New Video: How to 3D Print a Guitar by Olaf Diegel

If you’ve seen Olaf Diegel’s cool guitars made by 3D Printing but wondered how exactly it works, the design engineer who has wowed the music world has just released a video that shows all the steps involved in his process.

The Professor of product development in the engineering college at Lund University in Sweden started making guitars and commercialized them as the ODD Guitar brand, a play on his own name.  A fan of additive manufacturing, Olaf uses 3D printing to make guitars that can be customized but also that make totally unique designs with complex geometries that could not be manufactured with any other tools.

steampunk-3-2small

Using a Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) process in a 3D Systems 3D Printer, the technology builds the components by spreading a thin layer of nylon powder, that is then fused in the correct locations for that particular slice of the component. Each layer is laid down upon the previous layer to “build up” the part and the process is repeated until the component is finished. The typical layer thickness is 0.1mm.

All hardware used to make ODD guitars is top quality and most can be specified by the customer when ordering. With 3D Printing, of course, some degree of customization is possible for each guitar.  There is cost in the design phase, but as people like to say for 3D Printing, complexity is free.

But these are not student or beginner guitars.  Costing several thousand dollars, ODD guitars are for the serious guitarist – or the 3D Printing enthusiast!  The guitars can be ordered on the ODD website but can also be purchased through Cubify.  In addition to guitars, Olaf also makes keyboards and drum sets so that you can have a complete 3D Printed band!

You can watch the video here.

  • http://www.zagerguitar.com/ ThomMack

    I never see guitar like that. It is a eye catching guitar. Making guitar like this is not a easy step and very time consuming process.

  • tobycwood

    I also 3D print my own guitars. I use a very upgraded pair of Replicator 2s. ALL of my guitar bodies are 3D Printed. No wood in the body at all! They sound better then wood and they play as well if not better. To see mine please go to the 3D Printing Today fan page in Facebook and/or listen to how I 3D Print my guitars on the show threedprintingtoday.libsyn.com

    • BigAdminBig

      With Nylon also? Why not wood filament? But doesn´t the material impact on the sound of the guitar? I mean it may look good, but does it sounds good?

      http://www.3dfilamenta.com : Affordable 3D printer filament

      • Iván José Areinamo Martinez

        HELLO, I AM WORKING IN THIS PROJECT ON INDIEGOGO:

        LOW COST PET FILAMENT FOR 3D PRINTING

        It has the following features:

        3d printing @ 230°C

        You can print at 90mm​​/s. Similar to print with PLA

        Light color. It has properties of transparency (Glass-Like)

        Price 5$/Kg (shipping not included)

        Quality guaranteed filament. We use virgin PET pellets.

        You can use it in any 3d printer as Makerbot, Reprap, PrintrBot, etc.

        This project is about to start manufacturing PET Filament on a larger
        scale to reduce production costs and offer low cost filament to
        consumers. We also want to have a test lab to check the quality of the
        filament.

        I want to develop this project, not to get rich, i want to build a
        small company where you and me will get a low cost filament and we can
        apply our knowledge of engineering and 3d print.

        You can select these options:

        – PET FILAMENT SPOOL 1 KG (1.75mm or 3mm) = $15
        – PET FILAMENT SPOOL(s) 2 KG (1.75mm or 3 mm) = $25
        – PET FILAMENT SPOOL(s) 5 KG (1.75mm or 3mm) = $55

        more info:

        https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/low-cost-pet-filament-for-3d-printing/x/7421134

        Twitter @PETFilament3DP

      • tobycwood

        It sounds as good as my wooden Fender Strat. You cannot tell the difference. With the surround at 20% infill it resonates ok without deadspots. Any more and it could cancel out notes i.e., deadspots. That happens with wood too. Nylon is hard to print large objects and it is not stiff enough. Same with Pet+. Woodfill maybe. I clearcoat the bodies… should look interesting with Woodfill. I would not bother with Laywood.

  • Iván José Areinamo Martinez

    HELLO, I AM WORKING IN THIS PROJECT ON INDIEGOGO:

    LOW COST PET FILAMENT FOR 3D PRINTING

    It has the following features:

    3d printing @ 230°C

    You can print at 90mm​​/s. Similar to print with PLA

    Light color. It has properties of transparency (Glass-Like)

    Price 5$/Kg (shipping not included)

    Quality guaranteed filament. We use virgin PET pellets.

    You can use it in any 3d printer as Makerbot, Reprap, PrintrBot, etc.

    This project is about to start manufacturing PET Filament on a larger
    scale to reduce production costs and offer low cost filament to
    consumers. We also want to have a test lab to check the quality of the
    filament.

    I want to develop this project, not to get rich, i want to build a
    small company where you and me will get a low cost filament and we can
    apply our knowledge of engineering and 3d print.

    You can select these options:

    – PET FILAMENT SPOOL 1 KG (1.75mm or 3mm) = $15
    – PET FILAMENT SPOOL(s) 2 KG (1.75mm or 3 mm) = $25
    – PET FILAMENT SPOOL(s) 5 KG (1.75mm or 3mm) = $55

    and if you have a store or you are a Reseller:

    – PET FILAMENT SPOOL(s) 10 KG (1.75mm or 3mm) = $110
    – PET FILAMENT SPOOL(s) 20 KG (1.75mm or 3mm) = $220
    – PET FILAMENT SPOOL(s) 45 KG (1.75mm or 3mm) = $495

    more info:

    https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/low-cost-pet-filament-for-3d-printing/x/7421134

    Twitter @PETFilament3DP