Build/Assemble Your Own Guitar?

[JereFuzz]

I used to monitor ebay for parts to put guitars together, never really saw any kits that inspired any confidence regarding their quality. They may exist though. Since the hardware and especially the pickups are usually crap on these kits you will have to buy them separately anyway. I've had good luck with Squier necks which you can find for cheap. For bodies, the quality is less important. I tend to buy unfinished ones as I like to just stain and oil them. It's really fun to assemble guitars. I wish there were more oddball parts available easily (and cheaply)

This is my new favorite site: https://stratosphereparts.com/necks/

[kosta]

Stratosphere is great!

[Benn Roe]

One bad experience shouldn’t define the company for u ... but I understand your frustration ...

Sorry, I guess that didn't come out the way I meant. I was just saying that was the one strike against them for me. Otherwise I've had good experiences, and I will likely buy from them again.

[repoman]

I've not found a supplier of parts that seems really good. I've had Warmoth, Allparts and USACG stuff and its all been meh. I mean the stuff works but it's never wowed me with quality or feel. The bodies and necks from those suppliers never seems to be up to par of just plain old MIM Fender bodies and necks. Couple Warmoth necks have had really bad fretwork, bodies from them and USACG had routing issues (weird pver all shape of body, tremolo cavities not routed correctly). I can't really fault Allparts because they are so cheap, but none of those necks I buy stick around for long, except an Allparts baritone neck I have which is decent but needs a fret level and dress really bad.

I read a lot of good reviews of MJT stuff, I'd like to maybe try something from them sometime.

[Phosphene Audio]

I play the following two guitars a lot:




The Strat started out as a 90s Squier I picked up at a flea market. I think the body and tuners are all that's left. The neck is Warmoth roasted maple, pickups are Fender hot noiseless, bridge is GFS with brass block

The Tele-shaped thing started as something I got in a trade. It was already stripped, but I took the orbital sander to it to make arm and belly carves. The guy I got it from said it was a Mexican tele, but who knows? It came with a Mighty Mite neck, but the current one is Warmoth, canary. The pickup is a Bill Lawrence L500XL. I think the bridge came from Armadillo.


The Warmoth necks are the modern vintage type, which I think, based on having a bunch of different ones over the years, sound better than the total Warmoth construction necks.

[JereFuzz]

I play the following two guitars a lot:




The Strat started out as a 90s Squier I picked up at a flea market. I think the body and tuners are all that's left. The neck is Warmoth roasted maple, pickups are Fender hot noiseless, bridge is GFS with brass block

The Tele-shaped thing started as something I got in a trade. It was already stripped, but I took the orbital sander to it to make arm and belly carves. The guy I got it from said it was a Mexican tele, but who knows? It came with a Mighty Mite neck, but the current one is Warmoth, canary. The pickup is a Bill Lawrence L500XL. I think the bridge came from Armadillo.


The Warmoth necks are the modern vintage type, which I think, based on having a bunch of different ones over the years, sound better than the total Warmoth construction necks.

Very nice

[kosta]

That Tele looks like a real ripper!

[dubkitty]

i love the marbled plastic PU covers on the Strat!

[JereFuzz]

i love the marbled plastic PU covers on the Strat!

You’d need some Zumba’s to play that strat ...

[JereFuzz]

In case you folks want to know about how to calculate where frets go ...

Geometric progression. 12th root of 2: 2^(1/12) = 1.059463 divisor

L0 = Scale Length (bridge to nut)
L0 = 36"
Fret1 = 36"/1.059463 = 33.979" (from bridge) / 2.021" (from nut)
F2 = F1/1.059463 = 33.979"/1.059463 = 32.071" (from bridge) / 3.928" (from nut)
F3 = F2/1.059463 .......

Note that when you hit the 12th fret you will be at 18" from bridge (& nut) which is the octave.

This is interesting info if you want to get a custom neck made.

[Phosphene Audio]

i love the marbled plastic PU covers on the Strat!

The pickups are Fender Hot Noiseless.

I ran the tops of the pickups over some coarse sandpaper and sprayed some of the Rust O Leum plastic primer on them. Then I used green and glow in the dark paint markers to color them and put some clear epoxy over them. They do glow in the dark, a little.

[JereFuzz]

And my Kiesel kit:







I wanted a stratty body with a gibsony headstock but specs for metal ...

[kosta]

That should be a fun one. I didn’t know Keisel was selling kits. Good to know!

[JereFuzz]

That should be a fun one. I didn’t know Keisel was selling kits. Good to know!

And the bolt plus can only be attained via kit … I've got a good check of what I could so far but the instructions were missing so I'll have to wait ...

Regards,

JK

[JereFuzz]

Progress ... knocking it out little by little: