Thank you so much David! I have spent a few days pouring over your 10 videos for this build. Thank you so much for taking the time, effort and explaining and showing all that you have done to create this most beautiful guitar! Looking forward to watching your other videos!
This was perfect. Actually, they all were perfect! I really appreciate the help you deliver with these videos. Great job, and thank you for sharing your gift of knowledge!
Really nice detailed video. I enjoyed it. My only comment is when you routed the end of the neck for the wheel on the truss rod it looked like you used a straight bit and ran the shank against the template. IMO, this can be dangerous. I would have thought to use a bearing or trim bit instead. All in all really nice job.
I love the detail you put in your vid, most other vids from other people have music or a lot of reading and other distractions, but your vid is what I think people want to see, so please keep making them like this one. two thumbs up mate :)
Just wanted to say thanks, many years after being originally posted I still find this video series to be helpful and inspiring. Just finished my first S-style guitar build, and while I did not do it exactly the same as you, I referred back to this series of videos more times than I care to admit. Thanks!
I take my moisture meter with me to ensure its dry. I pick the straightest pieces in the pile, I pick the lightest pieces in the pile too. If I can get s few pieces that are consecutively cut, I like that too. Anything that is badly warped or cracked is a problem in waiting, leave that stuff behind. Try QLD Maple if you can get that, its a beautiful wood to machine and it takes a finish really well.
G'day mate, all depends. Are you considering Aussie timbers or are you going more traditional ? Maple of course is the traditional choice for a Fender neck - Easy to work. Flat sawn is my preference , more interesting grain pattern, I don't go for the "must be quarter sawn" argument... Aussie timber choices would be QLD Maple or Blackwood , both great for necks. Blackwood is hard on your blades but no deal breaker. Even Vic Ash from Bunnings will work great for a neck.
I buy my stuff in as rough sawn and cut it down to size myself. Assuming you have the tools to thickness the wood, try Bell Forest Products for neck blanks and fretboards, their stuff is great and should be thicker than Stewmacs.
Just built my first guitar following every single step and measures of your videos here. Making my own templates etc... Wood of my own choice and my own headstock and body of course. Other than that I followed just about everything. It turned out great! A real player I must say. Great content and awesome craftsmanship from you Fletcher.
I don't recommend it but it can be done. Hog what you can out with the larger radius bit and then just use the smaller diameter bit without the bearing for cleaning up the corners. It will work but make sure that none of the blade section is riding again the MDF template. Lots of friction without a bearing so be careful, could damage your template. Make a copy first
Hi, Yeah the master templates get used once to make copies. After that, they are only used for aligning holes etc and put away safely. There will come a point where the MDF copy wears out and you still have a nice master to make a new copy. I do keep the MDF copies, they are my "go to" templates when I build that style of guitar again
Hello, my name is Daniel. I live in Brazil and would like to know where you buy the tools you use in your videos. I also want to congratulate your work, very good!
hi there fantastic videos. i know this is a relatively old series now but i am just wandering why it is necessary to route the neck if you could just cut it out perfectly with the bandsaw on the the ply wood for the template? is it not possible to do this with the maple and sand it perfect? i ask becuase i am planning on building an electric guitar for my college project but do not own a router? cheers
Yeah I agree about the Hotrods being thick. I alternate between the Hotrods (when I want a spokewheel adjust ) and the LMI rods when I want a slimmer neck. The silicon I use is not so much to glue them but to stop them rattling.
Thank you for sharing your work. Have you thought of using a counter bore, to widen the slot so the truss rod nut fits? I think it's just a quicker way to do it.
Hi, the most important thing is to make sure the side you register against the fence is straight - As long as that's the case, it cant really be much easier. Just line the it up with your marks and route away. There is a "cheats" way too and that is to route your truss rod cavity first, THEN mark your neck around it , making sure the channel is centred
Hey Rob :-) Traditionally, if you are doing a set neck you would install the truss rod so it adjusts from the headstock side. Probably more complicated that its worth to consider putting it at the heel side on that style of neck. Having said that, it probably WOULD be possible.. I'll film a scarf style neck at some point and put it on TH-cam
I use the Strat neck and body templates in this video series, they were great and lined up perfectly. Cant vouch for any other templates, but the strat ones are fine.
Hi Bill, Yes I know what you mean. Its not often that I need to glue curly maple to curly maple but in the past my jointer has done a pretty good job of it. I keep the blades sharp and only take small passes. Nowdays, I use my drum sander to thickness both pieces eliminating and uneven grain before glue-up.
Ah gotcha now :-) I sanded around the curves first so as to remove as much wood as possible before routing. My bandsaw cannot get in close on the curves because of the 1/2" blade. I want to remove as little wood as possible with the router to avoid tearout.
I notice your ruler is in metric. How so? Nearly all musical instruments were invented in Imperial. I use inches etc. I find I can even set string height in 1/00s of an inch. Also fitting replacement parts. I get a perfect neck joint using Mighty Mite necks and Imperial neck pockets- absolutely perfect- no gaps ever.Please reply with your point of view.
Hello Friend. I want to build a double bass. How do I calculate the distance pdo cutting slots? Is there any feedback on PDF to download? I have a bass with 24 houses. you can make a copy on the other arm? Thank you!!!
Hi, I make my necks exactly the same way. The only difference, however, is that I rout my neck on my router table 3x instead of 2x. The third time is with a 3/4" bit. I run the wood into the bit just until the bit disappears.If 3/4" is a little tight for the spoke diameter, I re-set the fence and take a little more off each side. My guess is that would faster than setting up a top jig and may be less prone to error.
Brilliant series with great detail. Is there a reason you couldn't go up one more router bit size on the table to remove the spoke wheel area and finish with a chisel? Just curious, I don't have a huge amount of woodworking skills.
Hi David, just a quick question about your copy of the neck to route with, you said you didn't want to use the master template to route with, but how did you get the copy exact if you didn't use the master? and do you keep the copies that you make for future builds... also besides making me drool over this you have rekindled my desire to start repairing guitars again thanks.. and I WILL be getting one from you.. :) I already contacted you via email.. just have to wait for the cash.. lol
I am in the USA & I call it Masonite. Some guys call it MDF. The term Masonite goes back to my childhood. MDF is a generic term for particle wood. OSB, and or whatever. Do you silicone your truss rods in? I hit them at 3 or 4 spots with some light oil or oil from my fingers on the rods. It is not like silicon would stick that fast anyway. I prefer the WD DA trussrod. Hotrods are too thick for my taste. I have a Hotrod coming out the back of a neck due to the neck being very thin.
How could i not go Aussie? hahaha im really open to species at the moment and should have the ability to pick and choose between a few timbers. any tips on ensuring i have picked the right piece of any particular species ? ensuring that the timbers are properly seasoned what qualities do you look for in the timbers beyond asthetics thanks
g'day David, really enjoying all of your videos at the moment you have put them together perfectly , i plan on making a neck for an existing stratocaster type body i have i do have a decent selection of timbers available to me through a few sources, any tips for choosing the best timbers in terms of their trueness and workability? how do you source your timbers? thanks
I have bought templates from the same guy and they were terrible. Neck not long enough, pocket not correct from body to neck. They were useless to me. I had to make my own. I have seen MANY negative reviews from the same supplier. very few positives. Just wondering if you encountered the same issues? Great vidoe and perfect for guys who have no clue. Great job!
Having blown apart the heel of a neck routing around the neck with my template I changed the process to use a pattern bit with a bearing on the top and bottom of the cutter. This way when you get around the middle of the heel or headstock you can stop, raise the bit, flip the whole thing over and go with the grain on both halves of the neck.
Did u make the master neck template? And if so would u make me one,of course I would pay for it,and just to say it's nice to see some one do a proper job for once and explain it so well, top craftsman 10 out of 10 David your videos are fantastic,thanks
I have the same question too. The copy of the master still needs to be exact, how did you true up all of the edges and make it as perfect as the master? Did you route the copy using the master? Did you do it by eye/hand?
Thank you for the quick reply. I wasn't sure if that was a common practice with template routing. I will take your advice on making a copy of the template, and I will practice on some scrap wood first.
G'day mate, thinking about starting up my own build. I have all the tools and all that but i'm just wondering where i can get my hands on some templates for a Telecastere shape and neck. Cheers Fletch.
what is the name of the table/tool @ 23:01 ? it appears to simply be a router table, but i've never seen a bit go up and down like that, so perhaps that's what i'm asking about.
You have obviously done this a couple of times. What tools would you say is absolutely essential to making a whole guitar? F.i can I use a hand planer? Saw, files, sander etc.Thank you :)
Hello! Im building a Telecaster and its my first guitar building project. My plans is to use the same Trossrod as you. What size/length du you using in the video? //Robin.
Hi David, I'm french, and i don't know this kind of square at 6:40 -> 6:50. I want to place an order for this item but what is her name ? Thanks in advance
I bet this Strat build series is like the Plinkett Reviews of guitar building. It seems like the OG series that started it all and got it right in a systematic way like no other.
Thank you so much David! I have spent a few days pouring over your 10 videos for this build. Thank you so much for taking the time, effort and explaining and showing all that you have done to create this most beautiful guitar! Looking forward to watching your other videos!
Thanks Don
This is one of the best build series I've watched, and I've watched quite a lot. Very thorough, and easy to follow. Thanks
John Morrell Thank you John
This was perfect. Actually, they all were perfect! I really appreciate the help you deliver with these videos. Great job, and thank you for sharing your gift of knowledge!
Nick Scout Thanks Nick !
very interesting to learn a little bit about the art of building a guitar
Really nice detailed video. I enjoyed it. My only comment is when you routed the end of the neck for the wheel on the truss rod it looked like you used a straight bit and ran the shank against the template. IMO, this can be dangerous. I would have thought to use a bearing or trim bit instead. All in all really nice job.
I love the detail you put in your vid, most other vids from other people have music or a lot of reading and other distractions, but your vid is what I think people want to see, so please keep making them like this one. two thumbs up mate :)
Thanks Jon
Jon Doe I totally agree. These are the best build videos I've found on all of TH-cam.
Yes I really miss the vids. Hope all is well?
I love your videos! Very informative!! Thanks for making them.
I edited the video description to show the link
Just a cheap one, would probably be equivalent to a Grizzly G0505 except mine has 13" capacity
Where can I buy a pair of hand protections like these yellow yours?
you didn't classify the materials you used and the measurement of the guitar
Part 1 of my 10 part Stratocaster Build
+Fletcher Handcrafted Guitars hi i would like to make a neck but 30 inch scale length, how do i aquire a truss rod of that size
RaF KiNs just find a site
Lord Nippleskin simples
Just wanted to say thanks, many years after being originally posted I still find this video series to be helpful and inspiring. Just finished my first S-style guitar build, and while I did not do it exactly the same as you, I referred back to this series of videos more times than I care to admit. Thanks!
I wish I had that equipment, I will have to do all those things with bare hands :(
My 3rd time watching this series, your workmanship is so impressive!
same here.. since 2013.. i watch all of his videos.. too much too learn here.
Hi David, can you tell me which 'year/model' Strat templates you used? Great videos, stumbled on them sunday morning and watched the whole ten!
Glenn
Sure Glenn, its the 62 strat templates
This is my kind of New Yankee Workshop.
I take my moisture meter with me to ensure its dry. I pick the straightest pieces in the pile, I pick the lightest pieces in the pile too. If I can get s few pieces that are consecutively cut, I like that too. Anything that is badly warped or cracked is a problem in waiting, leave that stuff behind. Try QLD Maple if you can get that, its a beautiful wood to machine and it takes a finish really well.
G'day mate, all depends. Are you considering Aussie timbers or are you going more traditional ? Maple of course is the traditional choice for a Fender neck - Easy to work. Flat sawn is my preference , more interesting grain pattern, I don't go for the "must be quarter sawn" argument... Aussie timber choices would be QLD Maple or Blackwood , both great for necks. Blackwood is hard on your blades but no deal breaker. Even Vic Ash from Bunnings will work great for a neck.
I buy my stuff in as rough sawn and cut it down to size myself. Assuming you have the tools to thickness the wood, try Bell Forest Products for neck blanks and fretboards, their stuff is great and should be thicker than Stewmacs.
Hi, I purchased the template set from guitarbuildingtemplates website - check them out. I then used those to make my "master" copies for everyday use.
Hi, If you google "guitarbuildingtemplates" you will pull up the supplier I used. TH-cam wont let me put links in the comments section
Just built my first guitar following every single step and measures of your videos here. Making my own templates etc... Wood of my own choice and my own headstock and body of course. Other than that I followed just about everything. It turned out great! A real player I must say. Great content and awesome craftsmanship from you Fletcher.
That's great to hear, thanks ! Congratulations on building your first guitar.
the plywood copy was routed using the master template - I didn't make that clear at all in the video unortunately
Fletcher Handcrafted Guitars: Cheers !,from Canada. The best close-up video tutorial I've ever seen on you tube.
That's what I do. But send me a private message thru TH-cam please
Hi Robin, the trussrod I am using in the video is 18 inches long
Hi, I have no idea, they were just cheapies off Ebay ! :-)
Was the truss rod you used 18" or 24"?
Se eu tivesse visto seus vídeos em 2005, eu teria muito menos trabalho em construir a minha strato.
Sorry, I don't understand what you mean
I don't recommend it but it can be done. Hog what you can out with the larger radius bit and then just use the smaller diameter bit without the bearing for cleaning up the corners. It will work but make sure that none of the blade section is riding again the MDF template. Lots of friction without a bearing so be careful, could damage your template. Make a copy first
Hi, Yeah the master templates get used once to make copies. After that, they are only used for aligning holes etc and put away safely. There will come a point where the MDF copy wears out and you still have a nice master to make a new copy. I do keep the MDF copies, they are my "go to" templates when I build that style of guitar again
Hello, my name is Daniel. I live in Brazil and would like to know where you buy the tools you use in your videos. I also want to congratulate your work, very good!
hi there fantastic videos. i know this is a relatively old series now but i am just wandering why it is necessary to route the neck if you could just cut it out perfectly with the bandsaw on the the ply wood for the template? is it not possible to do this with the maple and sand it perfect?
i ask becuase i am planning on building an electric guitar for my college project but do not own a router?
cheers
Yeah I agree about the Hotrods being thick. I alternate between the Hotrods (when I want a spokewheel adjust ) and the LMI rods when I want a slimmer neck.
The silicon I use is not so much to glue them but to stop them rattling.
where do you get your neck blanks??
Awesome videos!!!!
Thank you for sharing your work. Have you thought of using a counter bore, to widen the slot so the truss rod nut fits? I think it's just a quicker way to do it.
Hi, the most important thing is to make sure the side you register against the fence is straight - As long as that's the case, it cant really be much easier. Just line the it up with your marks and route away.
There is a "cheats" way too and that is to route your truss rod cavity first, THEN mark your neck around it , making sure the channel is centred
Hey Rob :-) Traditionally, if you are doing a set neck you would install the truss rod so it adjusts from the headstock side. Probably more complicated that its worth to consider putting it at the heel side on that style of neck. Having said that, it probably WOULD be possible.. I'll film a scarf style neck at some point and put it on TH-cam
Sure, I see your in Europe, try guitarsupplies DOT nl - you want LASER cut ( they have the centre lines marked on them
I use the Strat neck and body templates in this video series, they were great and lined up perfectly. Cant vouch for any other templates, but the strat ones are fine.
Hi Bill, Yes I know what you mean. Its not often that I need to glue curly maple to curly maple but in the past my jointer has done a pretty good job of it. I keep the blades sharp and only take small passes.
Nowdays, I use my drum sander to thickness both pieces eliminating and uneven grain before glue-up.
Ah gotcha now :-) I sanded around the curves first so as to remove as much wood as possible before routing. My bandsaw cannot get in close on the curves because of the 1/2" blade. I want to remove as little wood as possible with the router to avoid tearout.
Hi Alvin, All the videos are there. Check the playlists on my youtube channel if you cant find the individual video's
the plywood copy was routed using the master template - I didn't make that clear at all in the video unortunately
Excellent camera work. I enjoyed this
Hi, I get it from all over the place. None of it locally though. I think the maple came from Bell Forest Products.
Thank You for this vid !! About to build my first Jazz bass style neck.. Hope to NOT mess up a $100 piece of maple!!
New subscriber here. Just stumbled across your channel today. Love your work man. I probably buy something from your site in the future.
You seems to be a very dedicated person, I admire people like you. Thanks for the lessons.
Hi, check the notes below the video. There is a link to where I got the templates from
I notice your ruler is in metric. How so? Nearly all musical instruments were invented in Imperial. I use inches etc. I find I can even set string height in 1/00s of an inch. Also fitting replacement parts. I get a perfect neck joint using Mighty Mite necks and Imperial neck pockets- absolutely perfect- no gaps ever.Please reply with your point of view.
I like it !thanks for share.And I have put all the ten parts into my playlist:)
How would go about installing the input jack to a premade pickguard?it is the only thing I am having troubles with.
Hello Friend. I want to build a double bass. How do I calculate the distance pdo cutting slots? Is there any feedback on PDF to download?
I have a bass with 24 houses. you can make a copy on the other arm?
Thank you!!!
Hi, I make my necks exactly the same way. The only difference, however, is that I rout my neck on my router table 3x instead of 2x. The third time is with a 3/4" bit. I run the wood into the bit just until the bit disappears.If 3/4" is a little tight for the spoke diameter, I re-set the fence and take a little more off each side. My guess is that would faster than setting up a top jig and may be less prone to error.
A lot of great info Thanks!! I'm building a Fender style jazz bass neck to spec
Still relevant in 2022! Great detail. I am using this as my complete instruction guide.
Yes, I didn't explain it very well in the video but I used the Master template to route my working template.
Hi, what material is your master template made from?
That pencil would drive me mad !!😆
Brilliant series with great detail. Is there a reason you couldn't go up one more router bit size on the table to remove the spoke wheel area and finish with a chisel? Just curious, I don't have a huge amount of woodworking skills.
Video technicians are very clear and straight to the content.
You can watch this video at 1.5x speed easily, even 2x if you're in a hurry or had too much coffee
What size of bandsaw blade are you typically using for these neck cuts and body cutting?
Did you say that fret board was jointed from 2 pieces? That's a nice trick to avoid snipe.
Hi David, just a quick question about your copy of the neck to route with, you said you didn't want to use the master template to route with, but how did you get the copy exact if you didn't use the master? and do you keep the copies that you make for future builds... also besides making me drool over this you have rekindled my desire to start repairing guitars again thanks.. and I WILL be getting one from you.. :) I already contacted you via email.. just have to wait for the cash.. lol
I am in the USA & I
call it Masonite. Some guys call it MDF. The term Masonite goes back to my childhood. MDF is a generic term for particle wood. OSB, and or whatever. Do you silicone your truss rods in? I hit them at 3 or 4 spots with some light oil or oil from my fingers on the rods. It is not like silicon would stick that fast anyway. I prefer the WD DA trussrod. Hotrods are too thick for my taste. I have a Hotrod coming out the back of a neck due to the neck being very thin.
How could i not go Aussie? hahaha im really open to species at the moment and should have the ability to pick and choose between a few timbers. any tips on ensuring i have picked the right piece of any particular species ? ensuring that the timbers are properly seasoned what qualities do you look for in the timbers beyond asthetics
thanks
g'day David, really enjoying all of your videos at the moment you have put them together perfectly , i plan on making a neck for an existing stratocaster type body i have i do have a decent selection of timbers available to me through a few sources, any tips for choosing the best timbers in terms of their trueness and workability? how do you source your timbers? thanks
I have bought templates from the same guy and they were terrible. Neck not long enough, pocket not correct from body to neck. They were useless to me. I had to make my own. I have seen MANY negative reviews from the same supplier. very few positives. Just wondering if you encountered the same issues? Great vidoe and perfect for guys who have no clue. Great job!
Having blown apart the heel of a neck routing around the neck with my template I changed the process to use a pattern bit with a bearing on the top and bottom of the cutter. This way when you get around the middle of the heel or headstock you can stop, raise the bit, flip the whole thing over and go with the grain on both halves of the neck.
Did u make the master neck template? And if so would u make me one,of course I would pay for it,and just to say it's nice to see some one do a proper job for once and explain it so well, top craftsman 10 out of 10 David your videos are fantastic,thanks
Have you thought of making a jazzmaster?
I have the same question too. The copy of the master still needs to be exact, how did you true up all of the edges and make it as perfect as the master? Did you route the copy using the master? Did you do it by eye/hand?
fuckin brilliant guitars you build mate. better than fender. lol
Yes I do
Thank you for the quick reply. I wasn't sure if that was a common practice with template routing. I will take your advice on making a copy of the template, and I will practice on some scrap wood first.
G'day mate, thinking about starting up my own build.
I have all the tools and all that but i'm just wondering where i can get my hands on some templates for a Telecastere shape and neck.
Cheers Fletch.
Awesome! I just have to say, Luv that pen :D
what is the name of the table/tool @ 23:01 ? it appears to simply be a router table, but i've never seen a bit go up and down like that, so perhaps that's what i'm asking about.
You have obviously done this a couple of times. What tools would you say is absolutely essential to making a whole guitar? F.i can I use a hand planer? Saw, files, sander etc.Thank you :)
Haha, well you will be pleased then because I'll have a new video up this weekend ;-)
Haha, well you will be pleased then because I'll have a new video up this weekend ;-)
excellent machine good job🙏👍
Hello! Im building a Telecaster and its my first guitar building project.
My plans is to use the same Trossrod as you. What size/length du you using in the video?
//Robin.
Hi, the master template is made from Masonite (I think its called hard board in the USA)
Someone give this man new pencil! Impressive craftsmanship
Hi David,
I'm french, and i don't know this kind of square at 6:40 -> 6:50. I want to place an order for this item but what is her name ?
Thanks in advance
I bet this Strat build series is like the Plinkett Reviews of guitar building. It seems like the OG series that started it all and got it right in a systematic way like no other.
sorry, I'm Argentine and little to no English then use google translator, the question was, for reason the headstock sanded before passing router?
curious why not just use your jointer to do all the planing ? wont the big planer do all the thickness besides the edge? thanks
very ggod. i like this video.. i cant buy guitar thats why i watch your video. i try to make my own guitar. tnx to you Sir David Fletcher
My inner obsessive-compulsiveness is calmed by this video. Everything is cut square and measured. Good work. Thanks for sharing the content.
Goodmorning Mr Fletcher and Happy New Year! Could you please tell me which model of Strat are you building? Thank you very much!
Question, if he doesn't use the master template for routing how does he perfectly rout the template that he made?
Grazie con i tuoi video mi sono costruito le mie chitarre
The truss rod needs to be glued to the neck or it works without that???...(silly question, i know but i am beginner)
I have no tools, nor room to attempt this, but I really, really want to. Thanks for making these videos in such detail. One day...