There's been alot of talk lately about guitar builds & templates. This is a method I've used for years, it's the easiest, quickest & most accurate way to make a template. Only down fall is it requires the actual guitar you want to reproduce. I search craigslist for project guitars, and if I find a guitar that I like, I buy it, copy it, sell the body and keep template for a future build.
Remove all parts. Tape a sheet a paper to the guitar top, rub a pencil around all the cavities. The edge of the cavity will make a dark spot on the paper, so you can see all the routes on the paper.
I'm using a peice of MDF 1/2", 4'x8' sheet cost $20 & change. Use denser material for a template you want to last longer. Rough cut to size, leaving 1/8" to 1/4" excess, using jig saw, scroll saw or bandsaw.
I'm using $8 a roll, Scotch double sided tape to hold everything together. I used way to much tape, it took 15 minutes of prying/crying/pulling to release it. The temperature really affects the tape, warmer it is, the sticker it is.
Align & press together. Push down with your body weight for a good adhesion.
Wrap the body where the router bearing will trace, with 4 layers of masking tape. Keep wrinkles to a minimal. This will protect the body from damage, caused by the bearing riding against the finish paint. Usually you get stuck with a hairline ring around the body if you don't use tape.
Drill hole thru template using the Tele body as a guide. You can do this with a cordless drill. The Tele body keeps the drill bit squared to the body, so no worries.
Now I've got my string thru body holes, perfect alignment. Go ahead and do the same for the neck pocket.
Countersink any 2 holes in the bridge, you'll use em later for securing wood to template. I'm using a countersink bit in my cordless drill.
I drive in 2 sheetrock screws.
Here where we're at now.
My el cheapo Ryobi 1 1/2 horsepower router. Really need to upgrade but it does the job. You can find this used for under $50.
3/8" diameter blade w/ 3/8" ball bearing (flush trim) on the end of the shank. This bit cuts excess material from the template. As soon as the ball bearing touches the body the blade can't progress further into the body. Your basically tracing the guitar. Hardest part is holding your breath and keep dust outta your eyes.
I lay the finished Tele body on a clean foam pad to keep it from getting damage while clamped to the table.
I traced the whole body. I couldn't use the same router bit to trace the neck pocket area. I switch to a different router bit. I'm using a 1/2" blade w/ 1/2" bearing (flush trim), except this time the bearing is mounted on the middle of the router bit shank. Now I can trace the pocket area.
I protect the Tele finish with a rag under the clamp. I line the back of the Tele with masking tape. A single wood chip can get between the router base & guitar finish, as you move the router, it'll scratch the finish the whole way.... you can end up with a scratch 12" in swirly lines. So don't be lazy, protect it.
My router won't extend any further down. I marked the area I can't cut with a black sharpy. I'll correct this later. You could try to cheat the router, by pulling the router bit out and just leaving a little bit of shank in the collect. I don't like the idea of a router bit flying at me at 30,000 RPM's... I'll take the extra precautions.
Stick that paper template on top of the guitar. I line it up using the 6 string thru body holes. I use a sharpy to make a mark, letting the sharpy bleed thru the paper making a mark on the body.
See my marks
Drill a 3/8" hole thru the template inside the Tele cavity. This lets me drop my router bit in.
I don't copy all the cavities. Just portions of them. I don't like holes near the edge of the template, I have a habit of tipping my router over cause it's tough to move/balance a router while your staring at your router bit cutting not paying attention to interior cavities that the router can tip into. I use these cavaties as alignment for my next template.... you'll see.
Didn't destroy the Tele. It's as it was when I got it.
I spent 15 minutes trying to pull the template from the Tele. I used way to much tape. Now I'm cleaning up the neck pocket area using my bottom bearing 3/8" bit.
A few minutes block sanding and I'm done. This is my body template. I can secure it to my guitar blank using 2 of the string thru body holes and the neck pocket holes. No holes will be visible on the final product. And no fighting double sided tape.
Now we start on the interior route template. I'm using a peice 15" x 20", way bigger then I need. But I had the guy at the Home Depot cut my 4'x8' sheet of MDF in 15" x 20" so it's fit in my car trunk... and it's big enough for a large guitar body. Lay down the body template and trace those partial interior routes onto the interior route template.
I line up my paper template over the marks. Drill out excess, so the router don't have to eat it all.
I use my bottom mount bearing to trace all the interior routes. I wasn't happy with the neck pocket fit, it was quite loose. I wrapped the neck pocket in 6 layers of masking tape. When the neck barely fits in the pocket, I add one more layer of tape. The end result will be a tight neck pocket that should not have any gaps. The neck will have to be dropped down into the neck to fit cause the fit will be so snug.
A little over two hours later I'm done.
