When I started off the the luthier idea, I sort of scurried off in all directions at once. I wanted to make guitars, but I don't know how to play a guitar. So how do I know if I've built a good one? So I bought a guitar, and started learning to play it. Which is nice, but it sort of detracts from my goal of building guitars.
I also started considering the problems of sound / resonation in a cigar box. I'm not starting off with tone wood, ideal shaping, bracing and tuning the way I would if I was building "real" guitars, but I'm trading that off for the ease and low cost of using a cigar box rather than building a guitar. But it means that I need to electrify them, or get by with very low sound levels. So now I need to make all sorts of decisions around pickups, electronics, etc.
And really, if I'm making electric cigar box guitars, I really need to make cigar box amps. So now I need to learn even more about electronic design, soldering, etc. And I don't even know how to read a schematic. Lovely. Time to start learning that.
Meanwhile, I've started setting up my shop, building prototypes, thinking about the jigs and tools I need to build to produce credible necks in the style of Les Paul and Stratocaster. Finding out that I don't know what I don't know, but making bits of progress along the way.
Oh, and if I'm going to build stuff I sort of need to have an inventory, which means I'm going to need to start sourcing all sorts of guitar parts, amp parts, woods, cigar boxes, etc. I don't need an actual inventory system at this point, but building one would be an interesting diversion from the rest of my concerns.
And finally, I'm going to need to find a way to sell stuff. I suppose I could start off with eBay or Etsy, since I don't think I'll ever have a storefront, but I probably need a more credible web presence than this blog. Fortunately, I write software for a living, so this part is something I can actually handle without additional training.
Time to go work on my guitar playing.
