Plan on making a RG style axe, some help need please guys

[Swirly]

Hiya.

Im planning on making a guitar for my school tech project and it should be pretty cool.
Im going to base the body on my RG but try and change the horns and some of the basic contours just to smooth it out a bit.


Ive never done anything like this before so wanted to ask you guys a few questions.


Firstly, is it worth making the neck as well?Im not sure how long i have on this project, propably a few months and seeing as i havnt made a guitar before do you think that i should just try and make the body and then buy a neck of eb** .
As im basing the body on my RG ill use the AANJ so i can probably find a cheap neck, that sound like a better idea?



Im also not to sure about woods.Ive heard so many about what woods do this and what woods are cheaper but does anyone have some links or advice about suitable woods- Im planning on trying somthing such as this http://www.jemsite.com/usa/gallery/u...w1qm/index.htm with a maple top but im not sure about what maples there are and what sort of prices they range from so any info on this would be good as well please.




Also as i dont have that much cash and like i mentioned ive never done this before, i might try a hard tail RG. This way i dont have to worry about the routing for the trem and the cost of a trem can go right down by just adding a nice hardtail, Opinions?


All suggestions, opinions welcome and it would be great if some guys could suggest possible other designs or say about any problems they encountered when making their first guitar,and trying to do amaple finish


Cheers

[guitarob]

For information on neck woods, you could start here:

http://www.warmoth.com/common/frames/guitarneck.htm

I ordered a custom neck for my frankenstrat about a year ago from here and I'm very happy with it.

[Jammy]

Your best bet, as some of my friends have done is to buy a "doner guitar", an old RG or something of the like and use all the parts from that, saves alot of cash and you can still get a good mark if you make a sweet body My Mate has just finished his GCSE guitar; a cross between a jackson RR and a BC rich mockingbird, wierd, but cool!
Good luck, and post pics when your done!
-better shred than dead-ANDY

[Swirly]

Yeah, ill look out for anything that i can rip up and use for parts

I also forgot to ask, ive seen a few sites about painting/swirly bodies, but if im going for say a quilted maple top , do i just clear coat that? If so how? (Wont be able to use any spray guns or the like)

And what do you think would be the best option for the bridge. It would be cool to have a trem but i think a nice gold hardtail will suit the maple, and just give it a nice look?

[Mr Orange]

I'd recommend a stain & wax finish. Very easy to do, looks and feels cool.

If I were you, I'd buy the body unless you're handy with tools... it's no problemo otherwise, but when routing a neck pocket you have to be very precise. Experience speaking here...

[Swirly]

True. But the whole point of me doing this in school is to actually make the body.

I already have an RG body so i can always compare the two for better accuracy

[frankfalbo]

If it's your first guitar, I would recommend cutting away the area around the neck joint first, then routing your neck joint, attatching your bridge (or routing for trem) and doing pickup routs. Basically make a big rectangle guitar. That way, if you have any accidents, you didn't waste time shaping or fine sanding the guitar. Also I find it easier to cut away the area around the neck pocket rather than to rout into a neck pocket already shaped. The latter leaves open too many possibilities for chipping.