ShortScale.org

Would anyone be up for a guitar build challenge? I was thinking it may be a cool idea to do a build challenge for those who wish to participate. Something like a $100 budget to keep cost down yet force people to be creative and inventive. Then vote on a winner

Would anyone on shortscale be keen on this?

if i had $100, i would totally be in on this.

Could be fun, what would be the ground rules?

Okay, you've got my attention!

The best I can do is stretch a couple elastic bands over an empty kleenex box.

100 won't cut it except for those who have buckets of parts sitting around.

I'd say don't put a $ limit on it, but limit the type of materials (no all inclusive kits, no luthiers, etc), and put a time limit on it so people do not have time to do stuff really out there. If you need a limit make it reasonable like 250 or 300. If I were to do this, I would have to buy everything.

I think it's a great idea, I got ahead of myself doing projects though and am still trying to get the funds/time together to paint a DC Jr project, otherwise I'd be down.

You know what would be an awesome first one is a lap steel... piece of piss to build and a chance to get really creative on a very low budget given that you don't need any expensive pre-built guitar parts to make one.

Lap steel would be a good one for later on. I think the neck would be a challenge for a lot of people [myself first, and foremost] I would probably boil it down to taking a plain guitar neck and sticking it on a hacked up 2x4

And Mickie, agreed on the fact that a $100 build doesn't appeal to those who don't have a huge pile of parts laying around, even a budget set of pickups, tuners, etc would run up the bill.

Maybe we should come up with some basic categories...

Budget - no set $ limit, but make things as economically as possible. Maybe a $250 cap at most but mainly to keep things interesting. "should I go with this $18 part, or this $15 part... hmmmmmm..."
Telecaster - everybody loves a good tele!
Shortscale - since affordable shortscale guitars are few and far between, maybe have a go at your own
PASTEL CHALLENGE! Dakota Red, Daphne Blue... tasty.

Any other ideas? If we can decide on a basic idea then we can get into the fine details and rules

Haze wrote:Lap steel would be a good one for later on. I think the neck would be a challenge for a lot of people [myself first, and foremost]

eh? I think you may be thinking it's a bit more complicated than it is. it's just a flat piece of wood with a bridge on one end and a nut on the other. you could just paint the frets on. as long as it's roughly the correct length it should be fine.

some examples.....

proves how much i know about lap steels . Stuck in my world of frets i guess.

I think around 200 could be reasonable, but more could be better. The thing about having a lower dollar amount is to have enough time to dumpster dive on ebay, craigs list and beg for free p90 pickups on the SC classifieds. Say three months to put something together. Also, maybe don't count shipping and tax to the total.

I have had a sort of idea for a guitar to build for a while now, but need a push. Also, I am done coaching until spring so I have some time to make some saw dust.

This could be real fun.

I thought about doing something like this.

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Does it have to be from scratch?

I am thinking pickup a cheap CL guitar and trick it out with spare parts. I got my eye on a couple of beauties right now for less than $60.

I'd say parts alone maybe no, but if someone is going to refin and update that would fall in. Switching pups/electronics falls a little short in my opinion.

I say you should have to fabricate things from scratch or at least draw the parts from different sources. most of the parts at least.

Haze wrote:proves how much i know about lap steels . Stuck in my world of frets i guess.

I don't know that much either. and I definitely suck at playing them. but still.... would be kind of a cool project.

I could probably whip up a lapsteel pretty quick. I've got most everything but some proper chunks of wood.

I don't have $100, so it's gonna be all salvage. Or I could make a fretless electric dulcimer.

I've got a killer idea for a 10 string...

Are we allowed to use this as an excuse to finishe already started projects? I'm really not in the game for buying up new product right now but have at least one project that this kind of thing is made for...

that would be really sweet. I've been thinking of doing some kind of parts guitar for awhile now and this may encourage me to actually get my ass in gear.