Build Your Own

Our guitar making courses

kevin top and back plates

Build your own Guitar – ‘Secret’ Date – Mon 16 April

Apr 19th

Posted by Mark in Acoustic guitars

3 comments

Extra day for local builders…and Kevin

‘Secret’ Dates

Most people on the course have to come and finish in one go – we get them from all over Europe and beyond so it is not possible to ‘pop’ back for workshop days here and there. We do however put on extra days for local builders as they are more flexible. Local builders have the option of coming one day a month and can choose from available ‘secret’ dates to complete their build. Contact us if you are interested whether you are local or not – Carol will be able to tell you which course will suit you, when these days are, or you can check availability of non ‘secret’ dates here.

Moyra

Moyra is making a cocobolo version of the Bailey Sweet P and came for a couple of hours to glue on her neck and bridge. You can see a photo gallery of her guitar being made here. Next time she will finish her guitar with a fret dress and set up – can’t wait!  Got the next one planned yet Moyra?

Kevin

This was day four for Kevin who stayed on after the 3 days to get a bit further on his version of the Bailey Bootlegger. He has now finished bracing his soundboard and back plates and now only has to carve the braces and they are finished. Next time he comes he will bend the sides, then start assembling his body. If there is enough time he will also start work on the neck.

Ian

Ian already made his neck last time he came so this time it was to work on his body. The body has chambers and we will eventually cut an f-hole into the birds eye maple top. Apart from the f-hole he managed to get his body routed and cut out so one more day of woodwork and it should be ready for spraying.

Stevie

Stevie carved the heel on his neck and rough sanded the neck and body. His bass is now ready for us to spray. We still have to work out some kind of pickup system soon as he is nearly finished. This may not be straight forward as it is a 5 string archtop and there are few ‘off the shelf’ solutions out there. We will probably go for a custom job made by Kent Armstrong for the neck position but Stevie also would like a piezo bridge so I will see what is available and come up with some options for him.

More courses |  Check dates and availability | The Bailey Collection


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End of day 3

BUILD YOUR OWN GUITAR Part 1- continues in June

Apr 18th

Posted by Mark in Acoustic guitars

1 comment

Location: Bailey workshop

Fri April 13 2012 - 10:00 AM

Sun April 15 2012 - 5:00 PM

Kevin, Martin, Graham and Jon

Build Your Own Guitar/Bass course

This is a split, two weekend course, for people who are unable to come for a whole week and want to make something with more options than the Build your First Guitar Course. It also enables acoustic makers who need more time to pick and mix weekend dates over a longer period. Carol is a logistical genius and somehow manages to keep us all on track – contact her here for available dates.

Kevin

Kevin is starting his fourth guitar on the course – I don’t seem to have a photo of his first one (Send me one if you can Kevin!) but previously he made a single cut with an f-hole, and then this particularly attractive Bass. This time he is making an acoustic based on the original Bailey Bootlegger.

Martin

Martin is making a set neck, single cut, 6 string guitar with chambered body. He chose a Flamed Maple cap with a mahogany back. The neck is also Mahogany with a Rosewood fretboard.

Graham

Graham is building a bolt on style guitar with a drop top and has chosen a beautiful piece of Australian Blackwood for the front which contrasts beautifully with the Ash back. His neck is Birds Eye Maple with an Ebony fretboard.

Jon

Jon is making a thru neck 4 string fretless bass. The five piece neck is made from three Flamed Maple and two Walnut laminates glued together. His body wings are Basswood and he chose some Maple for the cap.

Three days later…

After three days a lot of progress has been made. Martin, Graham and Jon have all but completed their necks and have all made a start on the bodies.

Kevin was booked onto one of our extra ‘secret’ dates, normally reserved for our local builders, so he stayed an extra day – see next post…

This course will continue in June.

More Courses | Check Prices and Availability

 


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The workshop design session layout

Design Your Own Guitar – 1 Day Course

Feb 27th

Posted by Mark in Build Your Own

5 comments

Saturday 25 Feb 2012 at the Bailey Workshop

Design Your Own Guitar – 1 day course

Ever wanted to design your own guitar? Or get a custom guitar but don’t know where to start? Want to build your own dream guitar?

Design your own Guitar is our newest course and is rapidly becoming a favourite. It is a great way to get a feel for the workshop and decide whether to come back on another course to actually build it, or have me do it. Of course there is no obligation, some of our ‘designers’ just want to make a drawing and leave it at that. You could even have the guitar made elsewhere, or build it at home under your own steam, in your own time, either way this course is an excellent starting point. But if you do decide to go ahead and commission your design we will deduct the price of this course from the total price.

The idea is to begin with a blank sheet of paper and work through the entire design process, making vital decisions as we go, to finish with a custom guitar drawing of your very own. We try and pack in as much useful information as humanly possible including answering any questions as they arise.

The course covers all aspects of the design including discussions on construction styles, wood, hardware, bridges, tuners, pickups and electrics. All participants leave with a working drawing. The course also includes our Guitar Magic DVD and Bailey T Shirt to take away with you, and a work shop tour including a visit to the wood room.

It is worth pointing out that three of our participants this time had been bought the course as a gift, another increasing trend we are finding, and what a present to get!

There is much myth and confusion around the world of guitar design, this course aims to fix that.

Make it real!

This time it looks like four of the designs will eventually be made into guitars.

Allan is considering commissioning me to make his design for him. Nick and Alex have already themselves booked on our build your own guitar course.

James came to find out more about guitars and to get to know us a bit better, he is Nick’s father.

Ian also wanted just to learn, but by lunch was talking about signing up to build his own, and left with that familiar glint in his eye.

Steve has already built a few guitars at home on his own and wanted to fill in a few gaps in his knowledge.

Overall it was a very enjoyable day, and considerably less stressful for everyone as no wood was cut – a great introduction to the world of guitar making.

Design your own guitar ¦ Check Prices and Availability ¦  Other courses


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build your own acoustic 016

Build your own acoustic guitar – BYOA-016

Jan 11th

Posted by Mark in Acoustic guitars

5 comments

Doreen made this here in the Bailey workshop on our Build your own acoustic guitar course – a Xmas gift for her man Andy, lucky bloke!

This guitar was finished in December but I have not published it till now because I did not want to ruin the surprise…it is actually a joint ‘significant’ birthday and Xmas gift rolled into one. I hope it gives both of them a lot of pleasure for years to come (I’m sure Andy will let her have a go from time to time!).

All the features of the design were chosen by Doreen including the Dreadnought shape, Rosewood back and sides, Sitka spruce top and Mahogany neck. Rosewood was also used for the binding, fretboard, bridge and headstock veneer.

She also chose some other custom options to make the guitar a very personal and unique special gift. The soundboard has a Spalted maple rosette and an ‘all seeing eye’ logo on the body behind the bridge. Mother of pearl was used to inlay the initials on the 12th fret and ‘Doreen’ on the headstock.

She has worked really hard to make this guitar in time for Xmas and I think you will agree she did a fantastic job- well done Doreen!

Interested in making your own guitar? | More courses | More BYO Guitars


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Bailey Bootlegger with larger headstock

Build yor own acoustic guitar – BYOA-017

Dec 20th

Posted by Mark in Acoustic guitars

2 comments

Duncan made this acoustic guitar here at the Bailey workshop on our Build Your Own Guitar course

Duncan has been a few times before to build electric guitars, but this is his first acoustic. The shape is based on the Bailey Bootlegger but he designed his own bridge and chose a larger headstock than the standard. He also carefully selected every piece of timber from our wood store to make what has to be one of the most spectacular guitars ever made on the BYO course.

The body has Myrtlewood back and sides and a Sitka spruce top and is bound with rosewood. As if the wood itself wasn’t beautiful enough Duncan also used abalone for the rosette and crown inlays,  not forgetting the elaborate ‘Watson/Eagle’ logo on headstock.

Imagine playing a guitar you have made yourself? Now you can!

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