AN ENTERPRISING engineering student has struck all the right chords after building his own electric guitar.

Marcus Dunne, 17, has built the musical masterpiece from scratch as one of his major engineering projects at South Cheshire College.

He researched into different components and parts and ordered most of them on the internet before piecing the guitar together.

Marcus, a former Hartford High School pupil, has combined key engineering skills such as drawing and wiring and combined them with joinery skills to make the guitar – a project he has never attempted on this magnitude before.

He also had the neck of the guitar custom made in America and sent across to the UK and created the main body of the instrument from a bland piece of wood.

Marcus said: “In September, we were given the chance to choose our own project which gave us the chance to build electrical circuits and would run for the course of the year.

“Some of the other students in my group chose smaller circuits such as clocks but I’ve been playing the guitar for a year or so and I thought that building my own electric model was the perfect project for me to get stuck into.”

Marcus believes if he was to try and sell the instrument he would fetch in excess of £2,000 whereas a middle of the range electric guitar costs around £400 to £500 in the shops.

He has also taken it to several guitar makers who were very impressed with the design and gave it their seal of approval.

Marcus, who is nearing the end of his Engineering BTEC Level Three extended diploma course at college, was helped with the construction side of the project by Woodwork Lecturer Martin Smith.

He added: “It has been hard work but very well worth it. My mum and dad have been very supportive and they can’t believe that I’ve only been playing the guitar for a year and now I’ve built one.

“I’m also very grateful to Martin Smith at college who was a massive help. When I first started the engineering course I had my sights set on a career in motor sport engineering.

“Now I’m seriously considering setting up my own guitar building business in the future.”