Building James Hetfield's Guitar In My Garage!

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I've never built a guitar before, but I do have a shop full of woodworking tools and experience building things. So I decided to build a tribute guitar to one of my musical icons, James Hetfield of @metallica
Modeled after his Ken Lawrence Explorers, I built this out of mahogany with a rosewood fretboard. Check out my first attempt at building a guitar, and let me know what I can do better for my next guitar build!
Thanks for the inspiration to the following people:
Rob Schweitzer ( / freewheelwoodworking )
Crimson Guitars
- www.crimsonguitars.com/
- / @crimsoncustomguitars
Tchiks Guitars: / @tchiksguitars
Here's some of the tools I used in this build from our Amazon Storefront (commissions earned on sales):
bit.ly/GDGuitarTools
Please like, comment, subscribe, and hit the notification button so you do not miss future videos!
Affiliate Links:
- Check out our Amazon Storefront for any of the tools you see in the video, including the guitar building tools (we earn commissions on sales): www.amazon.com/shop/garagedwe...
- For 10% off your purchase on Magswitch Products, click on the link below and use coupon code DWELLERS10.
magswitch.com/?ref=ziS6BeH7ZR...
- Interested in growing your woodworking business? Check out Craft To Career!
crafttocareer.com/accelerator...
Custom Furniture:
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Social:
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00:00 - Intro
00:30 - Making the scarf joint
02:12 - Routing the truss rod channel
05:25 - Tool hero #1 - The bandsaw
06:43 - Template routing
08:26 - Making the fretboard
10:05 - Shaping the neck/Tool hero #2 - Oscillating spindle sander
12:55 - Installing the side dots
15:05 - Installing the frets
16:29 - Tool hero #3 - the drill press/Making the body cavities
18:34 - Gluing up the neck
19:35 - The electronics cavity
20:29 - Hetfield's guitars/the finishing details
22:41 - The electronics cavity cover and controls
24:06 - Finish and hardware installation
26:31 - How does it sound?

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Опубликовано:

25 июн 2024

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Комментарии : 2,5 тыс.

@ccrabtree1843 7 месяцев назад

Guitarists and wood worker have something in common. For guitarist that quesiton of "how may guitars do you need", the answer is always 1 more. For woodworker that quesiton of how many clamps do you need that too is always, 1 more.

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Being both, I can confirm how correct your statement is 😂

@MajorUpgrade 7 месяцев назад

I love this comment.

@ccrabtree1843 7 месяцев назад

Same@@garagedwellersww

@acdclexu6296 7 месяцев назад

thats always my answer i have 30 guitars now😅

@MajorUpgrade 7 месяцев назад

@@acdclexu6296 Same, and it is getting hard to store them.

@TMBTM 7 месяцев назад

I'm sure James Hetfield would love this video. Totally his kind of thing.

@billdavis6900 2 месяца назад

Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't James Hetfield have a couple of custom explorer shaped guitars that were made of wood from a garage they used to practice in?

@rcc_96 2 месяца назад

@@billdavis6900That is correct. However, it’s only the top laminate that is made from the garage wood. The base of the guitar is still mahogany.

@billdavis6900 2 месяца назад

@@rcc_96 I got ya. I remember seeing some video of Metallica going to that house and the current owners having a party for them. The house in question was the first place they lived when they moved up there from LA. The garage was their practice space. When the current owners tore down the old garage, they salvaged some of the wood for it.

@vincentkingsdale8334 Месяц назад

Yeayyyeaaahhhhhhh!!!!

@RubyRoks 5 месяцев назад

I'm not a luthier or woodworker of any kind, but i've watched a ton of guitar making videos. A guitar this complex being your first is impressive, and you did a great job on this.

@garagedwellersww 5 месяцев назад

Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!

@alwaysalways1392 4 месяца назад

I'm going to echo RubyRoks' post here. ABSOLUTELY, you should do more guitar builds in the NEAR future! Awesome, awesome job you've done with this one! God Bless!

@Noteven0 5 месяцев назад

I’m a drummer and custom drum builder, so I can definitely appreciate the intricacy of instrument crafting, but wow bro, you are on a whole other level! Even by professional standards, that was an outstanding build, and with your attention to detail, patience and dedication, I’d say you’re well on your way to becoming a competent luthier.

@garagedwellersww 5 месяцев назад

Thanks, very much appreciate it especially from a pro!

@MrZeusyMoosey 7 месяцев назад

This is definitely the coolest guitar making video I've seen, and I've watched A LOT of them. Please do more in the future.

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Thanks! Will do!

@ckmoore101 7 месяцев назад

As a fellow garage woodworker, whose first foray into guitar building was diving headfirst, making my own body from mahogany/maple/walnut (telecaster shape), I know better than most how hard it is, and just how many times, you thought, "i hope this is the right thing to do!!" Brother, you did the right thing a lot more times than I did...... bravo.

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Thank so much - love to see other garage woodworkers out there!

@zachhickey5887 6 месяцев назад

Outlaw torn.. one of my all time favorite songs in general! Beautiful build!

@dragonpup1 6 месяцев назад

A tip for next time: EMG active pick ups actually already are shielded so you dont need shielding paint, however its always good practice :)

@MrGul 7 месяцев назад

Holy MOLY, that's a beautiful guitar! Hugely impressed that this is your actual first guitar build. I hope you make many more in the future.

@Havoc1019 6 месяцев назад

" Harvester of Sorrow " is my favorite song and the first album I purchased with my paper route. I bought the vinyl in 1988 and found it recently at my parents' house as we were cleaning stuff out. Great job, man!

@Krullmatic 19 дней назад

Man, phenomenal job! You'll cherish this thing forever!

@ericwalsh2155 7 месяцев назад

Great video and an amazing build!! You should be incredibly proud of the job you did, I can’t imagine the amount of work you put in to end up with that super dope explorer!!

@adityap8746 7 месяцев назад

Uff my word that looks and sounds great! For your first build that is phenomenal!

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Thank you - it turned out better than I had hoped!

@jimmyjoe1871 5 месяцев назад

Also I’m so happy that you tackled this project. Kudos on a fine first build!

@dooksan 2 месяца назад

St. Anger of course! Awesome. Really enjoyed watching this.

@nitrojunkie9027 7 месяцев назад

Beautiful build man, it turned out great! Harvester of Sorrow

@user-lu8ch2qe6p 7 месяцев назад

Excellent video and excellent guitar! Thank you so much for the job you have done!

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Thank you so much for watching!

@davidmiller180 6 месяцев назад

Labor of Love. That turned out absolutely beautiful!

@nunobarbosa8248 3 месяца назад

Wonderful!!!!! Congrats! I would buy one definitively!

@danielsmart8398 7 месяцев назад

What an absolutely fantastic job!!! That is no easy task! Well done my man, elite! 💪🎸

@Targula 7 месяцев назад

Love it mate, well done. Unforgiven II or Welcome Home would be 2 of my favourites. I actually have a Gibson Explorer so it was great to see how this was made!

@ReignitedAuto 7 месяцев назад

That looks absolutely beautiful my man, terrific work 👏

@FernandoOliveira1979 2 месяца назад

Congratz for your build! Hope to see more guitars here!

@jesuscoss8539 5 месяцев назад

Great work. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Phil

@burningkarma 5 месяцев назад

There is no way you have never built a guitar before! Outstanding job. You're a true artist for sure.

@bes5164 5 месяцев назад

*you had never built

@kcmcdade4151 7 месяцев назад

This is a great video and it turned out awesome for a first try. I made an explorer shaped ukulele a few years ago...that project spawned from the same inspiration as this build. Great work man!

@chrismyatt2455 4 месяца назад

This is great, i love watching stuff like this, great job :)

@mpstenz3520 3 месяца назад

Wow! Great work.

@GeezerNerdRox 7 месяцев назад

Masterfully done, epic, absolutely beautiful….with such a successful first build I cannot wait to see what you will produce with build number 25…….🎸🤘🎶

@PunkIsNotDead94 7 месяцев назад

Real nice build my man! You inspire me to build a guitar myself! BTW, my favorite Metallica song is "For Whom The Bell Tolls"

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

You should absolutely try - it was a ton of fun.

@Killstrike66602 5 месяцев назад

Very good job! Love the way it turned out!!

@DaCostaGuitars 6 месяцев назад

Tip for your next guitar if ever, I've been building for the last decade & learnt a lot too. One thing about your break angle for the neck - it's always good to have the bridge you're using to really calculate what pitch angle the neck needs for proper string height at those higher frets. Not all bridges are the same in height, & for Gibson style bridges, you want the bridge to be a few millimeters raised above its lowest point. For anything Tremolo style (floyd rose, traditional strat) those usually don't need much of an angle (if any at all) because they sit rather flat over the body itself.

@kmbs4913 7 месяцев назад

Beautiful😮 I love that it is not overdone, minimalistic in a good way on a guitar😮

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Glad you like it!

@michaelcordero5588 5 месяцев назад

So clean!

@Guitarrockstar5683 2 месяца назад

Simply amazing! Awesome job!

@radfury23g32 7 месяцев назад

This video found me at the perfect time! I'm also a woodworker who recently decided to dive into building a guitar...I'm sure I'll mess up a lot on my first try but hopefully watching this video helps me avoid some things I was going to miss

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Glad it found you - good luck with your build, its a ton of fun!

@TheKayser13 7 месяцев назад

Congrats. Very inspiring ! Enjoy

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Thank you for checking it out 🤘🏻

@tatersalad2067 6 месяцев назад

Wow! Beautiful

@HeROsiNhEaVeN 7 месяцев назад

Phenomenal…..I’m proud for you…🙏🏻❤️🎸💪🏻🇺🇸

@burtsgurt 7 месяцев назад

You did a badass job!!! I’d love to have to tools to be able to build an E-type guitar myself! The only upgrade I recommend for the next build is to have the strings pull straight through the nut to the machine heads. Headstock design and layout are huge on how well the guitar stays in tune!

@elliottfields5336 6 месяцев назад

one is my favorite song, very cool being able to see how the process works!!!

@warrenmendez104 5 месяцев назад

Great job! Amazing build

@Coltsniper1106 7 месяцев назад

Pretty damn good for a first guitar build 👌 Must of taken a lot of patience with all the cuts and drilling!

@coxjimmy8395 3 месяца назад

Wow that is incredible!!

@in2itionalex 5 месяцев назад

Woow great work man!!!😮👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼

@heystarfish100 7 месяцев назад

Congratulations on your new build. It looks amazing and seems to play just great. 😎

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Thank you so much - I’m really happy with it 😃. Thank you for checking the video out!

@intertubicular 6 месяцев назад

Wow, That was a ton of work, and attention to detail. I'm thrilled that you created/ fabricated your own functional electric guitar from the ground up.What an accomplishment!

@garagedwellersww 6 месяцев назад

Thank you! It was a really fun project!

@shadowslipping 3 месяца назад

Beautifully done👌🏼

@patrickbelliot 6 месяцев назад

Beautiful job ! Incredible !

@MarkGray1970 7 месяцев назад

It looks and sounds great!

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Thank you - Really happy with it.

@HachiMaru8086 7 месяцев назад

Amazing! I think it came out great for your first try building a guitar!

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Thanks - I think so too!

@user-pk4kb8bx9g 6 месяцев назад

A pleasure to watch you work this. Excellent. Thank you.

@garagedwellersww 6 месяцев назад

Thank you for watching!

@xshooter2006 6 месяцев назад

Absolutely amazing

@BaldybynatureFpv 7 месяцев назад

This is super cool !Hetfield got me inspired to play guitar too. Blackened is my favorite track from them , although there are so many great ones Orion could be My favorite too , especially the interlude where Cliffs bass is upfront .

@thehoodie7740 7 месяцев назад

For a first guitar, that is amazing! It was interesting to see some of the cross-overs between guitar-lutheiring and woodworking

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Yes, lots of crossover for sure

@jamesoniris2647 14 дней назад

Looks and sounds great my man! I’m not a luthier nor am I a woodworker but I’ve always been interested in those fields. Amazing work man- can’t wait to see more

@Adubz819 6 месяцев назад

Incredible work

@treyb387 7 месяцев назад

I've been wanting to do woodworking for a long time, and perhaps full time on my own for a living. My dream would be to build custom guitars for people since ive been playing guitars since i was 15. I also love Tchicks RU-vid page, his guitars are amazing and his videos are extremely helpful. I definitely loved this video as well, most just show off but you actually show how to do it, even if it's a first time for you. I'd love my first custom built guitar to be a replica of Kirk Hammett's KH2 Mummy from ESP, but I'd do Boris Karloff's Frankenstein Monster instead, and name the guitar "The Monster". My favorite MetallicA song is The Unforgiven btw, Ive seen them live 3 times including driving across Pennsylvania to see them on my birthday last year. I also just subscribed to your channel. Thanks for posting!

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

That would be such a cool build - I would love to see it! I want to make one with a trem bar at some point too. I just saw them live on tour in August - still amazing! Thank you so much for watching and subscribing!

@schm4704 7 месяцев назад

For radiusing the fretboard, I used a block plane mostly and only sanded the last tiny bit. That sped up things considerably.

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

I’m going to do that for my next fretboard.

@markgouras1099 4 месяца назад

Bravo! Very Nice work!

@HakesJBOfficial 6 месяцев назад

I enjoy watching from start to finish!

@mattrogers1902 6 месяцев назад

I’ve always been amazed with Brian Mays red special. I wouldn’t dream of making a guitar but to make one out of stuff that’s lying around and make everything work is another level.

@saniydel 6 месяцев назад

Wow!!! I wish a could do that! Amazing!!!

@Cabeza492 6 месяцев назад

Outstanding job! Even for a first build! You are a very skilled handcraftman!

@garagedwellersww 6 месяцев назад

Thank you!

@Aflind 5 месяцев назад

Cool!! Very impressive👍

@SebaVDP 5 месяцев назад

amazing job!!!

@ashwolf1977 7 месяцев назад

Imagine you can build your own guitar, build based on what you like, how comfy it is in your hand 💯. This is inspiring 🙌. Congrats brother!

@saulgoodeguitars 7 месяцев назад

Great effort for your first go and I can tell you from experience it is very addictive I think some people get hung up on the correct way to build guitars To me it’s rock and roll, no rules as long as you be as safe as you can If it works it works, you’ll pick up things the along the way

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

I’m working on a bass, and have plans for a couple more guitars. It is addicting for sure!

@TheJeracuda 3 месяца назад

I've watched a few guitar builds here on RU-vid and of all the ones I've watched you actually explain everything a lot better than anybody else has that I've seen

@simonb3280 2 месяца назад

Awesome. You rock!

@rickhenry8760 7 месяцев назад

Superb craftsmanship with the utmost highest respect. The action, sound and tone is unbelievable. Congratulations on one of the most well built guitars that you used a lot of care in building. All The Best !

@metalage1975 7 месяцев назад

Amazing work mate. One of the best videos on guitar building I've seen, especially for a non Luthier. Fave Metallica song is, Leper Messiah

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Thank you, much appreciated! Great song choice 👍🏻

@tobalreyesg 6 месяцев назад

Dude! Love the craftsmanship, the guitar turned out beautiful!!! Cheers!

@mikes7188 6 месяцев назад

So sick!!!

@kristanbenson803 7 месяцев назад

That’s a great guitar - the 12th frets gonna give me nightmares lol, first build though it’s awesome!

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Haha, yeah that one went wonky. I laugh about it every time I play it.

@armanddoulat 7 месяцев назад

Wow man that guitar you made is a masterpiece! I made a guitar too (it’s a SG replica, as a fan of Angus Young) and it was the best feeling on earth when I could hold it in my hands! You made an amazing job! P.S.: my favorite Metallica song is Sad But True

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Great song choice! And I love the SG, fun one to play.

@ambientepararelajacion2907 4 месяца назад

Just wow... can't imagine the feeling and satisfaction of holding a hand made by yourself guitar. Incredible!

@petedazer3381 6 месяцев назад

Excellent work and advice, many thanks!

@rodrigodiazsilva9304 7 месяцев назад

Muy buen trabajo! Hermosa guitarra, muchas gracias por compartir tu arte. My favorite Metallica song is Diposables Heroes.

@tommythiel9268 7 месяцев назад

For whom the bell tolls, great build 👍

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Thanks 👍

@Xection8 6 месяцев назад

Incredible build, very inspiring!!!!!

@Valou_56 3 месяца назад

Amazing work !

@airbornedusty 7 месяцев назад

Tremendous video. Really enjoyed it and appreciate the effort you put in. Going for Creeping Death

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Thank you!

@mossieurpropre 7 месяцев назад

Hi there, Nice first build, it turned out well ! Some comments however : - The tune-o-matic bridge should have a slight angle (longer on the low E string), I think something like 1.5 or 2 degrees ; check your Les Paul for that - James doesn't have any tone pot on his guitars, he's using 2 volumes (especially on his Ken Lawrence's) - Also, James is usually using Sperzel locking tuners on his Explorers Now you've tasted the joy of making your own guitar, I'm pretty sure you'll make a second one !

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

For the bridge, do you mean the break angle of the neck? Because I did do that. Otherwise I'll compare. Thanks for the extra info! And yes, I'm already working on a bass, and then eventually a longer scale metal machine with a trem bar.

@chrisdudeword1 7 месяцев назад

If I’m not mistaken, he’s referring to tilting the bridge slightly off left or right. So the distance between the low e saddle and the stop tail is slightly longer than the distance from the high e saddle to the stop tail piece.

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Ahhh, looked at my Les Paul and Just noticed that. I've owned that guitar for 20 years and never really noticed before 😬. Thanks for the tip!

@SDB362 4 месяца назад

Absolutely beautiful!!!!!

@Ryixxx 3 месяца назад

one is my my fav. that solo just makes me start floating

@alonglongchar8608 5 месяцев назад

Sir, thank you so much for sharing

@JEEJ_MUSIC 7 месяцев назад

Absolutely incredible video and result! Quick tip for next time- when using your fret mallet (15:47) it is recommended to use the orange plastic side of the head instead of the metal counterweight. The metal could possibly dent or flatten your frets whereas the plastic is a bit softer on the material. Sounds like it didn’t matter though, turned out great!!!

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Thanks for the tip - learning a lot in the comments!

@ecalzo 7 месяцев назад

You did very very well and all the other people (guitar builders) that you've mentioned are top notch... also Metallica .. i saw them a bunch of times .. my favourite song i think it is Sanitarium .. and To live is to die .. with Orion .. too .. take care man

@iBenCruz 4 месяца назад

Man, that is badass!!!

@tylerjohnson5949 3 месяца назад

Thank you for actually explaining the router, (and other tools), There is a lot of finesse to the router that ppl don't realize!

@thehoppo 7 месяцев назад

Nicely done, I would have like to have seen you make a custom truss rod cover maybe engraved with your GD logo (if you have one), would have also liked to have seen that back cover a much darker , maybe walnut type colour for a nice contrast (as well as 3 more screws than the 3 you have!!)

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

Both good ideas. I’ve seen some cool cavity covers that use magnets as well

@Ak-Bal 7 месяцев назад

Sé que suena cliché, pero esto es realmente maravilloso. Que dedicación !

@henrydelgada 6 месяцев назад

Nicely done! Favorite song -Blackened

@BasementShopGuy 7 месяцев назад

Machinist here (also a wood worker). When you drilled your tuner holes, I noticed the drill bit wobbling. That will most likely be shaking whatever you are drilling and I’ve experienced the same thing myself. You need a new chuck. Most woodworking tools come with very low quality chucks. Replacing them is pretty easy but I would get something like an Albrecht the run-out is almost none. That will improve your experience ten fold. A new “hero” 😊. I also had a an idea for you, provided you’re going to build another guitar. I would make a stand that is the height of your workbench and slightly thinner then the fretboard, so it will support the entire neck while shaping and sanding. I saw that flexing and bending, and I know it probably slowed you down a bit. In any case this was a great video and I enjoyed it Totally. I love Hatfield and have been a big Metallica fan since the 80s and I also play guitar as well. Now you need to build Kirks guitar 😎

@garagedwellersww 7 месяцев назад

I noticed that while editing too. I actually bought a new floor model drill press - some of my bigger furniture pieces needed more capacity and power. New one is wobble free!

@g..s..s.. 6 месяцев назад

Thats a lot of words to say runout 😂. I'm curious as to what tolerances are acceptable in guitar making. Not quite as demanding as aerospace but more than so than framing/roofing 😂.

@frankgreen178 2 месяца назад

Great work!

@jayguneyler4507 5 месяцев назад

As someone who has a Gibson Explorer since 1993 because of Mr JH, I must say, you guitar you built is outstanding. BTW my favorite Metallica song is Disposable Heroes

@Lustiga_Katten 7 месяцев назад

Fade to black and nothing else matters are my favorites. Also I’m so impressed by the fact that this is your first guitar build that you did directly from just wood etc.😎😎