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Let's Talk About 3D-Printed Electric Guitars
Over the last year I have been deep in the world of 3D-printed guitars, not as toys or wall art, but as real instruments that intonate, hold tune, and are durable enough to survive years of hard play. I've been experimenting with printing profiles and materials, and devising construction methods that allow anyone to produce a good looking instrument that plays like a dream.
The Basics
First, let me clear something up. I didn't start out with a goal of building fully 3D-printed guitars. Guitars are made with wood and metal for a reason - it's durable and strong. Additionally, most of the sound from an electric guitar is generated by the neck. The neck needs a stable and strong connection to the guitar body, but any stable body will allow the strings to sustain their vibration regardless of the material.
Still, material choice is important. An average set of light strings on an electric guitar will provide about 100lbs of tension. Some of the less-expensive printer filaments (like PLA) are prone to material creep. That means that when they're kept unders sustained stress, they change shape permanently. You can mitigate this issue by adding carbon fiber to the mix, but there are still better choices.
Components
Before I discuss what goes into creating the instruments, let me describe the parts:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Neck | The neck can be purchased online and comes in various scale lengths. “Scale length” is the distance from the nut to the saddle; it determines fret spacing and the placement of the neck pocket relative to the bridge. You only need to match the neck’s scale length to the body. If you are not modeling your own body, as I was not, you do not need to worry about much more here. |
| Core | The core needs to be strong enough to support the neck and string tension through the bridge and houses the pickups. Material choice for the core is critical — a rigid core will not dampen string vibration and allows longer sustain. I use only engineering grade composite materials for the core; they are expensive, but yield durable instruments. |
| Body | The body is both aesthetic and ergonomic. Material choice is not as critical here; if you avoid leaving the guitar in a hot car, most materials work fine. This is good, since engineering composites come in limited colors, and some of the most visually appealing plastics are not suitable for the core. |
Materials
| Material | Where to use | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PLA / PLA blends | Body shells and cosmetic parts | Easiest to print and finish. Avoid for cores and load paths due to creep and low heat resistance. |
| PETG | Body shells and light internal structure | Tougher than PLA with better heat resistance. Not very stiff; increase walls rather than infill. |
| ABS / ASA | Body shells, outdoor‑friendly shells (ASA) | Higher heat resistance and sands well. Needs enclosure to control warp. Good for colored exterior parts. |
| Nylon‑CF (PA12‑CF / PA6‑CF) | Core and other load‑bearing sections | Preferred for strength, stiffness, and heat resistance. Keep filament dry and use an enclosure for best results. |
| PC / PC‑CF | Reinforcements near heat or stress | Very heat resistant and strong but more demanding to print. Consider for bridge and neck pocket reinforcement. |
Fabrication and Construction
For the structural core, I print with a high wall/perimeter count (typically 6–8) and targeted infill in the 20–35% range using gyroid or cubic. I also use 100% solids around the neck pocket, bridge posts, and any load paths. This keeps the core stiff and resistant to creep; in practice, added walls contribute more to bending stiffness than simply cranking infill.
For the cosmetic body shells, my slicer settings are aimed at making the guitar feel solid and avoiding neck dive, just by adjusting perimeters and infill. I use 3-4 walls and 8–18% infill, upping wall count or density only in thin or stressed areas, especially near hardware mounts. The key is keeping things dense enough for durability and a good in-hand feel, with enough weight in the shells to balance the instrument properly.
I print in modules and assemble the core and shells with epoxy and/or mechanical fasteners where appropriate, using threaded inserts where possible for serviceability. On ABS/ASA, solvent or heat welding can make seams disappear. On nylon‑CF, structural epoxy is the reliable choice; an epoxy skim coat followed by filler primer helps hide joints before color and clear. The trade‑off is straightforward: welded joints look seamless but are harder to rework, while fasteners are easy to service but demand careful alignment during assembly. Sanding is almost always necessary to give a uniform appearance.
Toward a Commercial Design
I am working toward a production-ready model with two tracks.
- I will build finished instruments in small batches for folks who want plug-and-play
- I will also offer a builder kit that includes STL files, a hardware bill of materials, reinforcement parts, jigs and templates, and a step-by-step guide with slicer profiles and setup notes
The goal is repeatability. I want a design that sounds good, feels right, and can be built without mystery steps. If you are interested in early builds, either as a player or a builder, reach out. I would value your feedback as I finalize the specification.