Topic: guitar kit

[fuzzybutt]

have any of you guitar people ever purchased a luthiers kit from these people? or perhaps one like it?   http://cgi.ebay.com/ELECTRIC-GUITAR-KIT-Customize-and-make-your-own-guitar_W0QQitemZ260226014440QQihZ016QQcategoryZ41406QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262 i want an inexpensive electric and this looks like it might be the way to go, since i do want a les paul style. i'm thinking of doing a high gloss tung oil for a finish.

[neil young]

i havnt....but i think this looks pretty good.
you seriously mulling it over?

[fuzzybutt]

i am, i really dont have extra money to spend on a guitar right now but i really want to get back into playing. they have a telecaster kit for 95 dollars i believe. the les paul kit i was looking at went over 100 dollars which is my spending limit.

[Burke]

I would be wary about the pick ups.
Although you could alway get "PAF" pickups if your really geared towards the Les Paul sound.

[75modrat]

I dunno, the "mother of pear" inlays may not work out so well. It seems like pear is too soft of a material and wont look good either. If it were pearl I would jump on it! okay, not then either. I know I am not very good at guitar but I know I want to buy something that is gonna last. I do believe you can buy some items cheap and modify it and you will be fine. electric guitars are that way. You can always buy some new pickups and tuning machines but sometimes I really question items like this. Sure, you save on price because you assemble and paint it but who makes it? How do we know how well they bonded the pieces of wood that make up the body. It just seems too risky. Why not try a name brand used guitar? And personally, I like the little mom and pop shop that cut you a deal just because you have been in there enough times rather than a big chain. Although I did get a great deal on a Crate Blue Voodoo 4x12 cabinet when Mars Guitar when out of business.

Just my 2 cents.

Frank

[DarkRider]

Now this would be something i may consider as well..but then again i do have a stratocaster copy that i may just redo soon. mostly needs a new paint scheme and machine heads.

[kslrr]

I purchased a Strat kit 4 years ago.  The neck, pickups and hardware is made by Fender while the kit producer made the body.  Not bad for $99.00.  I did not do a very good job with the lacquer (it is blocking) and am in the process of stripping it, upgraded the tuning machines, will upgrade the top nut and am doing/will do some modifications based on how Ibanez builds theirs.

edit: Am considering Dupli-color's Metalcast MC-101 Blue this time around, painting just half of the body on a diagonal.

[DarkRider]

So in the end with the strat kit..you have a stratocaster with an aftermarket body essentially?

[tramp]

the fake wood top is a big giveaway that the kit is not  good quality
would have to see the pickups and switches
setting the neck is not easy
setting the rear bridge should be done by someone who knows what thier doing
good luck if you do it
might be better buying a elcheapo and work from there
sometimes a elcheapo plays well when set up properly

[Steve F]

Why don't you try building one of these?

[333]

I'm with 75Modrat, pear is no good..  I'd also stay away from anything that is "compatible" with another guitar.  "Comparable" yes, compatible- no.

The real reason to not consider it is that a Les Paul is a "hollow body" design, and judging from the pics, it looks like a solid chunk of wood.  So the sound will never be comparable or compatible with a Les Paul.

[TwoTired]

The real reason to not consider it is that a Les Paul is a "hollow body" design, and judging from the pics, it looks like a solid chunk of wood.  So the sound will never be comparable or compatible with a Les Paul.

What??
The Gibson Les Pauls have always been solid bodies, as were all the true copies.  The "real" Pauls had a maple carved top bonded to a mahogany base.  They are quite solid, apart from routes to contain the controls, pickups, and switch.  Damn heavy, too, which gives them the famous sustain.

I have a few Les Pauls.  I also have an old Guild M-75 Bluesbird that IS hollow, otherwise shaped very similar to the Les Paul.  The resonant cavity of the hollow guitar is very difficult to control feedback from the amplifier speakers.  The speakers resonate the cavity, the cavity resonates the bridge piece, which vibrates the string, which the pickup sends to the amp for amplification, and the speakers send back to the hollow body.  The M75 is a wonderful playing guitar, but a nightmare to control at higher sound levels, as teh string it vibrates are not always the string wish to play.
The Les Paul only does the amp feedback thing if the speaker gets close enough to the string to make it vibrate directly.  Best be wearing ear plugs, though.  You need a lot of amp volume to do that.

The "mother of pear" is a misprint.  Perhaps for the April Fools out there.  Mother of pearl is for the fret inlay position markers.

The kit can make a decent guitar for someone with the right skill to complete.  Setting the neck properly will be the hardest task, and getting the finish decent will also be tricky for the unskilled.  Filling the nut and and bridge notches takes unique tools.  There is no instructions with the kit, so you will need to get some books to help with that.
http://www.stewmac.com/
These people have everything you need make or complete a guitar, including the proper tools.
Don't underestimate the task of setting up the guitar for proper playability and tone production.  These are craftsman skills that do not come "naturally".

Cheers,

[azuredesign]

The real reason to not consider it is that a Les Paul is a "hollow body" design, and judging from the pics, it looks like a solid chunk of wood.  So the sound will never be comparable or compatible with a Les Paul.

What??
The Gibson Les Pauls have always been solid bodies, as were all the true copies.  The "real" Pauls had a maple carved top bonded to a mahogany base.  They are quite solid, apart from routes to contain the controls, pickups, and switch.  Damn heavy, too, which gives them the famous sustain.

I have a few Les Pauls.  I also have an old Guild M-75 Bluesbird that IS hollow, otherwise shaped very similar to the Les Paul.  The resonant cavity of the hollow guitar is very difficult to control feedback from the amplifier speakers.  The speakers resonate the cavity, the cavity resonates the bridge piece, which vibrates the string, which the pickup sends to the amp for amplification, and the speakers send back to the hollow body.  The M75 is a wonderful playing guitar, but a nightmare to control at higher sound levels, as teh string it vibrates are not always the string wish to play.
The Les Paul only does the amp feedback thing if the speaker gets close enough to the string to make it vibrate directly.  Best be wearing ear plugs, though.  You need a lot of amp volume to do that.

The "mother of pear" is a misprint.  Perhaps for the April Fools out there.  Mother of pearl is for the fret inlay position markers.

The kit can make a decent guitar for someone with the right skill to complete.  Setting the neck properly will be the hardest task, and getting the finish decent will also be tricky for the unskilled.  Filling the nut and and bridge notches takes unique tools.  There is no instructions with the kit, so you will need to get some books to help with that.
http://www.stewmac.com/
These people have everything you need make or complete a guitar, including the proper tools.
Don't underestimate the task of setting up the guitar for proper playability and tone production.  These are craftsman skills that do not come "naturally".

Cheers,

I agree here. Actually the kit looked sort of cool. My biggest bug with pre-made parts is neck stability. Most well made guits use wood that is dried in a controlled way, nowadays in a digitally controlled kiln, to control shrinkage and to ensure stability. With these kits, I think it's going to be hard to tell what you're going to get. Green maple has a fair amount of water in it, as any one who burns firewood can tell by hefting and comparing a green and seasoned piece. It would suck to put together a set neck guitar, and then find out the neck was unstable, creating myriad tuning and playing problems.

I also agree that Dan Erlewine and Stew Mac in general, is a very good source for materials and luthier tools, but have not been impressed by their kits too much in the past. Perhaps they are better now. One source for inexpensive, but well made necks for bolt ons is All Parts. I would also suggest looking for a used Warmouth tele neck on ebay, but either will cost closer to $200. For a cheap but cool Tele, consider trying to track down one of the Squire '51 Teles that Fender stopped making last year. They were about $125. new and should fit your price range used.

If you want to, pm me with any other questions, and I'm glad to help.
All best,
Ben

[kslrr]

So in the end with the strat kit..you have a stratocaster with an aftermarket body essentially?

Yea, basicly.  In addition to a recessed tremelo bridge pocket (like Ibanez), a steel ball top nut (Fender) with string locks (like Ibanez) and the neck head not shaped like a Fender, I added an in-phase / out-phase switch that effects the pickup switch positions 2 and 4.

[fuzzybutt]

is it possible to turn a strat (squier) to a hardtail. i hate the problems of keeping a guitar with tremolo in tune. i'd buy a squier strat in a heartbeat if i could either get one with a hardtail or the possibility of converting it.

[kslrr]

is it possible to turn a strat (squier) to a hardtail. i hate the problems of keeping a guitar with tremolo in tune. i'd buy a squier strat in a heartbeat if i could either get one with a hardtail or the possibility of converting it.

Yes, you can buy a Tele style bridge by All Parts.  Go to Sam Ash.  They have a pretty good selection.  How to mount it is another question dealing with the hole in the Strat body.

[333]

I stand corrected.  I was basing my comments after seeing a PBS show on the man himself.  In it, he shows some of the prototypes he made(at this point I assume during the design of the pick-ups) which were hollow.  I'm sure that while watching, I also had my nose in the SOHC forum.  That'll teach me to only concentrate on one love at a time.

[Spikeybike]

i have a Squire bass , and i hate it , it sounds metallic. like a robot's inside of it making the noises

just thought you should hear both sides of the spectrum

[TwoTired]

i have a Squire bass , and i hate it , it sounds metallic. like a robot's inside of it making the noises

just thought you should hear both sides of the spectrum

Have you tried different strings?




...Or , not using a peso as a plectrum?   

[azuredesign]

Aw, c'mon a peso should sound cool!

I have two thoughts for you Fuzzy. First is to screw the bridge plate down flat on the guit by tightening all of the 6 screw that are in front of the bridge saddles. In addition, I don't know how many springs you're running, but the more the merrier and tight down the claw that screws the springs to the body as much as you can. That will block the tremolo pretting much. As an alternative, Hipshot makes something called a Trem Setter that will stabilize the trem bridge. Stewart Macdonald sells them, and I'm sure you can find them elsewhere as well.

The alternative is to make the trem stay in tune. This is usually a function of the nut, and how the strings run into the bridge plate, rather than a mis-function of the tremolo itself. If you find that your guitar goes sharp on you when you use the bar, the strings going sharp are most likely getting hung up on the nut notches(no laughing here). You can use a very small file( a needle file also available from Stew Mac) to widen the nut notch a bit so the string runs through easier and doesn't get hung up. Common sense dictates not cutting the nut too much deeper or you may end up with open string buzzing, just widen it. Then use some graphite to lubricate the nut notches. This is all taking for granted that the neck is fairly straight and the truss rod is adjusted correctly. If it is still playing sharp, check where the string goes into the bridge plate. Sometimes the plate has an edge that catches to wound strings and will hang them up on returning to pitch. These edges need to be rounded, either with a round file or a Dremel. There's an article somewhere on line about how Stevie Vaughan's guitar tech used to to it with photos. The other thing to keep an eye on is the string retainer(s) on the headstock, as sometimes these will keep the strings from returning to pitch.

My biggest problem with Strat trems was when you broke a string, and the bridge plate was not flush on the face of the guitar( so you could pull the tremolo sharp.) When the string broke it would really go out of tune. My old friend Craig Jones somehow figured out a way that if the high e broke it would take the guitar down a half step accurately so he could finish the song without stopping. I am not that good a tech and will never have the patience to become that good, but I guess it's possible.

Hope this all helps somehow,
Ben

[fuzzybutt]

well, i ended up getting one of these, after reading all the reviews on different sites i thought this might be a decent cheapie to get back into playing with.


http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Dean-Evo-XM-Electric-Guitar?sku=519795

[azuredesign]

Amazing what you can get for $100. bucks these days.
Enjoy!

[GoatBaSS]

Dean builds good stuff and they are rugged.
As for the squier bass, the pickups may have gone microphinic. I knew a guy that had one you could yell at the pickups with some a mazing results. That and a electric razor and you had a party!
If you are wanting to build, as I have done in the past, I have traded with guys @ stores, Harmony Central, thrift stores, and of course the bay and have the guitar I will never part with. It is a bastrdcaster, but If any major inst mfg ever made what I wanted at the right price, I would not have to have built it in the first place. It sometimes takes a lifetime to find the one that fits.
Good luck and keep playing! You can always build dexterity, unplugged on the couch, when you are relaxin in front of the TV.

[fuzzybutt]

i may end up building "the" guitar one day. i would trade my left nut for a jazzmaster. i love the look and that "surf" sound. that or a ventures model mosrite, i played one in a surf punk band back in the 80's. oh yeah, i picked up a marshall micro stack at a local pawn shop for 125 bucks, with the footswitch.

[dustyc]

You did what I was going to suggest.  That is -Just get a cheap guitar.  Cheap guitars of today are alot better than cheap guitars of the 60's and 70's.  Computer controlled routing makes for alot more controllable output. 

That kit looked like alot of work for something that most likely wouldn't end up being what you're after.

For messing around, a cheap guitar should sound fine.  After all, you're probably going to be playing through a practice amp, right?  (The madness begins.)