as some of you may know, I have recently picked up a brand new MIM Strat to use as the basis of my project guitar. So now that half the batlle is done I am looking for more in depth info.

Can anyone reccomend a good refference book/website or other source material on building/making/modifying/repairing guitars?

I've done searches and found some info out there. But I don't want to buy a book or a video just because some Joe Blow released it and it is called "how to build a guitar" or whatever.

I'm looking for info on paiting/wire diagrams/electronics and everything else from the ground up. Even building a body from a blank.

Can you guys point me in the direction to some good quality info that you either trust or have used yourself?


As always, thanks in advance for any help you can send my way!

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2009 Fender Strat MIM
2002 Squire 20th Aniv. Strat
30 year old Les Paul copy which is currently in the process of being rebuilt.

Hi Scot: lotta different books covering different areas. All of these are from my own experience - personal recommendations.

On building from scratch there are two good ones and you need both (at least) because they tend to cover different areas in the detail you require:

Make Your Own Electric Guitar by Melvin Hiscock is possibly the single best book for starting out:
http://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Own-Ele ... 362&sr=8-1

Add to that Building Electric Guitars by Martin Koch. Rather idiosyncratic, but he has lots of neat tips that apply to the real world home-build environment:
http://www.amazon.com/Building-Electric ... 533&sr=1-1

For so much else The Guitar Player Repair Guide by Dan Erlewine is the single most important guitar book you will ever buy. Everyone should own it:
http://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Player-Rep ... 677&sr=1-1

That one includes a good chapter on finishing guitars. Frankly, it will get you through your first two or three projects, but if you want more info on finishing then the bible is Guitar Finishing Step-By-Step by Dan Erlewine and Don MacRostie. Seriously too much detail for your first time out, though:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Books,_plan ... -Step.html

Most of the above have plenty to say on electronics, but if you need more then Guitar Electronics For Musicians by Donald Brosnac has more than I for one will ever need:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Books,_plan ... cians.html

There's reams more on wood, fretting, inlay, acoustics... etc etc etc. For more, see this page:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Books,_plans.html

For anyone who has all the above and just wants to salivate over some unusual guitar porn, I'd highly recommend Hand Made Hand Played, on that page...

That lot should keep you busy, Scot.

Happy reading - C

Perfect!

Thats exactly what I was looking for my friend!

I gotta question. How difficult is it to do custom inlays? I've never seen anything on how its done. If it's not to extremely difficult I would love to do something special with tthe inlays/fretboard on this project.

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2009 Fender Strat MIM
2002 Squire 20th Aniv. Strat
30 year old Les Paul copy which is currently in the process of being rebuilt.

It's difficult. I wouldn't start with that!

But since you ask, a fabulous book that everyone should have just to drool over is The Art of Inlay by Larry Robinson:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Books,_plan ... Inlay.html

The amazing photographs will either inspire you to spend the rest of your life trying to get that good at inlay - or give up immediately and concentrate on other things...

And with all the books listed on this thread (and others) you now know what Ceri does when he logs off in the evening.

Good night all! - C

Dan Erlewine is a master in the field of repair. Go to Stewart MacDonald website for info.

How is it done?

I watched a small video on inlays and it looked waaaay to simple. It looked like you just route out or cut out the area for the inlay then glue in the new inlay and sand it down level with the fretboard.

I remember watching it thinking wow, that just seemed way to easy. There has hgotta be more to this then what they just showed.

_________________
2009 Fender Strat MIM
2002 Squire 20th Aniv. Strat
30 year old Les Paul copy which is currently in the process of being rebuilt.

Stewart Mac is an amazing site! After reading through some of the inlay material and checking out the tools I really want to try this. Luckily I have a couple necks I can try it on before I give it a go on the project guitar. Or I could just buy some cheap necks to work on.

I have a killer idea on inlays for my project. I also just thought of doing an inlay for the Fender logo on the headstock. I want to paint the headstock black anyway. (similar to the Mahogany Strat Fender has this year) I was wondering how I could keep the Fender logo and still be able to paint the headstock black. Now I have the answer. I'm sure it wont be east to do by any means. But at least I can use the original Fender logo that is on the headstock now as a guide. So I will have the shape and placement in the perfect spot.

any ideas on that? Something I might be able to do? Or am I just wishing upon a star?

by the way, I do have a lot of the tools already. Mainly I would just need the jig and the inlay cutting tools. A lot of the other tools I have from other woodworking I've done in the past.

_________________
2009 Fender Strat MIM
2002 Squire 20th Aniv. Strat
30 year old Les Paul copy which is currently in the process of being rebuilt.

Uh-hu? Well, I'm all for guys rolling up their sleeves and having a go. So why don't you roll up your sleeves and have a go? You might turn out to have the knack!

Good luck - C

amazing guitar! Your work?

_________________
2009 Fender Strat MIM
2002 Squire 20th Aniv. Strat
30 year old Les Paul copy which is currently in the process of being rebuilt.

[quote="Ceri"]
Uh-hu? Well, I'm all for guys rolling up their sleeves and having a go. So why don't you roll up your sleeves and have a go? You might turn out to have the knack!

Good luck - C



Ceri,

I am speechless ... that is one beautful work of art!!

_________________

Of course, you don't need to actually practice on guitar necks.

Any old hunks of wood can be used for your practicing! Why spend money on necks, just grab some old lumber!

_________________
Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.

OH MY GOD!!!

There's been a bad misunderstanding here - my fault, without doubt.

That inlay is absolutely NOT my work - sadly!

Those are pictures of one of the PRS Dragon guitars; the Dragon Four, I think. I only posted them as a fairly supreme example of inlay work, as an encouragement to Scot.

I do apologise for any disappointment caused - especially to Kong after his massive compliment...

'Course, the most disappointed person here is me. If only I could do that kinda thing!

- C

I know, I know. And not for the first time, huh?

Oh the shame of it!

Strange thing: I do have an inlay project in mind - much more humble than that dragon, to be sure. There's other things higher up the list, but I have a scheme that hopefully will come this way in the fullness of time. Some wacky things in my head over that one - a bit of inlay might be the least surprising thing about it.

Stay tooned! - C (international man of mystery)