Guitar Builder's FAQ

By Bill Wyza

This extensive document is intended for beginner and experienced guitar builders alike. It answers many commonly asked questions about electric guitar building such as wood selection, parts, cost, and pitfalls.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Mar 30, 2011
• ISBN: 9781257239504

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Guitar Builder's FAQ

GUITAR BUILDER’S FAQ

By Bill Wyza

PART I - BEFORE YOU BEGIN

I.                   Version and Copyright Information

Version 4.0

Released January 2013

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 Bill Wyza

All Rights Reserved

ISBN: 978-1-257-23950-4

II.                 Disclaimer

The information contained in this FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) document comes from many years of trial, error, and experience.  Where ever necessary, specific individuals are credited with their contributions to this document.  This FAQ is provided as-is, with no expressed or implied warranty as to its contents.  While every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained herein is accurate, all authors and contributors assume no responsibility for errors, omissions, or damages that result from the use of the information contained herein. 

Furthermore, the author disclaims any and all liability for the procedures and descriptions herein.  The reader assumes all responsibility.

III.              General Information.

A.    Purpose.

The purpose of this FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) is to discuss some of the procedures, pitfalls, and materials used in building electric guitars.  While the subject of guitar building and woodworking in general can (and has) filled many volumes, the goal of this FAQ is to touch on some of the major topics in a level of detail that can get the beginner started, as well as inform the more experienced builder.  It is NOT the goal of this FAQ to be a textbook on building guitars. There are many such books that profess to guide you through the building of guitars in a step by step process. See Appendix E for such books.

B.    What should I know about this FAQ?

This FAQ is - and always will be - a work in progress.  Not all sections are complete and you may find some areas only have a letter as a placeholder where information will go in a future issue.  New information is added often and older areas are rewritten from time to time. 

Updates to this FAQ are not scheduled and are at the sole discretion of the author.

Also, this FAQ only address the construction of solid body electric guitars – it does not address acoustic instruments.

Much of the information found is the Appendices is a snapshot in time. Use your internet resources to find the latest information.

C.    What happened to the free FAQ?

The free FAQ has been discontinued in favor of the more traditional, paper-based and e-book book version. Over the years, this document has grown beyond what is a typical Internet FAQ, and into more of a full-fledged book. I only keep the FAQ moniker for historical purposes. I also feel that the fee is more than reasonable for the amount of information and insight available inside this manuscript. Also, writing, editing, distributing, making web pages, and setting up commerce sites to make this book available takes time and effort to maintain. There are only so many hours in the day. In an effort to justify the costs associated with providing this resource, it has become necessary to charge a fee in order to maintain the FAQ.

With the printed version, I feel your experience with the FAQ will be enhanced and will provide you with a tangible product you can refer to in your workshop.

With the e-book version you will also be able to keep the information close at hand as a quick reference guide no matter where you are. It makes for great travel reading as well as a relaxing and informative distraction. 

D.    Where can I find information on this FAQ?

The FAQ is available for sale at Lulu.com. Simply go to that URL and type Guitar Builders FAQ in the Search box and you will find both the paperback version and the e-book version for purchase.

The e-book can also be ordered on the iTunes Store and on Barnes and Nobles Nook Book store.

E.     Contributions.

Comments (of a constructive nature) and contributions to the FAQ are always welcome. 

The author reserves the right to edit any contributions for grammar, spelling, readability, etc., but credit will be given to the contributing author. Contributions are not compensated.

Refer to Appendix K for a complete listing of individuals who have contributed to this FAQ.

Paragraphs marked with a superscript reference number (like the one at the end of this paragraph) are contributions to the FAQ.⁰

F.     Updates.

This FAQ is updated infrequently, and only as time permits.

G.    Version History.

The following table is a listing of the version history of this document. 

VersionRelease