Acoustic Guitar Kits

The Benefits of Building Your Own Guitar

One of the main reasons why people get involved in do-it-yourself projects is that they are economically advantageous. With a little bit of knowledge, determination and devotion, a diligent home builder can successfully create a high quality guitar at a fraction of the price of buying one off the rack at a music store. You also have the piece of mind of knowing that great care and attention to detail was taken to create your guitar; it wasn't hastily assembled by a machine in a factory somewhere.

The investment you make is not money, of course, but time. This, however, is one of the most rewarding and beneficial aspects of building your own guitar. Going through the process of constructing something as amazing as an acoustic guitar can be a tremendous learning experience. This kind of project makes an excellent activity for a child and a parent, or a pair of close friends, to complete together. The journey will be a memorable one, and the time spent together will always be cherished.

Finally, the guitar that you create will truly be your guitar. You brought it to life with your own hands, and the bond between you and the instrument will be that much stronger. At the end of the project, you will have a one of a kind guitar you can be proud of.

Where to Find Acoustic Guitar Kits

A number of excellent luthiers sell kits online. Since the acoustic guitar building community is closely knit, most of these sites have excellent resources to answer questions for beginning builders. Browse through the sites below and discover all that they have to offer.

• Blues Creek Guitars: The folks at Blues Creek Guitars take their guitar building seriously. This website is a remarkably thorough resource for the home builder. Tutorials on everything from tools that you will need to general articles on every step of the building process can be found here. And if you're ever near Hegins, Pennsylvania, you can stop in and enroll in a class.
• Stewart MacDonald: Stewart MacDonald is a legendary supplier of guitar parts and accessories. Every guitar builder in the world has a copy of the Stewart MacDonald catalogue lying around the shop somewhere. They presently sell kits for a smaller finger style guitar called the Triple-O as well as kits for dreadnought guitars. Both kits come in various styles and are available in different wood types and with different features so you can get the exact kit you want.

• Inteso Guitars: This excellent company sells quality acoustic guitar kits for the amateur builder. Their basic kit comes in a variety of sizes and types of wood. You can also choose the pick guard, binding, back strips and purfling. Every kit comes with a copy of the book A Guitar Maker's Manual to help guide you along. They supply everything you need; you just supply the tools and the patience.

• Martin: Who better to get an acoustic guitar kit from than the company whose name is almost synonymous with the acoustic guitar? Martin offers kits for several guitar models, and they include all the parts needed to complete your project. If you've ever wanted your own Martin guitar but couldn't afford one, here’s your chance!

A Final Word of Caution

As with all projects people tackle on their own, there are bound to be pitfalls along the way. Make sure you carefully research the kit you want to purchase to avoid as many of these problems as possible. Confirm that you have the tools required to complete the job before you start building. Some stages of the guitar building process are sensitive, and you need to be prepared before you tackle them. You don't want to glue the back to the sides and then realize you don't have any clamps to hold the guitar in place while the glue dries. In short, do your homework before you order your kit, and you will be in a much better position to enjoy the process. If you do a good job, you'll end up with a guitar that you will be able to play for many years.