My first DIY, any tips?

I have decided to build my own tele from parts, make it unique and hopefully sell it for a slight profit, although it is more of a project to keep me busy. Im fairly confident with woodwork, wiring and soldering and do not forsee any problems. Do any of you more experienced DIYers have any tips for me to start out? Also am i being niave in an attempt to make a profit on a custom tele, or is it a viable project for income?

I would not expect to see a profit from a guitar built from parts. Building from parts typically costs about the same amount as buying pre-made.

I am not saying that it is impossible, just really unlikely. I think the only way you can really add any value is to do a fantastic setup and try to suss out a customer who needs that.

Take lots of pictures and post your progress regularly. Also, document your true costs including labor at whatever minimum wage is where you live. Then when you sell it for a profit, let us all know how you did it so that we can try to copy you. :-)

I have sold some of my work at a profit if you don't count the hours of labor I put in. But I would not have even broken even if bought necks and bodies. Actually my biggest cost is tuners and pickups which really kill the profit margin. The more parts you can make from scratch, the closer you will get to being profitable. Especially if you reclaim wood from other stuff!

My first 'build' was a partscaster and that's a great way to get into it. You might make a profit if you find the right buyer. But you have to ask yourself what's so special about it that someone would want it vs. the real thing? Is it going to be better made, finished differently, etc?

Here's the website of a respected builder who sells some partscasters...

http://www.frettech.com/

Good luck,

I wouldn't enter into the world of guitar building thinking words like "profit". Now, for the
love the instrument and the challenge of the build? Whole different story. Good luck.

+1 on that!!!

I wouldn't enter into the world of guitar building thinking words like "profit". Now, for the
love the instrument and the challenge of the build? Whole different story. Good luck.

I'll tell you a little story. Well maybe a long story, but you don't have to read it if you don't want to.

I love guitars. Can't play worth a damn. But guitars are shiny, and I'm drawn to things like that. I own a bunch. Some cheap ones and some very nice, very expensive ones. One day I looked at my collection and noticed I didn't have a Tele. How can you have a bunch of guitars and NOT have a Tele? The unique sound, the history...

I started looking to buy one, but I like pretty guitars. All the Fenders I saw, although very nice, looked pretty plain to me. So I decided to build my own out of parts. I didn't want to build an average guitar, I wanted to build a great guitar. I bought a Warmoth unfinished body & neck. I bought the best quality hardware I could find. I bought Bill Lawrence Micro-coil pickups (which I honestly think are the best in the world!) I had over $800.00 invested in it and I still needed to finish it.

Searching the net for finishing tips, I stumbled across this forum. OMG! :shock:

That's when I realized, no matter what I did with the finish, it was still going to be a "partscaster" and not a custom guitar. I also found out that the consensus is partscasters are about worth the sum of their parts.

Don't get me wrong - the guitar I built from parts is one of my favorites. It really is a nice guitar. The parts are very good quality and it set up really well, but I don't think I could make a profit on it.

The bass I made for the challenge (the first guitar I ever built) cost half as much and could possibly sell for quite a bit more.

Take emoney's advise - build for yourself, or the love of it, or to learn something. Don't worry too much about profit.

Most of the people I know who sell what they build are lucky to recoup the cost of materials and parts. They consider it a good deal that they're able to help subsidize this hobby that way.