Making Your First Guitar
A Tutorial
Parts and Supplies
Before beginning the work on your guitar, it is advisable to get all your materials together. This way, you won't have to interrupt the project to go get something you need. It is especially important, because once you get going on a process, you're not going to want to stop! To help you, this page lists some suppliers of materials for making your guitar. If I have had direct contact with the supplier, I have made a special note.
WOOD SUPPLIERS
Getting the wood you need can be as simple as finding some maple or ash in a local lumber yard, or as challenging as finding that perfect piece of exotic hardwood. Bass guitars are generally made from some species of hardwood with maple or ash being the more popular choices. The hardwood holds the sustain of the notes better and anchors the screws that hold the hardware, often under the tension of the strings, much more efficiently than softer woods. Maple and ash are common and easy to find, as well as being relatively cheap. The closed grain makes filling the pores generally unnecessary and as they are generally free from oils and resins, they glue up easily and take finishes without many problems.
Plain looking stock is just fine for opaque painted guitars or the same wood can be found highly figured, exhibiting tiger stripes or quilting patterns, which is brought out by stains and transparent finishes. Exotic wood suppliers import and sell species found from all over the world and many beautiful colours and textures can be tuilized in instrument construction. Some of these are Bubinga, Wenge, Cocobolo, Walnut, Rosewood, Purpleheart, Mahogany, just to name a few. for a first instrument, I'd advise using some less expensive maple or ash and, perhaps if laminating, use a contrasting species of, say, walnut. If you manage to ruin a piece, it won't bring tears to your eyes thinking about the price and the finished instrument can be used as a mock up for refining a future project.
As mentioned above, some exotics can be tricky to glue. They can be harder on blades and cutting edges than domestic species and some produce sawdust that can cause severe irritation to the respiratory system.
A & M Wood Specialty Inc.
News flyer and price list with species stock available. Numerous exotic and domestic species available and a separate section for instrument woods as in the construction of acoustic guitars, violins and cellos. Will ship internationally.
Web site: www.amwoodinc.com
Location: 358 Eagle Street, P,.O. Box 32040, North Cambridge, Ontario, N3H 5M2
Phone: (800) 265-0624 or (519) 653-9322 in Canada; (800) 265-2759 in U.S.A.
Fax: (519) 653-3441 in Canada
Special Note: Knowledgeable and courteous staff. Exceptional supply of traditional tone woods.
Exotic Woods Inc. (Canada)
Price and Species list available. Numerous exotic and domestic species available. Carry pre-demensioned woods, selected for acoustic guitar construction and violins. Many pieces of exceptional figure set aside. Guitar rosettes, pearl inlays and bindings available. Carry some tools and finishing supplies. Shop on-premises for dimensioning your lumber. Supply of instrument and tone woods.
Web site: (none at this time)
Location: 2438 Industrial, Burlington, Ontario, L7P 1A6
Phone: (905) 335-8066
Special Note: Once again, an informative and courteous staff.
Exotic Woods Company (U.S.A.)
Web site: www.exoticwoods.com
Location: 444 Erial-Williams Road, P.O. Box 532, Sicklerville, NJ 08081
Phone: (609) 728-5555
Order: (800) 443-GIDWANI (9264)
Fax: (609) 728-6262
Special Note: Not affiliated with Canadian company.
Unicorn Universal Woods Ltd.
Good selection of pre-dressed and undressed woods of both domestic and exotic species.
Web site: unicornflooring.com (don't let the URL fool you, this is the place!)
Location: 4190 Steeles Ave. West, Woodbridge, Ontario, L4L 3S8
Phone: (905) 851-8039
Fax: (905) 851-2308
TOOL SUPPLIERS
Garret-Wade Co., Inc.
Web site: www.garrettwade.com
Location: 161 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013
Lee Valley & Veritas
Web site: www.leevalley.com
Location in U.S.A.: Mail Order Center, 12 East River St., P.O. Box 1780, Ogdensburg, NY 13669-6700
Phone in U.S.: (800) 267-8735
Location in Canada: Mail Order Center, 1090 Morrison Dr., P.O. Box 6295, Stn. J, Ottawa, ON K2A 1T4
Phone in Canada: (800) 267-8761
Phone International: (613) 596-0350
Stewart MacDonald Guitar Shop Supply
Free catalogue available on request containing an extensive inventory of parts for various stringed instruments. Extensive supply of specialty tools and finishing supplies.
Web site: http://www.stewmac.com/
Location: 21 N. Shafer Street, Box 900, Athens, OH 45701
Phone: (800) 848-2273
Special Note: I found them to be curteous, well informed, accurate and prompt in filling orders.
PICKUP MANUFACTURERS
Bartolini Pickups
Excellent maker of pickups and electronics, but have the reputation of being hard to deal with directly.
Web site: www.bartolini.net/
Location in U.S.A.: 2133 Research Drive #16, Livermore, California, 94550-3854
Phone: (925) 443-1037
Phone in Canada: (800) 267-8761
Phone International: (613) 596-0350
Location in Canada: distributed by WesCan Music, 8456-129 A, U-17, Surrey, BC V3W 1A2
Dimarzio Inc.
Web site: www.dimarzio.com
Location: P.O. Box 387, Staten Island, NY 10310
Phone: (718) 981-9286 (orders) or (718) 816-8112 (technical assistance)
EMG Pickups Inc.
Excellent manufacturer or low and high impedence pickups and electronics. Colour catalogue availabe on request.
Web site: www.emginc.com/
Location in U.S.A.: P.O. Box 4394, Santa Rosa, CA 95402 (head office)
Phone: (707) 525-9941
Fax: (707) 575-7046
Location in Canada: Kief Music, 12387 84th Ave, Surrey, BC V3X 1E9 (contact: Karl Kief)
Phone: (604) 590-3711
Fax: (604) 590-6999
J. D'Addario & Company Inc.
Web Site: www.daddario.com/home.html
Location in U.S.A.: 595 Smith Street, East Farmingdale, NY 11735
Phone: (516) 439-3300
Fax: (516) 439-3333
Location in Canada: 50 West Wilmot St. U-13, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1M5
Phone: (905) 889-0116 or (800) 268-6855
Fax: (905) 889-8998
Joe Barden Pickups
Web Site: http://www.joebarden.com
Location: P.O. Box 1254, Vienna, VA 22183
Phone: (703) 938-8638
Kent Armstong Pickups
Web site: www.wdmusicproducts.com
Location:
Phone: (800) 449-9348
Special Note: Manufactured in the United Kingdom. WD Music is the North American distributor located in Florida.
Lane Poor Pickups
Web site: www. lanepoor.com
Location: 347 Pleasant Street, Fall River, MA 02721
Phone: (508) 679-1922
Lindy Fralin Pickups
Web site: www.custom-sounds.com/lindy.html or www.mainmusic.com/lf.htm or st.1yahoo/tonesengineering/linfralstrat.htm
Location: 3415 Floyd Avenue, Richmond, VA 23220
Phone:
Seymour Duncan Pickups
Catalogue available on request.
Web site: www.seymourduncan.com
Location in U.S.A.: 5427 Hollister Avenue, Santa Barbara, CA 93111-2345
Phone: (805) 964-9610
Location in Canada: Jam/Ericson Music; 620 McCaffrey St., St. Laurent, PQ H4T 1N1
Phone: (514) 738-3000
Fax: (514) 737-5069
Also consider name brand manufacturers such as Fender Guitars and Gibson Guitars.
GENERAL PARTS SUPPLIERS
AllParts
Extensive selection of replacement parts for various makes of guitars and basses. Prices are somewhat steep, but you may find just what you are looking for here. Catalogue available on request.
Web site: http://www.allparts.com/allparts.htm
Location: P.O. Box 1318, Katy, TX 77492
Phone: (281) 391-0637
Fax: (281) 391-7922
Behlen Manufacturers (Mohawk Finishes)
Supplier of a wide range of products for finishing guitars.
Locaton: Box 698, Amsterdam, NY 12010
Phone: (518) 843-1380
Fender Guitars
Web site: http://www.fender.com/
Location:
Phone: (602) 596-7195 (Customer Relations)
Gibson Musical Instruments
Web site: http://www.gibson.com
Location: 1150 Bowes Road, Elgin, IL 60123
Phone: (800) 544-2766 or (615) 871-4500 (Cutomer Service)
Fax (888) 867-3378
Luthier's Mercantile International
Offer a combination catalogue and fact book for around $20.00, which is a bargain for what you get. A wonderful and informative book, well worth the price, although it leans towards acoustic instrument construction.
Web site: http://www.lmii.com/~lmi
Location: P.O. Box 774, 412 Moore Lane, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Phone: (800) 477-4377 or (707) 433-8802 or 001 (707) 433-1823
Rickenbacker Guitars
Web site: http://www.rickenbacker.com
Location: 3895 South Main St., Santa Ana, CA 92707
Phone: (714) 545-5574
Fax: (714) 754-0135
Sadowsky Guitars Ltd.
Professional guitar service.
Web site: http://www.sadowsky.com
Location: 1600 Boradway, Room 1000, New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 765-5231
Fax: (212) 765-5231
Stewart MacDonald Guitar Shop Supply
Free catalogue available on request containing an extensive inventory of parts for various stringed instruments. Extensive supply of specialty tools and finishing supplies.
Web site: http://www.stewmac.com/
Location: 21 N. Shafer Street, Box 900, Athens, OH 45701
Phone: (800) 848-2273
Special Note: I found them to be curteous, well informed, accurate and prompt in filling orders.
Timeless Instruments
A luthery school as well as a parts and supply reseller.
Web site: www3.sk.sympatico.ca/timeless/
Location: P.O. Box 51, Tuskagie, SK S0H 4B0
Phone: (888) 884-2753
Fax: (306) 759-2729
Warmouth
Parts are available, although the emphasis is on pre-made replacement necks and bodies. Colour catalogue available on request.
Web site: http://www.warmoth.com/
Location: 624 112th Street, E. Puyallup, WA 98373
Phone: (253) 845-0403
Fax: (253) 848-2415
