About this project
This guitar was imagined and designed by Hussein of Barada Guitars, with the help of his friend Austin, who lent his expertise to the design of the CAD files.
This project is a relatively complex one. We recommend you to tackle this one after you've gained some decent experience with CNC milling. You can follow the step-by-step making of in 3 videos on the Barada Guitars YouTube channel.
Tools and Materials
This guitar was made with the Mekanika EVO-M with High Z and fitted with a Spindle AMB 1400 DI. The tools needed to build are:
35mm Flattening Bit (P409.350.8D)
90 degree Multifunction V_Grooving Bit (P415.230.8D)
0.56mm Tungsten Microbit (317.005.3D)
5mm Ball Nose bit, any Nose Ball Bit less than 5mm will do the job
The milling cutters used are Fraiser Bits, which we recommend for their robustness and precision.
Machining Operation
In this first video, you can follow the step-by-step process for machining the body, the neck and the fretboard of your open source guitar using a CNC machine.
BODY
Let's start with the body of your guitar, use a 6mm flat end bit (303.060.6D) to mill the Pickups & Neck Pocketing, to machine Bridge Marking Holes and to trace the Body Contouring.
NECK FRONT
Let's continue with the Neck Front. Truss Rod Channel with the 5mm flat end bit. Then, all in one file and with a 6mm flat bit to mill 1/3 of the contour, the head blank and the fine shaping.
NECK BACK
Make the full contouring with raw profiling the Neck. And with a 6mm Ball Nose Bit fine the neck profile. Finish the neck, by flattening the back of the headstock and the bottom.
FRETBOARD
Milling the full contouring, then radiusing the fretboard with a 6mm Flat end bit. At the end fret slotting with 0,56mm Tungsten Microbit
Finishing Touch
In this second video, we continue our open source Tele build project with every step of your finishing guitar. Sanding, painting... Get your tools!
Final Assembly
Let's put body, neck and fretboard all together and listen to the sound of your future open-source guitar.