Building an Electric Guitar

Bouw Je Eigen Gitaar in 9 Lessen: Een Unieke Ervaring in Den Haag

Have you ever dreamed of making your own guitar, from a plank to a beautiful end result? With this course that dream will come true. Under the guidance of a real guitar specialist you will build your own guitar step by step. And remember: we will do everything ourselves! From the neck to the body, from placing the elements to the frets and tuning keys. So no construction kit!

Of course, it is not easy to just build a guitar, but that is exactly what this course is for. You have an experienced teacher at your side who will help you with every step of the process. Whether you have questions about making the neck, placing the neck, shaping and sanding the body, sawing, electronics techniques or a bit of background knowledge; your teacher is there for you.

Ben je enthousiast? Heb je hier ooit wel eens van gedroomd? Met deze cursus ben je in staat om in 9 avonden een gitaar te bouwen die je ook echt kunt bespelen. Het is niet alleen een prachtig object, maar ook een volledig functionerende gitaar. Op de laatste cursusavond kan iedereen zijn gitaar aansluiten en horen hoe hij klinkt.

Course Objectives and Extras

This course is of course meant to have fun and learn something new. It doesn't matter if your guitar isn't perfect. It's about understanding the process. After this course you will have enough knowledge to continue with your own guitar projects at home. We will also organize optional meetings after the course for those who want to dot the i's, apply colors or make other special adjustments. These extra meetings are not part of the official course, but do offer the opportunity to completely personalize your guitar.

The model we are going to make is the classic Telecaster.

Everything is included and everything has been thought of. It is up to you to make it a success, but if you pay attention and participate, that will certainly not be a problem. Sign up and start this unique adventure of guitar building! We make sure that each step is given enough time and that there is room for any questions and delays. During the course we will finish the guitar with clear varnish. Optionally, it is possible to give the guitar a color, but beware; spraying a guitar properly is really an art with the risk that it does not give the desired result. This is therefore at your own risk.

Lesson program

On the first evening we will divide the students into groups. You can imagine that we cannot all work on the same part at the same time. That is why we will divide the groups cleverly. One group will start making the guitar body, the second group will start making the neck and the third group will start building the fretboard.

Evening 1: Introduction and Preparation

• Introduction and introduction to the course
• Explanation of the materials and tools
• Safety instructions
• Division of the groups
• Start by tailoring the body and neck (rough shape)

Evening 2: Body Shapes

• Group 1: Customizing the body (sawing and sanding)
• Group 2: Further work on the neck (cutting out the shape)
• Group 3: Customizing and marking the fretboard

Evening 3: Detail work Body and Neck

• Group 1: Making spaces for elements and neck in the body
• Group 2: Making the neck to thickness and further shaping
• Group 3: Sanding the radius of the fretboard

Evening 4: Attaching Frets and Neck

• Group 1: Sanding and finishing the body
• Group 2: Neck shaping, details and sanding
• Group 3: Applying frets and dots to the fretboard

Evening 5: Preparing Electronics

• Group 1: Preparing the electronics (wiring, soldering)
• Group 2: Finishing the neck and body
• Group 3: Finishing frets and dots and varnishing the fretboard

Evening 6: Neck and Body Merging

• Group 1: Attaching neck to body
• Group 2: Prepare control plate and other hardware
• Group 3: Finishing and checking the fretboard

Evening 7: Installing Hardware

• Group 1: Installing bridge, tuning pegs, etc.
• Group 2: Installing control plate and potentiometers
• Group 3: Placing elements and connecting wiring

Evening 8: Fine tuning

• All groups: Fine tuning of the neck and strings
• Checking and testing the electronics
• Minor adjustments and corrections

Evening 9: Finishing and Testing

• Finishing of all parts (painting, polishing)
• Final assembly of the guitar
• Check and final tests
• Final presentation of the guitars