Thursday, July 18, 2013

Guitar Plans: How To Buy The Best Set Of Blueprints

By Kathy Lambert


If you've ever thought about building a guitar, this article is for you! One of the most important, and overlooked, decisions of the guitar building process is the purchase of a set of guitar plans. Not only is it one of the first decisions you'll have to make, it's also one of the most important. Building your own instrument can be extremely rewarding, and result in an instrument that will be handed down for generations. However, without the proper materials and preparation, it can easily turn into a disaster. Trying to build a guitar with a poor quality set of blueprints will have you frustrated in no time at all! Read on to learn how to choose the best possible set of plans.

The Type of Guitar You Are Building: The first decision you'll have to make is what type of guitar you'd like to make. Are you planning to build an acoustic or electric guitar? Is your guitar going to have 6 or 12 strings? What size instrument do you want to have? If you don't already have a good idea of the exact guitar you want to build, take some time to look at different instruments. Learn about their sound quality, size, etc. Once you start your build you are embarking on a long process so you want to make sure you're choosing guitar plans for an instrument you'll love!

Pay Attention to Drawings: You will learn very quickly that when it comes to guitars, having exact dimensions is very important! Choose a set of guitar plans that have been drawn in a professional CAD system and you will increase the likelihood that your plans have all the dimensions you need and that they are drawn to scale. When it comes to something as particular as building an instruments, hand drawn plans or plans that don't include every dimensions just won't do.

The Size of the Plans: Full-size plans are more expensive than a smaller set of plans, mostly because they cost more to print, but when it comes to building a guitar the extra money you spend is well worth it! As you dive into the building process you will want to be able to see as much detail as possible and the best way to do this is with large scale plans. Look for plans that are printed, or can be printed, on 36" x 48" paper. In many cases, you will have the option to purchase plans that have already been printed or plans that you receive in electronic version and can print yourself. Bottom line - spend the extra money, you'll be glad you did!

The Devil Is In The Detail: You should be able to get a good idea of what the plans you are purchasing look like before you spend money on them. Make sure that they include all the dimensions you'll need as you complete your build. Additionally, check to see that dimensions are listed in the format which you prefer to use. Ideally, they will all be in both inches/fractional inches and millimeters. An added benefit is detailed construction notes and tips. Some plans include lots of notes which you will likely find to be very helpful as you build your guitar.

You'll make lots of decisions as you build your guitar. Things like wood type and finish are very important but before you get to that point, you'll want to select the best guitar plans possible. You'll increase your chance of a successful and low stress build and you'll end up with a guitar that you will play and enjoy for many years!




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