Les Paul Build

Hey...I've finally decided (was given permission) to combine all three of my expensive hobbies into one. I've been woodworking for nearly 5 years and I've always wanted to build a guitar. Well, here goes.

We are currently in the process of trying to move across the state (probably to the next state) and I've been traveling to work every week. Since I'm not home much, its been difficult to start any new woodworking projects. Since I'm constantly thinking about new plans and designs, it is driving me crazy that I can't really start anything big. I can work on a few small projects, but they don't hold my interest for too long. I'm usually not satisfied unless I get into something big and tedious, like building 6 dining chairs at once (note to self...never do that again). So, I decided that I'm finally going to build a guitar.

Of course, I could go the recommended route and build a Telecaster or Stratocaster as my first one, but I already own a Strat and have no interest in spending the money on hardware for another one. Since I started playing guitar about 16 years ago, I wanted a Les Paul. Although not as difficult to build as an archtop or acoustic, it is still not generally recommended at a first guitar, mainly due to the carved top and set neck. "Not recommended for a beginner"...perfect.

So, if you've bothered to read this far (or skipped ahead as I normally do), you are probably wondering why I mentioned that this combines 3 hobbies. Well, I'm going to try to take pictures along the way to document my progress. I've always wanted to document my projects, but once I get going, I don't like to stop and take pictures. Since it's hard (and dangerous) to hold a camera while operating machinery, I will probably only have pictures showing after a cut, not before or during.

That's all for now...I will be posting again shortly.