@@ALBERTLennerdt-z3s Basically the cost of the donor guitar, plus $30 for the woods, $15 for bridge, $20 for glue and sandpaper, $10 paint, $4 vinyl sticker, and $5 for new strings. You can subtract the cost of the bridge if you don't mind drilling holes in the body for the strings. Also, if you already have sandpaper and glue, that's a bonus. My total was $225+30+15+10+20+4+5=$309, all new parts. If you were using a free donor guitar and bridge the total would be $69.
Reminds me of me when I started building...glad I realized there is no shame in using real tools to make guitars...If Antonio Stradivari had access to a router I am willing to bet he would have used it. Besides, there's only so many hours in a life. Do not use so many of yours to make one guitar. With proper tools you could have made this guitar in a day or so. Cheers and Well Done!
Digging the triumphant tracks at the end which match that loud and proud red color and showcase this axe super well. Congratulations on completing this work intensive build.
Really cool, I saw the original Danelectro copy build and I'm glad this one popped up in my feed now. It's fun seeing people applying the Dano build process to other designs. I'd love to see more people experimenting with it and even different materials like sheet aluminum top and back or other composite materials. I'd really like to see something semihollow design inspired, just because it would be cool to see it with a thinner, slab body ratrod kinda look. You should definitely follow whatever inspires you though, it's been cool so far!
Hey, thanks for checking it out! I'd kind of like to try out some thin birch plywood as a top for one of these builds. I've been eying the Flying V. I have a few more planks of wood to use up, so I guess I've got some decisions to make!
I enjoyed the video mate. It was great. I guess it tells me that it really doesn't matter what material the body is made out of or the type of pickups used. More importantly, it is how the guitar is played. Makes a mockery of the reliced Fender Custom Shop Tele guitars selling for $7,500. Cheers for the inspiration.
Thanks for checking out the vid! The thing I love about this kind of guitar is it feels alive in your hands. Some electrics are so heavy and feel a little dead. This one is light and "responds" to your playing. And yes, the prices of guitars are getting downright laughable. Who can justify a $10K guitar?
Cool concept. You might also want to incorporate Bigsbys for you guitars as they are top loading guitars when done. I have also seen a lithier completely hog out a MIM Fender Tele body for a thinline concept and it was feather light. I only saw the unfinished body but it was amazing to feel that vs a standard Tele body.
Bigsby is a good idea here. One thing I've noticed with all the research I've done on Danelectros- The skeletons(where they attach to the top and back) they cut are extremely thin. Probably about 1/4" thick except near the top and tail, where they are more solid. As you can see on mine, I left it right around 1/2" thick overall, leaving a few spots thicker just for mounting purposes. The balance is a little better, overall. The neck doesn't "dive" as much when playing standing up. I've considered doing a similar build to a thin line, simply routing out the inner chambers and gluing a nice top to it. It's a LOT more work than a regular tele build and I'm not sure I need another tele in the line-up!
Hey, thanks for checking it out! Yeah, the paintjob was initially a let down, but considering the type of build(kind of a knock-around song writing instrument) I can live with it. The paint only really looks suspect up close. From a few feet away it looks pretty decent. I have a few more of these to build before I move onto some solid body builds, which might merit some Nitro-Lacquer or some type of danish oil.
I recently saw a video from Thorsten Foust, abiut building an acoustic guitar from plywood (front and back from high quality aircraft plywood). The main thing that was interesting was that he is like a graphic designer, so he did some crazy things and naybe not so playable... But there were some really interesting construction techniques, and the aluminum tail block was brilliant.
Aircraft ply is a great idea! I own a few vintage plywood guitars that sound really great. I've thought about making another guitar like this from thin birch plywood, but maybe maple would be better...
Do it! That's a great idea for a body shape and P90s are great with the Mosrite style. Also i had to add lots more weight to really get this thing glued properly, maybe another 40 lbs!
@@josephmcdonnell3107 I do not recomend this. Although it may make some sense, the time will show you it doesn't. It's not durable and sooner than you can imagine, you'll have to dispose it
Very cool build ! I just watched your Danelectro copy video, and I loved that ! I plan to make a Daneletro Pro 1 using this build technic. One question, what is the thickness of the hardboard ?
Yep, I've used 3mm and it works great. You can also use thicker, like 1/4" or even 3/8" but you have to adjust the depth of your neck pocket accordingly.
Thanks! The amps used on the first song are Ampeg Jet J12 for rhythm guitar, Fender Deluxe Reverb for the solos. Second song, it's just the Fender Deluxe Reverb.
@@FrankOlsonTwins Thank you sir!! and good morning!! reply from Japan(I'm Japanese). someday I'd like to hear the sound diy red-tele and tiny cute LM386 amp.
Can you explain why you don't glue the wood spar (the one that runs from bridge area to bottom edge of guitar) to the top and back? I'd have guessed you'd want the strength of gluing that bit, but I'm sure you have a reason... (and apologies if I missed you explaining it!)
Hey, no problem! I didn't glue the spar because I wanted the top and back to have more resonance- more like the belly and back of an acoustic guitar. That's also why I recessed it from the top and back by carving and sanding it a bit. That way, it keeps the bottom of the frame sturdy over time. The spar isn't necessary but it could help keep the top and back from separating if the instrument is ever dropped. It was a somewhat common problem on the older Danelectros.
I haven't weighed it yet, but it's just a little lighter than a thinline tele. You could make it lighter by making the entire skeleton thinner like the original Danelectros, or by removing most of the center block material. Original Danos just had a small block beneath the bridge. I opted for a full center block for added strength and stability...
So -a hollowbody tele DIY compared to a normal tele --what is the tone difference ? subtle ?--I am building one at present --need to know if its worth the huge effort ?
It is subtle. You may or may not notice a difference when plugged in. It might affect sustain, but probably not very much. Think of this build like a "Thinline Tele." Mine weighs about what a thinline weighs and I think the tone is comparable. If you are thinking of building a solidbody(such as a normal tele), that might be a little less work, so a bit easier overall.
I'm not sure about the properties of Oregon pine but Douglas fir is a pretty dense softwood. I probably wouldn't use it for another build, since it's so heavy. I would try to find another lightweight pine. Or, I would use a hardwood like basswood, walnut, alder, ash or poplar. But really, see what's available in your area- dry and ready to use.
@@FrankOlsonTwins OK --Many thanks ---I live in Central Africa --lovely grained hardwoods here (pterocarpus Anglolensis and Pod Mahogany /teak ---but oh so terribly Heavy --probably best to use cutaways like you do ?
Задумка конечно хорошая вот только аргалит как то использовать нехорошо хотя бы фанера....мне что то кажется что электрогитару можно делать из разных материалов всё равно звучать будет при условии что все размеры соблюдены
The main difference in tone will be unplugged. When unplugged, the masonite guitars are louder. I like that for song writing and just playing "unplugged." Otherwise, I just prefer a traditional solid body or hollowbody.
Generally speaking, Douglas Fir is harder than most species of pine. It is heavier than most pine but dents just as easily. However, when you're cutting Douglas Fir, you'll notice it's quite soft between the rings, but the rings themselves are quite hard. So the "ring grains" are very hard, but the rest is very soft. It's fine to use either- if you make a body out of each you'll notice the differences right away.
Some guitars require shielding, others less so. This one(and the squier I used for parts) doesn't seem to need shielding. It's very quiet, with no noticeable hum or buzz. I've shielded other guitars and sometimes it helps.
Thanks, but go to a music store and find a Danelectro guitar. You don't even need to plug it in, just play it for a while and try NOT to write a cool new song or riff.
@FrankOlsonTwins i like all the process, but this material, only the top and the bottom and the painting finishing, are not durable. Weak to be scratched. Only this.
@@christianurgese I'm not saying they are incredibly made, or even particularly durable. If you get a chance to play one, you really should. As an instrument you can pick up and strum, without plugging into an amp, they are useful. Plus, they are fun to play and can be inspiring with their unique sound. Some of these instruments still exist from the 1950s and 60s, so they can last if cared for. I made one last year and it still looks and plays great: ua-cam.com/video/7be6FrRbMw0/v-deo.html
You used Montana Gold and Black aka (German Montana). The worst two brands of artist spray paint. they were bought out and are now owned by dupli-color. if you have used their regular paint you will understand that this is probably the worse kind of paint you can find. The kind of paint you should have got is The Us made Montana, Montana Colors. It is MUCH higher quality. Yes I know it is very hard to tell them appart if you dont know what you are looking for, just wanted to come on here are clarify that not all artist spray paint is bad. Oh also it is specifically made to dry fast and not drip, so it comes out extra thick (Since its is for wall you know). If you dont like that then go with something else entirely.
Good clarification points! Overall i did like the color and to some extent the finish. But it was a very unsatisfying, having used many good cans and airbrushes in the past. I would never buy the Black version again, but for $10, i might try the American one you mentioned.
One thing you could do is make a traditional "Thinline" Tele. It will probably save you about 1-2 lbs., depending on how much material you remove from the body chambers.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro and Parts
00:34 Tracing paper template
00:44 First Glue up
00:49 Scrollsaw Body Cutout
01:24 Interior Cutout
02:15 Sanding Frame
02:51 Flattening Frame
03:11 Tracing Masonite
03:25 Cutting top and Back
03:42 Thickness sanding frame
04:03 Drilling wire holes
04:40 Glue Top
05:08 Glu Back
05:30 Body Cutout
06:14 Shaping/Sanding, Round 2
06:52 Paper Template DIY
07:13 Cutting Body Cavities
08:24 Sanding Body Cavities
08:40 Neck template/Centerline
08:50 Neck Pocket drilling
09:09 Neck Pocket routing
09:46 Final sanding
10:10 Roundover
10:55 Headstock Vinyl
11:31 Paint
12:34 Warning
12:50 Sanding
12:58 Wet Sanding
13:11 Polishing/Wax
13:27 Neck Hole Alignment
14:20 Neck Pocket drilling
15:47 Song Demo Begins
16:00 Neck Install
16:37 Neck/Bridge Alignment
16:50 Top Holes Drilled
17:09 Jack Plate
17:16 Pickguard/Neck Pickup
17:32 Control Plate/Electronics
18:03 Output Jack
18:29 Bridge and Pickup Install
18:53 Strap Buttons
19:09 String Up
19:28 Finished!
how much for all this
@@ALBERTLennerdt-z3s Basically the cost of the donor guitar, plus $30 for the woods, $15 for bridge, $20 for glue and sandpaper, $10 paint, $4 vinyl sticker, and $5 for new strings.
You can subtract the cost of the bridge if you don't mind drilling holes in the body for the strings. Also, if you already have sandpaper and glue, that's a bonus.
My total was $225+30+15+10+20+4+5=$309, all new parts. If you were using a free donor guitar and bridge the total would be $69.
Dude, you know I'll lend you tools right? You don't have to live like this anymore.
😅😅 Maybe we just make the next one at your shop!
he has a CNC and he chooses to do it the hard way. builds character i suppose😂
lmao
Reminds me of me when I started building...glad I realized there is no shame in using real tools to make guitars...If Antonio Stradivari had access to a router I am willing to bet he would have used it.
Besides, there's only so many hours in a life. Do not use so many of yours to make one guitar. With proper tools you could have made this guitar in a day or so.
Cheers and Well Done!
Digging the triumphant tracks at the end which match that loud and proud red color and showcase this axe super well. Congratulations on completing this work intensive build.
Thanks man. I already feel this build is a success, since each guitar tone inspired it's own new part!
WOW --Thankyou --cant wait to hear the acoustic aspect of this masonite semi hollow build --
Really cool, I saw the original Danelectro copy build and I'm glad this one popped up in my feed now. It's fun seeing people applying the Dano build process to other designs. I'd love to see more people experimenting with it and even different materials like sheet aluminum top and back or other composite materials. I'd really like to see something semihollow design inspired, just because it would be cool to see it with a thinner, slab body ratrod kinda look. You should definitely follow whatever inspires you though, it's been cool so far!
Hey, thanks for checking it out! I'd kind of like to try out some thin birch plywood as a top for one of these builds. I've been eying the Flying V. I have a few more planks of wood to use up, so I guess I've got some decisions to make!
That would be a great contender for a thin line style f-cut.
Agree! I've been meaning to put together a Thinline tele....
I enjoyed the video mate. It was great. I guess it tells me that it really doesn't matter what material the body is made out of or the type of pickups used. More importantly, it is how the guitar is played. Makes a mockery of the reliced Fender Custom Shop Tele guitars selling for $7,500. Cheers for the inspiration.
Thanks for checking out the vid! The thing I love about this kind of guitar is it feels alive in your hands. Some electrics are so heavy and feel a little dead. This one is light and "responds" to your playing. And yes, the prices of guitars are getting downright laughable. Who can justify a $10K guitar?
Hey Frank, this video was very enlightening. I gleaned a lot of insight from it... Thanks for sharing! Stay blessed! Cool jams too!
Thanks, I have another guitar building vid in the works. I've learned a lot from the past few builds, it's a great hobby!
Very cool, I am willing to make me a cheapocaster like this! Very rewarding build. Loved it!
I have one more to make before i move onto nicer/solid wood. Everyone who has played it so far has enjoyed it!
A vice to hold the parts still when working is efficient
A good vice is on my list of tools to get!
Cool concept. You might also want to incorporate Bigsbys for you guitars as they are top loading guitars when done.
I have also seen a lithier completely hog out a MIM Fender Tele body for a thinline concept and it was feather light. I only saw the unfinished body but it was amazing to feel that vs a standard Tele body.
Bigsby is a good idea here. One thing I've noticed with all the research I've done on Danelectros- The skeletons(where they attach to the top and back) they cut are extremely thin. Probably about 1/4" thick except near the top and tail, where they are more solid. As you can see on mine, I left it right around 1/2" thick overall, leaving a few spots thicker just for mounting purposes. The balance is a little better, overall. The neck doesn't "dive" as much when playing standing up. I've considered doing a similar build to a thin line, simply routing out the inner chambers and gluing a nice top to it. It's a LOT more work than a regular tele build and I'm not sure I need another tele in the line-up!
Good work, but definitely invest in the right paints and do some clearcoating if you're investing this much time in a build. Sounded great though man.
Hey, thanks for checking it out! Yeah, the paintjob was initially a let down, but considering the type of build(kind of a knock-around song writing instrument) I can live with it. The paint only really looks suspect up close. From a few feet away it looks pretty decent. I have a few more of these to build before I move onto some solid body builds, which might merit some Nitro-Lacquer or some type of danish oil.
like me you improvise with cutting & sanding --no fancy tools --well done!
Thanks! I like to see how few "big" shop tools can be used to realistically make one of these guitars!
Nice project man
I would have chosen different materials for bottom and top
but beautiful
congratulations
Thanks! Yes it's a LOT of work to put into a hardboard guitar, but something about these guitars keeps me coming back for more!
I recently saw a video from Thorsten Foust, abiut building an acoustic guitar from plywood (front and back from high quality aircraft plywood). The main thing that was interesting was that he is like a graphic designer, so he did some crazy things and naybe not so playable... But there were some really interesting construction techniques, and the aluminum tail block was brilliant.
Aircraft ply is a great idea! I own a few vintage plywood guitars that sound really great. I've thought about making another guitar like this from thin birch plywood, but maybe maple would be better...
Another nail in the coffin for "but muh-tonewood".
Lol, not bad for Masonite, right?
I'm tempted to do a Mosrite shape with maybe a single dog ear P90 in this style of construction! Love the tape machine as a weight for gluing haha
Do it! That's a great idea for a body shape and P90s are great with the Mosrite style. Also i had to add lots more weight to really get this thing glued properly, maybe another 40 lbs!
Thank you for making this video. Ive been considering building a guitar exactly like this.
Go for it! Let me know how it turns out!
@@josephmcdonnell3107 I do not recomend this. Although it may make some sense, the time will show you it doesn't. It's not durable and sooner than you can imagine, you'll have to dispose it
Invest in a power file, they save loads of arm ache and make shaping bodies and necks easy!
Very cool build ! I just watched your Danelectro copy video, and I loved that ! I plan to make a Daneletro Pro 1 using this build technic. One question, what is the thickness of the hardboard ?
Thanks! The hardboard measures about 4mm thick, or about 1/8". Let me know how the Pro turns out!
@@FrankOlsonTwinsYeah no problem bro! Just is it good if I use 3mm ?
Yep, I've used 3mm and it works great. You can also use thicker, like 1/4" or even 3/8" but you have to adjust the depth of your neck pocket accordingly.
Hi man, just a quick update, I got the hardboard, plywood and a cheap jigsaw for the build. I may post photos when the body is done on Reddit.
@@MoodyRiffsnice
Next a Dano 12 string or a Jazz bass😂👍👏👏👏
you should build a flying v, an explorer, a les paul, with the masonite. or a longhorn bass copy, or an SG
I'd go for any of those! Finding the necks and parts is the hard part though!
i mean, thats beautiful 👁
Thanks, and welcome back bro!
Why did you go with a top loader style bridge instead of stick with the string through bridge?
Hi Frank. Very nice work, I admire it, and it sounds very good. Friendships.
Hey, thanks! And thanks for checking it out!
My next build ma be a chambered body as well now.
They're nice to have around. Sound really cool unplugged, too!
Live in Central Africa --plenty hardwoods here --but oh so HEAVY --so can I use PINE ?
Thankyou --I use the same thickness masonite---in Africa ---
Oh!! great job and you made it!! anyway 15:49～19:50 nice guitar sound you plugged tiny cute LM386 amplifier witch you made it?
Thanks! The amps used on the first song are Ampeg Jet J12 for rhythm guitar, Fender Deluxe Reverb for the solos. Second song, it's just the Fender Deluxe Reverb.
@@FrankOlsonTwins
Thank you sir!! and good morning!! reply from Japan(I'm Japanese). someday I'd like to hear the sound diy red-tele and tiny cute LM386 amp.
I'll make a short and put it up in the next few days, the red tele and mini DIY amp... Good idea!
New short video with the Tele and mini amp: ua-cam.com/users/shortszfZq-ERFlZE
Can I use ordinary soft pine timber instead of Douglas fir ? Or are these European timbers /wood --the same ?
Sure, you can use whatever timber is available to you, especially for a build such as this.
It could warp
Nice job
Thanks!
Can you explain why you don't glue the wood spar (the one that runs from bridge area to bottom edge of guitar) to the top and back?
I'd have guessed you'd want the strength of gluing that bit, but I'm sure you have a reason... (and apologies if I missed you explaining it!)
Hey, no problem! I didn't glue the spar because I wanted the top and back to have more resonance- more like the belly and back of an acoustic guitar. That's also why I recessed it from the top and back by carving and sanding it a bit. That way, it keeps the bottom of the frame sturdy over time. The spar isn't necessary but it could help keep the top and back from separating if the instrument is ever dropped. It was a somewhat common problem on the older Danelectros.
Beautiful build, I’m not a fan of “worker harder not smarter”, but you made it work.
Thanks! This one was definitely an educational journey. I learned a lot about what not to do!
At 3:20. what thickness hardboard /masonite are u using ? 1/8 inch or 1/4 inch --or mm equiv ?
The hardboard measures about 4mm thick, or about 1/8".
What was the finished body weight? I’m hoping to make lightweight bodies like this. Thx.
I haven't weighed it yet, but it's just a little lighter than a thinline tele. You could make it lighter by making the entire skeleton thinner like the original Danelectros, or by removing most of the center block material. Original Danos just had a small block beneath the bridge. I opted for a full center block for added strength and stability...
Μπράβο φίλε🤟🤟🤟
Thanks!
Does the headstock dip down when you have a guitar strap on.
Just barely. It's about as heavy as a thinline tele, maybe just a little lighter
Awesome 🙋🏻♂️🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😃🎸🔥
Thanks for checking it out!
I challenge you make another tele but from solid oak and solid maple
I do have enough walnut for a telecaster build....
Wow that looks Murray's telecaster from The Wiggles Movie
So -a hollowbody tele DIY compared to a normal tele --what is the tone difference ? subtle ?--I am building one at present --need to know if its worth the huge effort ?
It is subtle. You may or may not notice a difference when plugged in. It might affect sustain, but probably not very much. Think of this build like a "Thinline Tele." Mine weighs about what a thinline weighs and I think the tone is comparable. If you are thinking of building a solidbody(such as a normal tele), that might be a little less work, so a bit easier overall.
Might as well add the f holes now
Apologies --misspelling--- OREGON pine ---is it harder than Douglas fir ?
I'm not sure about the properties of Oregon pine but Douglas fir is a pretty dense softwood. I probably wouldn't use it for another build, since it's so heavy. I would try to find another lightweight pine. Or, I would use a hardwood like basswood, walnut, alder, ash or poplar. But really, see what's available in your area- dry and ready to use.
@@FrankOlsonTwins OK --Many thanks ---I live in Central Africa --lovely grained hardwoods here (pterocarpus Anglolensis and Pod Mahogany /teak ---but oh so terribly Heavy --probably best to use cutaways like you do ?
It's very popular to use heavy hard woods but cut chambers in the "wings" of the body. Gibson has been doing this for decades.
Задумка конечно хорошая вот только аргалит как то использовать нехорошо хотя бы фанера....мне что то кажется что электрогитару можно делать из разных материалов всё равно звучать будет при условии что все размеры соблюдены
I would’ve tried basswood
The original squier body was basswood, I believe. It sounded quite nice.
@ and it’s pretty light
Thanks --thats interesting ----I am 75 so hopefully I wont notice the difference---in tone !
The main difference in tone will be unplugged. When unplugged, the masonite guitars are louder. I like that for song writing and just playing "unplugged." Otherwise, I just prefer a traditional solid body or hollowbody.
So is Pine the same hardness as Douglas fir ---or softer ?
Generally speaking, Douglas Fir is harder than most species of pine. It is heavier than most pine but dents just as easily. However, when you're cutting Douglas Fir, you'll notice it's quite soft between the rings, but the rings themselves are quite hard. So the "ring grains" are very hard, but the rest is very soft. It's fine to use either- if you make a body out of each you'll notice the differences right away.
@@FrankOlsonTwins Thankyou for the interesting info ---now I am much the wiser --gracias !
Someone told me Douglas fir is harder than ordinary pine ---and the same density hardness as Oregan Pine ?
👌
A ekranowanie gdzie ?
Some guitars require shielding, others less so. This one(and the squier I used for parts) doesn't seem to need shielding. It's very quiet, with no noticeable hum or buzz. I've shielded other guitars and sometimes it helps.
Well-done, but why cardboard... why ikea guitar?
Thanks, but go to a music store and find a Danelectro guitar. You don't even need to plug it in, just play it for a while and try NOT to write a cool new song or riff.
@FrankOlsonTwins i like all the process, but this material, only the top and the bottom and the painting finishing, are not durable. Weak to be scratched. Only this.
@@christianurgese I'm not saying they are incredibly made, or even particularly durable. If you get a chance to play one, you really should. As an instrument you can pick up and strum, without plugging into an amp, they are useful. Plus, they are fun to play and can be inspiring with their unique sound.
Some of these instruments still exist from the 1950s and 60s, so they can last if cared for.
I made one last year and it still looks and plays great: ua-cam.com/video/7be6FrRbMw0/v-deo.html
You used Montana Gold and Black aka (German Montana). The worst two brands of artist spray paint. they were bought out and are now owned by dupli-color. if you have used their regular paint you will understand that this is probably the worse kind of paint you can find. The kind of paint you should have got is The Us made Montana, Montana Colors. It is MUCH higher quality. Yes I know it is very hard to tell them appart if you dont know what you are looking for, just wanted to come on here are clarify that not all artist spray paint is bad. Oh also it is specifically made to dry fast and not drip, so it comes out extra thick (Since its is for wall you know). If you dont like that then go with something else entirely.
Good clarification points! Overall i did like the color and to some extent the finish. But it was a very unsatisfying, having used many good cans and airbrushes in the past. I would never buy the Black version again, but for $10, i might try the American one you mentioned.
BUILT a few semi hollow wood & masonite guitar bodies --poor tone ---cant beat solid African wood for great tone -only really heavy !
IT has to be lighter as I am using African hardwood frame --do not like a heavy Strat body ---!
One thing you could do is make a traditional "Thinline" Tele. It will probably save you about 1-2 lbs., depending on how much material you remove from the body chambers.
Why this moderator concludes my replies are in-appropriate is beyond me ? What do you think ? have I done something offensive ?
Hmm, I'm not sure. I can see what you wrote, nothing seems to be offensive. But you're right, somehow it gets canceled.
Masonite is not usable in guitar construction.
Hardboard...WTF??????????????????
Sure, hardboard guitars are nice to have around. They make great songwriting instruments.
That's how danelectros and Silvertones were made back in the day