How to Make a Gibson Electric Guitar
There is nothing quite like playing a guitar that you've built with your own hands. If you've ever considered purchasing a Gibson electric guitar, but lack the cash, consider building your own. While this is no easy task, with a moderate amount of skill, you, too, can make a Gibson electric guitar.
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Things You'll Need
- Wood shop and saw
- Electric guitar parts
- Soldering iron
- Screws
- Electric guitar paint and clearcoat
Instructions
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1
Buy all necessary components of the guitar itself. This includes a neck, headstock, tuners, body (either in the shape of a Gibson Les Paul or SG), pick-ups, pick-up rings, control knobs, control switch, guitar paint and input jacks. In searching for parts on any guitar hardware site, you may find other components that are needed (see Resources below).
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Purchase all tools necessary to make the guitar itself. This may include saws, drills and drill bits, belt sander, soldering iron and clamps. If you already have a woodwork station in your garage, then you may already have all the tools you need.
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Start with a design of the guitar you have in mind. For a Gibson Les Paul guitar, see the Resources section below for a link to a website with guitar design plans. But make sure you have an idea of what you want the guitar to look like before you start.
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Draw on the front of the body of the guitar where you want the pick-ups to go. You may use the design plan above to make this determination. Once you've drawn it up, use a jig saw to cut the piece of the wood out of the body--but make sure not to go too deep, as you do not want to cut through the body.
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Remove the pieces of wood from the pick-up holes you've cut. Next, plot out the design of the guitar on the body. If you're planning on a simple paint job, you may skip this step.
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Start routing the wires for the body itself. If you're not sure where to go with this, look up an online Gibson guitar forum (see Resources below).
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Drill all the holes now for the pick-ups, control knobs, bridge and control plate. Again, it is wise to consult an outside guide in addition to this one to ensure you do things right.
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Paint the guitar body. Depending on the color scheme you're going for, this may be as simple as using one color and applying a couple of coats. If you're planning on a swirl design, you'll want to paint the outer edge with one color and the inner part of the guitar with another color.
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Paint the guitar neck. If you prefer your guitar to have a natural wood neck, you can skip this step.
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Sand the guitar paint and paint again as necessary. You want the guitar body to be completely painted and smooth.
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Apply a clear coat of paint to your guitar. This will seal in your guitar's paint, ensuring that it lasts longer and looks shiny and great for many years to come.
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Wire the guitar and place in all electronics. This is, of course, the most challenging step of the whole process, so check with the GIbson forum and the other resources provided below.
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Apply the neck to the body. More than likely, you'll be using a bolt-on neck, so you'll need to screw the neck into the body of the guitar. Make sure to not screw it in too light or too tight--it should not be extremely stiff and should fit just right.
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String the guitar and test out the electronics. If everything plays right, you've just built yourself a Gibson electric guitar for a fraction of the price that it would cost to buy it new.
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Tips & Warnings
Don't rush through the process. Building an electric guitar--especially a Gibson--takes a considerable amount of work. It is always better to take your time than to rush through it and end up with a guitar that does not play right.
Don't skimp on parts. Always buy the best quality wood--even if it means sacrificing for lesser quality pick-ups. The guitar gets most of its sound from the wood, so make sure yours is of a good quality.
