Here you will find the basic tools for guitar making, what you need to acquire to begin working with wood. The list is obviously not exhaustive. As in any profession, the tools required by each luthier vary depending on their practice, habits, skills, and training. This list is therefore subject to change and additions. For now, we are only discussing the construction of wooden guitars. We will look at the tools needed for making steel guitars later.
The first essential tool is the band saw. This is used to cut the guitar body and neck into the desired shape. It's a multi-purpose saw that will allow you to make straight cuts if needed, with the right guide and blade.
It can, and this is its main advantage, be used as a scroll saw. For this, you need to use a thinner blade than for straight cuts. This thinner, and therefore more flexible, blade allows you to precisely follow the rounded shape of an electric guitar's body.
I then needed the router to refine the guitar's outline using the body template. The router is an essential tool in guitar making. It's used for shaping the body's outline, routing the binding (if using it), and rounding the edges. It's also used for all the routing for the neck heel, pickups , and cavities housing the electronics.
This is a tool that must be handled with care (like all cutting tools), both for the sake of your fingers and the piece of wood you are working on. Any deviation from the router's precision is unforgiving!
You need to use different types of router bits to shape a guitar: straight router bits for grooving/routting, copy bits, a flush trim bit, quarter-round bits, etc. These must be of very good quality to avoid wearing out quickly (some burn out after just a few passes and should be avoided). While an affordable router will do the job perfectly well, it's important to invest in quality router bits. Expect to pay between €20 and €40, depending on the type of bit, for a quality tool that will last and produce a clean cut.
It is then essential to have a rasp, a sharp chisel, files and a sander to save time on flat surfaces.
Finally, there are also consumables, with sandpaper of different grits at the top of the list depending on the use: stripping if needed, sanding and finishing.
Don't forget the clamps for gluing. You'll need them for assembling the raw body (often in two pieces) and gluing the fingerboard to the neck, among other things. You'll also need them if you're adding a top, like on a Gibson Les Paul.
The budget quickly adds up when you're looking for basic tools to build an electric guitar. You can find a band saw for around €200 and a router for €80. It's all the smaller tools that really drive up the cost. So, you need to keep an eye out for good deals and buy used to get equipped at a lower price. You can get your basic guitar-making tools for under €450 this way.
You'll need to spend extra money to buy the specific tools for making the neck, fretting, and the various jigs. If you're winding your own pickups (let's go all the way!), you'll need a few more tools. That will be the subject of other articles on this blog.
