Make Your Own Electric Guitar (Paperback)

~ (Author), Brian May (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The electric guitar is the musical instrument of the last 30 years. In that time, names like Fender and Gibson have acquired an aura--and a price--that are truly remarkable. For some, however, it is not enough to buy a guitar--the challenge of designing and hand-making a unique, customized instrument is the dream. Since 1986, these people have turned to one book: Make Your Own Electric Guitar. Written in a clear, relaxed style, it covers every facet of guitar design and construction, as well as electronic theory and practice, and full woodworking and wiring techniques--all supported with plenty of photos and diagrams. Now in a revised and expanded edition, Make Your Own Electric Guitar will enable any musician or enthusiast with basic woodworking skills to create a uniquely valuable instrument.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: NBS Publications; 2nd edition (March 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0953104907
• ISBN-13: 978-0953104901
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #28,946 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #28 in	Books > Entertainment > Music > Instruments & Performers > Strings
  #33 in	Books > Home & Garden > Crafts & Hobbies > Woodworking > Projects
  #49 in	Books > Entertainment > Music > Reference

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

71 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Detailed Guide, January 20, 2000

By	Ringo_43 (Upstate NY) - See all my reviews

This book represents a well-thought out, very complete guide for anyone wishing to build their own guitar. Several introductory chapters guide you through the steps of designing your own instrument and address specific possible problem areas such as frets, truss rods, neck angle & bridge height, saftey, proper tools, laying out hardware positions, etc.

The next three chapters give step-by-step construction notes for three specific guitars. (A carved-top set neck model, a flame-maple topped tele, and an 8-string bass featuring some exotic woods) These three guitars were well choosen for this book: between the three of them you get just about any characteristic you'd want on an instrument.

Final chapters deal with finish, set-up, and asembling a guitar from components. Although the author is British, Americans shouldn't have any trouble - measurments are given in inches and metric, and the author has taken care to explain most British slang terms in USA-friendly terms. The writing itself is very well done, easily understood, and has enough humor to lighten the mood without spoiling it.

Out of several similar books I've seen/read, I would vote this one as best written and most complete.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book covering solid body guitar construction, August 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Make Your Own Electric Guitar (Paperback)

I enjoyed this book. I found it pleasant to read while giving thorough coverage to the three main styles of solid body guitar construction (bolt on neck, glued in neck, and neck-through-body). After the introductory chapters, a guitar of each of these styles is built from start to finish in separate chapters. These serve as an excellent example of the unique features of each of the three designs. The author spends considerable effort to point out strengths and weaknesses in well known designs from the major manufacturers. This is presented to help the reader in the design phase. He also covers the critical relationship between neck angle and bridge height more thoroughly than I have seen in any other book. Despite the title, this book covers only SOLID body guitar and bass construction. No coverage is given to archtop or hollow body electric guitar styles.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Without doubt the best book of its kind, September 10, 1999

By	[e-mail] (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

Melvyn Hiscock has a unique gift not only in building electric guitars but also in his writing. From the very first pages the old mysticisms surrounding electric guitars are dispelled. Leo Fender kept thing simple and how many of his fuitars are sold today? Melvyn's approach is the same by keeping each step simple. The book is packed with excellent photographs and diagrams and his section on electrics is brilliant, no schematics just again simple step by step instructions. Anyone who buys this book will without doubt, in a versy short space of time build and play their own guitar, and if they are anything like me get bitten by the building bug. Thank you Melvyn Hiscock.