buy super expensive "Luthier" wood for this. There's a Missouri based Mandolin builder and he has used hickory wood for the fretboard on his "primitive" base model mandolins. He says it's plenty hard for the job, and I know Menards here locally sells hickory. But that flaming on the maple would look really really good on a fretboard. So, I'll watch and learn. I've only got two or three Chinese guitar necks left and I'll definitely want to see if I can build my own sometime soon.

[@gajddani]

Thank you for this! This is exactly what I was looking for.

[@econgblues626]

just curious. isnt it dangerous to use the router with that big of a router bit the way you shaved the back of the neck?

[@katelynseng8341]

can you make a 5 string lespaul or sg full scale, but the pickup position is different, maybe a warwick or musicman pickup position

[@DMKahn]

I was pretty scared when your thumb was under the skilsaw during that plunge cut 😅 skills bro, mad skills

[@GunsandGuitars]

Yeah the camera angle makes it look pretty sketchy but I assure you m fingered weren’t that close to the saw blade 😅

[@mattdoliver1984]

Hey Dan, any ideas as to how to add binding to an after market Fender style neck? I.e Allparts etc? I want to start a Jaguar build & specifically want a Dot & bound neck, can’t find one anywhere for sale but if it’s something I could do myself I’d be willing too, have you don’t mine any videos on this before? Regards Matt ✌🏼

[@michaelperez5502]

Where do you get you premade necks - is there a link

[@reymorado2980]

How could i go about making a strandberg style asymmetrical neck. I wanted a neck like a prog nx7 but making one looks way more complex than just a normal rounded one.

[@DylanWOWilliams]

How have I just now discovered this channel?

[@enriquekikzdelapazbichain1126]

How difficult would it be to build a 35 scale neck that fits a fender p bass body?

[@jamtmill]

I want the next episode to start off, "Last time on Dragon Ball Z..."

[@slinkytreekreeper]

It's safe to make a neck from single piece without a scarf joint? Do you sell this type of neck on all your guitars?

[@jonunaigordillo2409]

Great video!!! Very inspiring to start doing our own necks. But you said is cheaper to buy a chinesse neck, do you have any link to the site you buy those necks?

[@jeffyoung8726]

THE DAN THOMPSON way is NOT the wrong way AT ALL!!!!! You may sometimes gain the knowledge with trail & error? BUT, try-try-try and ye shall succeed. Go slowly, be careful. Move in centimeters at first, NOT inches and you'll get it... I've proven it! EVERYTHING I learned is from this guy!!!!!

[@jamesrohrbach9147]

In my experience jig saws are notoriously bad at cutting straight lines. Thanks for this video. Never would have considered trying to make my own neck but now seems possible. Ii just might try it.

[@paulwaldrop]

Nice job. BTW, Love your GGBO build, you got my vote. Unfortunately I had to pull my entry out last week. Hope to hear that you won it. Magic Attic Guitars built some great competition for you, but hey. We'll know tomorrow. Merry Christmas from Waldrop Guitars.

[@thatguy7099]

What truss rod length would you recommend for a 30 inch scale bass

[@cassartzz6477]

i don't know if i have a flat surface to glue to, do you have any recommendations to remedy this?

[@GunsandGuitars]

Do you have a long straight edge? Like a yard stick or meter stick? If so you can use that to test surfaces that you have access to, to see if they are flat. Countertops, kitchen table, coffee table, work table, concrete slab, etc. just make sure it’s actually flat.

[@MetalMan1245]

I need it.

[@o.w.dobbins6927]

You not editing out your mistake says a lot about your building technique, Everyone, even pros' make mistakes but most of the pros hide theirs, great video and tutorial!!

[@martymaker]

I love your video. Thank you for sharing. ❤️🙏

[@martymaker]

I am going to make an 8 string neck with two trust rods and I like your process very much. Thank you

[@smmyers5956]

I might be tempted to use an import Chinese neck if I was good at removing fretboards. I want to make a 5 string bass and those cheap necks don't have carbon fiber rods for support. I wouldn't even want to do a 4 string without the rods using the Chinese necks. I'd be afraid the Chinese neck would twist. Or bow beyond the (unknown quality) truss rod can deal with.

[@srnuss]

What if my route for the truss rod is a little large and the truss rod moves around

[@GunsandGuitars]

It will be fine, except it might rattle if the truss rod is slack. Just put a few drops of silicone caulk in there to hold it still.

[@gamerguy1064]

You use maple board. I used 2x4. We are not the same lol

[@srnuss]

How do I know what size of truss rod to get?

[@GunsandGuitars]

Stew Mac has a guide for the matching the size to the scale length

[@DanGentry]

Part 2 may cover this, but I’m wondering if the truss rod could have been installed just a bit deeper. I’m not willing to do the math not knowing all of the dimensions. ;)

[@GunsandGuitars]

Installing the truss rod deeper would require back filling the truss rod cavity, otherwise it would be way too deep and the truss rod would be too loose

[@DanGentry]

@@GunsandGuitars Agreed. I'll watch part 2 to see how it ends.

[@tomfoolery2082]

The necks from China , are the frets the type tht wil last for a good long time ? I have an epiphone tht after 2.5 yrs of moderate playing they're starting to need leveled . Thks

[@GunsandGuitars]

That’s normal. They are nickel silver, which does wear down over time more than stainless steel.

[@yobentley7274]

What grit are you using on the flap disk?

[@GunsandGuitars]

60 grit!

[@ougigaming8710]

Home Depot selling maple ?

[@PetersWorkshop]

Hey dude great video. You should shorten the video length and create 2 videos. 1 short quick montage and a result at the end and an in depth video going over everything. You'll get a lot more views and viewer retention. Anyway God bless!

[@GunsandGuitars]

I broke this video into two parts because it was too long for one video. If I shorten the video, then it wouldn’t be “the complete diy guide to building a neck”

[@PetersWorkshop]

Yeah it's a great in depth guide, but people would love watching like building montages with and end result, kinda like those videos where people turn old rusty chains into a katana. No talking, just every step of the process in a ~8 minute video. Very satisfying to watch.

[@shanefoster2861]

Dude, Exotic Wood Zone has better wood and better deals. All their neck blanks are quarter sawn. Try them.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Thanks for the tip I’ll have a look!

[@mulekickhandmadeguitars8465]

What we saw happen here just drives home the fact that sometimes it just pays to invest in the proper tool for the job.

[@jacknorton3771]

NGL you scared me using the circular saw. Fingers were close to the blade, glad nothing happened. I've seen to many accidents in my day.

[@GunsandGuitars]

I think the camera angle made it look worse than it was. My fingers are my most important body part and safety is my number one priority.

[@asafpelleh7594]

I want to build one because you can't get a 35" scale 50mm nut width 24 frets with a heal under 1"/2cm. Kewl? Kewl.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Exactly! The other reason to build your own is so you can customize it to your needs. I talk about this more in part 2

[@Allguitarinfo]

Never seen maple home Depot

[@TheEdge92]

I want to build one because I don't want to pay 400+$ on a 60s vintage tele neck.

[@seanriggen]

👍🏻

[@yobentley7274]

My wife speaks Mandarin if you need a translator. Just ask me.

[@GunsandGuitars]

Wow that’s very helpful thank you!

[@stompfolks]

you use tools without protection and in a dangerous way. that's not responsible. people are watching.

[@Overit5000]

This gave me anxiety

[@GunsandGuitars]

Stick around, I have a lot more of that coming your way 😂

[@Overit5000]

@@GunsandGuitars 😂😂😂