Telecaster Electric Guitar

Telecaster Electric Guitar

Overview:

As a guitar soloist and aspiring engineer, I love combining my passions. To bring together my musical knowledge and engineering skills, I designed and built a Telecaster-style electric guitar.

Constructed from walnut and maple, the guitar was crafted in the Makerspace at Saint John’s High School with the guidance of my engineering teacher and mentor.

Fabrication Procedures

Glueing the Walnut:

  • Used small pieces to make the guitar affordable without compromising the sound

  • Glued together with Titebond III wood glue

  • Clamped overnight

CNC the Guitar Body:

  • Using a Shopbot CNC router to mill the body with a pocket for electronics

  • Precise and clean finish

  • Pre-drilled holes inside the body for wiring

  • Require miminal post-processing

Post-Process the Guitar Body:

  • Drill all the holes according to the laser-cut template

  • Double-check the location of the pockets

  • Sanding the surfaces and edges for smooth finish

Paint and Install Electronics:

  • Paint the guitar white with 10 layers of paint

  • Handmade painting “tent“ in the basement

  • longest procedure, took more than a week to finish all the paints