For many, the idea of a DIY guitar conjures up thoughts of a young Brian May and his father cooped up in the shed, meticulously shaping his dream guitar from an old fireplace and other scraps of wood.

After hearing Brad Paisley say that a Fender Telecaster “is nothing more than a cutting board, a baseball bat, and strings,” Zachary Custom Guitars decided to put that idea to the test — minus the ...