How to Build a Low-Cost Electric Guitar from Scrap Materials

I've decided to take on the fun project of building my own electric guitar using scrap materials I have lying around. As a beginner, I want to make something simple and inexpensive before attempting more complex builds. Here is my step-by-step guide on how I built a basic electric guitar on a budget.

Planning the Guitar Design

Before gathering materials, I needed to plan out the guitar design. Important factors to decide include:

Body shape: Stratocaster, Telecaster, Les Paul etc. I opted for a simple Telecaster shape.
Body wood: Solid wood like ash, alder or basswood. I used scrap pine boards I had.
Neck wood: Maple, mahogany, rosewood. I went with a basic maple neck.
Fretboard wood: Maple, rosewood, ebony. I used a piece of scrap oak.
Hardware: Bridge, tuners, pickups, pots/knobs. I salvaged an old bridge and tuners, and bought cheap pickups.
Color/finish: Paint, stain, natural. I went for a simple black spray paint finish.

Building the Guitar Body

With my design planned, it was time to start building. The steps I took to build the guitar body were:

Cut the body shape out of pine boards using a jigsaw. I traced a Telecaster template onto the wood first.
Glue boards together using wood glue and clamps to achieve desired thickness. Allow glue to dry fully.
Sand the body using progressively finer grit sandpaper to smooth and shape.
Drill holes for bridge, pickup and control cavities using a drill. Chisel and file to refine.
Apply primer then spray paint finish. Allow paint to cure fully before handling.
Install metal control plate, bridge and pickups once finished.

Crafting the Neck

The neck required more precision to get good playability. My process for making the neck was:

Cut and glue maple boards to desired neck width and thickness.
Shape headstock design using a band saw and files.
Install truss rod through routed channel for reinforcing and adjustability.
Glue fretboard to neck front and cut to size. I used oak.
Install frets by hammering them into fret slots. File ends smooth.
Use chisels to carve neck profile for comfort. Sand smooth.
Drill tuner holes and apply finish matching body. I used tung oil.
Install tuners once finish cured.

Final Assembly

With the body and neck complete, it was time for final assembly:

Bolt neck to body pocket using screws. Reinforce joint with wood glue.
Solder pickup wires to output jack and pots. Install electronics.
String guitar up with .010" strings. Stretch and tune.
Make final adjustments like intonation and truss rod to optimize playability.
Plug into amp, make rock poses, and enjoy my new homemade axe!

While it took some work, I'm thrilled to now have a custom electric guitar that I made myself for under $50. This basic build gave me the confidence and skills to attempt more complex guitar projects in the future.