Want to make a partscaster as a complete newbie. Where should I source my parts?

[Milspec]

"Nomoonlaser" on ebay for the body...Fender or Warmoth for the neck. Fender bridge...everything else as desired.

You don't want to go into a first build writing big checks, one has to expect some mistakes and it is best to get that out of the way on a modest build.

I throw out "nomoonlaser" because he is in my neck of the woods and I have seen his work. Good quality builds and the drilled holes have been correct. If he lists any in old pine, those are a bargain.

 

[Happy Enchilada]

... or you could save yourself a great deal of brain damage and just get one of these:

Schecter PT Special Electric Guitar - Purple Burst​

Brand New

Price$699

Free Shipping

These have a lot of custom touches and I've never heard anything bad about 'em.

 

[bobio]

Make sure you add up the cost of all the parts you will need before you start buying. Compare that cost to what you can find for a comparable guitar on the used market. It isn’t always cheaper to build from parts than to just buy used.

 

[bullfrogblues]

My question is are you going to "build" or "assemble"?
Two totally different aspects of a partscaster. Building requires woodwork and finishing.
Either way, like has been said, it will cost more than buying a guitar off the shelf, ususally.

 

[Riverdrifter]

From personal experience, Stratosphere has reasonable prices and fast shipping.

 

[old school fender]

I might ask what is your budget? What are your expectations? Are you simply wanting to assemble, or build from scratch? What level of quality are you after? All these things will be determinate or where you source parts!

 

[Festofish]

Broke? I dig Wilkinson parts and they’re fairly cheap. GFS. Just have a look around.

 

[Controller]

If you want to build from scratch go for it. Another approach would be buy a cheap one all assembled - for $100 or so - used Squier Bullet Tele, Indio, etc. See what you like and don't like and replace/experiment as you get funds. Then you start with something that works. Good luck! Report back on your progress.

 

[BlueShadows]

If you want to build from scratch go for it. Another approach would be buy a cheap one all assembled - for $100 or so - used Squier Bullet Tele, Indio, etc. See what you like and don't like and replace/experiment as you get funds. Then you start with something that works. Good luck! Report back on your progress.

I was going to post this exact thing. For a first build while broke, it can be easy to go down rabbit holes that end up getting expensive quick. Buying a $100 knockoff assembled, and then taking the whole thing apart and then putting it back together could be a relatively cheap way to work on your soldering, your fretwork, your setup skills, etc. In my experience, those little invisible things were the hardest to master but ultimately made the most difference in terms of playability. My first build was incredibly sloppy, but I also went cheap so I was okay with it serving it’s purpose. Fast forward and my last build cost a lot more, but it is clean and well set up after a lot of practice with some the finer skills necessary for a solid build. But at the end of the day it is just plain fun to tinker and mod, so it is hard to go wrong doing it yourself!

 

[W.L.Weller]

Consider a pedal kit? e.g. https://store.generalguitargadgets.com/collections/kits

 

[Festofish]

... or you could save yourself a great deal of brain damage and just get one of these:
View attachment 1100475

Schecter PT Special Electric Guitar - Purple Burst​

Brand New

Price$699

Free Shipping

These have a lot of custom touches and I've never heard anything bad about 'em.

 

[peterg]

For about $200 USD you can get all your hardware and electronics from these manufactures: Fleor, Musiclily, Kaish/Dopro.

My latest go to online source is AliExpress.

Pair of Fleor Alnico 5 humbucker pickups with chrome cover - $35 USD.

 

[Spazzmaster]

Do you have a skilled luthier to fine tune the nut slots? They'll probably need it, and it's a job I leave to my professional.

 

[Happy Enchilada]

I was going to post this exact thing. For a first build while broke, it can be easy to go down rabbit holes that end up getting expensive quick. Buying a $100 knockoff assembled, and then taking the whole thing apart and then putting it back together could be a relatively cheap way to work on your soldering, your fretwork, your setup skills, etc. In my experience, those little invisible things were the hardest to master but ultimately made the most difference in terms of playability. My first build was incredibly sloppy, but I also went cheap so I was okay with it serving it’s purpose. Fast forward and my last build cost a lot more, but it is clean and well set up after a lot of practice with some the finer skills necessary for a solid build. But at the end of the day it is just plain fun to tinker and mod, so it is hard to go wrong doing it yourself!

Squier Telecasters show up on Musician's Friend as "Stupid Deal of the Day" every once in a while.
You can get one for $150 or so delivered. Color choice is usually limited to 2.
I bought one with the intention of doing what you plan to do. It was a pretty good guitar for the $$$.
That's about what you'd expect to pay for a body on eBay.
But most of the "daddy parts" were subpar and I ended up passing it on down the river.
But for you, it might be a great starting point so you can discover what you like and what works.
If not, you can always flip it.

 

[cousinpaul]

You haven't indicated any preferences regarding the neck, frets, contour, etc. It might be a good idea to visit some shops and try out guitars beyond your budget, taking notes as to the one's you like to match up specs. Also, is overall weight going to be a factor? Answering these questions should help to narrow it down a bit. Don't forget to factor in your playing style. Do you do a lot of bending or are you more of a strummer?

 

[W.L.Weller]

There's a clearance Tele-style body on the GFS website at the moment. I also considered assembling a guitar (because who wants to look at all the half-finished projects laying around? This is a shiny new project...) but even with the clearance pricing on the unfinished body, I quickly realized that I'd be well into "pretty nice guitar" territory by the time it was all said and done.

I'll run down my "napkin estimate":

Unfinished, routed body	$50
Baritone conversion neck from Warmoth or Allparts (fretted, finished, including a nut)	$300
Pickups	$75
Bridge & Tuners	$100
Asking a painter friend or an auto body shop to shoot some color	$100 (WAG)
TOTAL	$625

I didn't even include any money for the "small" hardware & electronics or a pickguard, or any tools like a drill press for the string-through holes or neck mounting holes.

And I could get a Squier Classic Vibe baritone for like $450. Would the neck, pickups and hardware on my imaginary baritone be slightly better than the Squier? Maybe. Should I spend time and money on this, or on practicing the actual "playing guitar" part of owning guitars?

The esteemed builders here, who start from wood/nickel/copper/AlNiCo/lacquer, can certainly build a better guitar than the one I've just assembled in my mind for less than the $625 in "ingredient costs" I've outlined. That's because they've already devoted the time, money and (physical and mental) space to the tools, equipment and skills needed. And obviously everyone needs to start somewhere, but if you're as broke as many young people, consider focusing on the time-intensive skills like "getting better at playing music with other people" while you've still got more time than money.

Anyway, thank you for helping me realize that buying that body from GFS is a mistake.

 

[David Barnett]

For all the little screws and other assorted pieces of small guitar hardware I like www.allparts.com .

 

[cyclopean]

OK, so the operative word in your post was "broke."
Stay the heck away from Warmouth. They have nice stuff, but you pay extra for the name.
StewMac has lots of goodies too, but their shipping is glacially slow and prices are way high.

I do this on the cheap and here's what I have found:

Since our friends the Chinese have acquired CNC machines, they are cranking out some great bodies at a fraction of the cost of US makers. eBay is a good place to find the body of your dreams (bound, thinline, routed for various pickups, color, etc.) for well under $150 including shipping. I've used several.

Necks all depend on what you like and how much you want to spend.
eBay and Amazon actually have a variety, from Asian models around $50 to Fender CS for $400.
I have used Mighty Mite with success, and they run around $150.

All the "daddy parts" (hardware from tuners to bridgeplate and even pickups) can be found on Amazon.
One of the joys of Amazon is their free returns - if a part doesn't work out, you can send it back for a refund. Try doing that with StewMac and you'll at the very least be slapped with a hefty "restocking fee."
If you know what you need, there are lots of choices on Amazon.
Pots (CTS and Bournes are the best). Switches (want a 3 or 4-way? They got 'em). Tone caps too.
Pickguards in every color and design on earth for a "custom" look. And knobs ditto.
They carry Tusq nuts for Fenders. Fender tuners and other brands (I like Sperzels).
And pickups by everyone from obscure cheapo Asian brands to Seymour Duncan.

Pickups is one place you have to make serious choices. The guys on here are a great resource.
Since you're "broke," you need to try Bootstraps. You can get a neck and bridge Telecaster pickup set in a variety of flavors for around $50 - a fraction of what other "boutique" builders charge.
Their customer support is first-rate and their product is wonderful - handwound in a garage in Ohio.
I have used their "Pretzel" set with success - and they make several different sets.
If you want to spend a little more, Tonerider gets good reviews.
And if you REALLY want to get some quality pickups, Seymour or Lollars and lots of others are out there.

The best advice I can give you is take your time and realize that the first one may or may not be a keeper. It's a learning process. Have fun!

Make sure you’re not dealing with a third party seller on amazon. I’m on like, attempt six to return something right now. Amazon returns are easy. This is an annoying fiasco.

 

[cyclopean]

I’ve eyeballed putting together a guitar with warmouth parts a few times over the years, and i never go through with it because i could get at least two guitars i don’t have to build for the same price as a box of parts.

 

[cyclopean]

From personal experience, Stratosphere has reasonable prices and fast shipping.

Ha! Certainly not what I’d expect from that name.