Making A Guitar With Home Depot Wood

[@elijahmaurer9039]

Is this a reupload? It's very good nonetheless I appreciate all your videos.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes, it is. For some reason I must have accidentally deleted it, so it's back!

[@BruceLyeg]

Maybe a WalMartin acoustic?

[@LordPadriac]

Don't forget the Menard's Master Series.

[@larry6686st]

@@LordPadriac LOL! that's what I'm building right now

[@TennisCoachChip]

Looks more like a Lowes Paul.

[@ZaneDalton]

TennisCoachChip 😂

[@bgomusicco]

We need to make this happen.

[@ritchiecole4193]

Aye congrats on 69 likes

[@mrz80]

I'm building a Les Paul I called the Depot Deluxe. The top is red oak and the body is built up from clear pine1x6 with a narrow strip of oak to make up the rest of the width needed. www.afn.org/~scotsman/photos/guitar.build.3.oak.pine.les.paul/640/20150221_204454.640.jpg

[@digitalcthulhu143]

But the tone bro I swear the Home Depot wood has more toan

[@jarrodhendricks7237]

I’m waiting for the Lowe’s Paul...

[@rendersrun]

You sir, you have won the internet with this amazing share - well done, well deserved

[@HighlineGuitars]

And as the winner, I'd like to say thank you for the vote of support!

[@TomH_YT]

Glad you reposted this. What fun! Doug Fir looks great.

[@flimflam2219]

Your home depot has flamed maple? Dang!

[@collink7145]

Fuckin' right?!

[@FloridaManMatty]

Mine barely has enough MDF for a damn template.

[@patsox2004]

@ 2:12 E'ffn genius idea for making radius' for fret boards!!

[@themechanix393]

I'm crying a little at the moment, because my local home improvement/hardwarestores don't even have STANDARD maple... Man, flamed maple at a local store:-D

[@failuremagnet]

I doubt they have a section marked flamed maple. In the standard maple section of my HD (a store and chain I hate, btw), I have seen boards with flame. It's just that they don't separate it out from the stock they get, so you have to dig in and look for boards with flame. Whether you'll find enough stock to make a neck, or a body or a boat, is purely luck of the draw though.

[@themechanix393]

@@failuremagnet Ok, that makes a little more sense to me. Still, here in Germany you basically only get spruce as a solid single piece of material:-(

[@lawabidingcitizen5153]

@@themechanix393 ​ @The Mechanix Well, I've also found lots of beech (although in fairly small quantities just enough for necks) here in Luxembourg and Germany (Hornbach/Globus) which I found makes decent enough necks, provided it's properly dried. But yeah... Our wood selection is quite lackluster :/

[@thunderbirdbrown3002]

That is a great looking guitar.Thanks for sharing this.🤘🏿🤓

[@HighlineGuitars]

Thanks for watching!

[@magicdaveable]

I have a collection of 1x12 clear quartersawn Douglas Fir boards that I found in a big box "hardware store" called Hechinger's in the Wash. D.C. area. Long out of business. I found thrm by sorting through their selection of shelving material. My plan was to resaw it to use as tops for acoustic guitars. I still have 10-12 boards left. I made a Doug Fir Tele with a maple neck in '96. An incredible tone monter. Laminated quartersawn Douglas Fir. I also have a bunch of quartersawn clear Ozark Southern Yellow Pine. Clear Doug Fir and Ozark SYP are really great tonewoods. The strength to weight ratio isn't as "good" as spruce but both species are much stonger and easily as stiff. Both have incredible resonance. I made two acoustic guitars using both for the tops. Both are excellent acoustic guitars.

[@gilwood7530]

WOW ! I worked on a crew that put together all of the HECHINGERS on the east coast MANY years ago . Haven't thought of that name in a few years

[@Rockingoodman]

This was the first video I saw from Chris and I immediately knew I had found a great Luthier and "Woodeographer". Now I remember why. Thanks for all you share with us.

[@cybrunel1016]

The radius gauge on that belt sander is a brilliant idea indeed. Nice build too.

[@ChrisFranklyn]

Ah man, in the UK you're lucky to find anything that could be called hardwood in most hardware stores. Let alone maple. At least in basic lumber/timber form. You can get creative though, I'm currently making a guitar out of some ash that was sold as a floating shelf :) I might get some stair parts next to assemble into something.

[@mjf1036]

Chris Franklyn Good idea to source wood from other uses. On my very first build I used a length of left over stair rail banister wood which was some type of maple.

[@ChrisFranklyn]

​@@mjf1036 Awesome. I've noticed that a half-newel post is about the right thickness for a guitar :)

[@RickDeNatale]

Reminds me of Brian May’s “Red Special”

[@djmammo9826]

I used left over 6 x 2's from repairing my deck for my Depotcaster

[@Oborowatabinostk]

The Douglass Fir looks really nice

[@jessiepalermo7234]

You are amazingly talented. That guitar came out great.

[@SlimSlashie]

I dig your neck joint. I'm used to Les Pauls, so... They run a little chunky.

[@oneeyemonster3262]

my friend got me some left over plywood 3/4 "....but they're quilty..what you would see on H.S. desk...ect....i also had left 5mm thick plywood from left over projects. I dont have all the propertools...such as a plainer. i couldnt make a arch top. but I kept it simple..Stright lines builds...such as Flying V , Exployer random stars..ect becuase I have a skill saw or or a sort of table top saw. It's more work...but the ply wood is stronger..it's just heaveier. So I sort of hollow out the center layer..leaving 1 1/4 on the edge...which save me work on ROUTHING....which I dont have...Then I just top it off with 5mm thick ply or partical board....I love my flying V...it has a cool tone...plus it's semi hollow. I can play it unplug and almost as loud as a accoustic...Great for practicing... I just got necks from Epiphone ( great necks) or from E bays...with trapiziod or blinding.... Those necks have medium jumbo frets....you're great..( $40)... I wack the head stock ...accordingly for my V or explorer. Minor or general fret clean up..but all my guitars has low action. I bolt and glue the necks to the guitar....I makesure the tilt angle is corrrect or set up the guitars before I paint...I use dows and puddy in all the seams. so it'll look like a one piece guitar....Plus I can shave the tenon for higher frets access....The necks arnt coming off from split/weak glue joints. I wish I have a router...so I can put binding on the bodies....but my guitar looks okay with doted inlalys and binding. I keep the paint job simple...appliance BLACK or WHITE ( epoxy paint). Effective. I dont issues from the poly coming off of the back of the neck..(acid on ur hand) I sand and seal with water base poly.... lots of wet sanding...lots of WORK.lmao They're definitely NOT for sale...I put hundred of hours into building each guitar. but all my guitars are shredding machines..built to be play and comfortible to play. I even relocate jacks and work out neck dive issue that ...MFG guitars has. I have other expensive...gibson, Fenders....I dont play those guitars. They're under my bed or in the closet...simply just for collectors LOGO items..lmao i cant shave the necks do whatever to make them more playable...it's rediculous.

[@lawabidingcitizen5153]

I wish our hardware stores carried maple. Here we only have Beech, Spruce and Pine... At least pine makes decent bodies and beech makes decent necks...

[@74dartman13]

I was just checking out the maple at Home Depot earlier this week. They have some pretty nice stuff. I made a semi hollow Strat style guitar body last fall from Home Depot wood, and was just able to paint it recently. I thought Spring would never get here! My next goal is to take some of that maple and attempt my first neck build. If mine turns out half as nice as yours, I'll be happy!👍😎🎸🎶

[@jimwoodswrites]

You should contact Home Depot, they would love to see this as it's a great promotional piece for them. I bet you could work out sone kind of agreement.

[@thegusk520]

The back looks so much nicer. :)

[@pierheadjump]

Thanks Highline ⚓️

[@javierespana2807]

Poplar and Maple are a great combination for sound and lightweight

[@Mrsarynoya]

great job , i love it , thanks for sharing

[@humancentered3447]

This is awesome!!! Thanks for posting!

[@snapringchronicles3020]

Just curious as to how the neck is holding up? The home depot usually sells soft maple and most guitar necks use hard maple from what I’ve heard.

[@HighlineGuitars]

@@snapringchronicles3020 I sold that guitar years ago. As far as I know, it’s fine. BTW, when you see a flamed Maple neck, it’s soft Maple.

[@hoosierdaddy2308]

What a great looking guitar.

[@kennedypuckettmusic2067]

As an employee of The Home Depot. we have good wood.

[@titobalkani8240]

Amazing job, thanks for the inspiration✌

[@chamarystigers8731]

Your guitar look cool I love it

[@mrz80]

I've got two projects going now similar to this. First is a Les Paul Deluxe with a top of 3/4" red oak, and a body laminated from pine 1x6s. Neck is poplar and the fingerboard is red oak. I call it the Depot Deluxe. :D Second is a LP Junior-ish thing made out of a stack of 3/4 birch plywood from HD, using a pickup from a long-ago Peavey I had kicking around in my pickup drawer. Let's hear it for decent guitars from cheap wood! :D

[@edwardmccarthy7877]

Nicely done!

[@markk2285]

I am envious of a man with your skills and patience, good cabinetry is about my limit, hence my admiration. Great video, as usual.

[@hoosierdaddy2308]

Very cool. Have to watch more when I have time. If I could only do frets ( install and level and crown ) and make a servicible nut I am convinced I could make a great guitar. 👍💝👍

[@buddhamus]

Very cool video. Found your video while watch some other guitar related video's on KZbin. Definitely subscribing to your channel. A couple of questions: (1) How did you know the moisture content of the wood and how did you control drying it in the oven? (2) What is the overall weight of the finished guitar? Thanks for posting this.

[@rainblaze.]

you should have made this into a detailed series. That would have been so cool. But it's still good anyway... nice job

[@thebutton7932]

great Idea . . . I think Doug Fir has great musical applications , just not very hard . . . but rings like a bell

[@fepatton]

While I've never seen any flamed maple at any of the Home Depots near me (and there are several), my last two basses have necks made from HD walnut, and I've been very pleased with it. All the hardwoods at my HDs seem to be flat-sawn, and usually don't look very good. I've managed to find some decent walnut, though.

[@RockyH.]

Hey Menards actually has some killer Mahogany and Maple I guarantee you my first all build is gonna be wood from Menards.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Unfortunately, the closest Menards to me is 120 miles away. The closest Home Depot is 1.3 miles from my front door.

[@salg.5153]

Sounds like an old USA Peavey T60

[@BertGrink]

Nice project.

[@stephenmosack4496]

Funny that I saw this video today... I just bought some cedar from lowesfor a tele style im going to try to start this weekend

[@titmusspaultpaul5]

Very nice.... well done.

[@pmd7914]

Make a Bunnings caster. Your choice of wood is radiata pine or merbau decking.

[@0000song0000]

part of me want to make a guitar like Les Paul 's log... (without the hollowbody sides, but his "original design" the minimalistic rectangular one. but i have no tools i literally would pay for someone to cut a piece from headstock to lower part of the body, and then chisel away

[@LiLi-or2gm]

Why didn't you make a left-hander? I mean, if you're going to all the trouble . . . at least you could have played it!

[@stevesoldwedel]

@@LUISCMUNIZ or a righty friend, since it's a right-handed guitar.

[@RobMods]

Flame Maple, Douglas Fir, at home depot?!! Wow, jealous Australian right here... You'd never find anything like this at Bunnings. Although Vic Ash is perfectly usable, especially as neck timber. It's mostly quarter-sawn. Merbau fretboard?...hmm, not sure about that. And, well, I guess Danelectro used MDF, didn't they? ;)

[@1106Winter]

Danelectro uses Masonsite, which is a hell of a lot harder than MDF. It's even stronger than wood and more stable. Makes you wonder why everyone is still using wood.

[@Paul_LaSalle]

looks amazing man! Im not a builder but I do play, hoping to try my hand a bulding a kit guitar for learning.. is there a reason you wouldnt use off the shelf woods like that? where would you recommend getting a high quality wood and what kind?

[@mrz80]

You live in the northeast don't you? All the big box stores here carry is red oak, pine, and poplar. Oh, and a few 2x4 and 2x6 of western red cedar. No maple or walnut.

[@HighlineGuitars]

South west. Colorado.

[@BigPerm2004]

That background music 🤟😂

[@flatroc1]

Question: Why would you go thru that amount of work and not build it to suit your left hand playing ? I do really like that guitar though and would like to hear it played for real. Nice job.

[@HighlineGuitars]

I sell the guitars I build.

[@flatroc1]

ok, very cool.

[@LokisDivinity]

Man turned £30 to £300

[@RitusG]

Could you do a quick tip on how you do the wood knobs. Specifically how you attach them to the posts.

[@HighlineGuitars]

If I ever make one again I will.

[@getenlightened]

If I wanted maple from Home Depot, I'd have to order it and have it shipped to store. I wouldn't do that, because I want to see it before I buy it.

[@Luablood]

Always amazed to see people freak out in the comments in video like these... A good luthier will find the way to make a good (not saying great mind you) instrument out of dolar store tools if he has to... just like a good musician will get a good sound out of the shittiest of instruments... IT'S NOT THE TOOLS PEOPLE, IT'S THE TALENT BEHIND THE TOOLS!!!!

[@cam-inf-4w5]

How long did it take start to finish?

[@HighlineGuitars]

About 100 hours give or take about 20.

[@onpsxmember]

Man, I'd like to see some of the lefty guitars you've built for yourself. Maybe you could also make a soldering video, what has changed in your process over the years? How well works that wedge radius sending method? Your CNC is obviously better, but how would you rank it compared to a hand planer and a radius block?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Like many small shop luthiers, I don't have time to build guitars for myself. Maybe one day! Soldering videos scare me because people always criticize your methods. CNC is way, way better in terms of speed and accuracy for doing a fretboard radius.

[@onpsxmember]

​@@HighlineGuitars I really butchered what I wanted to say. I thought if you'd still use the method with the wedge and the belt sander if there was no CNC in your shop or did you come up with anything better before the switch to the CNC? A soldering video might attract all the know it alls (I turn into one when the moon is full, it's hard to fight-.-), but it will seriously attract a lot of people who want to improve as well. Based on your process, there might even something new you find out or you optimize your process along the way. There aren't a lot of good videos out there. You're very methodical and very particular how you do things amd wjat you use during several iterations of your production process.

[@larry6686st]

Building one right now. Got my wood from menards

[@LDCCYouth]

what materials did you use for the Home depotcaster?

[@omarflores323]

That maple at HD??? O.o??? Mmmhh.. idk…

[@johne7100]

Crikey, our DIY supermarkets offer you a choice between pine and obeche, both as soft as blancmange. Well, you could have soft-core plywood, chipboard and MDF too, I suppose. Maple???? Who he?

[@Modern_Patriot]

Just curious, was the maple at home depot 3/4" thick?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Yes, it was.

[@Modern_Patriot]

@@HighlineGuitars I was able to get some nice Maple for a neck at my local Home Depot. They also carry mahogany, walnut, cherry, and knotty alder. unfortunately, they are all 3/4" thick. Do you think that I could make a body gluing up 4 pieces of 3/4" x 7 1/2" of mahogany?

[@slanford6767]

It sounds and looks as good as any hi dollar in your stable 😉and that's a great thing..the body may be a bit softer Thani like as far as dents go bur your supposed to be careful anyway. The finish looks great but only time will tell you that right

[@putridabomination]

Where else can you get the wood? I don't think I know any retailers aside from Lowes and Home Depot.

[@LordPadriac]

Just google for lumber suppliers near your city. I guarantee there's more than you think.

[@BrettLeMans]

Where's the part where you measured and routered out the pocket for the neck?

[@amitsapir2]

thanks! Very inspiring. How much of the height of the fret you lose when leveling it?

[@HighlineGuitars]

I don't know. Maybe around .01" at the most.

[@docjoe1]

Nice Hat! Which IM did you do?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Wisconsin, Coeur d'Alene, and Boulder.

[@docjoe1]

Nice! I'M Canada here!

[@stevesoldwedel]

Chris, do you use linear or log pots for your tone controls?

[@HighlineGuitars]

I use log pots for volume and tone.

[@jolleychris123]

What would be an equivalent in the UK for finding these nice woods?!I guess we dont have one :(

[@HighlineGuitars]

Chris Jolley And Brexit is going to make it worse.

[@jacktrent5648]

I saw this video a long time ago and never realized it was you

[@ManicaroCustomGuitars]

You installed the frets after the neck is finished? Isn't that risky?

[@HighlineGuitars]

It depends on your level of skill. However, this video was originally made almost 5 years ago and I now install the frets before it's finished.

[@ssr5041]

Sir,how the thickness of wood?in inch..plz help me..n m from india nd love you🙏🙏🙏♥♥

[@HighlineGuitars]

The body was 1.5" thick with a .25" thick top.

[@LordPadriac]

Someone somewhere is having a heart attack over the complete lack of sacred "tonewoods" and the inclusion of plywood.

[@mattfischer3853]

Take apart a harmony from the 80s, it’s stacked plywood.

[@Augrills]

I don’t think this guitar sounds very good honestly. It looks good and I’m sure it plays fine, but I didn’t like the sound at all.

[@jamesbates9038]

should have strung it backwards and played like hendrix bro would have love to hear you play

[@veronicaserrano9777]

How much was the cost overall?

[@HighlineGuitars]

Today, it would cost around $300-$400 depending on the cost of the components you select. The wood is going to run under $50.

[@MustObeyTheRules]

Wood type matters more on acoustic. You can tape some pickups on a damn unmodified 2x4 for an electric and it will sound just the same as anything else you could slap em on.

[@getgoodnow516]

That's Leo's whole approach.

[@v.mathisiii5999]

Lowe’s Paul... nah... how about *HighlineDepocaster!*

[@killazone3613]

How much would you charge me to make a les Paul style guitar

[@HighlineGuitars]

Probably around $2,500. The exact price depends on the specifics.

[@killazone3613]

Dam that's expensive..Love the work tho I think I'll just guy a fake chibson l.p. and just put better hardware it'll cost me like $450 to do that ...really enjoy the video though

[@onthe1481]

You should tune it.

[@rokinrandy]

Home Depot is too proud of their lumber. This is a year old so it was high then. Like hurricane prices for osb. Damn 20 a sheet. And there wasn’t even any hurricanes. I had already had your idea and they didn’t have any decent maple much less flamed. And their pine was over priced shit. But you did a fine job. I’m sure you paid for it though.

[@HighlineGuitars]

Actually, this video was a repost of the original that was shot about 10 years ago. Still, their lumber was expensive then as it is now.

[@rokinrandy]

Highline Guitars wow. 10 years ago I built a shed out of 400 dollars of lumber. Oh heck I forgot that wasn’t from Home Depot. Lol. But the price has doubled here at Home Depot. If not more in this area. As soon as I get on my feet I’m gonna drive 3 hours and check this place out near Virginia because shipping ruins a good deal. I’ve always wanted to make a spruce solid body. What do you think about not adding a top to spruce.

[@jerbear1601]

Why would you make a right handed guitar if you are a lefty?

[@HighlineGuitars]

I forgot I am left handed. Just kidding. I made it for someone else.

[@Iamadroid]

Ha. My home depot has crap pine, crap pine or crap pine!

[@numbersabcdefg]

Have you tried looking anywhere else?

[@GinoGenero]

Mine too. Still, I could probably make a pine Crapcaster.

[@silverdragon0000120]

It sounded horrible :O I think it needs better pickups

[@HighlineGuitars]

The fact that you would disregard the absence of decent recording equipment renders your assessment utterly useless.

[@clemmcguinness1087]

Oh that's a bit good ...

[@doctoribanez]

Get someone to play it

[@E-BikingAdventures]

You're right handed, but you're a left handed guitarist? WTF's up with that?

[@HighlineGuitars]

I’m ambidextrous. Google it and learn something.

[@E-BikingAdventures]

@@HighlineGuitars . So you're assuming I don't know what ambidextrous means. That's just a reflection of your ignorance, not mine. I made a harmless comment. Go F yourself a$shole!!!!!!

[@kjemradio]

I think it is time that we debunk myths about "tone woods." In a solid body guitar it doesn't really matter. Acoustic and perhaps semi hollow tone wood is a factor. So the fact that you built this with non traditional wood is proof positive that wood is wood in solid body guitars.

[@magicdaveable]

I built a solid body "tele" in 1994 using clear quartersawn Douglas Fir that I found in a "hardware store" in the Washington D.C. It was called Hechinger's. The boards were "1x12" shelving stock. I carefully sorted through the stacks and found 10-12 quartersawn boards. I used them to laminate a body blank. The neck was made from flatsawn rock maple and the fingerboard was sliced of that same board. It tuned out great. It is a tone monster and some woods do improve the tonal characteristics.

[@russellesimonetta3835]

Thats right but the key is a resonate body.

[@gabrieldeleon6689]

This is what danelectro did😂