#2X4 DIY LAP STEEL GUITAR PLANS HOW TO#
#2X4 DIY LAP STEEL GUITAR PLANS INSTALL#
#2X4 DIY LAP STEEL GUITAR PLANS MODS#

Install the tuners and bushings at the headstock.

(You can see these grooves in the picture at Step 13.)ДЎ0. These grooves will keep the allthread bolts from moving. Use a wood rasp to notch grooves at the 3вЂќ mark and the 26вЂќ mark. Optional: Carve grooves for bridge and nut. You also can paint or woodburn them if you want.)Д 9. (I used a Sharpie for some quick and dirty fret lines. Then use a contractorвЂ™s square to draw the fret lines. Mark your fret guides: Measure out the frets by starting at the 26вЂќ nut location and making pencil marks for each fret location. Use a 3/32 drill bit to drill six holes for the strings to feed through the body. Use the same dado technique as above with the headstock.Д 7. Cut out the pickup cavity: Notch out the wood between the 4 ВЅвЂќ and 6вЂќ line. Turn the 2Г—4 back over and the following marks on the board, starting from the butt end and going up toward the headstock:ДЄ) 1.5вЂќ (this will be our through-body string feed)Д 6. Use a 5/8вЂќ drill bit to drill the tuner holes.Д 5. I went in about 5/8вЂќ in on each side and spaced the tuners roughly an inch apart. Drill tuner holes: Mark your tuner holes on the underside of the headstock. Optional: I smoothed out the underside of the headstock on my belt sander. (Still unsure? HereвЂ™s a link to a quick tutorial.)Д 3. You can also do the same thing by running the saw in multiple passes over the shaded area and then using a chisel to remove any extra wood chips. Cut away the bottom portion in the headstock area (shaded are in the picture). Mark a horizontal line 5/8вЂќ from the top (as pictured). Cut out the headstock: Turn the 2Г—4 on its side and mark a vertical line 4вЂќ from the left end. Cut a standard pine 2Г—4 into a 32вЂќ length.Д 2. Electric drill + two drill bits: 3/32вЂќ and 5/16вЂќД 1.One pack of medium-gauge electric guitar strings.One pack of guitar tuners, three-to-a-side (such as this $8.29 pack of tuners).Two (2) 1/2вЂќ diameter allthread rods, 3.5вЂќ long (Allthread rods are like bolts without a head.(Note: Due to harmful chemicals, do not use pressure-treated lumber!)

#2X4 DIY LAP STEEL GUITAR PLANS MODS#

You are basically just marking down a few lines, making a couple cuts to the 2Г—4 and installing simple hardware.ДЄt the end of this article, I have included a few mods to this design. It might look like a lot of steps, but trust me, this instrument is easy to build. These plans will give you a very basic, yet absolutely playable lap steel.

#2X4 DIY LAP STEEL GUITAR PLANS HOW TO#

As you can tell, IвЂ™m still learning how to play this properly. ItвЂ™s set up with a standard 23-inch scale, just like the store bought-lap steels! The whole thing feels great on your lap and looks absurdly cool. I even used a pre-wired acoustic sound hole pickup, so there was no wiring needed. This lap steel was made from an extra 2Г—4 I had in my shed, with just a few saw cuts to the wood. This is one of the easiest homemade guitars IвЂ™ve ever built, and it took me only an hour to make.

2x4 diy lap steel guitar plans