Having a guitar custom built

Stubbs

Hey guys 8)

I was checking out prices on bodies, necks and other lovely goodies at Warmoth, and out of interest I'd like to know if it's a feasible option to buy the body, neck etc and have someone put it together here?

And what about having the guys at Warmoth do it for you? I'm just wondering what I'd need to take into account if somewhere down the line I wanted a custom built guitar (not now obviously) ?

How much could a tech/luthier/other guitar craftsman charge to put on together?

Malkav

I can't imagine it being too expensive, but why not instead learn how to do it yourself? It'll be a lot of fun and a lot more rewarding, and at the end of the day you'll have a custom instrument that has your own personal twist ?

Bob-Dubery

Stubbs wrote: How much could a tech/luthier/other guitar craftsman charge to put on together?

Well that depends on exactly what you want done. Do you want them to spray the body? Spray the neck? Do the wiring? If you want them to fit pickups then will your source those?

It's a "how long is a piece of string" question. Figure out the level of work you want done and then consult with a craftsman. Try to finalise the spec first. If, for example, you want a locking tremolo system fitted then that will have an impact on pricing.

guidothepimmp

Stubbs,

The process of a custom build will cost between 15 and 25k depending on the luthier and your specs..

Sounds insane but it isn't actually, when you add up the cost of material and hardware, time put into building it etc..

Its definitely worth it if you can afford it, but if not, the warmoth route isn't a bad plan.. Why not try build your own?
That is super rewarding..

My custom build is now finished and I paid it off over 6months.. That's how long it took to make. But to give you an idea, a quilted maple cap 3A unfinished, cost about R2k to bring in including clearance etc.. So it does add up..

MikeM

You can land a very nice instrument for R10k to R15k including shipping and taxes..

What kind of instrument are you looking at? There are some folks here that can recommend luthiers.

Stubbs

It was just out of interest - I don't have that kind of budget right now and to be honest I'm not sure I should be buying high end equipment until my playing is at an equivalent level :bopping:

Basically what I was trying to find out is what I could get new/secondhand for X amount, and what I could get custom made for X amount.

So I used Warmoth to get a general price on a custom 24 fret Explorer (around $800 without pickups), and then compared it with new and secondhand Gibson and ESP Explorers.

I would take on making one myself if I was confident in my knowledge of guitars. I was also never good at school projects :sorry:

nicovlogg

In my opinion getting a custom guitar only makes sense if it's really custom. Not too much point getting a direct copy of a mass-produced one.