How Long Does a Custom Guitar Really Take to Build?

One of the most common questions I get is: “How long does it take to build a guitar?”

The short answer is about four months - but the long answer is much more interesting. A handmade guitar isn’t just assembled from parts; it’s the result of planning, sourcing, and hands-on work spread over many weeks, with care given to every stage of the process.

Why It Takes Around Four Months

Each Ancoats Guitar build starts long before the first piece of wood is cut. I have to order in materials and hardware, and for every custom build, pickups are hand-wound to order by Green Pickups of Manchester.

For the Stage guitars, I order in necks that still require refining, shaping, and finishing by hand before they meet my standards. For full custom builds, I work closely with the customer to get everything right - from scale length and neck profile to custom inlays and finish options.

The actual hands-on time is around 20 - 50 hours of human work depending on complexity. But those hours are spread over multiple stages, including painting, curing, wiring, and setup - all of which take patience.

Pickups Hand-Wound by Green Pickups

Rather than reaching for off-the-shelf pickups, we work with Green Pickups of Manchester, who hand-wind every set to spec. This means the pickups aren’t just components - they’re custom-made, one at a time, for each guitar. It adds a little time, but the payoff in tone is huge.

Handcrafted Details That Take Time

Many of the finer details are done by hand, not by CNC. The pickguard edges are bevelled by hand, giving them a distinctive handmade look and feel. The Future Relic finish - our signature double-layer paint - involves two colours, one applied over the other. As the guitar naturally wears in, the colour beneath slowly reveals itself, creating a unique, evolving look.

This approach takes longer than a factory finish, but it ensures that every instrument feels alive, individual, and built to be played for decades.

The Reality Behind the Craft

It’s important to mention that I don’t build guitars full time - not yet, at least. On its own, the business wouldn’t pay the bills. It’s a tough industry, and although on social media it might look like things are booming, the truth is that running a small guitar brand is hard work behind the scenes.

I currently work three days a week as a proton radiotherapist at a cancer specialist hospital in Manchester. I love that job - the people, the team, and the work we do genuinely make a difference. The guitars fill the rest of my week (and quite often weekends), and they’re a creative outlet that I care deeply about.

That balance makes Ancoats Guitars what it is - built by hand, with care, and never rushed.

Final Thoughts

When you order a guitar from Ancoats, you’re not just buying an instrument - you’re investing in a piece of work that’s been carefully built, one stage at a time, by hand. Four months may sound like a wait, but the result is a guitar that’s unique, personal, and built to inspire for years to come.