Engineering the electric guitar: ENGR 1600
Interdisciplinary Studies
This course emphasized the inter-relationships between science, engineering and art. In this course I will explore engineering concepts related to manufacturing processes and scientific concepts related to the behavior of musical instruments. I constructed an electric guitar, was introduced to basic fingering and learned simple chords on the instrument.
In addition to having a completed guitar, at the end of the semester, I also:
• Learned additional presentation skills
• Was able to connect the arts with the sciences
• Gained a knowledge of manufacturing wood processes and learned about modern manufacturing technologies.
In addition to having a completed guitar, at the end of the semester, I also:
• Learned additional presentation skills
• Was able to connect the arts with the sciences
• Gained a knowledge of manufacturing wood processes and learned about modern manufacturing technologies.
Components
In this course, my guitar came as a preconfigured kit that I customized and assembled.
My kit included the following components:
Body blank and cavity cover
The control cavity contains guitar's internal electronics, and its cavity protects them from damage. I chose to work on the ES 330 semi-hollow body design as I have always wanted to own a semi-hollow guitar for playing jazz.. The available body options included shapes that are inspired by, but not identical to, the following iconic designs:
Neck and head-stock blank
The only neck options availble was a solid hardwood maple in a bolt-on configuration. This made me happy as it dramatically reduced the complexity of mounting and installing the neck.
Fretboard
The fretboard options were various colors and qualities of maple. I chose a lightly colored moderatly figured fretboard.
Hardware
The kit included the following hardware:
Electronics
The kit included the following electronics:
My kit included the following components:
Body blank and cavity cover
The control cavity contains guitar's internal electronics, and its cavity protects them from damage. I chose to work on the ES 330 semi-hollow body design as I have always wanted to own a semi-hollow guitar for playing jazz.. The available body options included shapes that are inspired by, but not identical to, the following iconic designs:
- Fender Telecaster
- Gibson Les Paul ES-335
- Gibson Les Paul ES-330 (semi-hollow body)
- Gibson SG
- Gibson Explorer
- BC Rich Warlock
Neck and head-stock blank
The only neck options availble was a solid hardwood maple in a bolt-on configuration. This made me happy as it dramatically reduced the complexity of mounting and installing the neck.
Fretboard
The fretboard options were various colors and qualities of maple. I chose a lightly colored moderatly figured fretboard.
Hardware
The kit included the following hardware:
- String Ferrets
- Bridge
- Saddles
- Truss rod
- Fret wire
- Nut
- String Tree
- Tuning Machine
Electronics
The kit included the following electronics:
- Bridge humbucker pickup
- Neck humbucker pickup
- Volume knob
- Volume potentiometer
- Tone knob
- Tone potentiometer
- Three-way toggle switch
- Capacitor
- Copper shielding tape
- Fuse holder and fuse
Tools
I used the following tools to customize and construct my guitar:
I used the following tools to install and setup my guitar's components:
- Band Saw - I used the shop's band saw, as well as my own to reduce the overall shape of the body and to rough cut the shape of my guitar body.
- Spindle Sander - I used the shop's spindle sander to further refine the shape of the body and headstock, and to reduce the size of the backplate to fit within the cavity
- Plane Sander - I used the shop's large plane sander to initially smooth and true the back of the fretboard, the fretboard mounting platform on the neck, and the neck heel,
- Handheld Router - I used the shop's hand-held router to add a round-over on the edges of my guitar's top and back.
- Handheld Belt Sander - I used my belt sander at home to rough in the shape for a carved top guitar.
- Orbital Hand Sander - I used my hand sanders to further shape and smooth my guitar body.
- Files, rasps, bastards and knives - I purchased and used several various handheld woodworking tools to add additional shaping options to my guitar. I used bastard files to shape the scallops on my fretboard.
- Flat board sanding jig - I used the shop's sanding jig to perfectly true the mounting joint of the neck and fretboard.
- Fretboard Radius sanding jig - I used the radius jig to add a radius to my fretboard.
- Drill-Press - I used the shop's drill press to drill holes for all of the various components and their mounting hardware.
I used the following tools to install and setup my guitar's components:
- Fret press
- Fret wire rounder
- Wire Cutter
- Fret crowning file
- Fret hammer
- Fret-slot saw
- Fret-slot file
- fret-board Rule
- Ruler
- String height and action gauge
- Fret Rocker
- Guitar Tuner (for intonation)
- String winder
- Soldering Iron and Solder
The Construction Process
Planning and design
1. I thought about and researched many different design considerations regarding the form and function of my guitar.
I changed and refined the design several times during the semester.
2. First attempt at body customization
In the first few classes, I focused on creating a round, smooth, body shape and and neck shape. I wanted a simple and minimalist design that lended itself to increased speed and playbility. I also wanted to make the guitar as light weight as I could without compromizing its structural integrity.
4. Neck shaping.
At home, with sanding paper only, I rounded the neck's shape as much as a could and made it as thin as I dared. I finished it with tung oil.
5. Headstock Shaping
I used the shop's band saw to cut the shape of my headstock. I hand drew my own design that mimicked the shape of the body's F holes but was considerably smaller. I used a t-square at home to remove as much wood from the headstock as I felt I could while still leaving an uninterupted line of wood from every string from top to bottom of the guitar.
6. First round of Guitar Finishing
Early in the course, at home I experimented with staining the guitar a mahogany color to try and replicate a traditional cello or violin color. After several applications and sanding back to bare wood I abandoned the staining goal.
I soaked my guitar-body in olive-oil to mousurize the wood and remove water.
I then applied three coat's of tung oil finish and sanded it to a soft matte finish of approximately 400 grit. I was very pleased with the natural appearance and comfortable texture of the guitar.
7. Fretboard installation and shaping
I used the shops clamps and tools to true the fretboard to the neck, apply a radius to the fretboard, and glue the fretboard to the neck.. I installed the neck's truss rod at this time.
8. Fretting
I used the fretsaws to deppen the fret slots, and the fret press and fret hammer to install the fret wire into the fretboard. I then used the fret rocker to make all of the frets true. I finishjed with filing and crowing the frets to make the smooth.
9. Dry fit and first setup
I installed all of the components, minus wiring, of my guitar to confrim that they all fit and functioned correctly. I took note of various mistakes I had made, mainly in regards to my fret work, then I disassembled my guitar, corrected the mistakes, and then assembled and tested again to confirm that it played.
10. Second Round of Guitar Finishing:
After I assembled my guitar, I allowed my son who was very excited about my project, to play it. Later that afternoon he accidentally bumped the gutar against a corner and there was a large gash in the body.
After sanding away the finish to repair the gash, I realized that I was just not content with the appearance of the guitar. Specifically its large cubmersome and bulky body. As I was several weeks ahead of the class, I decided to redo the shape of the guitar to make it smaller and more dramatic.
11. Disaster
As I completed the last step of body shaping, I was very pleased with the tight shape of the guitar. While carrying the guitar back from my shop to my home, the guitar slipped out of my hand, hit the ground, and shattered into 4 seperate peices.
I was devestated at the thought of investing countless hours and considerable amounts of money into this instrument, only to have it destroyed. I became depressed as I was convinced that it slipping out of my hand would probably gaurentee that I would recieve a failing grade. I did not have the time or money to purchase and assemble a second kit.
12. Inovation and Major Repairs
13. Third Round of finishing
14. Finishing Failures
15. Trusting the learning process and distressing my guitar
16. Adding personalizations, additional hardware, and an additional pickup.
17. Installing and wiring the electronic components.
With my Dad's assistance, I installed all of the elctronic components of the guitar and test that they worked correctly.
18. Setup and final assembly
Over course several hours at home, I used my own stewmac guages and the specifications provided at Stewmac.com to setup, intonate, and adjust the action of my guitar. It is extremely playalble and fast, its natural tone is very loud and true, and I am extremely happy with the results.
1. I thought about and researched many different design considerations regarding the form and function of my guitar.
I changed and refined the design several times during the semester.
2. First attempt at body customization
In the first few classes, I focused on creating a round, smooth, body shape and and neck shape. I wanted a simple and minimalist design that lended itself to increased speed and playbility. I also wanted to make the guitar as light weight as I could without compromizing its structural integrity.
4. Neck shaping.
At home, with sanding paper only, I rounded the neck's shape as much as a could and made it as thin as I dared. I finished it with tung oil.
5. Headstock Shaping
I used the shop's band saw to cut the shape of my headstock. I hand drew my own design that mimicked the shape of the body's F holes but was considerably smaller. I used a t-square at home to remove as much wood from the headstock as I felt I could while still leaving an uninterupted line of wood from every string from top to bottom of the guitar.
6. First round of Guitar Finishing
Early in the course, at home I experimented with staining the guitar a mahogany color to try and replicate a traditional cello or violin color. After several applications and sanding back to bare wood I abandoned the staining goal.
I soaked my guitar-body in olive-oil to mousurize the wood and remove water.
I then applied three coat's of tung oil finish and sanded it to a soft matte finish of approximately 400 grit. I was very pleased with the natural appearance and comfortable texture of the guitar.
7. Fretboard installation and shaping
I used the shops clamps and tools to true the fretboard to the neck, apply a radius to the fretboard, and glue the fretboard to the neck.. I installed the neck's truss rod at this time.
8. Fretting
I used the fretsaws to deppen the fret slots, and the fret press and fret hammer to install the fret wire into the fretboard. I then used the fret rocker to make all of the frets true. I finishjed with filing and crowing the frets to make the smooth.
9. Dry fit and first setup
I installed all of the components, minus wiring, of my guitar to confrim that they all fit and functioned correctly. I took note of various mistakes I had made, mainly in regards to my fret work, then I disassembled my guitar, corrected the mistakes, and then assembled and tested again to confirm that it played.
10. Second Round of Guitar Finishing:
After I assembled my guitar, I allowed my son who was very excited about my project, to play it. Later that afternoon he accidentally bumped the gutar against a corner and there was a large gash in the body.
After sanding away the finish to repair the gash, I realized that I was just not content with the appearance of the guitar. Specifically its large cubmersome and bulky body. As I was several weeks ahead of the class, I decided to redo the shape of the guitar to make it smaller and more dramatic.
11. Disaster
As I completed the last step of body shaping, I was very pleased with the tight shape of the guitar. While carrying the guitar back from my shop to my home, the guitar slipped out of my hand, hit the ground, and shattered into 4 seperate peices.
I was devestated at the thought of investing countless hours and considerable amounts of money into this instrument, only to have it destroyed. I became depressed as I was convinced that it slipping out of my hand would probably gaurentee that I would recieve a failing grade. I did not have the time or money to purchase and assemble a second kit.
12. Inovation and Major Repairs
13. Third Round of finishing
14. Finishing Failures
15. Trusting the learning process and distressing my guitar
16. Adding personalizations, additional hardware, and an additional pickup.
17. Installing and wiring the electronic components.
With my Dad's assistance, I installed all of the elctronic components of the guitar and test that they worked correctly.
18. Setup and final assembly
Over course several hours at home, I used my own stewmac guages and the specifications provided at Stewmac.com to setup, intonate, and adjust the action of my guitar. It is extremely playalble and fast, its natural tone is very loud and true, and I am extremely happy with the results.