Advice for the best DIY guitar-building kit

AlanRatcliffe

singemonkey wrote: I have a huge prejudice against bolt-on Les Pauls man. Why not get a bolt on neck guitar that's meant to be a bolt-on neck guitar? A Les Paul with a bolt-on neck is like a Lamborghini with a Subaru engine, IMO.

Ah... Missed that! :-[ I agree completely.

flatfourfan

why not approach a local luthier to make you a body and neck to your specs and you do the rest, money permitting?

I have to agree with a non-bolt on neck LP.........I had an SX LP that was a set neck and honestly, that guitar is so much better than the sum of parts that were on it. I should never had sold that guitar.

Maybe even look at picking up a project LP, something that has been gutted and could be rebuilt? You're going to save a packet this way.

Kush

Wow, awesome feedback guys. Thanks ever so much. I'm going to sleep on this and see what my budget will permit between getting a hollowed out LP, having a body carved for me by a local luthier and possibly going for another guitar model so as not to carry on with the bolt-on LP idea. I will let you all know what I decide after I have done some more research and yes I will start a thread on my build once I get going!

chris77

A kit with replacement parts won't really be cheaper when compared to a production line guitar with similar specs, but the production line guitar will almost certainly be better made. The 2nd hand market is pretty weak at the moment so guys are selling good guitars on for great prices. That's where I would spend my money instead of on a DIY kit.
Then you can play around with modding the Cort strat in your signature to your heart's content and learn all about the parts and electronics you want to. Take it apart, swop out parts, change pups - whatever you want to do really. All at your own time and as funds allow it. It helps tremendously to have something to practice your soldering skills etc on without worrying too much about stuffing it up, and if you've bought a decent 2nd electric as a stand by, you wont.
Good luck!

BrettFranic

Kush wrote: Hey everyone, I am looking to buy a DIY guitar assembly kit. I know little about the inner workings of the electric guitar and I want to build a guitar as a way of wrapping my head around all the hardware, electronics etc that goes into a guitar. Plus I just love making things. I have been looking at the Les Paul copy set from Blackbeard's Den. Does anyone have any experience with their products? How is the quality of their wood and fittings? I have been looking specifically at this http://www.blackbeardsden.com/collections/frontpage/products/eg-bmqn-401b

It is a carved mahogany body, maple top and maple neck with rosewood fingerboard. I will be going for bolt-on assembly to begin with. Any advise will be much appreciated!

hi all

I can vouch for blackbeards den's guitar kits. I purchased a les paul set-neck recently off bid or buy and was very impressed... I ended up buying a telecaster replica from them which arrived only 2 days ago and also very neat! A friend of mine ended up buying a les paul bolt-on neck which he is currently building. The mahogonay on that that one looks awesome, but i prefer the set neck for the same reasons as flatflourfan outlined - bolt on just isnt Les Paul!!

Building your own guitar from absolute scratch is something id like to do one day - but im not quite up to that yet.

anyway - cam across this thread from a Google search and thought id add my 2 cents (-;

Ray

Look at this lot.

http://www.byoguitar.com/Guitar_Kits/Guitar-Kits.aspx

and maybe read a bit what this guy has to say:

http://guitarkitbuilder.com/

I dont like the idea of a bolt on neck for SG or LP but I cant tell you why. Not because I dont want to, it's because I dont believe the reasons I read about it. Do you mind the idea of a bolt on LP?

Wizard

If you want to learn how electric guitars work you can buy a very cheap 2nd hand guitar; pull it apart and put it together again.
As many times as you like.
And if it's cheap enough you won't even mind if you break stuff along the way.

Then you'll know how they work; know how to build them; and have an idea of what you'd like in your REAL guitar that you'll really want to love and cherish and play everyday for a long time.
Or until you get GAS and replace it.
As many times as you like.

It may be overload to learn, build and get a dream guitar in a single exercise.

Kush

Thank you all for the suggestions. I am leaning towards saving up for an original, used LP and then finding an R800 strat copy to break down and tinker with. I won't be taking my Cort apart as suggested by Chris77, she has become very dear to me in such a short time. I actually bought the Cort from X-rated Bob and it has sufficient mods on it that give it an ok tone and adequate sustain (Ibanez blazer pups, which are pretty hot, a graph-tec nut, push-pull pots). X-Rated Bob had all that work done by McGibbons and I don't want to mess with it because I love what the guitar can do for what it is. I like how I can play that Cort, get a great tone and from it, without holding back like I would if I were playing an R8 000 original strat. The cort works great for my gigs and I doubt I will ever sell or mod it.

So I'm going to start the search for my cheapy project strat copy (and the quality gear I will be using when I upgrade it) and thereafter start saving for my original LP.

chris77

Good decision! If you have an emotional attachment to a guitar it's better to leave her alone, and if she's already upgraded and set up properly there really is no reason to mess with her.

Cheapy strat copies are a dime a dozen, so you should find one to practice on without too much hassle. Good luck man.

Ray

Kush wrote: So I'm going to start the search for my cheapy project strat copy (and the quality gear I will be using when I upgrade it) and thereafter start saving for my original LP.

Do it with a Fender Mex then it serves as a helluva eye opener as well.

flatfourfan

I wouldn't gut down a fender mex to *upgrade* as it's pretty good to start off with in stock guise.

Have a look at a Yamaha pacifica 112........it just poo's all over anything else in that price range.