For years, the idea of creating a 3D printed electric guitar lingered in my mind. Could a 3D printed body withstand string tension? Would it warp over time? Would it necessitate specialized pickups? And most importantly, would a plastic body produce a decent sound compared to traditional tonewoods? The internet offered limited answers, fueling my curiosity and determination to explore this uncharted territory.
While I wasn’t the first to venture into 3d Printed Guitars, many existing projects seemed to fall short on playability, accessibility, or practicality. Some impressive designs lacked readily available 3D models or clear instructions, while others were overly complex or expensive to replicate.
This realization sparked a challenge: I decided to design my own 3D printable electric guitar from the ground up.
Design Priorities for a 3D Printed Guitar
My goal was to create a 3D printed guitar that resonated with the maker community. I wanted to empower others to easily embark on this build and craft their own incredible instruments. Before diving into design, I established a clear set of priorities:
- Simplicity is Key: The design should be straightforward, avoiding intricate assemblies and unnecessary hardware. No complicated reinforcement structures or obscure components.
- Cost-Effective Build: The project needed to be budget-friendly. If I were aiming for a high-end guitar, I would opt for a classic Fender or Gibson.
- Globally Sourced Hardware: Components should be easily obtainable worldwide, ensuring accessibility for makers everywhere.
- Printable on Common 3D Printers: All parts must fit within the build volume of an Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ (25×21×21 cm). This constraint, though seemingly restrictive, was crucial for broad accessibility. If it’s not printable on a MK3-sized printer, it’s out of reach for many.
- Playability and Tuning Stability: The final product must be a genuinely playable instrument, capable of maintaining tune across its entire range – not just a plastic novelty.
- Visually Striking Design: The guitar should look undeniably cool, showcasing the unique aesthetic possibilities of 3D printing.
Keeping the 3D Printed Guitar Design Simple and Robust
The primary concern from the outset was the immense force exerted by the guitar strings on the body and neck. While estimates vary slightly, the consensus points to approximately 50 kg (110 lbs) of load, depending on string gauge. This force attempts to bend the guitar in half, pull the bridge from the body, and severely warp the neck.
The neck solution was immediately clear: a real wooden guitar neck was essential. While a fully 3D printed guitar is an intriguing concept, the neck’s critical role in playability and tuning stability made a printed version impractical (though technically possible). Wooden necks offer inherent straightness, smoothness, durable metal frets, and a truss rod for precise relief adjustments.
Addressing the bridge presented a more complex challenge. The bridge, a small metal component, anchors the strings at the body. Examining common guitar designs, one bridge type stood out as exceptionally suited for a 3D printed guitar: the Telecaster bridge.
Unlike other designs with small bridges often secured by just two screws, the Telecaster bridge is a substantial metal plate. It not only holds the strings but also integrates the bridge pickup and boasts up to five mounting holes with widely spaced screws. This design distributes leverage across a larger area of the printed body, offering superior stability.
An image showcasing the robust Telecaster bridge, ideal for a 3D printed guitar body, highlighting its large metal plate and multiple mounting points for enhanced stability.
Furthermore, the Telecaster’s single additional pickup simplifies wiring and design. The volume and tone knobs, along with the pickup selector switch, are also mounted on a separate metal plate, further simplifying the integration into a 3D printed body.
Building on our previous explorations into 3D printing guitar picks and guitar accessories, this project felt like a natural progression.
Image displaying an assortment of 3D printed guitar accessories, showcasing the versatility of 3D printing in music instrument customization and creation.
Sourcing Hardware for Your 3D Printed Electric Guitar
With the Telecaster hardware chosen, the next step was sourcing the components. There are three main options:
- Dismantle a Budget Telecaster: Acquire a cheap Telecaster guitar and salvage its parts.
- Individual Component Purchase: Buy each hardware piece separately.
- Telecaster Hardware Kit: Purchase a complete hardware kit designed for Telecaster-style guitars.
Disassembling a functioning guitar seemed wasteful unless you could find a heavily damaged instrument with intact hardware and neck.
Purchasing individual components is viable, requiring:
- Guitar neck with tuners
- Standalone single-coil pickup
- Bridge with integrated single-coil pickup
- Telecaster control plate with 3-way switch and two knobs
- Output jack
However, buying components individually can be surprisingly expensive. Even opting for budget-friendly options can easily amount to several hundred dollars.
This leads to the game-changing discovery for this project: The Harley Benton Electric Guitar Kit T-Style! Priced at an astonishingly low $79, this kit contains all necessary hardware, pre-wired with simple snap-together connectors. Offered by Musikhaus Thomann, a major global music retailer based in Germany with worldwide shipping, this kit ticked all the boxes for affordability and accessibility.
The Harley Benton kit includes a basic, unpainted wooden body – remarkable for the price. However, the printed body would replace this, allowing for a fully customized 3D printed guitar. The kit’s simplicity transformed this project into a straightforward “order the kit and print the body” endeavor.
Designing the 3D Printed Guitar Body
Fusion 360 was my design tool of choice for creating the guitar body. Accurate placement of screw holes, neck mounting points, and electronics cavities was paramount.
The included wooden body from the Harley Benton kit proved invaluable as a template. By photographing the body alongside a ruler from a distance (minimizing perspective distortion), and using Fusion 360’s “Calibrate” feature, I created a scaled reference image. Tracing the hole positions in a 2D sketch and verifying dimensions with digital calipers ensured accuracy, especially for the critical bridge placement.
Bridge alignment with the neck is crucial for string centering, and precise bridge-to-neck distance is essential for proper tuning and intonation. The 12th fret should be exactly halfway along the string length. While the Telecaster bridge offers intonation adjustment range, accurate initial placement is vital.
Image depicting the process of measuring the wooden guitar body template with calipers, ensuring accurate dimensions for the 3D printed guitar design in Fusion 360.
With mounting points defined, creative freedom took over. While utilizing Telecaster hardware, a direct copy of the classic Telecaster shape felt limiting. 3D printing allows for boundless shapes, and I wanted to leverage this.
Drawing inspiration from Fender Jazzmaster and Mustang guitars, I used Fusion 360’s Spline tool to sculpt a unique body shape.
A screenshot from Fusion 360 showcasing the initial spline-based design of the 3D printed guitar body, inspired by Jazzmaster and Mustang shapes.
The standard guitar body thickness of 45mm was used for extrusion. Extruding holes and slots for electronics based on the template followed. “Tunnels” were subtracted to create wiring channels between cavities. Pickguard and bridge covers would conceal slightly oversized slots. A larger hole connected to the control plate slot for the output jack. The basic 3D printed guitar model was now complete.
Image showing the extruded 3D guitar body design in Fusion 360, highlighting the basic form and initial cavity placements for electronics.
However, the model was too large for most desktop 3D printers, even the Prusa XL. Sectioning the model into printable parts was necessary.
Beyond size constraints, the design lacked visual flair. Embracing 3D printing’s design freedom, I experimented with cutouts and settled on hexagons. Functionally, hexagons provided natural splitting lines, making seams appear intentional design elements. A large chamfer along the top edge enhanced playing comfort.
Visual representation of the 3D printed guitar body design incorporating hexagon cutouts and a chamfered edge, adding both aesthetic detail and functional split lines.
Sectioning the 3D Printed Guitar Body for Printing
Recalling the 50 kg string tension, a critical splitting consideration emerged: the section between the neck and bridge should ideally be a single piece. Strengthening connections in this high-stress area would introduce unnecessary complexity.
Fortunately, clever sectioning achieved this. The hexagon pattern defined the top edge, and a cut below the bridge mounting holes minimized part length. A strategic cut on the bottom left allowed diagonal print bed orientation, fitting the longest dimension within the print volume and enabling support-free printing (though organic supports were used for smoother overhangs).
Image demonstrating how the central 3D printed guitar body piece is strategically oriented on the Prusa MK3 print bed to maximize printability and minimize size.
The remaining sections were straightforward. The bottom piece without hexagons split into two, and the top section into three, all fitting within the 25×21 cm build plate.
The pickguard, also serving as the top pickup mount, followed the body’s contours, inset by 3mm.
Sectioning the body offered an added bonus: multi-color printing. Prusa Research’s signature black and orange color scheme was a natural choice, complemented by a teal accent for visual pop.
Final rendered design of the Prusacaster 3D printed guitar, showcasing the multi-part construction and distinct color scheme, ready for 3D printing and assembly.
The Prusacaster model was complete!
3D Printing and Assembling Your Prusacaster
Material Selection for the Core Piece
The central body piece bears the brunt of mechanical stress. While PETG might seem stronger, PLA’s stiffness (high bending modulus) makes it ideal for this load-bearing component. PLA also aligns with the project’s simplicity and cost-effectiveness goals.
PLA’s weakness is temperature sensitivity. While the thick center piece can withstand moderate sun exposure, leaving the guitar in a hot car could cause issues. For higher temperature resistance, consider stiff materials like Prusament PC Blend Carbon Fiber or Prusament PA11 Carbon Fiber. These are more challenging and expensive to print. In Prague’s temperate climate, PLA proved sufficient, remaining stable after a year.
To verify fit, a test print of the center piece with default PrusaSlicer settings was successful. Neck and bridge attachment, followed by stringing, resulted in a functional, albeit minimalist, guitar.
Image of the minimalist 3D printed guitar build, featuring only the central printed piece, neck, and bridge, demonstrating early playability testing.
Addressing Material Creep in 3D Printed Parts
Material creep, the tendency of solids to slowly deform under sustained stress, became a concern. After a month under string tension, slight bending occurred in the initial test print. This was anticipated, as the default PrusaSlicer profile’s 2 perimeters were insufficient for this load. Reprinting the center piece with 7 perimeters and 25% cubic infill completely resolved the creep issue.
String Gauge Considerations
Lighter gauge strings are easier to play but produce less volume and are more prone to breakage. Heavier strings offer more volume and sustain but require more finger pressure and exert greater tension on the neck. Choosing thinner 9-gauge strings can reduce stress on the 3D printed center piece.
Printing the Remaining Guitar Parts
The remaining parts experience minimal stress. Material choice is less critical. I printed the top hexagon sections in Prusament PETG Prusa Orange, the bottom switch piece in Prusament PLA Galaxy Black, and the small bottom piece in Prusament PLA Azure Blue, all using default profiles.
Image showcasing all the individual 3D printed parts of the Prusacaster guitar body in various colors, ready for assembly.
Assembling the 3D Printed Guitar Body
Generous application of superglue bonds the parts to the center piece, leveraging large contact areas. M3 screw holes in the hexagon pieces offer optional reinforcement, particularly for strap button mounting.
Wiring the Electric Guitar Components
The Harley Benton kit’s JST connectors simplify wiring. Connect the top pickup cables to the corresponding selector switch cables, ensuring correct switch operation.
Close-up image of the pre-wired JST connectors from the Harley Benton guitar kit, simplifying the electronic assembly of the 3D printed guitar.
A standalone black wire grounds the strings, mitigating buzz. Route this wire through the channel under the bridge, strip insulation, and secure it by tightening the bridge, ensuring good electrical contact.
Image highlighting the grounding wire being routed under the Telecaster bridge, a crucial step for minimizing electrical noise and ensuring a clean guitar signal.
Fine-Tuning: Guitar Intonation Adjustment
After assembly and stringing, tune the guitar and adjust intonation for accurate tuning across the fretboard. Compare the open string note to the 12th fret note. If the 12th fret note is off, adjust the bridge saddle. A flat fretted note requires moving the saddle towards the neck; a sharp note requires moving it towards the bridge (after slightly loosening the string). Telecaster saddles are shared by two strings, necessitating a compromise for optimal tuning of both.
Image demonstrating the intonation adjustment process on the Telecaster bridge, showing the saddle adjustment screws used to fine-tune string length for accurate tuning.
The Completed 3D Printed Prusacaster Guitar
A series of beauty shots showcasing the fully assembled and finished Prusacaster 3D printed guitar, highlighting its unique design and vibrant color scheme.
Playability of the 3D Printed Guitar
The Prusacaster’s playability is surprisingly impressive. Blindfolded, it’s hard to distinguish from a conventionally built guitar. Tuning stability and intonation are excellent. While not comparable to a high-end Telecaster due to budget components, its performance is remarkable for the price.
Download the 3D Printed Guitar Design and Build Your Own!
I am thrilled with the Prusacaster’s outcome. To build your own, download the 3D model from Printables.com. STEP files and a DXF drawing of hole positions are included.
Download the model from Printables.com
It’s a free download – dive in and experience the joy of building your own 3D printed Prusacaster!
