Has anyone had experience building a guitar from the various kits available on the internet these days?
While I don't expect the electronics on $150 kits to be very good, I have no problem upgrading them. Or, would I do better getting an older guitar needing to be refinished and modernized?
I enjoy working with wood and finishing, and have recently started playing guitar. I have a Jackson Dinky (GC special indian cidro body) currently connected to a RP255 modeler connected to a frontman 25r. While I have no plans to gig, I do enjoy playing. Any thoughts and suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks

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I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
The sinners are much more fun
Only the good die young

I thought about getting a simple kit like a SG Jr or LP Jr to do. -Just 1 pickup and pretty simple electronics. My main thing is I don't really have the space where I live to do the finishing. I guess maybe in the spring/summer I'll be able to spray it outside. I think kits are cool though. You can learn a lot.

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"Each guitar has its own character and personality, which can be magnified once the player engages in beatin' it up." - Billy F. Gibbons

I built cheap a Tele kit not long ago, it was ok! I enjoyed it and the guitar played better than I expected. Why not?

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Gary

This was a double post and unable to completely remove this post .... Help Brad...can you delete this post ... Thanks

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

To be perfectly honest, if you have decent woodworking skills, then a cheap kit such as the Saga kit is going to leave you with some level of frustration.....

I would say checking out Carvin ... they offer kits
Also LMI offers kits
Also Stew Mac

In the long run I have always preferred to rework an existing guitar rather than buy a kit and assemble it.
There is a couple books Iv'e picked up which I have found to be quite useful.

" How to build electric Guitars " by Will Kelly... isbn:978-0-7603-4224-4
http://www.voyageurpress.com

" Build Your Own Electric Guitar " by Martin Oakham ... isbn-13:978-1-57076-295-6

There are a lot of publications and sites dedicated to building guitars, a bit of extensive research will prove to save you much time and frustration in the long run.....

You could also check out this thread ......
The Nutter's Build Compilation thread ..

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=43152&hilit=Stratopartster+build+I+and+II

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

+1 to what 53magnatone says. From what I've seen the kit guitars are bit rough around the edges and leave something to be desired - though if people have used them and liked what they got then I respect their experience, of course.

Personally, I'd shop for individual parts and put 'em together, if this was the kind of project that was wanted. It will cost a bit more, but not silly money.

Also. Strat and Tele type models are one thing, but the idea of a Les Paul with a bolt-on neck is just so-o-o-o wrong! No no no!

Cheers - C

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+1

That's the tack I take whenever I start jonesing for another guitar.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Thanks for your input. One of the main reasons I'm considering this is that I've seen some great looking guitars in either transparent yellow or transparent blue. I'd like to do that kind of finish on either spalted or quilted maple body (any wood that has great contrasting wood grain).
Definitely leaning toward either strat or tele.

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I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
The sinners are much more fun
Only the good die young

150 bucks??? That's what a set of good pickups would cost.

I suggest:

- a top series Squier
- a Burns Cobra

if it has to be a low budget guitar in acceptable quality.
You might as well get a used Mexico Fender for a start.

I personally don't do kits but there are good ones out there, NOT(!!) for 150 bucks though!
Rockinger, Germany, makes very good kits.

You can finish all of the above and if you bust the finish, it'll still be a good guitar!

If you want to get an enjoyable instrument, you have to spend at least 300 to 350 bucks (and that is with pure beginners in mind!). Squiers can be a little cheaper. I'm not familiar with US prices.

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Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!

Hi Smokin': I'm sure you're right... but I can't think of them right this minute. Care to drop a name or two, please?



Hi again xny1989: trans blue is great and so is the idea of shooting it yourself. In your place I'd be looking at some of the aftermarket unfinished bodies out there. There's plenty to choose from at different price points. Brands include:

www.wdmusic.com and www.wdmusic.co.uk (look at their Premium Unfinished bodies for fancy timber)
www.allparts.com and www.allparts.uk.com
www.guitarfetish.com (ve-e-e-ery low prices on unfinished bodies)
www.warmoth.com (high quality, huge choice, high-ish prices)

- and many more.

If you are interested in the more flashy wood grains then in addition to the usual flame and quilt Stewart-MacDonald have lately introduced their line of knotty pine, which is out of the ordinary and very eye-catching:

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bodies,_nec ... _Tele.html

I'd like to see one of those finished in a darkish trans honeyburst - yum-yum!

Some options.

Cheers - C

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I named Rockinger, Germany.

The only ones I would trust. Since I don't assemble kits, I didn't look further.
Rockinger is THE name in Germany for Guitar kits and parts.

I played a few assembled ones and everything was of good quality.

I can't judge if everything fits together perfectly since I didn't build them but I've never heard any complaints.

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Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!

Ah, so you did. Oops, I missed it somehow - sorry!

So. It's a name I've heard but never set eyes on in person. Now I'm off to their website to learn more - thanks for the heads-up.

Cheers - C

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...Hang on a minute, though. Are these really kit guitars?

http://www.rockinger.com/index.php?cat=WG02&lang=eng

They say: "Rockinger Five-minute-kits. What do you have to do? Final slotting of the nut... Octave adjustment... String height adjustment... Tuning."

What's more, on the page for one of the Strat models it says: "Ready-To-Play condition featuring a perfect setup by our guitar techs."

Erm - that's not my idea of a kit guitar. And at €645/$865 it's not exactly a kit price either! These are just guitars awaiting final set up, right?

Very nice I'm sure. But possibly not what xny1989 is looking for...?

Mind you, there's quite a few other interesting things to see on that website. Couple of Dusenberg trems I've never seen for sale anywhere else. And Schaller Da Vinci tuners are a new one on me.

So again, thanks for the heads-up on the site!

Cheers - C

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It looks to me, that if I went with a less expensive setup, I'm seeing something like this, for a strat.

body- 43
neck - 60
pickguard/pups - 53
tuners 30
tremolo - 40
neck plate/screws - 4
output jack - 2
back plate - 2
strap buttons - 2
strings - 4

totaling ~ $240, less finishing materials.

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I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints
The sinners are much more fun
Only the good die young

You're welcome, Ceri!

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Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!