Really appreciate your videos, and love the back story about your family and the old country. You have stringed instrument making in your blood. Thanks for the uploads.
Watching this reminds me how much I miss making Les Paul style guitars. I made a neck pocket jig similar to yours. I had rails on the sides of the pocked that allowed my router to cut at the angle at the wished. I had a screw on the bottom so I could adjust up or down. I am glad you posted this video. I want to set up my shop someday soon.
Physicians say watching an aquarium/fish is good for lowering the blood pressure, it's relaxing... for me it's watching BIG D do his thing - very relaxing.
Love the jigs. When I was moving out of my last surfboard shaping shed, my wife tried to 'help' by throwing some "old scraps of wood" onto the trash pile. Funny how much those old scraps of wood put food on the table. Great vid
Absolute WIN! This is a true art form. I am sure that there is tons of skill that is required, but I can't imagine that any two guitars are the same. Awesome video and clearly he knows what he's talking about.
Great advice as you step through the various steps. Ive learned these lessons that hard way, so mad props for making life easier for those who are just getting started. Tear out can drive you mad. Feed direction is important, but even if you get that right, figured wood likes to tear
+BigDGuitars - Hi, can you tell me about the thickness of the two body parts before gluing them together and how can I get your two templates you were using! a wonderful job dude!
Just a thought, when jointing an edge you want your jointed face (75%+ clean) pressed firmly against the jointer fence, apply pressure against the fence and not towards the bed. (side pressure not downward pressure) If you don't do this, yes your edge will be perfectly flat but not perfectly perpendicular to your face. I hope this helps! Also as a fun tip you may want to try scraping over sanding for a more consistent finish. Cheers and keep up the great work!
You could consider using more glue when joining your tops. Water based glues draw into the wood. Also you could also slide the two halves together for a smear bond. Just a tip from a materials engineer. :)
Very nice D! I remember seeing your carver set up vid and now see it in action, way cool! Every time I think I have seen all your vids, another one comes up, lol! Love them all BigD, thanks, Pam
thanks for sharing , that was quite project. It gives a person confidence when a pro walks you through the process like yourself. Liked and Subbed , thanks again , David
interesting archtop copier , was thinking myself of building one that lets the cut and follow top rotate horizontally under the folower and basicly cut the whole to in a big spiral , think that would end up with a smaller footprint and you can use an electric motor running a piece of alltread to move the whole router setup slowly across the surface as for copying an original archtop , you might be able to pull a rubber mould of an original and use that to cast an epoxy jig or make one on a 3D printer off a 3D photo of an original
I use the finger technique to spread the glue as well. I'm surprised you didn't spread some glue on the other half of the edge of the book matched maple.
Thank you. Did you create an an angled neck pocket? As you are aware, depending on what you are using as a bridge, a typical Les Paul has about a 4.5° neck angle using a tune-o-matic bridge. Thank you for your time. Wonderful tutorial video.
Well yes. With all of that equipment it's way easier and faster to build a Les Paul. I had to carve the top by hand with some chisels and sand it with a sander that wasn't meant to be used for that. It worked because i wasn't exactly a newbie on woodworking but it was sweat and tears to get the job done. The same thing with the neck joint cavity angle. I mean how to do this job acurately without a standing router. That really was a hassle to get it done right.
This is a great video. Nice work! One thing jumps out at me is the bandsaw work with the templates attached. Wouldn't following the pencil lines be as effective without unduly risking the template? Not that you don't have solid expertise... you do! (edited for egregious typo)
They stay outside the lines in order to speed cutting the general outline. The sides are then sanded to specs. But this process is time and labor intensive and much of it unnecessary. A CNC machine is much faster and much more accurate.
Gorgeous videos, thanx for sharing! Please, at the minute 2:49 what that yellow kind of drill device is it called? If I had right now could it be used to create pickups & pots housings too or it couldn't? And at 5:14 what's brand name and model of glue do you use? Thanks
Cool! Thanks. BTW At 12:31 here's the most gorgeous invention ever! That machine - getting to cut exactly the same degree of curvature like the maple top on the left has - is absolutly fantastic!
Hi there. Just had a question. I am looking to buy a Kris Derrig or Max Les Pauls? Have you heard of them? They are also a 59 copy (Replica). Sounds amazing and looks better than the original 59!
Cheers. I want to congratulate him for this work and contribution. Currently I am about to star making guitars Les Paul tipe. I have several machine to do diferent kinds of work.I want to ask that you router bit used when coping the cover. I have a similar need to buy the duplicator and the auger. I also want to know where I can get the wood. Thank you very much
Go to a large lumber yard and pick your own then you won't have run off or the other things you mentioned, well worth it and it will cost far less, people are always real surprised at the wood they find at real large yards.
I've watch this video several times and get something new each time. REally well done. I like how you explain in detail each step. Getting ready for my first Les Paul build (a left handed LP). Once your body blank and maple top is milled, what is the thickness of each?
I have a mahogany body and neck already cut. But I don't have the top cut. Would like to know if you can glue them together and cut the top and route? I don't have the tools nor the mastery you have. Let me know if you can and how I can contact you...
Very cool and informative.great work. Very cool you are in Nashville my Brother lives in Nashville. is the neck break angle built into the neck or in the pocket rout?
That is one of the great american tools. very simple, rigid as heck. In my youth I had enough wisdom to purchase a head that I saw was for sale locally, over the years I keep picking up parts for it. Golden era for sure.
I am making the guitar that you made in this video. I am just wondering what are the measurements of the pieces of the wood that you used to make the guitar.
When you route the neck pocket do you route it so its angled im starting to make my own les paul and have got to having to route the neck pocket and am now stuck as to how to route it wether it's just a normal straight route or weather it's at an angle of about 4.4 degrees
Yeah I'd like to see how your buddy made that duplicator router jig as well. That's one of the better ones I've seen. Great job and your skills are excellent, coming from another fellow woodworker. You can tell when someone has it down when you see little nuances that you're familiar with as well. Only question I have is why do you use your fingers/hand to spread the glue, especially on the body. I can understand doing it on the small edge of the book-matched maple top, but the entire top itself to the body seems a big strange to me. Nothing wrong with doing it that way, of course, but why not use a brush or roller? I can only think that it's a good way not to waste any glue but there are some very efficient applicators out there.
It doesn't make enough difference to matter. Whether the routes are perpendictular to the pickup plane or the back of the guitar, the difference is so slight that it's not a consideration. The pickups fit fine either way.
Hey brother I watch your videos all the time and love your work.i was wondering what you charged for a Les Paul body just in the stage of a kit that I would have to put together.i would like to have one I would have to finish.if you offer anything like that please let me know.thanks brother
That's a hell of a nice shop you have there with top equipment. I sometimes wonder why custom guys like you don't build your own guitar design. There are a million Les Paul guitar copies out there. I bet your guitar plays as well as the original since the composite body is the same material and no doubt so are the electronics. But if I had a shop and the skills you have I know exactly what I would be building, where no man has gone before.
You did an amazing job there. True artwork there for sure. I subscribed and saved the video. Im saving up on tools right now to try this out. Do you have any recommendations on good reads on wood work. Doesn't have to be guitars. I just want to get some skills down and all before I try something like this.
@bigdguitars I believe he was asking about wood working, not wood types. I know that there are multiple woodworking magazines. Not trying to take away viewers from you bigd, but I know that the guy from crimson guitars learns all about guitar making from these magazines. Check him out. He talks about tools just as much as guitars. Beautiful build btw bigd
never saw unfinished les paul body before. is that maple top really that thin ? I mean, do we get the same amount of maple top like this in gibson les paul standard ?
At about 16:00 I didn't think that chisel floating around on the surface while you were sanding was a good idea. It could be nicking the bottom of that Les Paul body couldn't it?
Also your two piece of boards you glued together I think u should have squeeze tight those two boards together instead of vertically down that I would do second
When routing the shape of the body what do you do so the wood doesnt tear when going against the grain?? Is it just that the bit is so sharp or do you actually move the body the same way the bit is rotating?? Ive tried routing the body a few times and ive been tought to never move the piece the same way the bit is rotating and ive got some tears on the piece, is it just that the bit is dull or wutt??
Lippa100 I cut as close as I can to the line. That way it really reduces tear out. Also keep your bits sharp. heavily figured pieces of wood are squirrely so you have to be careful
Hey...just a tip....you should remove your logo from the bottom right because it blocks your subtitles. Move it to the top left. Other than the high pitch dentist drill sounds it was a gr8 video !!
Always a pleasure watching a skilled woodworker.
Really appreciate your videos, and love the back story about your family and the old country. You have stringed instrument making in your blood. Thanks for the uploads.
Watching this reminds me how much I miss making Les Paul style guitars. I made a neck pocket jig similar to yours. I had
rails on the sides of the pocked that allowed my router to cut at the angle at the wished. I had a screw on the bottom so I could adjust up or down. I am glad you posted this video. I want to set up my shop someday soon.
Man! That body contour carver is awesome. Really enjoyed watching this video.
Physicians say watching an aquarium/fish is good for lowering the blood pressure, it's relaxing... for me it's watching BIG D do his thing - very relaxing.
Simply amazing quality work! Les himself would be proud to play one of your creations. Thanks for sharing. Great job!!!
thanks for the nice comment!
basically just counterfeiting Gibsons work
@@warrenweldon7552, hey... we'd like to see your work... can you share some of your work... we'd really like to see some of your work... okay?
Love the jigs. When I was moving out of my last surfboard shaping shed, my wife tried to 'help' by throwing some "old scraps of wood" onto the trash pile. Funny how much those old scraps of wood put food on the table. Great vid
Absolute WIN! This is a true art form. I am sure that there is tons of skill that is required, but I can't imagine that any two guitars are the same. Awesome video and clearly he knows what he's talking about.
Jeez, thats an insane amount of work, you make it look almost easy, but definitely years of practice....good job.
Great advice as you step through the various steps. Ive learned these lessons that hard way, so mad props for making life easier for those who are just getting started. Tear out can drive you mad. Feed direction is important, but even if you get that right, figured wood likes to tear
Nice wine press clamp bro, thats genius!
Here is the finished guitar: ruclips.net/video/Sr5OdTvJYS0/видео.html
+BigDGuitars - Hi, can you tell me about the thickness of the two body parts before gluing them together and how can I get your two templates you were using! a wonderful job dude!
its amazing how much work goes into one of these les pauls. I mean compared to a strat... its like night and day.
Well you guys got tools and can make them more and more if you want and thats my dream too .Beautiful guitar nice work👌👌
I have to say you have one of the most gratifying job there is.
thanks!
Absolutely the best instructional I have seen on this so far. Thank you.
Just a thought, when jointing an edge you want your jointed face (75%+ clean) pressed firmly against the jointer fence, apply pressure against the fence and not towards the bed. (side pressure not downward pressure) If you don't do this, yes your edge will be perfectly flat but not perfectly perpendicular to your face. I hope this helps! Also as a fun tip you may want to try scraping over sanding for a more consistent finish. Cheers and keep up the great work!
You could consider using more glue when joining your tops. Water based glues draw into the wood. Also you could also slide the two halves together for a smear bond. Just a tip from a materials engineer. :)
Awesome tutorial...you are a most generous and talented teacher. 🎼Thank you.🎶🎵
Love your videos... wish I could build guitars like you...
Excellent build video. Good job with the jigs.
Very nice D! I remember seeing your carver set up vid and now see it in action, way cool!
Every time I think I have seen all your vids, another one comes up, lol! Love them all BigD, thanks, Pam
Man, you've been inspiring me to build guitars since high school!
The pickup mounting rings are angled to match the strings.
I'm guessing thats what bigd will be using, unless he's directly mounting the pickups :)
thanks for sharing , that was quite project. It gives a person confidence when a pro walks you through the process like yourself. Liked and Subbed , thanks again , David
happy me watching your passion for doing this and many congratulations for you !!!!!!
Nice work! I'll never look at a Les Paul the same way again.
What is the thickness of the mahogany and maple when they are glued together?
Really great work I love to see a great craftsman
Man that looks really fun! One day I'd like to build a honeyburst '59 Les Paul.
Looking good, can't wait to see it finished.
interesting archtop copier , was thinking myself of building one that lets the cut and follow top rotate horizontally under the folower and basicly cut the whole to in a big spiral , think that would end up with a smaller footprint and you can use an electric motor running a piece of alltread to move the whole router setup slowly across the surface
as for copying an original archtop , you might be able to pull a rubber mould of an original and use that to cast an epoxy jig
or make one on a 3D printer off a 3D photo of an original
I use the finger technique to spread the glue as well. I'm surprised you didn't spread some glue on the other half of the edge of the book matched maple.
Thank you. Did you create an an angled neck pocket? As you are aware, depending on what you are using as a bridge, a typical Les Paul has about a 4.5° neck angle using a tune-o-matic bridge. Thank you for your time. Wonderful tutorial video.
Cool video man,watched the entire thing. Great job!
Well yes. With all of that equipment it's way easier and faster to build a Les Paul. I had to carve the top by hand with some chisels and sand it with a sander that wasn't meant to be used for that. It worked because i wasn't exactly a newbie on woodworking but it was sweat and tears to get the job done. The same thing with the neck joint cavity angle. I mean how to do this job acurately without a standing router. That really was a hassle to get it done right.
Thanks for sharing this. Outstanding work!
12:23 to 16:00 is amazing. What is that machine called?
my buddy made it. I will add a link in the desc of how its made
This is a great video. Nice work! One thing jumps out at me is the bandsaw work with the templates attached. Wouldn't following the pencil lines be as effective without unduly risking the template? Not that you don't have solid expertise... you do!
(edited for egregious typo)
They stay outside the lines in order to speed cutting the general outline. The sides are then sanded to specs. But this process is time and labor intensive and much of it unnecessary. A CNC machine is much faster and much more accurate.
Yeah, I can't understand that either. There is no reason to risk damaging the template.
I enjoy your videos,best of luck in Nashville
Gorgeous videos, thanx for sharing! Please, at the minute 2:49 what that yellow kind of drill device is it called? If I had right now could it be used to create pickups & pots housings too or it couldn't? And at 5:14 what's brand name and model of glue do you use? Thanks
+vinnie dolly its my dewalt router: ruclips.net/video/dDio3YhglnQ/видео.html
Cool! Thanks. BTW At 12:31 here's the most gorgeous invention ever! That machine - getting to cut exactly the same degree of curvature like the maple top on the left has - is absolutly fantastic!
Hi there. Just had a question. I am looking to buy a Kris Derrig or Max Les Pauls? Have you heard of them? They are also a 59 copy (Replica). Sounds amazing and looks better than the original 59!
Great work here... I was curious why not endeavor to use hide glue?
Genius using that other les as a template!
Wow..aweasome.. working..
Which kinds of wood can use to making a guitar ??
Any wood ??
Cheers. I want to congratulate him for this work and contribution. Currently I am about to star making guitars Les Paul tipe. I have several machine to do diferent kinds of work.I want to ask that you router bit used when coping the cover. I have a similar need to buy the duplicator and the auger. I also want to know where I can get the wood. Thank you very much
Two thumbs up for this video. Great job!
Man, I wish I had your talent.
That's awesome, I've never watched the process before. That was great insight. How hard can it be. Hard enough that I will just keep purchasing kits.
excelente trabajo gracias por compartir tu talento.
Thank U 4 taking the time to make the video, I found it very interesting...
Go to a large lumber yard and pick your own then you won't have run off or the other things you mentioned, well worth it and it will cost far less, people are always real surprised at the wood they find at real large yards.
I've watch this video several times and get something new each time. REally well done. I like how you explain in detail each step. Getting ready for my first Les Paul build (a left handed LP). Once your body blank and maple top is milled, what is the thickness of each?
very nice build! why didnt you routhe the pickupd cavitys when the body was still flat?
I have a mahogany body and neck already cut. But I don't have the top cut. Would like to know if you can glue them together and cut the top and route? I don't have the tools nor the mastery you have. Let me know if you can and how I can contact you...
Very cool and informative.great work. Very cool you are in Nashville my Brother lives in Nashville. is the neck break angle built into the neck or in the pocket rout?
Hi, have you made a tutorial on how to build a copy carver?
I don't a friend of a friend built this there are a couple of vids out there of mine that lay this out with dimensions.
Sure thing, thanks man
Excellent work !!!!!!! Do you sell finished guitars ?
man everytime you use that stanley pin router in sickens me, cause I sold mine and wish I never had.Its big and bulky but was such a great design
That is one of the great american tools. very simple, rigid as heck.
In my youth I had enough wisdom to purchase a head that I saw was for sale locally, over the years I keep picking up parts for it.
Golden era for sure.
I know you've got a fine tools in your shop, but no way you go that fast! ;)
Seriously, nice vid - very interesting and informative!
Very detailed and complete.
I am making the guitar that you made in this video. I am just wondering what are the measurements of the pieces of the wood that you used to make the guitar.
Curios, is it possible to use the copy carver for the neck slot, as well as getting the neck angle?
When you route the neck pocket do you route it so its angled im starting to make my own les paul and have got to having to route the neck pocket and am now stuck as to how to route it wether it's just a normal straight route or weather it's at an angle of about 4.4 degrees
Hi.
any chance for a link for that clamps?
nice work by the way.
Great video, is this the way they make Custom shop Les Paul’s?
Thanks again for your videos!
I always thought it would be better to add a couple of biscuits to join the two tops together, have you had any problems with just using glue?
Yeah I'd like to see how your buddy made that duplicator router jig as well. That's one of the better ones I've seen. Great job and your skills are excellent, coming from another fellow woodworker. You can tell when someone has it down when you see little nuances that you're familiar with as well. Only question I have is why do you use your fingers/hand to spread the glue, especially on the body. I can understand doing it on the small edge of the book-matched maple top, but the entire top itself to the body seems a big strange to me. Nothing wrong with doing it that way, of course, but why not use a brush or roller? I can only think that it's a good way not to waste any glue but there are some very efficient applicators out there.
I have used rollers and spreaders. I kinda like the finger I know exactly how much to use then. Habit I guess
That was a brilliant watch mate :)
When routing pickups, do you not want to make them the angle of the strings (Neck angle) So that the pickups are parallel to the strings?
It doesn't make enough difference to matter. Whether the routes are perpendictular to the pickup plane or the back of the guitar, the difference is so slight that it's not a consideration. The pickups fit fine either way.
13:40 that's awesome real life copy and paste 👌
Hey brother I watch your videos all the time and love your work.i was wondering what you charged for a Les Paul body just in the stage of a kit that I would have to put together.i would like to have one I would have to finish.if you offer anything like that please let me know.thanks brother
Hi, what are the dimensions on the mahogany blank and maple top when they are glued up(before carving)? Thanks
Ronny from guitar building templates. Take them and make 1/2 plywood copies.
How much do you charge to build a 59 replica. I can do the finish and wire up and set up I just can't wood work like that.
That was a super interesting video - thanks!
That's a hell of a nice shop you have there with top equipment. I sometimes wonder why custom guys like you don't build your own guitar design. There are a million Les Paul guitar copies out there. I bet your guitar plays as well as the original since the composite body is the same material and no doubt so are the electronics. But if I had a shop and the skills you have I know exactly what I would be building, where no man has gone before.
very well said thank you. A couple custom designs in the works but nothing all that exciting...
So have u ever run into any trouble w Gibson/Fender etc coming after u for building exact copies of their guitars?
E
Where can I get full size templates for a Les Paul?
Looking to homebuild soon.
I saw a 3D cutting board. Since its made of so many small and different types of wood, would you advise me on this build? Thanks
Hi. What is the thickness of the body once you glued both pieces together
it's a chonky boi as you can see in the video. Bet it has some heft to it. You gon have some back problems if you wear it often with a strap
Awesome copy carver.
How deep did you route the control cavity on the back?
what templates are the best to use..great videos...
Fascinating...thanks!
❤️ Les Pauls!!!
are you doing the kits yet?
Hello! Great work on the LP! I was just wondering what the price range is for the tools/machines you have. also what store you got them at
You did an amazing job there. True artwork there for sure. I subscribed and saved the video. Im saving up on tools right now to try this out. Do you have any recommendations on good reads on wood work. Doesn't have to be guitars. I just want to get some skills down and all before I try something like this.
I have a whole series on wood that I did. Search Luthier Wood Review
@bigdguitars I believe he was asking about wood working, not wood types. I know that there are multiple woodworking magazines. Not trying to take away viewers from you bigd, but I know that the guy from crimson guitars learns all about guitar making from these magazines. Check him out. He talks about tools just as much as guitars. Beautiful build btw bigd
never saw unfinished les paul body before. is that maple top really that thin ? I mean, do we get the same amount of maple top like this in gibson les paul standard ?
At about 16:00 I didn't think that chisel floating around on the surface while you were sanding was a good idea. It could be nicking the bottom of that Les Paul body couldn't it?
Also your two piece of boards you glued together I think u should have squeeze tight those two boards together instead of vertically down that I would do second
thx! this inspires me to try my own guitar building...did you dry the wood before you did all the cutting and glueing?
when you buy from a lumber shop all the wood is kiln dried. most of the stuff on the ebay is of good quality if you search their feedback
As of right now. How much would you say is invested with all of your tools and workshop?
When routing the shape of the body what do you do so the wood doesnt tear when going against the grain?? Is it just that the bit is so sharp or do you actually move the body the same way the bit is rotating?? Ive tried routing the body a few times and ive been tought to never move the piece the same way the bit is rotating and ive got some tears on the piece, is it just that the bit is dull or wutt??
Lippa100 I cut as close as I can to the line. That way it really reduces tear out. Also keep your bits sharp. heavily figured pieces of wood are squirrely so you have to be careful
Sharp bits are hugely helpful. Amana and Whiteside are my favorites.
Without thinking I accidentally cut the little hole for the tone switch with the wire run. Is this a big problem?
Very unique jigs
thoroughly enjoyed that!
Hey...just a tip....you should remove your logo from the bottom right because it blocks your subtitles. Move it to the top left. Other than the high pitch dentist drill sounds it was a gr8 video !!