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Voyageur Press

How to Build Electric Guitars: The Complete Guide to Building and Setting Up Your Own Custom Guitar

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Description

In the past few years the market for electric guitar kits and parts has exploded. For every two enthusiasts, there are four opinions on how properly to fill woodgrain. In this book, Will Kelly cuts through all that noise and shows how, with a little patience and some inexpensive tools, the average person can turn a modest investment into a gig-worthy instrument and perhaps even a lifelong hobby. Kelly presents guitar-building in a progressive fashion, beginning with a simple Stratocaster-style kit with a bolt-on neck and continuing on to a "relic'd" Telecaster-style build, two Gibson-style set- neck models, and a custom double-neck mash-up. Because each build is more involved than the previous, the reader builds on his or her skill set and acquires only the tools necessary for the reader's level of interest. Kelly shows how to apply finishes, choose and install hardware, wire electronics, execute the final assembly, and set up the finished guitar for proper action and intonation. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Voyageur Press; 1st edition (June 15, 2012)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0760342245


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 44


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.8 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.25 x 0.49 x 10.88 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #492,891 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #358 in Music Encyclopedias #430 in Music Reference (Books) #1,226 in Guitars (Books)


#358 in Music Encyclopedias:


#430 in Music Reference (Books):


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If you place your order now, the estimated arrival date for this product is: Sunday, Feb 23

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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Excellent book for learning how to build an electric guitar kit
Overall, this is a great book. It is packed with tons of excellent information on how to take a kit guitar from raw wood, sand it, paint it, assemble it, wire it, and set it up. I bought 2 electric guitar kits; an Offset Flying V for myself, and a Mockingbird styled version for my daughter to give us a project each that we could do together. This has given her another medium to express her creativity. First in painting the guitar, next when she gets to play it. I like how the author laid out this book. Each of the sections build upon the knowledge gained in the prior one giving you more in-depth knowledge as the projects get more complicated. The first chapter is probably teaches you everything you need to know to complete your first bolt neck kit. Or it comes very close anyway. The second chapter covers a more complicated build and how to relic the guitar. <start rant>I personally never have understood why anyone would want to buy something that doesn't look new since none of the marks mean anything unlike an actual antique with marks that arrived through decades of use. <end rant> Chapter three hours over the differences to complete a set neck guitar and chapter for goes into taking two kitsand combining them into one two neck guitar. In his build he combined a 6 string Axis styled electric guitar with a 4 string electric bass. In this chapter he even covers the required woodworking to mate the kits together so that they are aesthetically pleasing to look at while also maintaining playability. A side note about the book format: I bought the kindle version which is a little difficult to flip back and forth in since I didn't use the bookmark feature the first time through the book. If, like me, you are building your first kit guitar, I highly recommend bookmarks since you will be referring back to the various sections add your build progresses. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2017 by Allan
    • A must have for guitar builders
I have decided to build my own guitars with all top of the line electronics and finishes. I am starting with kits admittedly, and upgrading almost everything. This book is the Holy Bible of Guitar Building and setting them up if you're starting with a kit. I LOVE IT There is nothing this book does not cover, no matter what you're building. I am currently working on a Strat and Les Paul. I have my Seymour Duncan pickups and many other parts and bodies....it's time to get to work. This book even covers finishing tips and set up after you've put everything together. It's a great reference guide for those buying guitars and wanting to learn how to set them up correctly or even upgrading electronics. When it comes to making an electric guitar sound great, it's ALL in the electronics. You can take an inexpensive guitar and make it a high quality piece. I own high end guitars but have a few cheaper ones I've upgraded too. This book covers EVERTHING. MORE than 5 stars to this one. The BEST reference guide I've seen, period!!! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2014 by Dave
    • A fantastic book if you're building guitars from kits
This is a fantastic book if you're building guitars from kits. It is well written and well illustrated with hundreds of color photographs. It contains lots of great info on getting professional-looking results using commonly available tools and finishing materials. I've had it for a couple of years, and I still refer to it frequently. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2016 by Bill Menees
    • Complete guide is a little overstated, but overall good book.
I don't know if the description specifies, but this is about building kit guitars. Although most of the same details apply to any guitar build, there are certain things when you are mixing suppliers and making stuff yourself that you won't get out of this book, although by taking bits and pieces from each separate build, you will get the brunt of it (just be ready to flip some pages). Exceptional photos and step-by-step instructions throughout, well-written and stays on point. Area most lacking is in fretting, as it uses pre-constructed necks for the builds, but also doesn't talk about leveling or polishing or any of that - maybe better for the beginner this book is aiming at. The relic techniques are interesting and probably pretty useful if you are into that. Gives you finishing techniques that don't require a spray booth (or gun), and basically just keeps it pretty simple. Some of the best written and illustrated setup (bridge and nut height) techniques that I can recall seeing in print. A great place for a beginner to guitar building to start, and will give a tinkerer some ideas to modify and improve their guitar. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2012 by sumacidal
    • From Mahogany Block and plank come
Review Image by beau lebaron beau lebaron
Review Image by beau lebaron beau lebaron
Review Image by beau lebaron beau lebaron
Really found a large amount of really good advice and ways of getting around some of the more expensive ways to build and I m not done .. I’m onto my 4th and thankful for the ideas conveyed within that pushed me over some real problem areas that had me stuck ..
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2020 by beau lebaron beau lebaron
    • This book is great about teaching you the basics of how to work ...
This book is great about teaching you the basics of how to work on a guitar, but is aimed at utilizing guitar kits to make a guitar rather than working with a solid plank of wood. Still a good read and full of a lot of useful information about wiring and how to artificially weather a guitar.
Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2015 by P. A. Allen
    • His is a great book that outlines everything you need to know to ...
His is a great book that outlines everything you need to know to build an electric guitar. It even include a discussion about selecting wood and/or kits that use various quality of wood, hardware and whether you should consider these as an option to get started. Everything is written clearly and diagrammed in most cases. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2015 by Amazon Customer
    • Book is full of excellent examples and photos
This book is great information for building guitar kits, it starts with simple builds and then works to harder builds.
Reviewed in the United States on July 22, 2019 by Amanda Mayer

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