I'm nearly done with House of Leaves. I'm taking it a bit slower than I normally read things...partly because I'm working on my guitar and partly because it sort of resonates with me. It almost seems like it was written to specifically prey on my fears...that said, I think it's been a great book. I look forward to reading other stuff by Danielewski...there's a companion piece to House of Leaves as well as another novel. I also look forward to reading some more "classic" horror.
The guitar is coming along. I've had to buy a drill press in order to accurately drill the holes for mounting the neck, the bridge, and the control plates. I was originally going to buy a mill, because I want to mill parts out for future projects (that bass replica, for instance) but there were 2 main issues with that. 1) the throat depth for the mill is slightly too short for the guitar I'm currently working on. 2) Harbor Frieght would have to order one and their ordering process takes quite a while at times. I ordered a nice Craftsman drill press through Sears that will do what I need, plus it has some neat bells and whistles, for about $130 cheaper than the mill. I'll wind up buying the mill later, but this will be absolutely fine for the time being.
Monday, my drill press and my water-based polyurethane should arrive. I won't be able to get much else done on the guitar until then. Ideally, I would get to work on it over the weekend (especially Saturday, because Erin has finals) but it won't be that bad, I guess. After this stuff comes in, I'll have some work on my hands...but I need to place an order with Mcmaster-Carr for some other stuff...and the final things will come from Stewart-MacDonald. I still have quite a bit of work left to do, but it's getting closer and closer. I may not finish before Christmas, but I should finish before the new year.
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4 comments:
Just out of curiosity, how much is it costing you (minus labor) to make it versus buy one?
Depending on how you look at it, it'll probably be about even. Maybe a little more, but I will definitely have LOTS of left-over supplies for future projects (polyurethane, lots of pickup parts, etc). It's usually a bit more expensive, because people spend a lot on wood and I already had a neck.
Also, this particular type of guitar (thinline telecaster) isn't made all the time (currently, Fender doesn't make it). They're fairly pricey when they are, even if it's a cheap copy by a lesser-known brand. All that said, I'm mostly doing it as a hobby. I enjoy trying to figure out just how much I can make myself/where I can save a bit of money, though.
I'll list parts just for this, then stuff that I'll have left over.
Things I have now
Wood for the body (some leftovers) - $24
Bridge plate - $12
Bridge saddles - $18
neck plate - $4.25
control plate - $9
jack cup - $3
ferrules - $4.5
jack - $2
tuners - $29
Things I need to buy
Wiring kit - $24
neck pickup cover - $7.55
bridge pickup base - $4.34
Things I'll have leftovers from (with total price):
Strap buttons - $6
magnet bar - $3.35
garolite (for pickguard) - $4.28
vulcanized fibre (LOTS of leftovers) - $32
stain/conditioner - $16
polyurethane (LOTS of leftovers) - $25.41
magnet wire - $don't remember. out of stock where I bought it
one dog's bone (for making the nut next to the headstock) - $5
If I remember anything else, I'll include it
Yeah, not trying to see if it's more cost-effective or anything, just curious.
I was kind of curious myself. I know in the builder community, people always say, "It's much more expensive to build your own than to buy" and wanted to see how true it was. That really only seems to be the absolute truth when you:
1) Buy neck and body pre-made
2) Buy pickups pre-made
3) Buy into the whole belief that the wood that composes an electric guitar is going to make a difference worth $50-$100 in extra cost.
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