Greetings from Bendigo

[tubbysnowman]

Hi guys,

Just a quick introductory post. My name is Mark, I live in Bendigo Victoria, and have been wanting to start building guitars for some time.

Probably not going to get very far very soon due to having two young daughters and a full time job to manage. but I will let you know when I start making progress, and will definitely be on here asking questions when I have them.

Thanks,
Mark

[kiwigeo]

Welcome to the forum Mark.

Fitting guitar making into a busy life can be a challenge...there are a few of us in here who juggle wives/partners, kids, a job and guitar making. I'm one of the lucky ones...no kids, no job (retired) and a wife who would be happy if I never returned from the workshop.

Looking forward to following your first build when it happens.

[Mark McLean]

Hi Mark and welcome. I still have a day job and lots of other things competing for my time, so I often go for weeks without getting into the workshop. One of the good things about instrument building is that you can do it intermittently. Building a guitar is a task with a few hundred steps but none of them are time critical. You can just leave it alone and then pick up where you left off when you next have some time free - and it will get done eventually. It does help if you have a dedicated space where you can set up a bench and leave it all sitting there between sessions. I have heard of people who have build a guitar on their kitchen table and packed it all away when they are not building, but that would be frustrating. Do you have a shed or workshop? Are you already set up with some woodworking tools or are you starting from scratch? There are a few essential tools that you will need to buy but you can start gradually. Buying a kit can be a good way to start your first one as you can get some steps that need specialized equipment done for you, like pre-bent sides and a fretboard with fret slots pre-cut. There is still a lot of real building that you will need to do, so it is not cheating or less satisfying. You can also make use of shared facilities like a Men’s Shed, or get some help from a friend on ANZLF.
Cheers, and keep in touch.
Mark