Im thinking about doing this because it sounds ever so fun. Anyone have any experience with this?

btw, anyone have any pics of guitars with crazy fretboard inlays?

It can be done and it is fun but keep in mind it normally cost more then buying a guitar. You will need lots of special tools if you are going to start from scratch. I like to just find older beat up guitars with good wood and modify/restore them.

As for as inlay work goes I never got into complicated work there. I know how to replace inlays but I have only read about how to do those super artistic inlay jobs. Lots of work.

This is a cool LED sidemarker job I did on my Ibanez 7 string. I also replaced the inlays with black MOP, plus many other things.

Ibanez 7 refret and nut job.

Modified Epi with pickguard I made. Lots of other modifications too.

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Dude, thats awesome... Now that I think about it, fixing up guitars does sound much better. Where would I find old guitars?

I find them at places like pawn shops, flea markets, yard sales, thrift stores, and Guitar center. The important thing is to make sure the wood is good and whole. Make sure the neck isn't warped and that there are no cracks in the head stock or the body/neck joint or any where actually. If those things are good then everything else can be fixed. Take your time and learn what you need to do. You can find everything you need to know online. Its good to have a junk guitar to perfect your guitar building skills on, but you can do a good job without one if you are careful.

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soul, how did you fit the LED's?

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Photoshop

Its a pretty big job to do something like that, you've gotta take the fretboard of the neck to install the wires into. Add some voodoo trickery, and you're done!

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id like led inlays not just the side markers

So how are those nutjobs?

You can get ones than stick over the side of the fretboard,and use fibre optic's or something like that.The batteries,and the whole unit,stick on the back of the headstock so you dont need to open her up.

lol, no photoshop. I seen other guitars with LED sidemarkers and I was in the middle of working on this guitar so I said, "why the fuck not". Problem was no one know how it was done. I thought about it for a few days and I figured I could use fiber optics and one LED The ideal would work for both inlays or sidemarkers.

I didn't remove the fretboard from the neck either. I used a long 1/8" drill bit ( longest and smallest I could find ) to drill under the fretboard from the heel and used a micro drill bit to drill from the side markers to the 1/8" hole. I ran the fiber optics through the sidemarker holes, through the neck, and into the guitar body. I bundled the ends to a LED. Its powered with a 9V battery, micro switch, wires, and a resistor. Very simple setup. The fiber optics have a sleeve around them at the sidemarkers holes. It really makes them look nice and filled in any extra space around them. After that I just sanded them level and refinished the neck so they are sealed under the finish.

This is where the Voodoo trickery comes in. The 1/8" drill bit was just a little short to get far enough down under the fretboard so I had to find something that could drill the extra distance. I ended up haveing to make my own drill bit. Not as hard as it sounds but if I had been able to remove the fretboard I wouldn't have had to do this. My way was easier I think though. I think removing a fretboard would suck. Now that I know how to do it I might do it to my next guitar fix. I'm looking for one right now.

I can take more pics if you want.

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Yea lets see some more pics. And what kind of wood do you usually look for?

Wood shaped like a guitar?You can use sticks or anything.

DeathCS did this last year. You should ask him.

Edit: Here is his thread
http://metaltabs.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23537

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Be warned. It takes A LOT of precision when it comes to guitar making (especially with your fret spacing and scale lengths), but it is not impossible. There is a book and a website you chould check out before your plunge in and start buying supplies.
The book is called "Build your own electric guitar" by Melvin Hyscock. This is a great guide. It covers pretty much every thing and even includes some handy templates in the back and a list of parts suppliers.
The website is Projectguitar.com. Many of the guys there build guitars of excellent quality and are more than happy to pass along their advice to noob builders. All of them are familiar with the Hyscock book too. So if there is anything you might be confused on with the book, they should clear it up for ya.

Making guitars can be a shit load of fun. And once you make the first, you WILL want to make an even better one. It's like a damn disease ( a good one though). However, if you are serious about building, buy the book. And I wish you good luck in your building.

LMFAO, I nearly forgot about that thread. Thank you. Read on to find one of the greatest roast in Metaltabs history Also check out Dissections dildo link in there too

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