Belonging to a guitar club has been an invaluable asset, both in guitar making and guitar playing. Socializing and networking with peers, has allowed me a certain advantage over competition. For one thing, I get to stay on top of the latest news, techniques, and equipment which keep me up to date and aid me in improving my personal craft guitar making. I also have an opportunity to explore people’s minds and find out what it is that they want in a guitar. I also get to be around some of the other greatest guitar makers in the country so I can see the latest and the greatest things now coming out and at the same time, show others what I have done.

The other thing that has been an extremely important advantage of belonging to guitar club is that I get to network with the exact people from whom I get paid work. Meeting people from all over had helped to advance my business and the knowledge I have gained from these people, has been very important.

One of the better networking situations associated with guitar club memberships are the trade shows that are held. There are always the largest suppliers from across the country attending the show. Getting the opportunity to check out the latest supplies and tools is necessary to keep educating myself on current trends in guitar making. For example, the Brisbane Guitar and Amp show, can draw up to 5,000 people, which gives me a prime opportunity to show my instruments to the right audience.

Since I both work as a guitar maker and enjoy guitar playing, becoming a member of a guitar club just makes sense in every way and I would recommend it to others interested in guitar making and playing.

When making a guitar whether you are making a standard guitar or a custom guitar, there are many considerations to make. Generally, you have to stick to the shapes that are always used. The ways you can deviate from the norm with a handmade guitar is by using more exotic woods and a different range of color not usually seen on guitars you find in a store.

The size and shapes of the guitars will affect their sound. Larger, gloomier sounds will come from a bigger guitar. Smaller-bodies produce sounds that are not as loud. Besides the shape of the guitars, one of the biggest tasks involved in guitar-making is researching and learning the qualities of different woods. I personally use spruce wood for the sound boards. Other popular choices for the sound board are the western red cedar and the red wood from America. Australian wood called hoop pine and the King William pine that comes from Tasmania. Obtaining the wood for your guitar making project can be fairly expensive. Depending on the quality and type of wood used, you can spend around $15 to $100 buying a top.

The tools required to make a guitar are few. Basically, you could make one on your own kitchen table. But a list of general tools needed is as follows: good hand saws, good hand planes, a couple of good, sharpened chisels, little saws to cut fret slots, a miter box to hold your saw and saw the frets, and a band saw. An electric band saw helps to cut the larger pieces of wood and should run a continuous blade saw around two wheels. A router is also essential for cutting the little ledge around the edge of the instrument where you fit the plastic or wood binding.

In addition to the physical supplies needed to make guitars, you also need to have a commitment to doing the work. The process is not week-long. It takes time to do the steps correctly and in the appropriate order. You need to be comfortable and able to work with your hands. Patience is also necessary when making a guitar if you plan to see the project through to the end.