Want to learn to make your own custom electric guitar? If you enjoy do-it-yourself projects and crafts, you might want to save money and show off your skill by building your own instrument. You may even be able to help your friends learn how to make an electric guitar or teach a class for others to build their own.

Making a guitar is a relatively complex project that will require tools such as, at the very least, a saw, rasp, files, a drill, screws, and a chisel. Before you get started, make sure you have these things, as well as a clear workspace away from children and pets. This is not a simple, glue it together out of the box project and research and learning how to make an electric guitar of your own begins before you pick up the first tool. It is important to understand what the impact of certain pieces of the instrument are, what effects the sound, and to know how quickly you can move from one assembly step to the next. Rushing through this project won't yield the best results for your music sound.

Taking part in building the instrument you will play makes it even more special for the performances you will take part in. The guitar can be personalized to have the features and style you like best and when possible combine the best features of several of your favorite store bought electric guitars. These basic steps will get you started on building your first guitar.

1. Choose a wood, such as solid alder or maple. Get sheets in the desired thickness (think about how heavy you want your guitar to be)
2. Carefully examine a guitar that you like to see how to shape, or refer to a guide such as the one at Maximum Musician's website. http://www.maximummusician.com/Anatomy.htm
3. Trace the pattern of a body, neck and head onto the wood (these 3 parts will fit together to make your guitar)
4. Carve out the patterns with a sturdy saw
5. Chisel to perfect the shape
6. Rasp and file smooth
7. Paint when completed

This is a very basic list of the steps you will go through to build the shell of the instrument. It is advisable to have an instruction book on hand as you go through this project so you can refer to diagrams and instructions as you progress.

You will need to purchase multiple parts to attach to your guitar. These include:

1. Bridge
2. Pickups
3. Volume control knobs
4. Frets
5. Tuning pegs
6. Strings
7. Whammy Bar

• Visit your local music shop to find out more about parts, and to get live help from an expert. It is advisable to check your local store to get an idea of what the price range and quality of items in your local area is. Then check out the same parts and other brands on line to determine if your local music store prices are comparable. If you have limited store resources online music stores may be your best option. Parts are lightweight and shipping may be free or at most a small amount of money to have them mailed to your or sent UPS. Consider the brand name of the parts you are ordering to insure you get a quality item for your guitar.

Check the wiring diagram for the electric portions you will install to be sure you have everything needed. If you're working on a bass guitar make sure your pickup is one for a bass, otherwise your sound will not be accurate.

To learn all of the details for your specific guitar, enlist in the help of a comprehensive guide. Complete books are written on the subject, as there can be much involved. Check out your local library, music store, book seller to find a book that suits you.

One highly rated book on Amazon.com which may be useful in the guitar building process is Make Your Own Electric Guitar by Melvin Hiscock. The book provides guidance on choosing the type of guitar and then instructions on 3 different types. It can be ordered from Amazon or may be available in the local library.http://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Own-Electric-Guitar/dp/0953104907

If you don't have your own thoughts on what style of guitar to build or maybe need a plan to work from, another book option to consider is Build Your Own Electric Guitar: Complete Instructions and Full-Size Plans. This book by Martin Oakham carries you through the building process to include the wiring and set up and offers photos to show what the step being performed looks like.

Instructables.com is a website which offers instructions on how to build specific items and may be useful as you take on this task. http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-Your-Own-Electric-Guitar If you've got the body of the guitar in tact but need help with the wiring, Seymour Duncan website offers wiring schematics which may be useful. http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/