Official Luthiers Forum!

1. I will be buying a router for my first build and would like some input on what I should be purchasing.
Will be first ever build and it will be from scratch.

I found a cheap router with these specs:

Black and Decker Plunge Router, RP250

1/4-in Collet and Wrench
Variable speed motor
8,000 -27,000 rpm
10-amp motor
Sightline base
Dust Extraction port
Spindle Lock

doesn't say the HP on the site, is it important for it to have high HP? I'm trying to get all the tools I need on a smaller budget and this is $54.99. I'd like to spend a max of $89.00 on the router but if something cheaper such as this does the job that would leave me in a good spot to spend the extra on other tools I will need. I have also found some used locally for better prices but those don't come with warranties and I am unsure of how often these things malfunction.

2. I would like to build a wide semi-hollow guitar but am unsure how to go about getting the measurements for this type of guitar. I want it to look like those large archtop jazz guitars but make it thinner and semi-hollow since hollow bodies look like they would be ridiculously hard for my first build. Does anybody know where I can get some measurements? The plan that the book/dvd I have is of a strat style guitar and I don't think it would be a very good idea to walk into guitar center with a giant piece of paper and ask if i can trace one of their guitars lol

Thank you very much for the help!

I don't know about that one but I have a craftsman that I've had a few years. The plunge has gotten sticky but the motor is good, its the kind that starts slowly and revs up to full speed, supposed to make the motor last much longer. General advice, dont go for the cheapest, but you probably dont need top of the line

Oh and above all else, read the reviews.

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http://www.tinyhouseandland.com

About the archtop guitar thing, if you make a thin flat one I don't think its going to look right. Those things look so cool because they're big, deep and carved on the top and back. Id recommend going more towards a thinline tele direction for your first build. If not that, I think a 355 would be the next closest shape that might look okay flat.

Or you could go ahead and carve a top, if that's what you'd rather do, its not as hard as you might think.

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http://www.tinyhouseandland.com

You can make it any shape you like. Here's one I'm working on---very slowly....

I actually do want to carve the top but it looks very difficult lol. The book I have does not teach me how to. I saw a video of a guy who made like a grid of holes with his router and then began to carve until the depth of those holes. I don't know how deep any of those holes would be in relation to each other though. Would you happen to be able to recommend a good book on carving tops or a good instructional video?

Look at http://greedguitars.blogspot.com

Go to first project (es336)

Here's one I'm always recommending:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-2-HP-P ... bAIppwufiE

There are much better routers available, but I've had mine for six years. I bought it from another guitar builder, who had purchased it used a few years earlier. It's about ready to be upgraded, if I can ever pull together the money.

For your guitar plan, I'm building something similar to what nickinbruns posted. Those work well with acoustic guitar shapes, and with some archtop shapes. Mine is sort of a combination between an acoustic jumbo and a Gibson Byrdland.

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David Morris

I've used this B&D to build 6 guitars so far.

It has done the job well, although the plastic lever that locks the router to depth(plunge router) broke off about the 2nd or third build. Isn't a problem as there is a nut underneath, so I just use a wrench. IMO the router is really not for heavy use, but I take small cuts and several passes, which you should with all of them anyway, IMHO. I also use a forstner bit to hog out cavities and clean up with the router.
I'm hoping it will last a bit longer, but I will eventually upgrade to something a little more heavy duty. It's not showing any signs of problems, so I think I'm good for a while.
IMO, like someone else has already said, don't let lack of funds stop you from building. You can get by with a lot less tool than most pros use when you're starting out, and upgrade if you find that you're going to continue to build.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.

Double post. Sorry.

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Mike

The only thing nescessary for evil to thrive is for good men to do nothing.