Fender Strat

This is my first major project that is satisfying me at every moment. I watched a video on making an acoustic guitar, and took what I learned from that and made a strat from one photo.

There are obvious mistakes, like the sound board is a bit distorted, there are no tuning knobs (adding shortly) and there are imperfections in the body. C&C are very welcome and I’d love any suggestions. I’m really proud of what I’ve accomplished, but am eager to improve. The attached thumbnail is the image I used for reference.


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not bad, but it looks like there’s a topology issue with the edges. post a wireframe and we’ll help you iron it out.

When I read your reply, I tried to figure out how to post a decent wireframe image and couldn’t find anything. So, I thought I’d take what you said and checked out my work. I realized I have a hugely inefficient mesh for the body and sound board. So, I looked into using bezier curves to trace them and make objects from them and the below is the result. I like it, but the beveling is making it difficult to maintain the size as it seems to puff the object out proportionally as I increase the bevel. So, the body isn’t exactly as I wanted it, but it’s a huge improvement from my last. My original attempt was based on a plane manually shaped to the dimensions of the guitar body and then extracting it. The lines were not done correctly and hence the weird topology shape.


I posted a reply last night and it still is not showing. I’ll repost tonight.

this ( link below ) is not the easiest way to make a wireframe render, but it’s the best way for a flat surface, because with the regular way ( check wire in display options within the object buttons panel ) a flat surface will not render a wireframe. but it will with this way(edit) also, the pick guard should be a hair thicker.

Do you still need to see it, or is my update sufficient to repair it?

Actually, I tried Andrew’s way and it looked horrible. I couldn’t get it to generate the base mesh and not the final one.

Ok, another way is to just take a screenshot in edit mode. Here’s a wireframe of one of my own models, to show how I dealt with guitar topology:
(edit) btw, to get the angled / planed off bit of the body, I added a grid in edit mode, then positioned it at that area at a slight angle, turned on proportional editing, and used the grid to squash that part of the body. then I just deleted the grid. Kind of a weird workaround, but it worked.


So, my approach using an extruded bezier is wrong? I did notice I couldn’t do much with it either. Unless I convert it to mesh, which really screws it up, I can’t do anything to it.

If there is any suggestion i can give it is that i think Fender Strats have 3-ply pick guards which have a black lining around them. Might want to give that a look on a reference image.

binsurf, I don’t think you can do much with the shape, as a curve, as far as the indentations it will require, and also the area where it joins the neck, not being uniform with the rest of the body. and when you convert it to mesh, it will be a bunch of long triangles, so I think it’s best to go mesh from the start. I started mine by making a profile of the edge, and extruding it around into the basic shape, leaving a hole for the output jack.

These are great suggestions, I appreciate this. I will work on it for sure. The neck is still a mesh, I didn’t change it to curve. Here’s one last render I did last night.


I finally got it worked out. I struggled with that infernal plug plate at the bottom left. I went through 3 revisions before the 3rd one was decent. I’m not 100% happy with it, but it looks good. This is pretty much done, though, I do need to “wind the strings to the pegs” as they just sit in mid air against the capstans. I also added the string holder on the head stock. I also need to brand it. But, this is the best work I’ve ever done. Everything I’ve ever done up to this point sucked the big one, so this guitar is antithetical to that.


It looks really good, man. Glad it turned out well, and that you are pleased with it.

Thank you, Modron!

Another thing, dont electric guitars (im looking at mine now) have a dip near the shoulder area?


here is a great example


But I guess it’s also how unique or the model you’re wanting. Just an observation.

Not all of them do. But, I think I should have added that anyway.