Official Luthiers Forum!

Owned and operated by Lance Kragenbrink
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 6:21 am


All times are UTC - 5 hours





Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Is it Cheating???
PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 9:05 am 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member

Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2004 11:25 pm
Posts: 7195
Location: United States
So I've been thinking about building a Tele and a Strat for myself, and after hunting for wood and plans, and then looking online and seeing the offerings by Warmoth and others, even though I have a CNC, is it cheating to simply buy the pre-cut bodies and necks?

(LOL)


Anyone have any good 3D models or plans for the above guitars they're willing to share? Looking for an early 50's Tele plan, and a late '50's Strat plan / models.

Thanks!

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Is it Cheating???
PostPosted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 1:33 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:04 am
Posts: 5743
First name: Chris
Last Name: Pile
City: Wichita
State: Kansas
Country: Good old US of A
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
Quote:
is it cheating to simply buy the pre-cut bodies and necks?


Made a lot of money in the 80's and 90's by "cheating"....
The client gets what the client wants....

_________________
"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Is it Cheating???
PostPosted: Wed Mar 16, 2016 10:46 am 
Offline
Brazilian Rosewood
Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Fri Aug 19, 2005 4:02 am
Posts: 3227
Location: The Woodlands, Texas
First name: Barry
Last Name: Daniels
At the fairly low price they sell these for, you can hardly go wrong. Have you seen this site?

http://www.guitarfetish.com/XGP-Tele-Style-Bodies_c_548.html


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Is it Cheating???
PostPosted: Fri Mar 18, 2016 5:42 am 
Offline
Mahogany
Mahogany

Joined: Fri Oct 03, 2014 3:57 pm
Posts: 85
First name: Michael
Last Name: Lee
City: Albany Creek
State: QLD
Zip/Postal Code: 4035
Country: Australia
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I have used parts from Warmoth and they fit perfectly onto fenders. Very well produced. I have also seen a few guitarfetish complete guitars, and they are high quality.


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Is it Cheating???
PostPosted: Fri Mar 18, 2016 7:56 am 
Offline
Cocobolo
Cocobolo
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 7:59 am
Posts: 314
Location: Southwick,MA
City: Southwick, MA
I was told that using my CNC to cut a Tele body was cheating as late as last night. Haters gonna hate! The same guy later asked me to cut him a neck....You need to do what is right to optimize your time.

_________________
Mitch


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Is it Cheating???
PostPosted: Fri Mar 18, 2016 12:34 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member

Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2004 11:25 pm
Posts: 7195
Location: United States
Mitch, the point is that I have a CNC and I could cut the parts myself, but I'm highly tempted to just buy them. It feels like cheating... which is what non-CNC guys often think about CNC's. lol

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Is it Cheating???
PostPosted: Fri Mar 18, 2016 3:04 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:04 am
Posts: 5743
First name: Chris
Last Name: Pile
City: Wichita
State: Kansas
Country: Good old US of A
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
Back in the 80's many snobs in the guitar building community didn't even consider CNC made guitar parts to be luthiery.

They forgot that luthiers still have to finish the parts, level the frets, make the nuts, string and set up the instrument into a nice playing and good sounding whole per the wishes of a client - all necessary luthiery skills.

Hand made or machine made - we build or assemble guitars in order to turn a profit, and machinery just helps us do that with more consistency and accuracy. The efficiency of machinery makes us more money. Time is money, right?

So the term cheating is just BS in this instance. It you wanna make it - make it. If you don't - don't.

_________________
"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince



These users thanked the author Chris Pile for the post: Durero (Sun Mar 20, 2016 1:32 pm)
Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Is it Cheating???
PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 12:54 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2008 6:59 am
Posts: 1963
Location: Rochester Michigan
Don Williams wrote:
It feels like cheating...
lol

If it feels like cheating, it is :shock:

_________________
http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Is it Cheating???
PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 1:38 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member

Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2004 11:25 pm
Posts: 7195
Location: United States
Andy Birko wrote:
If it feels like cheating, it is :shock:


eek

How many of us have wanted to cheat at one time or another....
beehive

_________________
"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Is it Cheating???
PostPosted: Sun Mar 20, 2016 3:38 pm 
Offline
Cocobolo
Cocobolo

Joined: Sun Jun 21, 2009 6:14 pm
Posts: 439
First name: Mike
Last Name: Imbler
City: Wichita
State: KS
Zip/Postal Code: 67204
Country: usa
Focus: Build
Wow, I looked at the guitarfetish site, and I don't see how we could get the materials for what they are charging for completed pieces,
Mike


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Is it Cheating???
PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 12:00 pm 
Offline
Koa
Koa
User avatar

Joined: Mon Nov 24, 2008 12:17 pm
Posts: 1161
City: Escondido
State: CA
Zip/Postal Code: 92029
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Semi-pro
It's a Tele, right? I mean, its not like the originals were hand crafted by Italian 7th generation luthiers in Cremona. You could order a whole guitar online and swap out the electronics. Thats not cheating either. That's called getting a Telecaster.

The only reason to build a Tele by hand, as far as I can see, is to get something that is not available pre-made. If you like what is already out there, buy it. It is almost guaranteed to be cheaper (and certainly easier). But, then again, to me hand crafting a copy of a Telecaster is a little like hand crafting a custom Hyundai Elantra. beehive


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Is it Cheating???
PostPosted: Mon Mar 21, 2016 12:58 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Thu May 12, 2005 5:46 am
Posts: 2931
Location: United States
This is a slippery slope. Pretty soon you'll be walking into GC and wondering , is this cheating? ;)

_________________
Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Is it Cheating???
PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2016 3:47 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 8:01 am
Posts: 1399
Location: Houston, TX
First name: Chuck
Last Name: Hutchison
City: Houston
State: Texas
Country: United States
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Let me ask if using CNC can you still call your product hand carved, hand crafted, hand made?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

_________________
"After forty-nine years of violin building, I have decided that the search for a varnish is similar to the fox hunt. The fun is in the hunt."
Jack Batts Maker and Repairer of Fine Violins


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Is it Cheating???
PostPosted: Sun Mar 27, 2016 11:29 pm 
Offline
Contributing Member
Contributing Member
User avatar

Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2008 6:59 am
Posts: 1963
Location: Rochester Michigan
I would say that's a separate thread!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

_________________
http://www.birkonium.com CNC Products for Luthiers
http://banduramaker.blogspot.com


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 14 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 11 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
phpBB customization services by 2by2host.com