custom guitar "kits"

[pikopiko]

greetings,

i only posted here a couple of times, but i check this site a few times a day. lots of interesting and entertaining info here.

next year i will be building my own tele. i already have done some research and have some ideas on woods, p/u's, finishes, etc. i have no experience with this kind of thing. i have never even done any mods on the gear i own.

Carvin has kits available. basically it comes with everything you need. you need to do a little sanding and assembly. the kits sells for about $350-$380. i'm thinking this would be a good idea to get my feet wet with building, parts, etc. but it's a little more than i want to spend. since i probably won't really play the guitar too much upon completion.

i'm wondering if anyone knows of any other "kits" available on the market. or if anyone has any experience with the Carvin kits. any info would be appreciated.

thanks for your time...

[pirana]

Do a search for SAGA guitar kits or check out ebay. They have what appear to be some really crappy kits that should be right up your alley, I mean, since you say you won't be playing it much anyway.

[jerry68]

Carvin kits are really nice quality and will yield a very nice playable guitar... That being said, if you just want to build a guitar, the SAGA kits are cheap and would be a good starting point... Be aware that building guitars is a highly addictive activity... and you may want to stop by http://www.guitarrefinishing.com/...

[jwells393]

I don't know where you live pikopiko, but if you are in the USA, I definitely wouldn't pay $350 to $380 for a kit. That is the street for a brand new Fender MIM Standard Telecaster.............. an excellent guitar I might add. If you're really into building one ............. buy a MIM Standard......... take it apart and put it back together. Trust me ........ everything will fit perfectly.

[jwsamuel]

WD Music also has kits available.
http://www.wdmusic.com/electric_guitar_kits.htm


Jim

[motor_city_tele]

Read ReRanch 101 a few times through and visit the guitar refinishing.com forum. You will learn a ton of stuff about building, refinishing, and avoiding Mr. Murphy because he just sits around waiting for first timers. I agree with jerry68 about being addictive. It is very addictive.

I have seen the SAGA kits in person and thought they were a low quality product. The body has this coating on it that seems pretty tough to remove. The neck screws are not great and the tuners are rather rinky dink. I doubt you will be able to keep a saga guitar in tune.

I would suggest doing some more research at places like stewmac.com and jklutherie.com. Eventually you will want to build your own body and possibly neck from scratch so you will need to research tools, lumber, lacquer, pickups, and so on. Don't think for a moment that you are building your own guitar to save a few bucks. It is not the case. Building your own costs more that buying one already built. I build my own as a hobby and to keep myself busy.

[jwells393]

I went to the WD site ........... I found the kits but they didn't even show a picture. Their kits are $399. That's more than a MIM Fender. Think about resale value. I'm thinking the resale on a MIM Standard Tele is probably around $200-$250. Resale on a kit guitar .......... I'm thinking maybe $100.

[eryque]

When you get to the kits at WD, there's a virtual guitar builder where you spec out the body & parts & stuff. Limited options, though.

There are two great reasons to build a guitar, and neither has anything to do with resale value. One is that you just like building stuff and it seems like a fun thing to do. The other is that you want a guitar with specs that nobody makes.

True, for the price of those kits you can buy a used MIM, but so what? If pikopiko wanted a used MIM Fender, I don't think he would have been considering kits :-)

[jwells393]

True, for the price of those kits you can buy a used MIM, but so what?

eryque.......... for the price of those kits (WD kits) you can buy a brand new MIM Telecaster.

[jwells393]

.

[Wild Rice Chris]

Originally Posted by jwells393

I don't know where you live pikopiko, but if you are in the USA, I definitely wouldn't pay $350 to $380 for a kit. That is the street for a brand new Fender MIM Standard Telecaster.............. an excellent guitar I might add. If you're really into building one ............. buy a MIM Standard......... take it apart and put it back together. Trust me ........ everything will fit perfectly.

This is a good suggestion, even if it is done with a guitar you already have rather than a new one. I got my start in guitar on a Lotus strat copy that my cousin had taken apart. He gave it to me, and my dad and I sat at the ktchen table and put it back together. The bridge humbucker was dead, and we found the break and wired up the guitar. The next year I got a Peavey Nitro, which I took apart and put back together. Great experience. We refinished it green (from white) and filled in the bridge humbucker route to put in a Teisco single coil. I had alligator clips hanging out of the guitar to try different caps in the tone circuit. I traded it to a friend for a MIM strat, that also came apart and went back together. The strat neck ended up on a tele, the body with a USA neck, and I was hooked on guitars forever.

Building a kit is a good way to start, but I recommend tearing any guitars you currently have to pieces and getting them back together again first. It is a great learning experience, and costs less than a kit. Have Fun!!

[eryque]

Originally Posted by jwells393

eryque.......... for the price of those kits (WD kits) you can buy a brand new MIM Telecaster.

You're right about the price, my mind was stuck on the 50s Classic for some reason.

But honestly, I bet that a guitar built from a decent kit will be a better guitar than a MIM Standard.

[Wild Rice Chris]

I've played the Carvin necks and pickups. I don't like the neck shape (I've had and sold two (on guitars)), but the pickups sounded very good (sold those in a guitar also).

I would take a MIM standard with a decent setup over a Carvin Bolt kit.

[andy__woods]

Earlier this summer I was thinking the same thing. I had never owned an electric, so I figured I wouldn't be able to tell the difference in pickup quality and whatnot. All I had seen were the Saga kits, i found one for $80 at onlineguitar.com . It looks like currently they are out of the Tele style (TC-10), but they still have the strat clone available. I would say for getting your feet wet, and for something you won't really be playing, $80 could be well worth it, and you can do a whacky paintjob if you want

[JMPRO]

This co. does'nt have Tele's but they do have strats and Les Paul kits. http://www.grizzly.com/products/item...spx?key=235040
Good luck with your building

[d. meyers]

Originally Posted by eryque

There are two great reasons to build a guitar, and neither has anything to do with resale value. One is that you just like building stuff and it seems like a fun thing to do. The other is that you want a guitar with specs that nobody makes.

You completley forgot the third reason, which is to become world famous and rich beyond your wildest dreams (as a luthier, of course)!

[Buckocaster51]

I've put several of those SAGA kits together. Plan on springing for new tuners. I also put new a new switch, pots, and output jack. Pickups are functional as is - more or less. Bridge is nothing to write home about. They take KRYLON reall well. I gave this one to a nephew, who loaned it to a friend that plays it on stage just about every weekend. I guess they do have possibilities. They are a good learning experience, but in the long run you don't save much money over a ready built one.

[ghostnote]

I built a Carvin kit, and recommend them. First, they're an easy build - if you can use a screwdriver you can put one together; as for finishing, sand it, wipe on a thin coat of tung oil, wait a few hours, and repeat 3-4 times [I darkened mine a bit by adding a little oil-based cherry stain]. Second, quality - these are a noticeable step up in quality from mim Fenders. I"ll say it again - these are a noticeable step up in quality from mim Fenders - quality parts with a fit that's pretty close to perfection. Third, playability - I ordered one because reviewers on Harmony Central raved about the necks/ebony fretboards; I agree with them. Fourth, sound. Too subjective, really, for A's opinion to be useful to B. I got the humbucker in the bridge and am glad I did. Last, education - you'll no longer be spooked about tweaking truss rods - they make it clear and simple. Not much wiring to do- the kits have pre-wired pickguards, and give you the option of either soldering the jack connections or just twisting on wire nuts. Even so, you come away with a good sense of how an electric guitar goes together, and it's a good feeling to plug in and play an excellent instrument that you put together yourself. Hope this helps!

[ghostnote]

A PS to the above post- I felt I was leaving something out but couldn't put my finger on it.
It's this- if you start your guitar-tinkering career with something this precise, it sets your standards- from here on out, you know how good it can get. If you start with something not so good, then that's your standard.
I recommend the former!

[pikopiko]

hi there,

i just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the info.

i am stationed in korea (army band) so i had to wait until i woke up this morning to see all the replies. all the posts have great info. you guys gave me alot to chew on.

just wanted to say thanks for making this the best guitar message board on the internet.

[Wild Rice Chris]

Originally Posted by pikopiko

hi there,

i just wanted to say thanks to everyone for all the info.

i am stationed in korea (army band) so i had to wait until i woke up this morning to see all the replies. all the posts have great info. you guys gave me alot to chew on.

just wanted to say thanks for making this the best guitar message board on the internet.

Hey, since you're on the TDPRI, you automatically become one of the reasons this is the best place on the internet. It takes everybody, new and old. :D :D

[jerry68]

Originally Posted by jwells393

eryque.......... for the price of those kits (WD kits) you can buy a brand new MIM Telecaster.

I agree that if you just want a guitar, go and buy one... If you want to see how it works, take it apart and put it back together...

but building a guitar, or even assembling a guitar from pieces or even a kit, is something entirely different... It is a much more personal "I did this" thing...

[Marshall Thinline]

If you are looking to get your feet wet, the Saga kit is a great bang for the buck. My boy and I were looking for a project to do together. The only thing that was bad were the tuners. We replaced them. You can pick them up at GFS "new" for $22 GFS Tuners.

This is not the quality of a MIM tele, but well worth it if you are looking to do a fun project. Plus, if you really like your work you can always upgrade things on it at a later date.