Guitarists and wood worker have something in common. For guitarist that quesiton of "how may guitars do you need", the answer is always 1 more. For woodworker that quesiton of how many clamps do you need that too is always, 1 more.
Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't James Hetfield have a couple of custom explorer shaped guitars that were made of wood from a garage they used to practice in?
@@rcc_96 I got ya. I remember seeing some video of Metallica going to that house and the current owners having a party for them. The house in question was the first place they lived when they moved up there from LA. The garage was their practice space. When the current owners tore down the old garage, they salvaged some of the wood for it.
I'm not a luthier or woodworker of any kind, but i've watched a ton of guitar making videos. A guitar this complex being your first is impressive, and you did a great job on this.
I'm going to echo RubyRoks' post here. ABSOLUTELY, you should do more guitar builds in the NEAR future! Awesome, awesome job you've done with this one! God Bless!
Hi mate. I have been a luthier for more than 40 year's. I just saw your video and remembered my first build, many guitars ago ;-). I have a couple of advice to making a guitar. First, when you make a scarf joint neck, a nice rule is, you start the cut 1/3 of the neck length and cut upwards to the head end. When your cut is done, simply turn the cutoff piece 180 degree and sand both pieces at the same time, or even better, use the painters-tape with ca glue and use your planer to straigthen the cut, ( put the cutoff piece on top of the rest of the neck piece, and plane) that way you ensure a nice fit when gluing the head piece on, and the closer to the headstock wide your neck blanck is, the better. 2nd advice is, when gluing the neck to the body, a snugg fit is always a must, the trick is, to use a water based glue with a long set time, you can thin with water. I always use cheap outdoor wood glue, thined 1/6 with water, and i have never had a failed glue joint. But keep up the great work mate. Br. Michael. sorry for my bad english 😞
You said you were a luthier and I’m in high school and I’m taking a class called “IB design technology” and for my big project I am working on a device for a guitar that lets you switch between a rubber bridge and a regular bridge, would I be able to consult you for some advice in a few weeks
I’m a drummer and custom drum builder, so I can definitely appreciate the intricacy of instrument crafting, but wow bro, you are on a whole other level! Even by professional standards, that was an outstanding build, and with your attention to detail, patience and dedication, I’d say you’re well on your way to becoming a competent luthier.
" Harvester of Sorrow " is my favorite song and the first album I purchased with my paper route. I bought the vinyl in 1988 and found it recently at my parents' house as we were cleaning stuff out. Great job, man!
As a fellow garage woodworker, whose first foray into guitar building was diving headfirst, making my own body from mahogany/maple/walnut (telecaster shape), I know better than most how hard it is, and just how many times, you thought, "i hope this is the right thing to do!!" Brother, you did the right thing a lot more times than I did...... bravo.
Fantastic! A few months ago I made my first guitar. I didn't have half the tools I needed, but I can say that the experience was wonderful. Congratulations.
Tip for your next guitar if ever, I've been building for the last decade & learnt a lot too. One thing about your break angle for the neck - it's always good to have the bridge you're using to really calculate what pitch angle the neck needs for proper string height at those higher frets. Not all bridges are the same in height, & for Gibson style bridges, you want the bridge to be a few millimeters raised above its lowest point. For anything Tremolo style (floyd rose, traditional strat) those usually don't need much of an angle (if any at all) because they sit rather flat over the body itself.
Love it mate, well done. Unforgiven II or Welcome Home would be 2 of my favourites. I actually have a Gibson Explorer so it was great to see how this was made!
Great job! I’d say the 1st song I every heard as a kid is my fav. Orion. That’s also what got me mesmerized with the guitar. Well that and the Fernandez Kirk played in the One video.
Machinist here (also a wood worker). When you drilled your tuner holes, I noticed the drill bit wobbling. That will most likely be shaking whatever you are drilling and I’ve experienced the same thing myself. You need a new chuck. Most woodworking tools come with very low quality chucks. Replacing them is pretty easy but I would get something like an Albrecht the run-out is almost none. That will improve your experience ten fold. A new “hero” 😊. I also had a an idea for you, provided you’re going to build another guitar. I would make a stand that is the height of your workbench and slightly thinner then the fretboard, so it will support the entire neck while shaping and sanding. I saw that flexing and bending, and I know it probably slowed you down a bit. In any case this was a great video and I enjoyed it Totally. I love Hatfield and have been a big Metallica fan since the 80s and I also play guitar as well. Now you need to build Kirks guitar 😎
I noticed that while editing too. I actually bought a new floor model drill press - some of my bigger furniture pieces needed more capacity and power. New one is wobble free!
Thats a lot of words to say runout 😂. I'm curious as to what tolerances are acceptable in guitar making. Not quite as demanding as aerospace but more than so than framing/roofing 😂.
This video found me at the perfect time! I'm also a woodworker who recently decided to dive into building a guitar...I'm sure I'll mess up a lot on my first try but hopefully watching this video helps me avoid some things I was going to miss
The first guitar I made was 30 years ago. No kit, no Internet. Just a book, an Allparts and Carvin catalogue, and my dad's woodshop. Tele/Strat hybrid. I was 14. Mistakes were made. It was still a functional guitar. It's hard to screw up so bad that it can't be made to play well. My second (from scratch) guitar is in my head, still cooking. I have the wood, still accumulating a few tools. Still a tele shape, but neck-through. This video is probably the best I've seen for a semi-beginner making a guitar with mostly basic tools. The hardest thing to learn 30 years ago was patience. This was the best tutorial at showing just how slow and deliberate everything should be. For anyone trying to outfit a wood shop, used good tools are usually better than cheap new ones. I got a good band saw, radial saw, belt sander, orbital sander, and some routers and a table from Craigslist and pawn shops, a good set of drum sanders and router bits from Amazon. I would add that if you have any access to a hardwood retailer or warehouse, it is so important to physically hold the wood in your hands before you buy/choose it. Some wood just speaks to you. Some wood isn't worthy of the fireplace. It's worth practicing making a guitar-shaped object, if you're a beginner woodworker. Get some maple or birch plywood, or poplar lumber. Act like it matters. Your future confidence and skills are worth the time.
Great video and an amazing build!! You should be incredibly proud of the job you did, I can’t imagine the amount of work you put in to end up with that super dope explorer!!
I've been wanting to do woodworking for a long time, and perhaps full time on my own for a living. My dream would be to build custom guitars for people since ive been playing guitars since i was 15. I also love Tchicks RUclips page, his guitars are amazing and his videos are extremely helpful. I definitely loved this video as well, most just show off but you actually show how to do it, even if it's a first time for you. I'd love my first custom built guitar to be a replica of Kirk Hammett's KH2 Mummy from ESP, but I'd do Boris Karloff's Frankenstein Monster instead, and name the guitar "The Monster". My favorite MetallicA song is The Unforgiven btw, Ive seen them live 3 times including driving across Pennsylvania to see them on my birthday last year. I also just subscribed to your channel. Thanks for posting!
That would be such a cool build - I would love to see it! I want to make one with a trem bar at some point too. I just saw them live on tour in August - still amazing! Thank you so much for watching and subscribing!
This is a great video and it turned out awesome for a first try. I made an explorer shaped ukulele a few years ago...that project spawned from the same inspiration as this build. Great work man!
Of course my favorite song would be their concert intro song. Although not a Metallic song but from my childhood favorite movie, The Good the Band and the Ugly starring Clint Eastwood. As far as a Metallic original I have no one favorite per-say but enjoy them all. Just this morning I watched a video from their latest tour filmed in Montreal performing Orion. Keep rocking in the world of Luthiers and making the videos of your guitar work, as the appreciation is more than you can imagine.
Absolutely incredible video and result! Quick tip for next time- when using your fret mallet (15:47) it is recommended to use the orange plastic side of the head instead of the metal counterweight. The metal could possibly dent or flatten your frets whereas the plastic is a bit softer on the material. Sounds like it didn’t matter though, turned out great!!!
Impressive dude, I'm a hobby woodworker myself, and thinking of building a guitar for my next project. Your video explained a lot more of the "things you might not realise" than any of the luthier builds Ive watched in the last 3 weeks or so. Thanks for the video, and my fave track is probably Welcome Home.
Awesome guitar build! BTW, I am a CNC machinist for a pool table manufacture and I always joke with my boss that we should design a guitar build and let me cut it out on the CNC machine and go into the guitar manufacture industry. My favorite song by Metallica would probably be escape.
Wow man that guitar you made is a masterpiece! I made a guitar too (it’s a SG replica, as a fan of Angus Young) and it was the best feeling on earth when I could hold it in my hands! You made an amazing job! P.S.: my favorite Metallica song is Sad But True
Wow, That was a ton of work, and attention to detail. I'm thrilled that you created/ fabricated your own functional electric guitar from the ground up.What an accomplishment!
Favorite song: Harvester of Sorrow. Was going on a long car trip complaining about how boring it was gonna be. Buddy borrowed me his Justice tape (1992 this was). Blew my mind, that album did. I'm a guitar owner (not player ... never learned to read music or play the instrument, just tabs and muscle memory). I purchased an ESP (NOT Ltd) Explorer thru Musicians Friend, back before Gibson put a stop to it. Original body design with EMG 81s. I sold it. Greatest regret of my life. Which is why I watched this video. Not a fan of woodworking, but your skill and talent are amazing, and I'm glad you could do this for yourself. Great video!
Great effort for your first go and I can tell you from experience it is very addictive I think some people get hung up on the correct way to build guitars To me it’s rock and roll, no rules as long as you be as safe as you can If it works it works, you’ll pick up things the along the way
I've watched a few guitar builds here on RUclips and of all the ones I've watched you actually explain everything a lot better than anybody else has that I've seen
Nicely done, I would have like to have seen you make a custom truss rod cover maybe engraved with your GD logo (if you have one), would have also liked to have seen that back cover a much darker , maybe walnut type colour for a nice contrast (as well as 3 more screws than the 3 you have!!)
Fade to black and nothing else matters are my favorites. Also I’m so impressed by the fact that this is your first guitar build that you did directly from just wood etc.😎😎
As someone who has a Gibson Explorer since 1993 because of Mr JH, I must say, you guitar you built is outstanding. BTW my favorite Metallica song is Disposable Heroes
Superb craftsmanship with the utmost highest respect. The action, sound and tone is unbelievable. Congratulations on one of the most well built guitars that you used a lot of care in building. All The Best !
Hi there, Nice first build, it turned out well ! Some comments however : - The tune-o-matic bridge should have a slight angle (longer on the low E string), I think something like 1.5 or 2 degrees ; check your Les Paul for that - James doesn't have any tone pot on his guitars, he's using 2 volumes (especially on his Ken Lawrence's) - Also, James is usually using Sperzel locking tuners on his Explorers Now you've tasted the joy of making your own guitar, I'm pretty sure you'll make a second one !
For the bridge, do you mean the break angle of the neck? Because I did do that. Otherwise I'll compare. Thanks for the extra info! And yes, I'm already working on a bass, and then eventually a longer scale metal machine with a trem bar.
If I’m not mistaken, he’s referring to tilting the bridge slightly off left or right. So the distance between the low e saddle and the stop tail is slightly longer than the distance from the high e saddle to the stop tail piece.
The way you talk about your mistake and your approach about building guitars make me more confident about trying to do my own and not just customizing ones ! Thanks for the video ! Cheers from France !
that's so amazing for a first Timer, i could never man. But maybe one day I will try. College too expensive for me to afford the tools and space to put the tools in, but once I'm out of college I will definitely get into this.
First woodworking tools I bought right out of college were a hand saw and a circular saw, which was 20 years ago for me! You’ll get there - thanks for watching!
I’ve always been amazed with Brian Mays red special. I wouldn’t dream of making a guitar but to make one out of stuff that’s lying around and make everything work is another level.
THATS YOUR FIRST GUITAR BUILD??? MATE YOU ABSOLUTELY NAILED IT!!!!!!!! PROPS TO YOU MY FRIEND!!! Definitely subscribing to see what else you make in the future!
Came here to say the same thing. Bro built a straight thousand dollar guitar but couldn't tuna fish. Hope you know I'm just busting balls but your b string was definitely flat. 😅
Absolutely breathtaking. For your first guitar build, that is insane. I'll play as to request. You don't get 1, you get 3, per the eras. Cliff era: Disposable heroes. Jason era: The shortest straw. Rob era: The judas kiss.
I think this is the first time I ever immediately subscribed to a channel when the author mentions it and the fact that it was 22:21 into the video makes it even better because I have pretty severe ADHD and it’s rare that I don’t skip through a video and even rarer that I make it through 10 minutes let alone 20! Great stuff, well presented, and the end product looks amazing!
That guitar is absolutely stunning, one thing I find works great is 00 grade fine steel wool for polishing frets. The end project was amazing man keep it up, id love to see another video like this
Love your ambition and execution. Especially for your first build. The beauty of embarking on a new journey like this, is what you learn along the way. Thanks for taking us along with you 🙏
Beautiful work! I too am a garage woodworker and made 2 guitars over the holiday about the size of ukuleles that are Bluetooth speakers. Your build was a pleasure to watch keep up the good work!
Lifelong guitarist here and partscaster builder…………..I think you did a fantastic job on your Hetfield guitar. I think you have great narration and shooting skills as well, because this video is “top shelf” quality material! I subscribed and really hope to see this channel do more content like this. Not speaking from experience, just something I have overheard through luthier friends………all luthiers make mistakes, a great luthier can hide them and you will never know that a mistake happened.
22:35 shadows follow from the 72 seasons album I really appreciate you making a guitar, especially a James Hetfield signature. Did not expect a regular woodworker to do this, but it is a welcome surprise. Keep up the good work
Looks great, when I was in highschool wood shop I built a guitar, yeah around age 14 ish, mostly just made the body and used a neck off another guitar, and bought Carvin guitar pickups and hardware, wish I still had it.
Put a line of wood glue in slots for the frets, helps keep them snug, but not too strong you damage the fretboard removing them. When fitting the neck I put a wrap of painters tape around the router bit when shaping the neck end. This tiny layer of tape helps keep the neck tight, but not so tight you can't fit them when glue up
'm in Italy and I didn't understand anything of everything you said because I don't understand English... so much so that I used the translator to write this message!! congratulations you are an artist!!!👏
Awesome material. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and thoughts while building your first guitar. 🙂Oh, and my favorite song? Definitely "Wherever I may roam" and "Sad but true" 🙂
Guitarists and wood worker have something in common. For guitarist that quesiton of "how may guitars do you need", the answer is always 1 more. For woodworker that quesiton of how many clamps do you need that too is always, 1 more.
Being both, I can confirm how correct your statement is 😂
I love this comment.
Same@@garagedwellersww
thats always my answer i have 30 guitars now😅
@@acdclexu6296 Same, and it is getting hard to store them.
I'm sure James Hetfield would love this video. Totally his kind of thing.
Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't James Hetfield have a couple of custom explorer shaped guitars that were made of wood from a garage they used to practice in?
@@billdavis6900That is correct. However, it’s only the top laminate that is made from the garage wood. The base of the guitar is still mahogany.
@@rcc_96 I got ya. I remember seeing some video of Metallica going to that house and the current owners having a party for them. The house in question was the first place they lived when they moved up there from LA. The garage was their practice space. When the current owners tore down the old garage, they salvaged some of the wood for it.
Yeayyyeaaahhhhhhh!!!!
You know him?
I'm not a luthier or woodworker of any kind, but i've watched a ton of guitar making videos. A guitar this complex being your first is impressive, and you did a great job on this.
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
I'm going to echo RubyRoks' post here. ABSOLUTELY, you should do more guitar builds in the NEAR future! Awesome, awesome job you've done with this one! God Bless!
i love the pfp
No @@Anonymouspersoniguess
@@andycookschad3499 funnily enough i was not talking to you so shove it 🤗
Hi mate. I have been a luthier for more than 40 year's. I just saw your video and remembered my first build, many guitars ago ;-). I have a couple of advice to making a guitar. First, when you make a scarf joint neck, a nice rule is, you start the cut 1/3 of the neck length and cut upwards to the head end. When your cut is done, simply turn the cutoff piece 180 degree and sand both pieces at the same time, or even better, use the painters-tape with ca glue and use your planer to straigthen the cut, ( put the cutoff piece on top of the rest of the neck piece, and plane) that way you ensure a nice fit when gluing the head piece on, and the closer to the headstock wide your neck blanck is, the better. 2nd advice is, when gluing the neck to the body, a snugg fit is always a must, the trick is, to use a water based glue with a long set time, you can thin with water. I always use cheap outdoor wood glue, thined 1/6 with water, and i have never had a failed glue joint. But keep up the great work mate. Br. Michael. sorry for my bad english 😞
Thank you so much for the helpful tips!
You said you were a luthier and I’m in high school and I’m taking a class called “IB design technology” and for my big project I am working on a device for a guitar that lets you switch between a rubber bridge and a regular bridge, would I be able to consult you for some advice in a few weeks
I’m a drummer and custom drum builder, so I can definitely appreciate the intricacy of instrument crafting, but wow bro, you are on a whole other level! Even by professional standards, that was an outstanding build, and with your attention to detail, patience and dedication, I’d say you’re well on your way to becoming a competent luthier.
Thanks, very much appreciate it especially from a pro!
This is definitely the coolest guitar making video I've seen, and I've watched A LOT of them. Please do more in the future.
Thanks! Will do!
" Harvester of Sorrow " is my favorite song and the first album I purchased with my paper route. I bought the vinyl in 1988 and found it recently at my parents' house as we were cleaning stuff out. Great job, man!
As a fellow garage woodworker, whose first foray into guitar building was diving headfirst, making my own body from mahogany/maple/walnut (telecaster shape), I know better than most how hard it is, and just how many times, you thought, "i hope this is the right thing to do!!"
Brother, you did the right thing a lot more times than I did...... bravo.
Thank so much - love to see other garage woodworkers out there!
Fantastic!
A few months ago I made my first guitar. I didn't have half the tools I needed, but I can say that the experience was wonderful. Congratulations.
Congrats on your first guitar too!
Also I’m so happy that you tackled this project. Kudos on a fine first build!
Outlaw torn.. one of my all time favorite songs in general! Beautiful build!
Real nice build my man! You inspire me to build a guitar myself! BTW, my favorite Metallica song is "For Whom The Bell Tolls"
You should absolutely try - it was a ton of fun.
Tip for your next guitar if ever, I've been building for the last decade & learnt a lot too. One thing about your break angle for the neck - it's always good to have the bridge you're using to really calculate what pitch angle the neck needs for proper string height at those higher frets. Not all bridges are the same in height, & for Gibson style bridges, you want the bridge to be a few millimeters raised above its lowest point. For anything Tremolo style (floyd rose, traditional strat) those usually don't need much of an angle (if any at all) because they sit rather flat over the body itself.
This was so satisfying to watch. I'm sure there was a ton of frustrating material behind that made it all look easy and smooth.
It was a lot of work for sure!
Uff my word that looks and sounds great! For your first build that is phenomenal!
Thank you - it turned out better than I had hoped!
Excellent video and excellent guitar! Thank you so much for the job you have done!
Thank you so much for watching!
Love it mate, well done. Unforgiven II or Welcome Home would be 2 of my favourites. I actually have a Gibson Explorer so it was great to see how this was made!
There is no way you have never built a guitar before! Outstanding job. You're a true artist for sure.
*you had never built
@bes5164 with a profile Pic like yours, I would definitely not correct anyone about anything. Like ever
Great job! I’d say the 1st song I every heard as a kid is my fav. Orion. That’s also what got me mesmerized with the guitar. Well that and the Fernandez Kirk played in the One video.
Beautiful build man, it turned out great!
Harvester of Sorrow
Holy MOLY, that's a beautiful guitar! Hugely impressed that this is your actual first guitar build. I hope you make many more in the future.
Labor of Love. That turned out absolutely beautiful!
A tip for next time: EMG active pick ups actually already are shielded so you dont need shielding paint, however its always good practice :)
At some point the owner might want to put passive pickups. Best to design the guitar with that in mind.
Machinist here (also a wood worker). When you drilled your tuner holes, I noticed the drill bit wobbling. That will most likely be shaking whatever you are drilling and I’ve experienced the same thing myself. You need a new chuck. Most woodworking tools come with very low quality chucks. Replacing them is pretty easy but I would get something like an Albrecht the run-out is almost none. That will improve your experience ten fold. A new “hero” 😊. I also had a an idea for you, provided you’re going to build another guitar. I would make a stand that is the height of your workbench and slightly thinner then the fretboard, so it will support the entire neck while shaping and sanding. I saw that flexing and bending, and I know it probably slowed you down a bit. In any case this was a great video and I enjoyed it Totally. I love Hatfield and have been a big Metallica fan since the 80s and I also play guitar as well. Now you need to build Kirks guitar 😎
I noticed that while editing too. I actually bought a new floor model drill press - some of my bigger furniture pieces needed more capacity and power. New one is wobble free!
Thats a lot of words to say runout 😂. I'm curious as to what tolerances are acceptable in guitar making. Not quite as demanding as aerospace but more than so than framing/roofing 😂.
This video found me at the perfect time! I'm also a woodworker who recently decided to dive into building a guitar...I'm sure I'll mess up a lot on my first try but hopefully watching this video helps me avoid some things I was going to miss
Glad it found you - good luck with your build, its a ton of fun!
Amazing! I think it came out great for your first try building a guitar!
Thanks - I think so too!
Beautiful😮 I love that it is not overdone, minimalistic in a good way on a guitar😮
Glad you like it!
no greater feeling than building your own guitar and it sounding AMAZING!
great job dude!
The first guitar I made was 30 years ago. No kit, no Internet. Just a book, an Allparts and Carvin catalogue, and my dad's woodshop. Tele/Strat hybrid. I was 14. Mistakes were made. It was still a functional guitar. It's hard to screw up so bad that it can't be made to play well.
My second (from scratch) guitar is in my head, still cooking. I have the wood, still accumulating a few tools. Still a tele shape, but neck-through. This video is probably the best I've seen for a semi-beginner making a guitar with mostly basic tools. The hardest thing to learn 30 years ago was patience. This was the best tutorial at showing just how slow and deliberate everything should be.
For anyone trying to outfit a wood shop, used good tools are usually better than cheap new ones. I got a good band saw, radial saw, belt sander, orbital sander, and some routers and a table from Craigslist and pawn shops, a good set of drum sanders and router bits from Amazon.
I would add that if you have any access to a hardwood retailer or warehouse, it is so important to physically hold the wood in your hands before you buy/choose it. Some wood just speaks to you. Some wood isn't worthy of the fireplace.
It's worth practicing making a guitar-shaped object, if you're a beginner woodworker. Get some maple or birch plywood, or poplar lumber. Act like it matters. Your future confidence and skills are worth the time.
Great video and an amazing build!! You should be incredibly proud of the job you did, I can’t imagine the amount of work you put in to end up with that super dope explorer!!
Amazing work mate. One of the best videos on guitar building I've seen, especially for a non Luthier.
Fave Metallica song is, Leper Messiah
Thank you, much appreciated! Great song choice 👍🏻
I've been wanting to do woodworking for a long time, and perhaps full time on my own for a living. My dream would be to build custom guitars for people since ive been playing guitars since i was 15.
I also love Tchicks RUclips page, his guitars are amazing and his videos are extremely helpful. I definitely loved this video as well, most just show off but you actually show how to do it, even if it's a first time for you. I'd love my first custom built guitar to be a replica of Kirk Hammett's KH2 Mummy from ESP, but I'd do Boris Karloff's Frankenstein Monster instead, and name the guitar "The Monster".
My favorite MetallicA song is The Unforgiven btw, Ive seen them live 3 times including driving across Pennsylvania to see them on my birthday last year. I also just subscribed to your channel. Thanks for posting!
That would be such a cool build - I would love to see it! I want to make one with a trem bar at some point too. I just saw them live on tour in August - still amazing! Thank you so much for watching and subscribing!
Just wow... can't imagine the feeling and satisfaction of holding a hand made by yourself guitar. Incredible!
I'm a Luthier by trade and I think you did a great job! That neck tenon is huge and will transmit tone all day long! Congrats on a great build.
Pretty damn good for a first guitar build 👌 Must of taken a lot of patience with all the cuts and drilling!
Phenomenal…..I’m proud for you…🙏🏻❤️🎸💪🏻🇺🇸
This is a great video and it turned out awesome for a first try. I made an explorer shaped ukulele a few years ago...that project spawned from the same inspiration as this build.
Great work man!
Thank you for actually explaining the router, (and other tools), There is a lot of finesse to the router that ppl don't realize!
Of course my favorite song would be their concert intro song. Although not a Metallic song but from my childhood favorite movie, The Good the Band and the Ugly starring Clint Eastwood. As far as a Metallic original I have no one favorite per-say but enjoy them all. Just this morning I watched a video from their latest tour filmed in Montreal performing Orion. Keep rocking in the world of Luthiers and making the videos of your guitar work, as the appreciation is more than you can imagine.
Absolutely incredible video and result! Quick tip for next time- when using your fret mallet (15:47) it is recommended to use the orange plastic side of the head instead of the metal counterweight. The metal could possibly dent or flatten your frets whereas the plastic is a bit softer on the material. Sounds like it didn’t matter though, turned out great!!!
Thanks for the tip - learning a lot in the comments!
Masterfully done, epic, absolutely beautiful….with such a successful first build I cannot wait to see what you will produce with build number 25…….🎸🤘🎶
What an absolutely fantastic job!!! That is no easy task! Well done my man, elite! 💪🎸
That looks absolutely beautiful my man, terrific work 👏
Awesome job bro! The wood back plate is a nice touch!
Thanks 👍
Impressive dude, I'm a hobby woodworker myself, and thinking of building a guitar for my next project. Your video explained a lot more of the "things you might not realise" than any of the luthier builds Ive watched in the last 3 weeks or so. Thanks for the video, and my fave track is probably Welcome Home.
Thank you for checking it out!
Awesome guitar build! BTW, I am a CNC machinist for a pool table manufacture and I always joke with my boss that we should design a guitar build and let me cut it out on the CNC machine and go into the guitar manufacture industry. My favorite song by Metallica would probably be escape.
You should check out @HighlineGuitars - he does a lot of CNC work with guitars. Thanks for watching!
Bro Im a cnc machinist too! I’m trying to get my guitar stuff modeled in solid works
Wow man that guitar you made is a masterpiece! I made a guitar too (it’s a SG replica, as a fan of Angus Young) and it was the best feeling on earth when I could hold it in my hands! You made an amazing job!
P.S.: my favorite Metallica song is Sad But True
Great song choice! And I love the SG, fun one to play.
Wow, That was a ton of work, and attention to detail. I'm thrilled that you created/ fabricated your own functional electric guitar from the ground up.What an accomplishment!
Thank you! It was a really fun project!
Your insperation is clear and yet it is totaly your own. Your well justafiyed in being proud of that.
Thank you!
Favorite song: Harvester of Sorrow. Was going on a long car trip complaining about how boring it was gonna be. Buddy borrowed me his Justice tape (1992 this was). Blew my mind, that album did.
I'm a guitar owner (not player ... never learned to read music or play the instrument, just tabs and muscle memory). I purchased an ESP (NOT Ltd) Explorer thru Musicians Friend, back before Gibson put a stop to it. Original body design with EMG 81s.
I sold it. Greatest regret of my life.
Which is why I watched this video. Not a fan of woodworking, but your skill and talent are amazing, and I'm glad you could do this for yourself. Great video!
For radiusing the fretboard, I used a block plane mostly and only sanded the last tiny bit. That sped up things considerably.
I’m going to do that for my next fretboard.
Great effort for your first go and I can tell you from experience it is very addictive
I think some people get hung up on the correct way to build guitars
To me it’s rock and roll, no rules as long as you be as safe as you can
If it works it works, you’ll pick up things the along the way
I’m working on a bass, and have plans for a couple more guitars. It is addicting for sure!
Outstanding job! Even for a first build! You are a very skilled handcraftman!
Thank you!
Utter bloody marvellous Sir. Superb!!
I've watched a few guitar builds here on RUclips and of all the ones I've watched you actually explain everything a lot better than anybody else has that I've seen
For whom the bell tolls, great build 👍
Thanks 👍
Nicely done, I would have like to have seen you make a custom truss rod cover maybe engraved with your GD logo (if you have one), would have also liked to have seen that back cover a much darker , maybe walnut type colour for a nice contrast (as well as 3 more screws than the 3 you have!!)
Both good ideas. I’ve seen some cool cavity covers that use magnets as well
Fade to black and nothing else matters are my favorites. Also I’m so impressed by the fact that this is your first guitar build that you did directly from just wood etc.😎😎
This turned out incredible! Really makes me want to get out in my garage and try my hand at something similar. Thanks for the video man!
Thanks for checking it out.
That's a beautiful guitar! Well executed build! I can only dream of having a shop that well equipped.
Thank you - shop has been years in the making!
As someone who has a Gibson Explorer since 1993 because of Mr JH, I must say, you guitar you built is outstanding. BTW my favorite Metallica song is Disposable Heroes
Superb craftsmanship with the utmost highest respect. The action, sound and tone is unbelievable. Congratulations on one of the most well built guitars that you used a lot of care in building. All The Best !
Hi there,
Nice first build, it turned out well !
Some comments however :
- The tune-o-matic bridge should have a slight angle (longer on the low E string), I think something like 1.5 or 2 degrees ; check your Les Paul for that
- James doesn't have any tone pot on his guitars, he's using 2 volumes (especially on his Ken Lawrence's)
- Also, James is usually using Sperzel locking tuners on his Explorers
Now you've tasted the joy of making your own guitar, I'm pretty sure you'll make a second one !
For the bridge, do you mean the break angle of the neck? Because I did do that. Otherwise I'll compare. Thanks for the extra info! And yes, I'm already working on a bass, and then eventually a longer scale metal machine with a trem bar.
If I’m not mistaken, he’s referring to tilting the bridge slightly off left or right. So the distance between the low e saddle and the stop tail is slightly longer than the distance from the high e saddle to the stop tail piece.
Ahhh, looked at my Les Paul and Just noticed that. I've owned that guitar for 20 years and never really noticed before 😬. Thanks for the tip!
The way you talk about your mistake and your approach about building guitars make me more confident about trying to do my own and not just customizing ones ! Thanks for the video ! Cheers from France !
Thanks, and that's awesome - go for it!
that's so amazing for a first Timer, i could never man. But maybe one day I will try. College too expensive for me to afford the tools and space to put the tools in, but once I'm out of college I will definitely get into this.
First woodworking tools I bought right out of college were a hand saw and a circular saw, which was 20 years ago for me! You’ll get there - thanks for watching!
For Your first try, You actually did pretty well!
My favourite Metallica song is obviously Enter Sandman! 😅
Great video!
Thank you - lots of mistakes, and by no means perfect (as many commenters have pointed out 😂), but I'm really proud of it. Thanks for watching!
@@garagedwellersww
Nah, listen, You did very well!
Probably WWAAYY better than I could anyway! 😂😅
People like You inspire!
Imagine you can build your own guitar, build based on what you like, how comfy it is in your hand 💯. This is inspiring 🙌. Congrats brother!
I’ve always been amazed with Brian Mays red special. I wouldn’t dream of making a guitar but to make one out of stuff that’s lying around and make everything work is another level.
THATS YOUR FIRST GUITAR BUILD??? MATE YOU ABSOLUTELY NAILED IT!!!!!!!! PROPS TO YOU MY FRIEND!!! Definitely subscribing to see what else you make in the future!
Thank you!
Totally blown away with the sound of this guitar..... Great build....
Nice job! Sounds like it has sustain for days! Like it a lot 🤘🤘🤘🤙🤙🤙
Thanks a lot!
I’m sorry but… dang that guitar sounded too nice for your first time🥵🥵
Thanks - I was pleasantly surprised myself!
Bothered to build an entire guitar from scratch. Didn't bother to tune it.
I have since tuned it 😅
Came here to say the same thing. Bro built a straight thousand dollar guitar but couldn't tuna fish. Hope you know I'm just busting balls but your b string was definitely flat. 😅
There's nothing like holding a new toy you made yourself. Beautifully done.
To live is to die…and the whole justice album. Great work on this guitar build!
Absolutely breathtaking. For your first guitar build, that is insane. I'll play as to request. You don't get 1, you get 3, per the eras. Cliff era:
Disposable heroes.
Jason era:
The shortest straw.
Rob era:
The judas kiss.
Thanks - all great choices!
I think this is the first time I ever immediately subscribed to a channel when the author mentions it and the fact that it was 22:21 into the video makes it even better because I have pretty severe ADHD and it’s rare that I don’t skip through a video and even rarer that I make it through 10 minutes let alone 20! Great stuff, well presented, and the end product looks amazing!
Can only imagine your excitement opening up that big Stew Mac box full of shiny new tools!
Killer build my dude! I’d have to say “Blackened” is my no.1. And I recently found out that the intro was done in reverse! 🤯
Thank you - that’s a cool fact!
Very good job! Love the way it turned out!!
I am woodworker Jim and I just woke up today and I'm going to build a guitar from scratch. Dude you are amazing and you have awesome skills!!!!!
Thank you so much, I appreciate it! Good luck with your build, it's a blast.
I was speaking of you that you can just get up one morning and decide on a guitar as a project! You rock man!@@garagedwellersww
That guitar is absolutely stunning, one thing I find works great is 00 grade fine steel wool for polishing frets. The end project was amazing man keep it up, id love to see another video like this
Good tip, I’ll have to try it. Got a bass build coming up!
Love your ambition and execution. Especially for your first build. The beauty of embarking on a new journey like this, is what you learn along the way. Thanks for taking us along with you 🙏
Thank you very much!
You did a hell of a job sir 🤘🏻
Thank you!
That is going to be a hell of a family heirloom. Exquisitely done!!!
Garage Days Revisited!! Cool dude!! So cool!! Way to go!! 🤘🤘🤘
Beautiful work! I too am a garage woodworker and made 2 guitars over the holiday about the size of ukuleles that are Bluetooth speakers. Your build was a pleasure to watch keep up the good work!
Bet those look cool. Great idea.
Lifelong guitarist here and partscaster builder…………..I think you did a fantastic job on your Hetfield guitar. I think you have great narration and shooting skills as well, because this video is “top shelf” quality material! I subscribed and really hope to see this channel do more content like this. Not speaking from experience, just something I have overheard through luthier friends………all luthiers make mistakes, a great luthier can hide them and you will never know that a mistake happened.
Thank you so much for watching and subscribing. We’ve got more videos like this on the way for sure!
22:35 shadows follow from the 72 seasons album
I really appreciate you making a guitar, especially a James Hetfield signature. Did not expect a regular woodworker to do this, but it is a welcome surprise. Keep up the good work
Looks great, when I was in highschool wood shop I built a guitar, yeah around age 14 ish, mostly just made the body and used a neck off another guitar, and bought Carvin guitar pickups and hardware, wish I still had it.
absolutely wonderful! to build a working guitar with your own hands is something truly wonderful! congrats and to many more!
This just popped up on my RUclips videos so I went ahead and watched it again and of course I gave it a like again as well.
Fantastic video! I just finished my first as well. You're setup is rad. I had to build a bunch of my own jigs and tools
very cool, beautiful guitar upvoting for all that work!
Put a line of wood glue in slots for the frets, helps keep them snug, but not too strong you damage the fretboard removing them.
When fitting the neck I put a wrap of painters tape around the router bit when shaping the neck end. This tiny layer of tape helps keep the neck tight, but not so tight you can't fit them when glue up
Right now it's ride the lightning
Super fun to play
What an amazing job. Hopefully you're still building guitars. You have a talent.
'm in Italy and I didn't understand anything of everything you said because I don't understand English... so much so that I used the translator to write this message!! congratulations you are an artist!!!👏
Man, phenomenal job! You'll cherish this thing forever!
Awesome material. Thank you so much for sharing your experience and thoughts while building your first guitar. 🙂Oh, and my favorite song? Definitely "Wherever I may roam" and "Sad but true" 🙂