First step

in building a guitar is getting the neck wood selected. No reason going any farther until that
happens.
 
What I do is build neck blocks because I prefer laminated necks. I think they're better all the way around.
I like to have 42" and if over 2" thick it's good...not worrying about it coming up to thin for a neck through.
Width...just as long as it's wide enough for the fretboard.
 
If I decided to use it as a set-neck then the extra length isn't wasted- I make little boxes that have lids like fretboards.
They're cute and make nice gifts.
 
One of the deals is that you really don't know when you start a neck block if it's going to work out. Could waste a lot of money and have to make little gifts.
A couple of things that can happen to send it in a tailspin...a bad glue-up- in that any glue can be seen. You clamp best you can if you don't have a hydraulic press and hope for the best. The other is that I build the neck block so it can be split yielding two necks. Wood has stored energy so you don't know what it might do when it's split. I have lost blocks that just went nuts after splitting. Not fun.
 
I'm very happy because this last block that I've had setting for a couple of weeks has shown no sign of moving and it's also the first one that I've laminated with such thin pieces. I think they are going to be beautiful pieces so thought I'd share this very beginning stage with ya'll....something I don't remember ever doing out of all the builds.
 
The only thing I'll do to them before starting the build is make sure the fretboard/body face is flat. When that is done I'll router for the truss-rod and then everything starts...I'll have a neck piece to see how far I can take it. Hope you enjoyed this. For one of the most important parts of the build it sure doesn't seem like much lol.
 
They're Mahogany with Maple/Mahogany thins.
 
 

 

SteveStrummerUK
 
I'm drooling already 
 
 

 
LOL...me too Steve!
 
Now I have to design a guitar!
 
 
 

Looks amazing already.
 
Good luck with it, though I think you could easily market your cool little fret-box gifts!

It looks great already.  I like the grain in the second shot.  Good luck with this project. 

Awesome. I dig when you post that kind of thing. :)

It's at that stage where it's not too late to think "lefty".


Randy

I'm just kidding you........for now.

This is not my picture but it is a shot of the type of truss-rod that I have but haven't used in a build.
With every build I do something I haven't done before. Using this rod will be at least one new thing.
 
Before anything else is done with the neck block it's a very good idea for one to know and prepare the exact placement. One can imagine that for a neck-through this would look much different.
 
Using old style "single action" truss-rods IMO is just silly. There is no good reason to take the chance of not being able to make adjustments that may be needed. "Double action" will take that neck in either direction. Also IMO the single action truss rod that was adjusted at the heel (think old Fender) and the neck had to be removed to adjust...the worst style I can imagine...and I have guitars with them.
 
If all goes well it may turn out to be my favorite type rod. It will make for a very clean head and still be easy to adjust, in either direction.
 

You're not derailing anything Star.
 
The reason your questions are hard to answer is because there are so many ways to do each little step.

What I did was gather any and all the information I could for a half year or more. I mean I was not messing around about either. I knew I had to have my head together with the best attempt I could make
because I knew if I did it I would be investing at or over $20,000.00 dollars.
When I could build the guitar in my head I invested enough to build one on my patio. It fortunately turned out better than any Strat I own...and I own a lot of them. So I took the plunge and it wasn't to make money...it was to do something I wanted to do and hopeful be able to enjoy doing it for as long as I care to.
I also had to clean the slate for all other hobbies because I knew it would take ALL my free time.
Lucky in a way that the X series hit and wouldn't work for me...cleared that time anyway.
 
When I found a process that made sense to me for each step I studied about the tools needed to perform it. A technique that "felt" like one I could manage. Those are things that another can't answer for you.
 
So if you dive off that cliff...maybe best if it's all your doing. That method worked alright with me.

craigb

Starise
Do you have any advice for a newbie who has experience with the most common wood tools?

Try to keep your fingers away from the sharp, moving parts?

That's good advice Craig.
With that thought I think we should include;
Avoid riding motorcycles - don't put yourself inside moving vehicles on or off highways - ....just watch that show (if it still airs) 1001 ways to die for your list. LOL.
 
Get a computer and one of these and watch all the things you may have interests in...and a phone so you can have your meals delivered and live safely ever after. :)  ...and hope the food and air supply is....well Star, I'm not sure there is good advice to be found because if we're not getting out of this alive and can't take anything with us...what's it all about or worth anyway? LOL
 
 
 

Old55

  Eventually, something's going to get you no matter what you do.  

That's the tuff part.
 
No doubt there are many risks and Craig makes a great point in that safety is paramount...that's with everything.
It seems that when things go south they are strange happenings too. Safety guys say all accidents are preventable but man, living is just risky business.

spacey
 

SteveStrummerUK
 
I'm drooling already 
 
 

 
LOL...me too Steve!
 
Now I have to design a guitar!

How a bout a Short Scale bass for me. I don't have a million to spare, but I would donate a couple of hundred! Small hands that barely make it across the whole thing! I'm a midget!

The neck alone on my custom that Space Cowboy now owns costs almost $900...

I have very few books and they are about pickups or making pickups.
I have even more about recording, mixing, midi...etc...lot of good they did me. I could have had an Epiphone!
 
I don't have step by step instruction books about building guitars so I'm sorry I can't help you with that.
I could write one but I'd have to have somebody that wasn't a spacey do it for it to make sense. Maybe Jonbuoy and Steve will come visit me...we'll build a guitar, Steve can do the photos and Jon and him can put it all down. Now I'd buy that book!
 
Yeah...I don't really care to share bloody stories so "be safe" is good enough for me, to take or give.
 
And to answer your question...the neck blocks are still just sitting there and still haven't moved. I think they are going to be necks some day. I've been busy recording but I have been kicking around what type of guitar I'd like to build. I'm still liking "steampunk" ...I think it's because I saw a new show, "naked vegas"...wow, purty ladies painted naked and steampunked. :) Hard to beat that.
 
 
Hey! This might be something you're interested in. I don't know anything about that stuff though.