Make Your Own Electric Guitar

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.


Excellent book covering solid body guitar construction   August 29, 1998
23 out of 23 found this review helpful

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.


Without doubt the best book of its kind   September 10, 1999
cpreece@indmar.co.uk (United Kingdom)
22 out of 22 found this review helpful

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.


The best out there   April 28, 2003
Mario G. Perez Fonseca (Guitarland)
23 out of 24 found this review helpful

This is one of the best guitar building books out there. It helps you with many doubts that arise during the process of building a guitar, plus details the construction of 3 major projects: A bolt on guitar, a set neck guitar, and a bass. Following every project step by step, you get coverage of mostly all processes involved in any kind of electric guitar building.
In my own project I had a strong doubt about neck angle, since I was using a TOM bridge, but this book helped me clear all that.

Filled with black and white illustrations all along, the book deals with designing a body, cutting it, binding it, building a neck from scratch, gluing or bolting it and dealing with electronics, to finally achieving high gloss finish. There is also a very useful set of templates for pickup routing of guitars and basses. In all, with this book and supported by the guitar maker's forums on the net, I was able to build my first guitar. Check my website for pics of my project.
Peace


Very helpful   January 5, 2003
Cornelis J Verhoef (Brentwood, CA United States)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

From constructing the neck to designing and gluing the body together, Hiscock leads you through the whole process. If you've been playing with the though of making your own guitar but need a push, this book will give you the courage and the inspiration you need. Mind you that constructing your own guitar will not be a simple task. Even with the book in hand you still need to put your own brains to work because this book will not give you a blueprint. Instead you are encouraged to make you own design though if you really want to, you can make the guitar look similar as the one the author makes.

What I really like about this book is that it does not describe the making of just one electric guitar. The author will lead you through 3 guitar designs, a Gibson style guitar and a Fender style guitar. The big difference between the two is how the neck is attached to the body, glued versus bold on. Also Hiscock explains the making of a through-neck 8 string bass guitar. This will give you the knowledge of starting to experiment on your own and you will be able to truly make a guitar to your own likings.

This is in my opinion the best book if you would like to make your own electric guitar. However the "relaxed" style of writing can be a little annoying sometimes. For those of you who never seen the TV series Catweasel (broadcasted in Great Britain in the 70ties), and few have in the US, a title like Electrickery will not be understood. If you know that you can not buy elephant tusk in the USA unless it was imported before (I believe) 1970, then a picture of a elephant to show that tusk looks better on a elephant than on a guitar is just plain weird. But let's blame it on the famous British humor. And if I may nitpick, the font used for the paragraphs is ill chosen.

I give this book 5 stars because of it's detail and Hiscock explains things very clear. Still if you don't know your chisel from your bandsaw, constructing a guitar may not be the best choice for your first project. But combine some basic woodworking skills and a little common sense and this book will enable you to make a guitar that is structurally sound and a joy to play.