I live by the credo that practice makes perfect. Well, close to perfect. For guitar players this paradigm of proper guitar practice techniques will be the difference between success and failure. By nature, regardless of talent level, in all aspects of life, the more we do it or practice it, the better we get.

Doctor’s practice medicine. It sounds scary to hear someone say, my doctor practices medicine at xxxxyyyyxxx.  In the Doctors case, practice applies to the ‘exercise of an occupation or profession’. For guitar players it means:

1. To do or perform something habitually or repeatedly.
2. To do something repeatedly in order to acquire or polish a skill.

Focus, dedication and perseverance are the main ingredients in the recipe for success when you practice the guitar. Being able to sit and play the guitar without interruption for a reasonable amount of time every day is key to learning to play the guitar. Just the other day I was zoning while I was playing my guitar. I was way out there. Although I was aware of a hiss, hiss sound, I was to zoned to break my focus. Apparently my wife was standing next to me trying to get my attention for over 5 minutes.

As many guitar players have a habit of overplaying their guitar, it is important to take short breaks every 45 minutes to an hour to allow your fingers, or little athletes to rest for about 10 or 15 minutes. This prevents injuries such as sore fingers, wrists and shoulders.

It is important as well to spend about 10 to 15 minutes doing warm up drills such as going over your scales and chords to warm up your athletes. I may be guilty of playing the guitar too long when I practice the guitar, but I mam not guilty of forgetting to warm up.

Try these basic procedures that any guitar player can put to practical use while practicing the guitar. As you get better at your skill, you will experience the joy that only comes from dedication all good guitar players have. Enjoy..

Why not make your own guitar? Well I can think of more reasons why not, than why you should. For the most part, building a guitar is for advanced woodworkers. I don’t mean a general contractor who builds houses either.

A guitar maker is called a ‘luthier’, and by any standard a luthier is considered to be one of the most crafty wood workers jobs of all.  Obviously different types of guitars have different degrees of difficulty to  make.  Basically, for all practical purposes, (Is making a guitar practical?) you have electric solid body guitars and a variety of hollow body guitars. From acoustic, acoustic-electric and some electrics to classical guitars that have hollow body’s.

A common characteristic that exists between folks who play the guitar and someone who makes a guitar is “patience”. Obviously, having the proper equipment is a must. The equipment needed depends partly on whether you buy a ‘kit’ or ‘build it from the ground up’. Other variables to consider equipment wise may be the type of guitar you build. Meaning that an acoustic guitar utilizes more tools and types of tools than an electric solid body guitar. Patience will be your most important tool.

Something that Popeye The Sailor used to say that cracks me up is “Me has so many patients, me should have been a doctor” (patience, as opposed to Dr’s. patients), holds true to the art of guitar making, no matter what avenue you take. Myself, being a guitar maker and having a repair shop has similarities to something else I have done at a high level, rebuilding car transmissions. The precision and attention to detail are similar vibes, every piece of work performed must be done with a calm and focused  approach to detail. And, being able to stop and correct, or take as much time as necessary to spend on even the finest details. No grease of course, which is refreshing after rebuilding transmissions for 25 years.

Buy a kit or build the whole thing. Both ways require a certain amount of tools. Some of the tools are: big clamps, table or radial arm saw, band saw, joiner, planer, router/s, drill press, wood jawed vice and sanding equipment. Sanding meaning power sanding tools, all the way down to elbow grease. Including some special luthier tools for some of the assembly, and the final setup of the guitar after completion.

No matter how you look at it, it is a lot of work, and for most home guitar makers, a labor of love.  If you have what it takes to make your own guitar, both personality wise and tool wise, don’t cheat yourself and go for it. Building a guitar may be one of the most satisfying things you ever do. Enjoy.