Kit guitar advice

[Twitch]

So Im thinking of building a kit guitar. Im thinking either the LP or RR model from GFS. If I go the RR route, my only real help Ill need is putting a finish on it. If I go the LP route, Ill need finishing, stud drilling and neck setting advice. It sounds like fun. Im going with GFS just for the price. Im sure Id get better wood and cut with Warmoth or something of the like, but that would cost as much as a ready made guitar. So any tips about either project would be cool. Im really leaning toward the LP kit, but the amount of advanced luthier techniques over the RR kit kind of has me a bit shaken.

[ginsambo]

Forget a glued in neck if its your first build. Look up KNE Guitars. I got two star bodies form them, an Ash and a Mahogany, and although 3 piece bodies, you could stain them and it would look like one piece of wood, stacks better quality than Charvel jackson wood. Honestly the grains aligned, the wood is the same batch. Really beautiful quality and fit, especially for the money and they sound amazing, better than any production Charvel/Jackson I've played. Get a Japanese Charvel neck, sand and tru oil it, a brass neckplate and some pups and you are away. KNE will do you a 1 1/4" neck pocket and a one piece body of you ask. A one piece mahogany San dimas body you could just oil and brass up with hardware. A lot of guitar for hardly any $'s and way cheaper than the warmoth route all for the price of a used RR3.

Alternatively...you could order an unrouted body and chop it right down the centre, or have a woodshop do it for you, plane it, get a neckthrough and build your own neckthrough guitar. Routing the pups and bridge with a roller bearing bit from a pre made template, MDF or something.

Paint is the most money hungry. Cut your losses and leave it to the pros. I found a local guy who does excellent body repairs. Obviously he was a bit worried about how to approach wood, but he was doing some samples for high end kitchen doors anyway so he was interested in the work....although he's always flat out so you have to be patient. Save yourself some cash and admit your skill levels. Do the sealer and primer and sanding yourself. Get it perfect and you'll make it easier on the painter and won't freak him out with bare wood. Leave the base and poly laquer to someone who has a HVLP gun setup with decent filtration and knows how to paint, go easy on him and choose a colour he's doing someone's doors and hood in and get the same number of coats as the car. Check out Sully's videos.

Looking at the new Ds-3 Stars and cheap RR3's etc. about these days, you really have to ask yourself what quality do you want to achieve. Deep end is good, but if you are just cloning something that is available, honestly it will be cheaper to buy the real deal, although can't say it will sound as good. Say a mint used RR5 or something.

I'd go with something more honest, like a mahogany body musikraft neck San Dimas type thing.

Also you will need access to a pillar drill for stud holes etc.

Be interesting to see what you do...

[BenoA]

You made me "google" those kits and got GAS for the Mockingbird kit now!

Keep us posted on what you do!

[ginsambo]

I'm only saying all this because just as I've almost completed the Stars....Charvel release the one humbucker DS-3....for peanuts! Way cheaper than what it cost to build my Stars.

Still they ain't got a TOM Bridge though have they now!

For $199 + hardware and pups you could buy a Czech made Mockingbird Exotic Classic, sand it down and oil it, not that they are bad as they are.

What about a fake from Chinkong? They ship for $229.00 and you can get a nice '57 Iced Tea. the new ones even have 'Bound' frets and one piece mahogany bodies and necks, no scarf joints or maple necks.

Just saying, unless its a soul thing....for the money and all.....still best of luck with it and post it up!

[BenoA]

What about a fake from Chinkong? They ship for $229.00 and you can get a nice '57 Iced Tea. the new ones even have 'Bound' frets and one piece mahogany bodies and necks, no scarf joints or maple necks.

Curious about this... any links?

[Twitch]

Gin, its not a money saving thing, its an I made it myself thing(mostly made it my self anyhow). Im still in the should I or shouldnt I stage. Ive always wanted to piece one together like this from virtually scratch, but before, it was just too much money for me to dump into a guitar I couldnt play right away. Now that there are these GFS kits, it makes a little more sense to me to give it a go money wise.

[plon]

A friend of mine wanted to build his own and bought one of the GFS LP kits. He brought it by for help gluing in the neck and I have to say the wood was some of the cheapest shit I've seen. Lightweight and soft MIC crap. I believe you would be better off and happier spending the extra cheese for something a little better.

[plon]

Really nice kits here. Not many choices though. http://precisionguitarkits.com/

[MakeAJazzNoiseHere]

If you are going to spend your time building one, use good parts and make it something you'll keep and play. If you want a cheap Les Paul, shop around for a good Epiphone. That's my advice. :dunno:

[Hellbat]

I know this probably won't be for you, but I see Mike Learn is doing another guitar building workshop this spring. I will attend one of them eventually. I can't make this one work however with me having to spend some cash on the wife instead of myself this year.

[ulijdavid]

If you are looking to get into the building for self satisfaction, I would go for the cheapest. I don't care if you are Grover Jackson himself - your first attempt no matter how awesome - is going to be full of mistakes. But.....that will be the start of a new addiction. You will hate the entire process. But, after you string it up and hear sound you will have an immense feeling of pride. Go ahead and buy high end hardware because you will be able to use it on your next build. I started this type of thing 15 years ago and still get a great thrill when plugging in for the first time.

[BayRocker]

You've got to be one that will enjoy the process more than the result to get into this. I'm currently building two guitars, one a Kelly XL body with a DXMG neck and another is a Charvel Model 3 with a Japanese Pro-Mod neck. As both bodies were basket cases when I got em, I'm customizing them to my liking. Filling the neck hum route on the Kelly, and the two single routes on the M3. It's very time consuming. I already had the Kelly painted for months and was in the middle of all the clear coats, when the route fill started to shrink. Had to go back and sand it all down, re-filled with a non-shrinking epoxy fill, and I've just got it primed and sitting waiting for the weather to change a few times to see if there will be any shrinking this time. The M3 is in the painting process.

I personally enjoy rescuing battered guitars. That's why I do it, not the cost. I've looked into those kits, but was skeptical about quality. Buying old Charvel and Jackson parts, I know what I'm getting. And I get satisfaction knowing that these parts may have been discarded otherwise.

Guess my point is...this doesn't end up being inexpensive. All the finishing materials, plus tools, parts, etc. adds up quickly. You've got to want the work, not the guitar. I was jonesing for a Les Paul too, and scored an Epiphone Pro-FX Les Paul for $230 used. It was damn near brand new and there is no way I could build one this nice or for anywhere near this price. It is actually one of my favorite guitars to play. It doesn't have that fat neck I'm used to having on a LP.

[sully]

Beyond what's already been said, I would be very leery of buying a set neck kit from GFS; there's most likely going to be tenon/mortise issues that will require woodworking that you may want to do. The precision guitar kits are of a better quality, and from what I've seen, the "custom shop" kits form byoguitar.com are decent.

Sully

Hey, here's a thread about someone who got an LP kit from them: http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/luth...ml#post3536100

[DalyTek]

I've been thinking of doing the same thing, Twitch. I think I am going to go with a kit from bulldogbodies.com myself.
Seem like better quality, and good prices, but don't come with all the (cheap anyway) hardware like the GFS kits do.

[Antonio22]

If this will be your first attempt i would not recommend spending a lot of money on the project...Also,,its already been said,,stay away from a set neck kit. I don't want to be negative about it,,BUT chances are you will make a mistake..I've built 5 myself. Tele copy,,LP JR. copy ,,(2) Original designs and one throw away,just saved all the hardware and wiring and junked the body and neck. I started out from scratch so it was very cheap.Made my first 2 out of cabinet doors(LOL).Not qaulity wood but very cheap and got some practice and experience.The hardest part going that way was building the neck with the truss rod,very hard but good experience. Its a great feeling to look and play a Guitar you know you built youself,Good luck with your project.Make sure you take your time and do not cut any corners. When you get her built post some photo's. Again Good luck.

Antonio22

Jackson KE3/Jackson Unknown(dinky??)//Epiphone LP Standard// Fender Strat x2/My go to Guitar JAY TURSER LP style with Mod's