What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Please put your pickup/wiring discussions in the Electronics section; and put discussions about repair issues, including "disappearing" errors in new instruments, in the Repairs section.
Michiel Wildenberg
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2012 4:30 am

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by Michiel Wildenberg »

This one is a copy of a Rickenbacker 650 Dakota. Worked out pretty good and sounded likewise, made mainly out of leftover parts and woods. I sometimes regret selling it.

Maple neck-thru construction with Walnut wings, greenheart fretboard, Gretsch filtertron pickups and a stainless steel pickguard.

Image

EDIT: oops I see now this is an old thread :roll:
Matthew Lau
Posts: 607
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:03 am

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by Matthew Lau »

Hey Michiel,

Handsome dude, and handsome guitar. I think I like it better than the "real" Ricks.

I've been pondering this thread a bit because I feel like a lot of times I'll get carried away, obsess about something, and find out that it's sold on Amazon/ebay/aliexpress/etc for cheaper than the cost of my hardware.

That being said, I've never found a good lightweight bass guitar with excellent ergos, passive, and good hardware.
That's my current project. Might try to improve it via a neckthrough in a future build.

YOu'd think someone will have built it already? Eh?
Matthew Lau
Posts: 607
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:03 am

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by Matthew Lau »

I'm hoping to mock up a possible build with some scrap lumber sitting around.

Sorta psyched!
User avatar
Barry Daniels
Posts: 3186
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2012 10:58 am
Location: The Woodlands, Texas

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by Barry Daniels »

.
Attachments
Resized.jpg
MIMF Staff
JC Whitney
Posts: 208
Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 1:19 am

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by JC Whitney »

Barry - PLEASE post more pictures of that funky thing.
Matthew Lau
Posts: 607
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:03 am

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by Matthew Lau »

Man, you all are talented.

I especially like Beate's archtop
User avatar
Barry Daniels
Posts: 3186
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2012 10:58 am
Location: The Woodlands, Texas

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by Barry Daniels »

Here you go, JC.
Attachments
IMG_0781.jpg
IMG_0783.jpg
IMG_0784.jpg
IMG_0787.jpg
MIMF Staff
JC Whitney
Posts: 208
Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 1:19 am

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by JC Whitney »

Wow - that’s wildly fun. Thanks again for sharing.
Matthew Lau
Posts: 607
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2012 2:03 am

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by Matthew Lau »

You just blew my mind, Barry.
User avatar
Barry Daniels
Posts: 3186
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2012 10:58 am
Location: The Woodlands, Texas

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by Barry Daniels »

Here is a fact that might surprise you. I built that guitar in 1984.
MIMF Staff
JC Whitney
Posts: 208
Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 1:19 am

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by JC Whitney »

Oh, and the pickup slides to and fro! It just keeps getting better and better.
(my apologies to all for sidetracking this thread)
Philip Donovan
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:05 pm

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by Philip Donovan »

I built an electric fretless guitar for use with an Ebow, only.

I suppose I could have gust bought any fretless and hoped for the best but, there were a few elements I wanted to be specific to this guitar. But, to be fair, I did not build the neck. That was a custom order with Tommy from USA Custom Guitars.

I did however design and build the entire body and electronics, along with some very specific brass appointments.

When I finally built this guitar, I really didn't even know it it would work with and EBow the way I had hoped or imagined that it would. Fortunately, it exceeded my expectations although there are a few limitation. I deal with them. The biggest fear was that having soft finger on one side of the string coupled with wood on the other side would end up damping the string to an unplayable state. But, the Ebow does manage to excite the string decently although a little more slowly on the attack of lower notes.

The neck was ordered with a nice hard ebony fretboard and I had the luthier set the action with a straight neck (no relief) and as low as possible short of any "maauu" that many fretless players look for.

In search of a pickup, I seeked a humbucker for Series/Parallel/cut coil that was noted for having the most extended highs, as to compensate for any expected damping that might occur. much to my surprise, a great deal of the responses at the popular guitar/pickup forum's recommended was the Seymour Duncan Dimebucker. Oddly enough, for being known as a metal pickup with a DCR of 16K, the resonant frequency is upwards of 5.5K even in parallel humbucker configuration.

I find playing with good intonation to be very difficult, as I've been spoiled rotten by frets for many decades. But, starting to develop better intonation and string like lyrical expression. Its a fun trip and very happy with what was really an experiment with no promises. Someday I plan to have generated a little list of tunes/songs to showcase the weird instrument.
Best,
Phil Donovan
User avatar
Barry Daniels
Posts: 3186
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2012 10:58 am
Location: The Woodlands, Texas

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by Barry Daniels »

Photos?
MIMF Staff
Philip Donovan
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:05 pm

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by Philip Donovan »

I seem to fail every time trying to figure out how to get pics up on here. Need to learn that, and I will not give up.

Phil
User avatar
Barry Daniels
Posts: 3186
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2012 10:58 am
Location: The Woodlands, Texas

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by Barry Daniels »

I can help you with that. The main thing is that all pic files are too large and you need to compress them down below 3 MiB with a photo processing app. I use "Multiple Image Resizer" on my mac. Then when you are ready to post, go to "Full Editor & Preview" button next to the Submit button. Then post a message and click on the Attachments tab below the window. Click "Add Files" then navigate to your compressed pic file.
MIMF Staff
Philip Donovan
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:05 pm

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by Philip Donovan »

Lets try this
Philip Donovan
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 7:05 pm

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by Philip Donovan »

Hi Barry,
I wanted to mention that I haven't avoided trying to place photos up. I have been using a work computer and I believe it is not allowing me to do this at least the way I've been trying. It goes through their server which has very tight and rigid cyber protection. I'm not done trying though,
thank you for your help and patience!
Best,
Phil Donovan
Jarno Verhoeven
Posts: 63
Joined: Mon Nov 06, 2023 1:06 pm

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by Jarno Verhoeven »

I've built 5 string shortscale basses, these days you can buy them, but 10 years ago this was not the case.
Also now, 5-string "shorter then shortscale" bass.
And, a long time ago, a cross between a Rick and an Ashbory
20231112_220426.jpg
Ash body, sapeli (from builders store) neck, purpleheart fingerboard, abalone dots, original ashbory bridge and tuners (treble side winding drums are pinned in place, lest they spin off). It has the newer polyurethane strings meant for bass uke's, work A LOT better than the original silicone ashbory strings.
Nick Kitchener
Posts: 24
Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2023 5:37 pm

Re: What electric guitars have you built because you couldn't buy it?

Post by Nick Kitchener »

Still in the build (and a while to go), but testing the neck with it's first set of strings at the moment.

28.625" scale length 7 sting, through neck and fixed bridge.
IMG_2040.jpg
IMG_2039.jpg
Post Reply

Return to “Solid-Body and Chambered or Semi-Solid Electric Guitars and Bass Guitars”