Best 3D Printed Guitars to Download and 3D Print
While thinking about 3D printing may lead to immediate thoughts on innovations in the medical, construction, and cosmetic fields, it also holds a special place in the world of music and art. One might think that guitars pose a challenge to 3D print because they can possess a solid or hollow body and have long necks, strings, and even electronics. But of course, the makers would not be deterred from the challenge. In this article, you’ll see some awesome 3D-printed guitar files that you can download and 3D print.
1. Steel String
This may be the most well-known 3D-printed acoustic guitar on the internet. This acoustic guitar not only sounds great but also displays an internal leaf-like pattern when printed in a transparent filament. Unlike 3D-printed electric guitars that require a neck from a donor guitar, this one includes files for the neck as well!
The design consists of 15 printed parts. The body and neck (printed separately) are joined together with screws and sealed with superglue. Multiple users have printed this model in PLA without supports. The build has 5 makes, 3 remixes, and over 1,400 likes.
Download Link: Thingiverse.
2. Compact
This is another great example of a mostly 3D-printed and playable guitar. This guitar is a 3/4 scale of a normal acoustic guitar, making it compact and still playable, a perfect travel companion. The whole guitar – body, neck, and head – consists of six parts. You’ll need superglue and strings for assembly, as well as tuning machinery to start playing. Many users have printed it in PLA on a wide variety of FDM printers and without supports. The design has 38 makes and over 3,600 likes.
Download Link: Thingiverse.
3. Model M
Inspired by a semi-3D printed guitar called the Bodysnatcher by Devin Montes, the Model M guitar was created to test the feasibility of 3D printing an entire acoustic guitar without supports. The arm was printed in PLA and the body in PETG, taking over 100 hours to print all 11 parts. There was also a lot of post-processing involved. After the body was joined with epoxy and fully cured, the full body was sanded down for a smooth and even surface. Lastly, the body was given a coating of primer, paint, and varnish. The guide has over 4,400 views and 26 likes.
Once dried, the strings were installed, and the guitar was ready to be played. It’s fully replicable but will make quite a project if you want to try it yourself!
Download Link: Instructables.
4. Electric Guitar Warlock
Whether you’re a heavy metal fan or are drawn to the bold design of the B.C. Rich Warlock guitar, the Electric Guitar Warlock provides an exciting opportunity to craft a distinctive instrument that will captivate its players’ eyes and ears. With two pattern options available, solid and honeycomb, the maker allows players to choose between a more traditional or distinctive appearance.
Regarding assembly, additional components such as a neck and electronics are required to complete the instrument. Upon 3D printing the guitar body, the creator used a 5-minute, 2-part epoxy for gluing. Once the glue dries, any excess material can be carefully chipped off using a chisel or razor. The creator advises sanding, priming, and painting to achieve a polished and refined look.
To assist aspiring builders, the creator of the Electric Guitar Warlock has thoughtfully included a comprehensive overview of the required parts, which can be obtained for under $200, depending on availability. A detailed assembly guide, complete with instructions for setting up the electronics, also ensures a smooth and successful construction process. So far, this design has over 3,700 views, 550 downloads, and more than 170 likes. There are two published makes and one remix available for this design.
Download Link: Printables.
5. Adapto Modular
One of the iconic aspects of 3D printing is adaptability. The Adapto Modular Guitar Pro (AMGP) features a modular guitar system that allows the main body of the guitar to be swapped for multiple styles. The designer and other makers have printed several parts on various printers in PLA before bonding them together. This design has 3 makes, 6 remixes, and 1,725 likes.
Download Link: Thingiverse.
6. The Black Widow
This 3D printable guitar body design consists of six different pieces that are bonded together. Jessie Sasser designed the model in 3ds Max and MeshLab and then printed it on the Robo 3D R1. Depending on the part, he printed the parts with 60% to 100% infill.
When it comes to supports, many users have successfully printed this design on a variety of printers without them, and the creator himself suggests that they may be unnecessary if the machine can deal with bridging. The design page has over 50,000 downloads and 24 makes.
Download Link: Thingiverse.
7. Prusacaster
The Prusacaster is a one-of-a-kind guitar that stands out in the world of 3D-printed guitars. It was designed by Mikolas Zuza, a computer graphics engineer at Prusa, and has received a ton of positive feedback from the 3D printing community. According to most, this guitar is an excellent combination of being simple, affordable, and visually appealing.
It’s easy to 3D print the hexagon body of this guitar using a standard desktop printer. However, the original Prusacaster was printed using the Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ with a build plate of 250 x 210 x 210 mm, so if you’ve got a smaller machine, you may need to do a bit more legwork. The creator took inspiration from the Fender Telecaster guitar for the internal structure and recommends using a T-style kit for the neck and electronics. There are unofficial replica kits available for under $100, significantly lowering the overall cost compared to buying individual components, and depending on the specific kit you need, some superglue and JST connectors may be additional purchases.
And if you’re still on the fence about whether this is the project for you, the Prusacaster has exceptional documentation, offering a wealth of information for anyone undertaking the 3D printing and assembly process. The design boasts a detailed backstory, comprehensive print instructions, and thorough assembly guidelines.
This design has over 73,000 views, more than 10,000 downloads, and around 3,500 likes. So far, 142 users have posted their prints of this design, while 44 have shared their remixes.
Download Link: Printables.
8. H.R. Giger Tribute
As the name suggests, this guitar is a tribute to the late H.R. Giger, a Swiss artist known for his science fiction drawings with “biomechanical” themes. In fact, he’s responsible for leading the visual design for Ridley Scott’s film Alien. One of his fans, Francesco Orrù, sculpted and printed this guitar, which contains several references to Alien.
According to Orrù, the humbuckers were printed at 40% infill for extra strength, and the detailed parts have 20% infill. Depending on the printer you have, this whole design will take at least 30 hours to print. Multiple users have printed this model on a variety of printers and materials, including ABS, PLA, and PETG.
This design has over 3,300 downloads and 50,500 views. Several users have posted their prints of this design.
Download Link: MyMiniFactory.
9. Multicolor Honeycomb
This fun multicolored version of the Stratocaster was printed in separate parts. Gary Donahue, a guitar and 3D printing enthusiast, wanted to combine both of his passions. He designed this guitar and documented his full build process on his blog. He printed the guitar on an UltiMaker S5 in PLA.
Initially, Donahue started with a miniature model for fit testing and experimenting with different colors. After finalizing the model, the five parts were then printed, sanded, and glued together, creating a seamless look from color to color. After a year of use, he noted that the PLA hasn’t warped or cracked.
The design has 6 makes, 2 remixes, and 537 likes. Those who have made the guitar printed it either in a single color or using five different ones.
Download Link: Thingiverse.
Best 3D Printing Software
There are a lot of 3D printing software available that you can use to prepare your files for 3D printing and a good example is SelfCAD. SelfCAD is an easy to use 3D design software that comes with all the necessary tools that one requires to create 3D models from scratch or you can import files in various file formats and modify them based on your requirements. Get to know how to edit imported files in SelfCAD in the video below.
You can also import STL files and simplify it as shown in the video below.
For 3D printing, there are various tools available that you can use and one of them is the magic fix tool that ensures that your designs are ready for 3D printing by fixing any non manifold issues. Get to know how the magic fix works in the video below.
The software also comes with its own in-built online slicer that you can use to slice your designs and generate the Gcode to send to your 3D printer. The video below shows how the slicer of SelfCAD works.
The software also comes with many resources to help you in learning. There are interactive tutorials, SelfCAD academy, 3D modeling tutorials for beginners, as well as 3D modeling 101 series.
The Intersection of Technology and Artistry: 3D Printed Guitars
3D-printed guitars are a testament to the boundless creativity of makers and the capabilities of 3D printing technology. Whether you're a seasoned musician or just looking for a unique project, these designs offer a fantastic opportunity to combine art, technology, and music in a truly innovative way. So, pick your favorite design, grab your 3D printer, and let the music play!
Enjoy powerful modeling, rendering, and 3D printing tools without the steep learning curve.
Need to learn 3D modeling? Get started with interactive tutorials.