You're spot on man, sounds like you know from experience! I'm so happy she loves tinkering in the shop with me. One of these days we'll get our old Jeep project running, but for now it's just fun to have something to work on together.
@@WoodshopMike Before shimming the neck pocket it is crucial to check if adding the shims will push the neck out of alignment. You should have put on the bridge and checked with some dental floss as replacement for the outer E-strings first before proceeding.
@@ArturBrzozowski444 Yeah maybe. But it si good practice and as a UA-camr it's good to lead by example. Always make sure it aligns correctly first. It will save you a lot of headache.
It's a balancing act. If I showed every single step the video would be sooo long it'd take even longer to edit than they already do and most people wouldn't stick around to watch.
Girl Dad is raising a young woman who will value herself, and have this supportive behavior as a template for what she expects to find in her future life. Great gift!
guitar connoisseur here: chambering doesn't matter for the sound, you don't need to worry about it! just make the guitar to the correct measurements everywhere under and around the strings, make it sturdy, and most importantly make it good looking and comfortable to play! this was an amazing watch! definitely watching the amp video next! i loved the color scheme on this one, cheers!!
Ah, good suggestion! Unfortunately once the epoxy was this thin a lot of those cool swirls were diminished. I think if I do those kind of pickguards again I'll pour them closer to the final thickness.
I thought the guard was gonna be laminated w/ the purple (which might have also helped hide the routes), but when I saw the final I had the same idea of a foil backing.
Not just hide the routes, but it wouldn't hurt to line the entire cavity anyway so that it's not subject to interference. To have gone to all that effort (and a great job too), it seems a shame not to complete the job with the electronic shielding.
Thank you! I'm really happy with how the pickguard turned out! The good thing is it's not too late to add shielding (or painting the pickup cavities with shielding paint) but I actually kinda like seeing the cavity.
20:20 wow that’s a reeeeally good trick for the epoxy. I have a project right now involving epoxy and I have a couple globs I’ve been sanding. Definitely gonna try this
@@WoodshopMike hey Mike, I recently started working on guitars, and subsequently it’s got me into woodworking a bit. Was wondering if you had some advice on what tools I should be buying and in what order. So far all I have is a drill and a Dremel with a plunge router attachment. Still trying to figure out what to get next if I’m primarily doing guitar work. Appreciate it!
The whole reason solid body guitars exist is to eliminate feedback from hollow body guitars that became a problem when pickups and amps were introduced, so to say solid vs chambered or hollow makes zero difference, I just don’t buy it, however I imagine it can be eq’d to sound anyway you wanted in the modern era. I think as long as the whole guitar resonates together and is loud acoustically (electric guitar on its own rings loud ) is usually a good indicator that the guitar will sound good. Some of the tones people are crazy about and chasing were recorded on 335s and dots semi hollows and probably the construction of the electric guitar effects its clean tones enough to make a difference however when you crank the amp up and pour the gain to it the compression lessons the difference to negligible I speculate anyways . I mean Kirk Hammet still sounds like Metallica playing greenie after all. I’m not going to say people are dumb for wanting guitars made with premium woods because ultimately it’s personal and if they want it because it’s a good weight or has pretty wood grain then yeah but to claim it makes a guitar sound “insert tone snob buzzword” because of that premium timber, nah I just don’t buy it. If Basswood is good enough for Vai , and was good enough for EVH it’s good enough for me. Oh yeah and those old 335s were made out of laminated wood (plywood basically) so do with that what you will. I don’t think chambering is going to make a big enough difference to take anything other than weight into consideration.
At the end, did the daughter start playing Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4"? If so, I heartily approve!! This was a great project, and I'm sure she'll love the guitar that much more.
Brother you could've saved yourself a lot of heartache if you band sawed the back of the Guitar then there would be no need to re-route the neck pocket and pickup cavities. Never the less it was great teaming up with your daughter's input. Well done
haha, yeah you're not the first (and probably won't be the last) to say that! For some reason I just had it in my head that I had to do it from the front, but you're absolutely right. I still would have needed the spacer due to the pickup jack, but hey you have a go and improve the next time around right!? 😀 We had a blast on the project! Thanks for watching, hope you enjoyed it!
I’ve built several Tele bodies and I used Pine or Poplar for all of them. I weight relieved each. Basically I had a larger “main body” that’s about as thick as the real thing that I relieved of excess wood, and then glued a top on that I then planed down to the correct total thickness. Then I drilled the hole for the input jack so it is centered. All of my weight relief work was done in such a manner that you wouldn’t be aware of the cavities from any of the normal holes. And I think weight relieving provides better “tone”. But I also believe 10% of your sound is the guitar pickup. 20% is your amp and 70% is your fingers. Which means my guitars sound 70% worse than a lot of other people.
If this one hadn't been a kit I would have absolutely drilled for the pickup jack after everything was to thickness, but oh well, part of the fun of the challenge of this 😀 Your breakdown of tone is spot on 😂. That's why I don't demo my guitars! Not sure if you saw the video on one of the acoustics I built last year, but I had a studio artist demo it for me and sooooo glad I did!
I was first thinking 10% pups?- I disagree - then I saw where you were going w/the 70%. I mho, believe that it would be next to impossible to discern ANY difference between body wood types during a recording of blues rock through a nice tube amp. I could see a bit of difference between say maple vs rosewood fretboard, but (player aside) I believe the pickups are the tone. There are slight contributions all the other elements make, which doesn't make them useless, but with fuzz pedals, tube texture etc, I think the pickups have the biggest influence. Even the "same" model pickup can sound very different.
No one can say what the effect on tone that chamnbering the body will have until the guitar is finished. Therefore, it's pointless to to preplan the tone based on the wood used. Never the less, I really like this project. It's a very creative solution.
Hey Chris! Super cool that you found this video! I've watched a handful of your videos over the years, especially when I was starting to use my CNC for guitar making! Glad you enjoyed the project, take care!
I enjoy slicing away thin slivers with a sharp chisel, gradially getting exactly the shape & feel that i want. Power tools are quick, but so final. I never end up with what I'm after, unless i just "rough it in" and then finish the job with precision hand tools. Love your workshop, BTW! Wish i had one again. Maybe someday, there's always hope.
There is definitely a artistic aspect of working with hand tools that you just don't get with power tools. Thanks! This shop has been a long time in the making and a heck of a lot different from my first shop in high school when I was "stealing" 1/4 of my parents garage to start building guitars 😀 Here's hoping you have a shop setup again one day!
Beautiful work, Mike. My ‘69 mahogany Tele Thinline (maple/maple neck/fretboard) has the best tone, sustain and nuance I’ve ever heard in an electric guitar and I’m confident it’s all due to its semi-hollow body.
Very nice project, it's very inspiring. What do think about adding some shielding paint to the pickup cavities and some kind of shielding to the pickguard? This could help minimize unwanted noise...
Thank you! Shielding paint is definitely a good idea and something I should have gone ahead and done. I was so excited for the final assembly I just totally spaced🤣
@@WoodshopMike The procdess and materials. Wont have a pressure pot to use like you did but I will wait the longer period for it to set. Really intrigued with the process. Dont have a shop to work in so it will be in the garage or out on the deck. Thanks!
Awesome, I'll make sure to touch on some of those in the video👊. My shop is in the basement currently, but I've had my share of garage shops over the years 😃
Congratulations, what's important, is the love that filled you with all her happy faces. Great pick guards and knobs. Cheers. At the end, do you know the weights before and after?
Thank you so much and I totally agree. We may have customized a guitar, but this was so much more than a project. Unfortunately I didn't measure the weight of the body before and after... I know, major fail #whoopsie
Great video!! Especially when you get to work with your client (your kid). I have been on a journey learning how to build guitars. That extra bright light used to check your sanding beats walking outside several times during the process.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! haha, yeah she's a pretty cool client to work with 😀 That's awesome! What's been your favorite guitar project so far? Yes, the light is awesome! I meant to link to it in the description. This is the one I use: amzn.to/4azX1pq (there are cheaper alternatives, but I don't have any experience with those) Have a good one, and thanks for watching! 👊
I suggest you enjoy those walking outside steps? I too am on the journey, about 11 guitars in now. I get wound up (pun intended) about various aspects and am trying to chill and just accept each little intricacy as " the devil is in the details". Body finishing has become my least favorite activity, as perfection is elusive, especially in bright colors.
Yeah man, she was soooo excited when I first told her about the building this, I hardly thought she was gonna make it when I told her about the pickguard and knobs 😂
Totally agree that the majority of tone comes from the pickups. It's the nuance that comes from the wood with electrics. Thanks for the complements, I'm glad you enjoyed the video and project! Forgive my ignorance, but who is Tom Anderson?
@@WoodshopMike Have you seen Jim Lill's channel? He went neck deep into the question of where the tone comes from in an electric. His video's are great.
Brian Mays red special was built with cavities included in the body, he also customised some ready made pick ups to create the sound in his head in fact pretty much everything was hand made including carving the neck with a penknife he did all this with his dad too
Awesome my friend . I agree with someone elses post the guitar kit is insignificant the time with your daughter is the true prize. I enjoy every min with my kiddo... Kuddos my friend
Did this a couple of years ago with a pine body. Used a series of Forstner cutters in the drill press to honeycomb both the front and back halves, and it came out great.
Hey there! I have some solid input for ya. I cut a 54 Tele out of gorgeous rock hard flamed maple and it made for an 8ish pound body/11ish pound guitar. Couldn't deal with that I did what you did except I sliced much harder wood BY HAND, with a hand saw and metal guides. I cut it thinner than you did so when I glued on the walnut back everything was centered (jackhole). I did an antique orange sunset burst with binding that turned out sick. Went from 11lbs to 7lbs!!! It sounds way more alive and resonates like a bell.GORGEOUS TONE!!!
@WoodshopMike. Young girls with electric guitars? Pink pickguard? Sparkly pink control knobs? I blame the parents….. For exceptional parenting!!! Thank you for allowing us into your World. Every father’s daughter is his princess. You and yours stay safe and well.
I like the result, but I also like the "natural" look of the three different wood-slices come together and would be curious how this could have turned out...besides that awesome work and entertaining to follow along all the steps...
Beautiful Guitar.. A Tube Amp Awesome 😎 My wife loves the fact that you built it with her helping a bit.. She said & I agree that she wiilk remember this for ever Cheers 🍻 🥃🥃 🎸 🎵🎶🎶
Thanks! There are a handful of custom builders doing some awesome work with laminated tops. I didn't even think about using that as a design element, but it could be cool!
I highly recommend lacquer from Mohawk and Oxford Supply before Stewmac's product which is formulated with naphtha and takes much longer to dry and harden. @26:00 That's a very nice buffing wheel setup.
From what I understand the ColorTone lacquer is relabeled Mohawk (talked with a Mohawk rep earlier this year about that actually). I'm relatively new to working with lacquer though, so just curious if you have a source stating otherwise. Not being argumentative, just curious. Thanks! That buffer enclosure was actually build from a recycled coffee table 😂
I remember when John Bolin started doing Chambering in the 80's, told me to go pick up a Tele on a stand and I nearly hit the roof with it not expecting it to be so light, it's a cool idea.
They make some really nice looking bodies. The knobs came out great! Looking forward to showing more of the knobs we made in my next video 😀 Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it!
Aweseome project! Pink guitar? Hell yeah! Especially when the client has selected the colour 🙂 Pink sratchplate? Yeah, I can go with that too! Though I would have prefered a solid cerise pink to really finish that whole pink vibe off! 🙂
Thank you so much! It really turned out better than I'd expected! The pickguard was darker, but once it was planed down to thickness it ended up loosing some of it's depth. Next time I'll have to mix the epoxy with a bit more pigment to get the same color saturation. Glad you enjoyed it!
Beautiful video my friend! My daughters are all grown up now but I sure do miss the days spent doing such fun projects with them... a bit less complex though! Looking forward to seeing the home-built tube amp! :-)
Good luck ever getting her to sell that guitar. .... cold dead hands, is a term that comes to mind. Great job! My first build was a tele also, immedietly followed by a Mojotone Tweed Vibrolux clone build. Those Mojotone kits are great. Highly recommended.
Excellent job & video, Mike. I don't understand the dislikes... Btw, "humming" is electromagnetic noise, it doesn't go when touching the strings. If a noise disappears when you touch the strings, it's electrostatic noise. A proper shielding solves it, but it doesn't do anything on electromagnetic noises, only humbuckers can.
Thank you very much, glad you enjoyed it! Yeah who knows, some folks are just hard to please I guess. You know, I meant to shield the cavities and just got over eager to wrap up the assembly. Not too late to apply some shielding paint though and see if that does the trick! Cheers!
Might I suggest the Ibanez S? This model is probably the most lightweight there is excluding travel guitars. And I rarely see people building them themselves, though I'm pretty sure there are templates online
16:46 i was first wondering why you would seal it with epoxy after going to all that trouble to get rid of weight... ...but then i thought about how easily the wood gets dented. So...good choice!
Chambering a guitar will affect the tone more than the choice of fingerboard wood. The notes in a semi-hollow instrument tend to "bloom" and lack the initial attack of a solid-body guitar. This is why many jazz guitarists in general will gravitate toward the ol' "jazzbox". This is a splendid project!
Chambering is no problem in my opinion. As long as a guitar is not neck-heavy anything goes. Nothing worse than keeping your neck from diving. A black backing on the pickguard will look nicer I think. It will give depth and hide routerwork underneath. Nice project and well done.
Totally agree, neck dive is super annoying and great idea about painting the back side of the pickguard. Might do some experimenting and see what I think! Thank you for watching, glad you enjoyed the build!
I mean they were really cool! Not too difficult either if you could make them without having to do any machining afterward (something I'm going to continue to experiment with)
Impressive commitment to detail and tool arsenal, but no drill press for drilling the neck plate? Also, curious to know the total amount of time for this project. Did you keep track? Thanks!
Thanks! Yeah, I could have gone over to the drill press, but since the holes in the body were pre-drilled they served as a guide for my drill bit so I wasn't too worried. As far as time... I have about 15 hours of footage (you're welcome for editing it down a touch 😂) so I'd say the total time was about 30 hours? The majority of the time was spent on the finishing steps FWIW.
Great project I’m sure your daughter will always think of you and the time you spent together 😊 Did you weigh the guitar before and after to find out how much weight you took off in the chambering?
Great project! But a few questions: Since the guitar is for a child, why no leave it also thinner? Plug the hole for the output jack and drill a new one? Also, isn't a Telly shape a bit too square for her? Maybe add a belly and arm carve for comfort? Anyway, the smile in your kids face was just awesome. Again, great project! 😄
Not much of an issue honestly, but she's also at that "growing like a weed" stage, so it made sense to do a full size instrument. Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it 👍
When waxing neck screws, I've found that the cheapest brithday cake candles from the grocery store work even better than beesswax for a fraction of the price and are much easier to find.
Awesome build ... AND ... dad n daughter video! Question: what is that diagonal channel visible through pickguard ... done on purpose or could not be helped? As far as voice of solid body vs. chambered I believe all the variation of solid body electrics gives the variation of HOW the guitar PLAYS and SUSTAINS. It does give voice variation but obviously not as much as hollow bodies. But, not as much as you'd think. The sound is due to an amplified microphone basically.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!! The diagonal channel is for routing the wire from the neck pickup to the controls. It was already in the body. That's what I've found too. There's some nuanced difference in tone, but its not night and day.
Cool and educational project while being educational for us noobs. Thanks.Have you thought about making a dimensionally smaller size guitar for your daughter or is she ok with the ones she plays? Plus,a step stool would be a good idea for her to help you with your projects
The guitar is insignificant……the time you spend with your daughter is priceless. Btw, I have three daughters. You’re the man Mike.
You're spot on man, sounds like you know from experience!
I'm so happy she loves tinkering in the shop with me. One of these days we'll get our old Jeep project running, but for now it's just fun to have something to work on together.
@@WoodshopMike Before shimming the neck pocket it is crucial to check if adding the shims will push the neck out of alignment. You should have put on the bridge and checked with some dental floss as replacement for the outer E-strings first before proceeding.
@@EbonyPopeI gotta feeling he did just that off camera 😅
@@ArturBrzozowski444 Yeah maybe. But it si good practice and as a UA-camr it's good to lead by example. Always make sure it aligns correctly first. It will save you a lot of headache.
It's a balancing act. If I showed every single step the video would be sooo long it'd take even longer to edit than they already do and most people wouldn't stick around to watch.
Girl Dad is raising a young woman who will value herself, and have this supportive behavior as a template for what she expects to find in her future life. Great gift!
This is definitely more than just time in the shop! Thanks for the encouragement
Mike has to be the best father ever and he just showed us how to make a $20,000 guitar. Job well done! Wow.
Glad you enjoyed it! Now on another topic, you know where I can sell a $20,000 tele? Cause I'd be all about that! 😃
I love that you literally made her a 10000 instrument and that since you made it it for her its priceless!!!
Definitely priceless. As far as 10k, I'm gonna need you to find be a buyer! Deal? 😃
Man, you really love your daughter (and she loves you)! Besides, you are a real master with a great taste and attention to every detail! Thumbs up!
Thank you so much! We had a great time with this build 😀
Expression at the mention of "tube Amp"......... Priceless!! 🤣
I didn't think she was gonna be that excited, but every chance she gets she plays through my tube amp, so I get it! 😀
@@WoodshopMike that was a crown jewel/cherry on top of the whole thing.!
What a Dad won't do for His Daughter....... THIS IS AWESOME!!!!!
She's worth it 😀 Glad you enjoyed the video!
Those pickguards and knobs are crazy! The best part of the build for me.
They really set it apart! Never thought I'd be excited about glittery knobs, but gotta say, they're pretty cool 😀
What a great project and fantastic dad and daughter memory!
Thank you so much, we had a blast working on it together!
guitar connoisseur here: chambering doesn't matter for the sound, you don't need to worry about it! just make the guitar to the correct measurements everywhere under and around the strings, make it sturdy, and most importantly make it good looking and comfortable to play!
this was an amazing watch! definitely watching the amp video next! i loved the color scheme on this one, cheers!!
I took a basswood Strat body and totally hollowed it out back in the 90s. It’s ridiculously light!
Nice! Notice any difference in sustain after hollowing it?
You and your daughter are very lucky to have such a great relationship! Totally Awesome 👍
We definitely enjoy working on stuff together! 😃
If you put aluminum tape on the backside of the pick guard, it would hide the routes while making the bright pink guard color show up more.
Ah, good suggestion! Unfortunately once the epoxy was this thin a lot of those cool swirls were diminished. I think if I do those kind of pickguards again I'll pour them closer to the final thickness.
I thought the guard was gonna be laminated w/ the purple (which might have also helped hide the routes), but when I saw the final I had the same idea of a foil backing.
That could make for a cool looking pickguard!
Not just hide the routes, but it wouldn't hurt to line the entire cavity anyway so that it's not subject to interference. To have gone to all that effort (and a great job too), it seems a shame not to complete the job with the electronic shielding.
Thank you! I'm really happy with how the pickguard turned out!
The good thing is it's not too late to add shielding (or painting the pickup cavities with shielding paint) but I actually kinda like seeing the cavity.
String through semi-hollow bodies have phenomenal tone and sustain when those strings are shaking the whole instrument it's like playing a violin.
Definitely much better sustain with the string through design!
20:20 wow that’s a reeeeally good trick for the epoxy. I have a project right now involving epoxy and I have a couple globs I’ve been sanding. Definitely gonna try this
I didn't even have to check the time stamp because I know exactly what you're referring too! That totally blew my mind!
@@WoodshopMike hey Mike, I recently started working on guitars, and subsequently it’s got me into woodworking a bit. Was wondering if you had some advice on what tools I should be buying and in what order. So far all I have is a drill and a Dremel with a plunge router attachment. Still trying to figure out what to get next if I’m primarily doing guitar work. Appreciate it!
That is some excellent woodwork and even better parenting. Respect, sir
Thank you very much! She's a fun kid, loves being in the shop 😀
This is one heck of a cool dad. She'll never forget this as long as she lives.
We had so much fun with the project!
The whole reason solid body guitars exist is to eliminate feedback from hollow body guitars that became a problem when pickups and amps were introduced, so to say solid vs chambered or hollow makes zero difference, I just don’t buy it, however I imagine it can be eq’d to sound anyway you wanted in the modern era. I think as long as the whole guitar resonates together and is loud acoustically (electric guitar on its own rings loud ) is usually a good indicator that the guitar will sound good. Some of the tones people are crazy about and chasing were recorded on 335s and dots semi hollows and probably the construction of the electric guitar effects its clean tones enough to make a difference however when you crank the amp up and pour the gain to it the compression lessons the difference to negligible I speculate anyways . I mean Kirk Hammet still sounds like Metallica playing greenie after all. I’m not going to say people are dumb for wanting guitars made with premium woods because ultimately it’s personal and if they want it because it’s a good weight or has pretty wood grain then yeah but to claim it makes a guitar sound “insert tone snob buzzword” because of that premium timber, nah I just don’t buy it. If Basswood is good enough for Vai , and was good enough for EVH it’s good enough for me. Oh yeah and those old 335s were made out of laminated wood (plywood basically) so do with that what you will. I don’t think chambering is going to make a big enough difference to take anything other than weight into consideration.
Great looking kits! Where did you get yours?? Great video as always.
I got the kit from StewMac stewmac.sjv.io/g1xdz0 Thank you very much, glad you enjoyed the video! 👍
You had me at the color-changing glitter knobs. What an awesome idea.
Glad you liked that little detail! I'm working on the dedicated video about the knobs and pickguard currently!
@@WoodshopMike I look forward to it !
Very cute! You guys have fun with that 😊
My daughter and I are always making lil projects come to life and we have as blast… 🎉
We had so much fun! Glad to hear you and your daughter share in the same 😃👊
Unsure how i ended up here but im not mad at it... Great work. Unforgettable memories and a badass instrument made 👍🏻
Great to have ya here! Glad you enjoyed the video 👍😃
You seem like a really good dad. This was a sweet build
Thanks! We had a lot of fun on this project 😃
A goldmine of workshop tips! Thank you - very cool guitar for the perfect client.
Glad you enjoyed it! 👊
At the end, did the daughter start playing Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4"? If so, I heartily approve!! This was a great project, and I'm sure she'll love the guitar that much more.
Glad you enjoyed it! She was playing brain stew, but these two songs have a riff that sounds pretty similar. Thanks for watching👊
Brother you could've saved yourself a lot of heartache if you band sawed the back of the Guitar then there would be no need to re-route the neck pocket and pickup cavities. Never the less it was great teaming up with your daughter's input. Well done
haha, yeah you're not the first (and probably won't be the last) to say that! For some reason I just had it in my head that I had to do it from the front, but you're absolutely right. I still would have needed the spacer due to the pickup jack, but hey you have a go and improve the next time around right!? 😀
We had a blast on the project! Thanks for watching, hope you enjoyed it!
I’ve built several Tele bodies and I used Pine or Poplar for all of them. I weight relieved each. Basically I had a larger “main body” that’s about as thick as the real thing that I relieved of excess wood, and then glued a top on that I then planed down to the correct total thickness. Then I drilled the hole for the input jack so it is centered. All of my weight relief work was done in such a manner that you wouldn’t be aware of the cavities from any of the normal holes. And I think weight relieving provides better “tone”. But I also believe 10% of your sound is the guitar pickup. 20% is your amp and 70% is your fingers. Which means my guitars sound 70% worse than a lot of other people.
If this one hadn't been a kit I would have absolutely drilled for the pickup jack after everything was to thickness, but oh well, part of the fun of the challenge of this 😀
Your breakdown of tone is spot on 😂. That's why I don't demo my guitars! Not sure if you saw the video on one of the acoustics I built last year, but I had a studio artist demo it for me and sooooo glad I did!
I was first thinking 10% pups?- I disagree - then I saw where you were going w/the 70%. I mho, believe that it would be next to impossible to discern ANY difference between body wood types during a recording of blues rock through a nice tube amp. I could see a bit of difference between say maple vs rosewood fretboard, but (player aside) I believe the pickups are the tone. There are slight contributions all the other elements make, which doesn't make them useless, but with fuzz pedals, tube texture etc, I think the pickups have the biggest influence. Even the "same" model pickup can sound very different.
No one can say what the effect on tone that chamnbering the body will have until the guitar is finished. Therefore, it's pointless to to preplan the tone based on the wood used. Never the less, I really like this project. It's a very creative solution.
Hey Chris! Super cool that you found this video! I've watched a handful of your videos over the years, especially when I was starting to use my CNC for guitar making! Glad you enjoyed the project, take care!
@7:25 My wife knits. I borrowed her silicone knitting needle covers and plugged an open tube of caulk. It was still good 2 months later!
Solid idea! I've used nails and tape to seal em up and that works for about a week. Thanks! 👊
I enjoy slicing away thin slivers with a sharp chisel, gradially getting exactly the shape & feel that i want.
Power tools are quick, but so final. I never end up with what I'm after, unless i just "rough it in" and then finish the job with precision hand tools.
Love your workshop, BTW!
Wish i had one again. Maybe someday, there's always hope.
There is definitely a artistic aspect of working with hand tools that you just don't get with power tools.
Thanks! This shop has been a long time in the making and a heck of a lot different from my first shop in high school when I was "stealing" 1/4 of my parents garage to start building guitars 😀
Here's hoping you have a shop setup again one day!
Beautiful work, Mike. My ‘69 mahogany Tele Thinline (maple/maple neck/fretboard) has the best tone, sustain and nuance I’ve ever heard in an electric guitar and I’m confident it’s all due to its semi-hollow body.
Thank you so much! Semi-hollow bodies just have a different feel.
Very nice project, it's very inspiring. What do think about adding some shielding paint to the pickup cavities and some kind of shielding to the pickguard? This could help minimize unwanted noise...
Thank you! Shielding paint is definitely a good idea and something I should have gone ahead and done. I was so excited for the final assembly I just totally spaced🤣
great bookends to the video - that gasping wide-eyed look of anticipation and approval
😃👍
Great job, you made your daughter very happy. I have thought about buying a kit and do exactly waht you did here - congrats!
Thank you! We had a blast 😃
BTW, those knobs are out of this world! Will have to look into it.
Thank you! I have another video in the works where I really focus on the epoxy elements. Are there any questions you have around that process?
@@WoodshopMike The procdess and materials. Wont have a pressure pot to use like you did but I will wait the longer period for it to set. Really intrigued with the process. Dont have a shop to work in so it will be in the garage or out on the deck. Thanks!
Awesome, I'll make sure to touch on some of those in the video👊. My shop is in the basement currently, but I've had my share of garage shops over the years 😃
Congratulations, what's important, is the love that filled you with all her happy faces. Great pick guards and knobs. Cheers. At the end, do you know the weights before and after?
Thank you so much and I totally agree. We may have customized a guitar, but this was so much more than a project. Unfortunately I didn't measure the weight of the body before and after... I know, major fail #whoopsie
Great video!! Especially when you get to work with your client (your kid). I have been on a journey learning how to build guitars. That extra bright light used to check your sanding beats walking outside several times during the process.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! haha, yeah she's a pretty cool client to work with 😀
That's awesome! What's been your favorite guitar project so far?
Yes, the light is awesome! I meant to link to it in the description. This is the one I use: amzn.to/4azX1pq (there are cheaper alternatives, but I don't have any experience with those)
Have a good one, and thanks for watching! 👊
I suggest you enjoy those walking outside steps? I too am on the journey, about 11 guitars in now. I get wound up (pun intended) about various aspects and am trying to chill and just accept each little intricacy as " the devil is in the details". Body finishing has become my least favorite activity, as perfection is elusive, especially in bright colors.
WOW…you took a kit guitar to the next level…well done….excellent camera work 👍
Thank you and thank you! It was a fun project and challenge 😀 Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it!
She is soo excited. This is Rad. Good job dad!
Yeah man, she was soooo excited when I first told her about the building this, I hardly thought she was gonna make it when I told her about the pickguard and knobs 😂
well done Mike , this had me on the edge of my chair from start to finish , you are a true craftsman ...and a great dad
Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed it 👍😃
Tom Anderson smiles, tone is in the pickups 95 percent at least IMHO. Great vid cool dad, great build and craftsmanship
Totally agree that the majority of tone comes from the pickups. It's the nuance that comes from the wood with electrics. Thanks for the complements, I'm glad you enjoyed the video and project!
Forgive my ignorance, but who is Tom Anderson?
I would say tone comes mostly from pickups, and fingers. PRS would disagree... but he does have a TON of exotic wood guitars to sell... so.....
Totally agree that the vast majority of tone for an electric is coming from the pickups, player, and amp!
@@WoodshopMike Have you seen Jim Lill's channel? He went neck deep into the question of where the tone comes from in an electric. His video's are great.
Brian Mays red special was built with cavities included in the body, he also customised some ready made pick ups to create the sound in his head in fact pretty much everything was hand made including carving the neck with a penknife he did all this with his dad too
Very cool!
Hahaha - Loved the ending! :D
Gotta hook ya for the next video! 😀 Did it work?
@@WoodshopMike Since you asked so politely (and I've bonged every video existing for every channel i follow) I will watch!
What a wonderful job you did Sr. My respect
Thank you so much!
Awesome my friend . I agree with someone elses post the guitar kit is insignificant the time with your daughter is the true prize.
I enjoy every min with my kiddo... Kuddos my friend
Great project and an intelligent naration.
Thank you so much, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for the fun family build.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching!
The ending was awesome. Great work dad!
Thanks! Gotta stick around to see what amp we end up making 😀
I think I hate you for being so talented in so many ways! Wow! Beautiful job! That instrument will be priceless to your daughter as time goes by.
Hahaha, it's more like I'm just too stubborn to quit 🤣 thank you for the compliments👊
Well done! One thing to point out: I'd also shield cavities either with conductive paint or tape. It halps to keep all the noises out.
Thanks! I like the shielding paint personally, just forgot about it on this one. I was too excited to string it up😃
Beautiful and priceless. Thank you for sharing. How long was this project? Thanks
Thank you very much, we really enjoyed the project! If I recall it took about two weeks including the finishing process.
Did this a couple of years ago with a pine body. Used a series of Forstner cutters in the drill press to honeycomb both the front and back halves, and it came out great.
Awesome!
Fantastic father daughter project! Rock on kid! 👍🏁
That was an awesome video. Very nice work sir, and the daddy daughter time is priceless! My compliments on a great guitar!
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed the video and guitar! The time with my daughter was awesome, she loves helping out in the shop 😀
Absolutely loved this!! Great job! I learned a lot watching this.
So glad you enjoyed it! If you have any questions I'm happy to expound 👊
Hey there! I have some solid input for ya. I cut a 54 Tele out of gorgeous rock hard flamed maple and it made for an 8ish pound body/11ish pound guitar.
Couldn't deal with that
I did what you did except I sliced much harder wood BY HAND, with a hand saw and metal guides. I cut it thinner than you did so when I glued on the walnut back everything was centered (jackhole). I did an antique orange sunset burst with binding that turned out sick.
Went from 11lbs to 7lbs!!!
It sounds way more alive and resonates like a bell.GORGEOUS TONE!!!
Sounds like an awesome guitar!!!
@WoodshopMike. Young girls with electric guitars? Pink pickguard? Sparkly pink control knobs? I blame the parents…..
For exceptional parenting!!!
Thank you for allowing us into your World.
Every father’s daughter is his princess.
You and yours stay safe and well.
So glad you enjoyed the video! This one was a ton of fun 😀
I like the result, but I also like the "natural" look of the three different wood-slices come together and would be curious how this could have turned out...besides that awesome work and entertaining to follow along all the steps...
Thank you so much! Yeah a lot of folks have said that very same thing! It would be a neat aesthetic for sure 😀
this is just amazing. Congrats all round.
Thank you so much! 👍😃
Beautiful Guitar.. A Tube Amp Awesome 😎 My wife loves the fact that you built it with her helping a bit.. She said & I agree that she wiilk remember this for ever Cheers 🍻 🥃🥃 🎸 🎵🎶🎶
Thanks Billy! Yeah we're pumped about the tube amp!
looks amazing even with the grain filler. Love the laminated piece adding a bit of faux binding.
Thanks! There are a handful of custom builders doing some awesome work with laminated tops. I didn't even think about using that as a design element, but it could be cool!
Brain Stew as the first lick is CHOICE. The kids are gonna be alright.
Great way to start her out! 👊👊
I highly recommend lacquer from Mohawk and Oxford Supply before Stewmac's product which is formulated with naphtha and takes much longer to dry and harden. @26:00 That's a very nice buffing wheel setup.
From what I understand the ColorTone lacquer is relabeled Mohawk (talked with a Mohawk rep earlier this year about that actually). I'm relatively new to working with lacquer though, so just curious if you have a source stating otherwise. Not being argumentative, just curious. Thanks! That buffer enclosure was actually build from a recycled coffee table 😂
I remember when John Bolin started doing Chambering in the 80's, told me to go pick up a Tele on a stand and I nearly hit the roof with it not expecting it to be so light, it's a cool idea.
😂 that's hilarious. It's always fun to hand someone a chambered guitar when they're expecting a solid body!
Must be nice to have a 36" drum sander and big bandsaw laying around LOL. Very cool - and yes, I'm jealous!
haha, yeah it's pretty nice!
Warmoth makes custom chambered bodies, nice 👍 knobs bro. Great dad project.
They make some really nice looking bodies. The knobs came out great! Looking forward to showing more of the knobs we made in my next video 😀
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it!
Really enjoyed your video,,,everything you touched on,,,I have experienced myself as well.
Greatntechnique
Thank you so much for the feedback, glad you enjoyed it!
Yes! Sublime, and Way fun finish on the show as well! `Can't wait for iT
Glad you enjoyed it! Can't wait for the tube amp!
Aweseome project! Pink guitar? Hell yeah! Especially when the client has selected the colour 🙂 Pink sratchplate? Yeah, I can go with that too! Though I would have prefered a solid cerise pink to really finish that whole pink vibe off! 🙂
Thank you so much! It really turned out better than I'd expected! The pickguard was darker, but once it was planed down to thickness it ended up loosing some of it's depth. Next time I'll have to mix the epoxy with a bit more pigment to get the same color saturation. Glad you enjoyed it!
Beautiful video my friend! My daughters are all grown up now but I sure do miss the days spent doing such fun projects with them... a bit less complex though! Looking forward to seeing the home-built tube amp! :-)
Thank you sir! Yes, I'm trying to soak up as much of this as I can while I have the chance 😀 Looking forward to the amp too! I've never built one!!
Sick skills! And even more coolest dad points ! Awesome
Thanks David! We had a lot of fun😃
Thanks for making me smile
So glad you enjoyed it!
The ending makes you the best Dad ever.
She's always been expressive 😃
Good luck ever getting her to sell that guitar. .... cold dead hands, is a term that comes to mind.
Great job! My first build was a tele also, immedietly followed by a Mojotone Tweed Vibrolux clone build. Those Mojotone kits are great. Highly recommended.
Yeah I don't think selling is in the cards either 🤣
I've heard good things about the Mojotone kits!
Excellent job & video, Mike. I don't understand the dislikes... Btw, "humming" is electromagnetic noise, it doesn't go when touching the strings. If a noise disappears when you touch the strings, it's electrostatic noise. A proper shielding solves it, but it doesn't do anything on electromagnetic noises, only humbuckers can.
Thank you very much, glad you enjoyed it! Yeah who knows, some folks are just hard to please I guess.
You know, I meant to shield the cavities and just got over eager to wrap up the assembly. Not too late to apply some shielding paint though and see if that does the trick!
Cheers!
That turned out really nice, great job.
Thank you so much! 👊
Might I suggest the Ibanez S? This model is probably the most lightweight there is excluding travel guitars. And I rarely see people building them themselves, though I'm pretty sure there are templates online
Is your suggestion for me to build one of those? Sorry wasn't totally sure👍
The tone is all in the electronics atleast the amount of tone that wouldn’t change from identical guitars one serial number away
Thinking about building a handful of electric and doing a little experiment 🤔
@@WoodshopMike theres already a guy that did that experiment. His results. Wiring pickups and placement and scale lenght are what affect tome.
Great job, God bless you and your family 🤗
Thank you so much! Same to you and yours 🙏
I like her enthusiasm.
That's her 24/7 😂
Quality time with your princess. Great job and impressive workshop & skill set.
We both had a blast, but I'm pretty sure I got the better end of the bargain 😀 Thank you very much, glad you liked the project!
Those knobs are actually really cool for something covered in glitter lol
Right!? I was really surprised how much I liked them!
Great video & guitar!😁👍
Btw, How much did the guitar weigh?
Awesome video. Talented father and one lucky daughter. What a team.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it 👊
Great job brother🙏. I think it’s time to build my grand daughter your first electric guitar 🎸
Thanks! 👊 There's no time like the present!
16:46 i was first wondering why you would seal it with epoxy after going to all that trouble to get rid of weight...
...but then i thought about how easily the wood gets dented.
So...good choice!
The epoxy that's left on the guitar really doesn't add much weight at all, but definitely made it harder.
Chambering a guitar will affect the tone more than the choice of fingerboard wood. The notes in a semi-hollow instrument tend to "bloom" and lack the initial attack of a solid-body guitar. This is why many jazz guitarists in general will gravitate toward the ol' "jazzbox".
This is a splendid project!
Totally agree with you there man! Thank you so much, glad you like it 👊
Cheers!
Chambering is no problem in my opinion. As long as a guitar is not neck-heavy anything goes. Nothing worse than keeping your neck from diving.
A black backing on the pickguard will look nicer I think. It will give depth and hide routerwork underneath. Nice project and well done.
Totally agree, neck dive is super annoying and great idea about painting the back side of the pickguard. Might do some experimenting and see what I think! Thank you for watching, glad you enjoyed the build!
Can I come over one weekend and make a kit guitar w you?? That’s a fantastic video!
Very cool project. I loved the pickguard and knobs. And the happiness in that kid’s face!
Thank you! We're thrilled with how the pickguard and knobs came out 😀 Yeah, my daughter was beyond excited with the final result!
Thanks for watching!
@@WoodshopMike It was a pleasure to watch. Congratulations. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to see the tube amp build.
@@WoodshopMike I'd put those knobs on my guitars!
Can't wait! I've not built a tube amp before!
I mean they were really cool! Not too difficult either if you could make them without having to do any machining afterward (something I'm going to continue to experiment with)
Impressive commitment to detail and tool arsenal, but no drill press for drilling the neck plate? Also, curious to know the total amount of time for this project. Did you keep track? Thanks!
Thanks! Yeah, I could have gone over to the drill press, but since the holes in the body were pre-drilled they served as a guide for my drill bit so I wasn't too worried.
As far as time... I have about 15 hours of footage (you're welcome for editing it down a touch 😂) so I'd say the total time was about 30 hours? The majority of the time was spent on the finishing steps FWIW.
Great project I’m sure your daughter will always think of you and the time you spent together 😊
Did you weigh the guitar before and after to find out how much weight you took off in the chambering?
Thank you! We both had a blast with the build!
I didn't weigh the guitar before hollowing it out. I meant to but I just totally spaced on that!
Great project! But a few questions: Since the guitar is for a child, why no leave it also thinner? Plug the hole for the output jack and drill a new one? Also, isn't a Telly shape a bit too square for her? Maybe add a belly and arm carve for comfort?
Anyway, the smile in your kids face was just awesome. Again, great project! 😄
Not much of an issue honestly, but she's also at that "growing like a weed" stage, so it made sense to do a full size instrument.
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it 👍
hey George! it was the best moment. very funny. just be yourself.
Haha! Glad you got a laugh 😃
You are spoiling this kid... As should be! 🤠👍🏁❤️
Can't spoil her too much, but every now and then I do what I can 😀
Fender did a batch of "smugglers telecaster" in the late 60's after they reiceive a too heavy Ash batch. I did one for myself for the same reasons.
I've heard about those! 😃
When waxing neck screws, I've found that the cheapest brithday cake candles from the grocery store work even better than beesswax for a fraction of the price and are much easier to find.
Right on, thanks for the tip👊 I usually go for paste wax, but didn't want the solvents to possible react with the lacquer.
Super cool guys 👌👌
Thank you so much!
She will NEVER forget the time she spent with her Dad or that guitar.
We had a great time, but I got the better end of the deal 😀
Awesome build ... AND ... dad n daughter video! Question: what is that diagonal channel visible through pickguard ... done on purpose or could not be helped?
As far as voice of solid body vs. chambered I believe all the variation of solid body electrics gives the variation of HOW the guitar PLAYS and SUSTAINS. It does give voice variation but obviously not as much as hollow bodies. But, not as much as you'd think. The sound is due to an amplified microphone basically.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it!!
The diagonal channel is for routing the wire from the neck pickup to the controls. It was already in the body.
That's what I've found too. There's some nuanced difference in tone, but its not night and day.
Cool and educational project while being educational for us noobs. Thanks.Have you thought about making a dimensionally smaller size guitar for your daughter or is she ok with the ones she plays? Plus,a step stool would be a good idea for her to help you with your projects
I thought about making her a 3/4 size guitar, but she's been playing my full size tele for a couple years just fine so we just went for it😃