My dad left me over 70 guitars when he passed. One of just about everything. I *play* a Mexican Telecaster he bought me before he died, because it’s awesome. It just feels and sounds perfect to me. I’m out on what someone else thinks about my gear. I use boss pedals too.
I bought a partscaster for my son. His first “real” guitar. The guy who built it is a local legend. It really is the best strat I’ve ever played. The strings sit so low I cannot believe that they don’t buzz. You barely have to press the get the notes/ chords to ring. The nuances just come naturally. It’s a beautiful copy of an SRV without the lettering. Like the guitar srv got before he decorated it. Cost me less than a thousand, and as far as strats go, it’s the best one I’ve played. And I’ve handled some big money ones at one of our local shops.
For years I have built partscasters for folks that wanted vintage or copies of thier guitar heroes using parts they requested. Some of these clients are recording artists that play the guitars on the road all over. They want the look and as close as they can get with the sound as close too. They are not collectors but players who don't have the money for vintage instruments. I play parts casters all the time. Don't knock um until you try them.
My Tele is a late 52 neck. A refin 52/53 body. The bridge pickup is early flat pole 50s. The neck pickup is 50s but hard to know which year. The tuners are late 50s but the shell has been replaced with no line to look the part of a 52. Controls and switch tip are early 50s. Pickguard is the only modern part and it does have the circle mark on the underside which is a bit sneaky as a lot of people might think it’s vintage. Amazing guitar. Paid 15k for it but far far cheaper than a no issues 52
I bought a used 1997 PRS back in 2001 as my first "nice" guitar. One day in the foreseeable future, it will be a vintage guitar, and it'll be cool to own a vintage guitar, but I was playing it last week, and I realized that it's an amazing guitar now. I'm just happy to have an amazing guitar now.
I have Murphy aged burst from 2010 it’s my main guitar been playing it every week since then and it feels old now. Hearing Clapton and Page talk about after a decade instruments feel old I get it. I’m looking for my number 2 to play for a bit, I’m not like slash wearing bracelets, but there is wear and tear on it from me.
I have 3 Strat style parts casters. Each are different and contribute to a specific need. My main one is my HSS parts caster, which was the first one I ever got. The beauty of such guitars is that you can experiment/swap with different parts and it won't cost you an arm and a leg (unless you're willing to do that 😂)
My go to guitar is a Partscaster. Hardtail with a MIJ 62 neck, heartwood body with the jack on the corner like a Les Paul. Plus the headstock was autographed by Dick Dale, I love that thing!
Hardtail strats are the business! In fact, they are the reason why I might build a parts caster myself. Because its so difficult to find a ht strat otherwise.
I read somewhere that that's the reason Leo designed the Strat and Tele the way he did, so the the average player can fix them when they broke or wore them out , they're meant to be dicked with and modified, that's why there designs are timeless
Clarksville, TN. My home for three and a half years with the 101St Airborne Division. Friend of mine bought a rare Gibson acoustic in black. Looked like a J45, but that was before I knew anything about gear. The base had a rec center that had Gibson Les Paul Standards donated from Gibson…. It’s been 22 years since I was there last, but cool indeed. Pawn Shops were plenty and cheap gear was easy to find…
I use Fender Player guitars for modding. I am a lefty so it is not a always possible to get certain specs off the shelf. I have HSS, HSH and HH Strats (all converted from SSS). The Humbuckers are Fender Tim Shaw Shawbuckers. I also have a Strat with two Gibson P90s fitted. The pots and wiring have all been upgraded and all have locking tuners and Graphtec nuts and Stringtrees. I also have a Fender Player Tele with a GOTOH in-tune bridge, Fender 51 pickups and a six way switch. Admittedly non of these guitars are in anyway vintage, but they are partcasters.
I have a 2002 mim strat with pre CBS nos pickup parts. A family company had a contract with Fender doing pickups. When CBS took over they were left with all the parts. the wire, bobbins the machines. Someone found them a few years ago and assembled them. The brand is Flying Mojo.
To paraphrase the old "ship of Theseus" thought experiment, when is a 1962 strat partscaster no longer a 1962 strat partscaster? Does just the body have to be a '62 strat? How about a '62 strat body with EMG's, a Bigsby, and an Ibanez Wizard neck with generic tuners?
Makes me chuckle when people talk about Clapton and Gilmour's black Strats. What gets forgotten is that for the majority of their careers, Clapton has been playing brand new Custom Shop Strats and Gilmour used a couple of 80s AVRIs with EMGs fitted.
My first guitar I got in 83 was a 61 Partscaster I bought for 300 bucks. It was an imbarassment , but I loved it. Every band I was in hated it. It was ugly. Everyone try to talk me into painting it. The guitar class teacher at school told me I got ripped off and that it "Looks like the guitar that Hendrix burned on stage". I was proud of it and I'm glad that I did not listen to any of them. I still have it and it is still my favorite guitar. And I have some nice ones.
I have two partscasters, a strat and a jazzmaster. Love them both. They are guitars that I could not have purchased from Fender without going to their Custom Shop, and as a hobbyist I can't justify spending that much. You really have to love to tinker and problem solve to assemble your own. Regarding Gibsons, I have always loved the way Les Pauls look, but I didn't like their weight, tone or price. And, I didn't want to attempt to build a set neck. Thankfully, Epiphone produced the Les Paul Modern, chambered body, alnico 2 pickups which sound great when split, locking tuners , quality nut, and affordable.
The neck is the heart and soul of a guitar. If you’re building a vintage partscaster always get a vintage neck, and if you can swing it pickups. My main guitar for the past decade is a vintage parts Strat 66 Coronado neck 66/65 mustang pickups, ultralight swamp ash body made for me by mjt, all part pickguard and all other parts are from 63-66. Best guitar I’ve ever played. I went through 4 bodies, including a 63 and a 74, and 3 sets of pickups including an original 57 set before landing on this configuration.
My main guitars are an HSS Strat partscaster and a basic 60’s style Tele partscaster, both built by me with Warmoth necks and bodies and various other high quality parts. Both lightly, BELIEVABLY reliced, also by me. It’s actually now like a special occasion when I play an actual Fender at a gig. I built them the way I wanted them for ME. Not considering resale value. I have a few American made Fenders that I’ll probably hold on to just because they are what they are. But I actually “live” in the land of “partscasters”!
Really the only way some of us are going to get a "vintage" Fender. Kinda like getting into the older Les Pauls by getting one with a repaired headstock break. Gotta get out of the mindset of wanting the perfect guitar from a specific year with a specific finish.
There's also the little world of converting old ratty Gibsons into more desirable guitars. Definitely some more work involved though. But I've seen some incredible results.
I have three so-called partscaster bass guitars. One is a Daphne Blue Nash PB-63 with 10-hole gold anodized aluminum pick guard. It’s gorgeous, plays and sounds great for a fraction of current Fender Custom Shop prices, new or used. The other two basses I enjoyed building and honing myself with top quality and correct spec parts; Fralin, Lollar, Klein, Gotoh Res-O-Lite, Fender Vintage, Fender American Original, Musikraft, Warmoth, etc. One is a Fiesta Red Jazz based on hybrid 1960 through ‘64 specs. The other one is based on 1958/‘58 vintage reissue Fender/FCS Precision bass specs, white blonde on swamp ash. I even do my own lacquer finishing, light parts and finishing aging and mods. (Fender Vintage ‘58 gold anodized aluminum P bass pickguard re-anodized black… came out gorgeous) I’ve owned an early ‘65 L-serial Fender Jazz bass. I know vintage and player grade. My parts basses are top notch, uncompromising instruments that I’m very happy and proud to have. They aren’t for future sale/resale value. Their purpose is my enjoyment to play and take care of in the here and now. When I’m dead and gone what happens to them or what they’re worth won’t matter to me.
I want to open a guitar shop with a high-end/vintage focus. One of the sections of the store would be a glass jewelry type case with just a bunch of vintage parts so folks can come in and build a vintage partscaster. Thanks for making this video and driving prices up...😆
My current main guitar is a vintage partscaster of sorts. It's a 1965 Jazzmaster that I picked up for $475 a few years back. It was spray painted black (along with the plastic hardware) and had 70's style tuners installed at some point. My dad and I refinished it in sonic blue. The bridge pickup is a Seymour Duncan Antiquity II, but I still have the original one, just needs a re-wind. The pickguard, knobs, and pickup covers are replaced as well. I play it every Sunday at church and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
I'm 52. Been playing over 35 years. Own 20 guitars. Of that I've built 7 Warmoths. I've only played my Warmoths - any two in rotation at a given time - now for most of the past decade.
Talk about parts asters, Rory Gallagher was a master of that. He was always tinkering and adjusting and rebuilding his strat and tele. They didn't look that just from sitting in a ditch for a year.
The vintage pickups are the thing for me. My vintage partscaster is a Duosonic with a 1964 Musicmaster neck, 1966 pickups, 1964 pots and a 1964 or later body with an old nitro refinish. Don’t know the history, bought it on eBay. I like it.
Given how heavy 70’s Fenders are I’m amazed the practice of swapping out bodies isn’t commonplace. I have a 1979 Anniversary Strat and it weighs 12lbs. I’ve been toying with the idea of just changing the body out and getting something lighter with maybe a nitro paint job. As the neck is amazing. The thing is, the most killer guitar in my collection playing wise is a 2002 Fender Japan 71 Strat reissue. According to the serial it was built by Tokai-Gakki. The previous owner added Jescar frets and a Floyd. It’s an amazing instrument. But that’s what I don’t get with the guitar industry. A JV Squier or Fender Japan domestic market model will see off any 70’s Strat for tone, playability and quality. So why are they so undervalued? Likewise a Yamaha SG1000/2000 is usually vastly superior to a similar era Les Paul. The question should be “Is American guitar culture structurally racist?” Love the show as always guys.
But Jim I own lots of high end guitars. Custom built stuff. PRS, Fenders, Gibsons. The USA is best myth is that. A myth. There’s no magic in Texas that can’t occur in Tokyo. It’s time American guitar culture stopped sneering at the rest of the world.
@@jezzer1969 It just means that some people like the built in USA guitars better. I have an American Standard Strat, a Mexican Strat, a 1956 Les Paul, an Ibanez Roadstar II, and a Yamaha from 1969 that was built in Japan. I love every one of them. That doesn't mean they're the best. It just means I love them
I bought a Fender reissue factory made Broadcaster. I figured that was as close as I would get to a vintage Fender. I love it. I built a vintage looking, Partscaster with Guitar Mill neck and body, Tele style body and Strat style neck with light artificial aging. It's the best guitar I own.
I create Tonal Magic when assembling a partscaster, although at times they also hit the Visual Triggers most love, but I build for Kids, seniors, vets and charities as well as replacement Performance instruments for Working Musicians that have either Lost or broken or even had Stolen their Guitar. Collectors that Don't and Won't play their Investments are why no one that does play can afford a true Vintage Guitar without going into debt or divorce, it's kind of Like Owning a Vintage Bible you refuse to Read, What good is it Really under Glass
My old man has a really cool vintage '73 Stratocaster that's all worn and beautiful. Sunburst. Maple neck. But I'm a rosewood board fan so I may swap the neck at some point. But it does have that fun cartoon big-ass headstock.
Everytime I've thought hard about doing a partcaster I always end up doing a bunch of carpentry instead. I know everybody talks about keeping all the original parts to put back in so you can get your money back, but there is no retaining the value on an instrument you have weight relieved yourself.
I bought a partscaster copy of a 58’ strat, Mary Kaye blonde, my buddy who is a phenomenal player tried to talk me out of it for a $1000, I bought it off of a music producer who had it made for him at 3 times the cost so he could fund a vintage strat, well I brought it home and bought and relived gold hardware and made it my own Mary Kaye, well my guitar hero buddy played it and now tells everyone what a mistake he made trying to talk me out of buying it, it was made buy a luthier in Toronto from parts and he hand winds the pups…..I loved it so much I had a matching Mary Kaye Tele made , 2 best guitars I’ve ever played….
I’ve come close to buying heavily modified 50s Fender Musicmasters/DuoSonics on several occasions over the last few years. All of them were on Reverb so I decided to err on the side of caution because the sellers seemed a little sketchy. I’ve been buying on Reverb since 2017 and I’ve never had a bad experience, but you never know.
All my guitars are partscasters! None are warmoth. All the pickups are quality, necks are either fender, or musickraft. All the bodies are Fender, MJT and Guitar Mill. I love them. All components I’ve had swapped or replaced, for specific purposes.
I spotted a ‘68 Tele bass neck with ‘65 Precision bass body on Reverb earlier, and next to it another listing of a ‘68 Tele bass body with a ‘66 Precision neck. I thought about buying them both and swapping the necks again to get a ‘65/‘66 P bass and ‘68 Tele bass - until I remembered I don’t have £10,000 spare for a double experiment (or for any reason).
for a a tele or strat , a partcaster is the way to go , forget about the fender cs bulls... , there way to expensive and in the end it's just a marketing /branding / sales trick , create you're own custom made guitar , and save yourself a load off money , and you also don't have to wait before you're guitar is made ( paying 5000 - 8000 dollar for a guitar and then have to wait for more then a year before you get it is crazy , you have to be an real brand fool to fall for that kind of bs ) .
The only people who would turn their nose up at a non original vintage guitar would be collectors I feel. As a player I love my 61 Jr even though it doesn't have O.G tuners and a repaired headstock. It actually stays in tune but id rock a 50-60s Tele with a new neck. As long as it had its original electronics I'd be happy
I live in Canada so guitar prices for me have always been high, with the way all of the prices are skyrocketing, I think our personal choices are becoming less to do with what we want & more of what we can afford, used or new. If I saw a parts caster with pieces from the 1960s-1970s at a $1700 and had the cash, I'd grab it ASAP the way prices are going.
It's funny because the Fender Mod Shop is basically a place to create a partscaster build. People look down their noses at partscasters yet still want guitars with their own specs. Nothing wrong with partscasters, new or vintage!
True story, I found a Gibson Les Paul Gold Top in a small guitar shop in the St. Louis area. The owner insisted it was a 61 and it was clearly an older guitar, but a 61 should be an SG, right? The person he bought it from insisted it was purchased directly from Gibson. The serial # on the headstock indicated it was indeed a 61 however tearing it down to solve the mystery, we found Pots and switches were 61, pickups were the open SG type also 61. The kicker is the body was dated 4/60, did this turn out to be a "partscaster" direct from the factory. Well, the folks at Gibson say the only thing they can say is that they don't have a record of anything like that but when they were changing the body style of the Les Paul there was a short period where anything could have happened. Anyway, I held on to it and played it for about a decade and sold it for a pretty good stack of cash a few years ago. Not bad for a Frankenstein Les Paul.
Allen Hinds combined a '50s Tele Neck with a '50's Esquire body and its one of the coolest guitars I have ever heard. Of course, the fact that Alan is playing is a major factor but the tone of that guitar just sounds awesome.
I bought a heavily modified 79 strat where I think the original parts are body neck and tuners. That being said the pickup s duncan sd s from about the same time and its great. Very heavy but that makes it well balanced. My mx roadworn is so much lighter I find.it strange to play. :-)
I bought my Warmoth to have it. I don't care about the value or lack of value, it's custom, it's exactly what I wanted and exactly what I want to play. And it's new now, but it will be vintage in 25 years and I wanted something to grow into, something to see age. Occasionally I have remorse that it isn't a Fender... but then I look at it and pick it up and play it. It's custom, it's gorgeous and that remorse of the resale value and status of a Fender means precisely nothing to me. I still want one though, but it has to be a custom shop, it has to be perfect.
I'm not into the "Vintage" thing at all. I have guitars that are over 30 years old... a couple that I bought new! I'm not a "collector", as much as I might find something to add to my Guitar "Tool Box". Something with a little different sound (a baritone or a 12 string). I look for something that fills that spot at a great value. The PRS SE models are a case in point. For that matter... I've got 2 Harley Benton guitars that are amazing instruments after some initial setup (which most guitars could use...these usually need MORE attention. ;-) ) and they became my most played instruments. Even my original U.S. made PRS (from '94) my T.C. McInturff that I ordered custom, my Hamer Mirage I, and my G&L Legacy (found used but absolutely MINT!) were all purchased at a savings and were filling a need in my "Tool Box". I made my own T-style guitar because even though I wanted the sound (plus something added for a little added "flavor") I could not stand a typical T-style in looks or how they felt in my hands. The "Parts Caster that I built fit my needs perfectly! It's a Double Cut T-style body with mild contours... a headstock that doesn't look anemic (sorry, but I can't stand the Fender T-style headstock!) AND I stuck a low output Humbucker in the MIDDLE. It's KILLER!
@@andreasf6671 ... I know of that video .... that view doesn't bother me and I'm not asking for their approval. Only sharing my view on the "Vintage" aspect they were bringing up.
Yeah back in the mid eighties I seen a well played black L series Strat with seventies middle pick up for $750. I thought is was high but I heard this guy tried to buy it back for he got for it. I guess the asking price was too high
Dont give away my hack! Haha I have 3 partscasters and they're easily the best guitars I've ever played. Granted... I can do the setup and all myself lol but still. Couldnt agree with yall more!!
When I was a kid, my grandmother used to get mad at my grandfather because he would let us listen to "Country Boy Can Survive" by Hank Jr. In the song he says "I don't give a damn". I think it was the only swear I ever heard in a song until Appetite for Destruction came out.
I never buy a guitar for investment reasons. I buy it because it made me feel something and makes me want to play and to create something. The best guitar is the one that inspires you to play. Let the investors invest and let’s the players play
Nice video. It's funny the only people really craving for genders in 50s through 70s were the British, the great artist of that era in the u s a were bulding parts from different guitars. Now days all big artist play guitars bult from buteak builders that are shaped like fenders or gibsons.when they record , they use some old LDS studio or fender
I think we are getting to the point that the availability of actual knowledge about all these various factors are going to make people realize a good playing and sounding guitar should be priced based on that and not so much the name on the headstock. Edit... Eventually. Maybe.
I remember finding early 70's strats all day long for $300 from pawn shops!(mid -late70's). 2 slabs of cheap wood & some electrical wire. Leo is probably laughing his ass off! I bought my 1st electric(early 60's double pickup/cutaway Melody Maker for $75! I gave away a 36 Dobro, 74 Strat & my 1st alpine white Les Paul, to guys that could really play & had shit instruments. Parts that are available now, so far surpass the sketchy stuff, that was available in the 70's! Even the cheapo guitars are better than lots of the crap Fender put out during the CBS days! Buy a house and play a hotrodded import. Idiots that can't play have driven the prices into the stratosphere. Get pickups you like, adjust the neck & practice. Anything else is bragging rights.
Rage Against the Machine, been listening to it for years. I just looked up the lyrics. Still like the jam, but wow. Now I hear it. Again WOW. Not a bed time song for the old rug rats.
Where the hell are you coming up with your prices and what are you considering a partscaster? Under 20K for a partscaster? More like under or in and around 10k. But that’s for a genuine partscaster something like SRV‘ with a 62 body, 63 neck, 59 PUPS, replacement bridge and hardware from numerous guitars. That’s a partscaster and you can assemble one for in and around 10k. A guitar with one thing replaced or even in the case of Blackie where Clapton assembled it from 3 different guitars in my opinion it largely depends on how much he used of each guitar before it falls into the realm of partscaster. That’s grey area but I’d be hesitant to call merging two guitars into one a partscaster.
I’m normally good with you guys going off on tangents, but in a 12 minute video you talked for less than five minutes on the topic. I had to start hitting the forward button.
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My dad left me over 70 guitars when he passed. One of just about everything.
I *play* a Mexican Telecaster he bought me before he died, because it’s awesome. It just feels and sounds perfect to me.
I’m out on what someone else thinks about my gear. I use boss pedals too.
I bought a partscaster for my son. His first “real” guitar. The guy who built it is a local legend. It really is the best strat I’ve ever played. The strings sit so low I cannot believe that they don’t buzz. You barely have to press the get the notes/ chords to ring. The nuances just come naturally. It’s a beautiful copy of an SRV without the lettering. Like the guitar srv got before he decorated it. Cost me less than a thousand, and as far as strats go, it’s the best one I’ve played. And I’ve handled some big money ones at one of our local shops.
AVRI neck + MJT body and high end electronics is bliss.
For years I have built partscasters for folks that wanted vintage or copies of thier guitar heroes using parts they requested. Some of these clients are recording artists that play the guitars on the road all over. They want the look and as close as they can get with the sound as close too. They are not collectors but players who don't have the money for vintage instruments. I play parts casters all the time. Don't knock um until you try them.
How different is a vintage from a reissue?
My Tele is a late 52 neck. A refin 52/53 body. The bridge pickup is early flat pole 50s. The neck pickup is 50s but hard to know which year. The tuners are late 50s but the shell has been replaced with no line to look the part of a 52. Controls and switch tip are early 50s. Pickguard is the only modern part and it does have the circle mark on the underside which is a bit sneaky as a lot of people might think it’s vintage. Amazing guitar. Paid 15k for it but far far cheaper than a no issues 52
I bought a used 1997 PRS back in 2001 as my first "nice" guitar. One day in the foreseeable future, it will be a vintage guitar, and it'll be cool to own a vintage guitar, but I was playing it last week, and I realized that it's an amazing guitar now. I'm just happy to have an amazing guitar now.
It’s vintage now. Well done! I heard 25 years is the threshold.
I have Murphy aged burst from 2010 it’s my main guitar been playing it every week since then and it feels old now. Hearing Clapton and Page talk about after a decade instruments feel old I get it. I’m looking for my number 2 to play for a bit, I’m not like slash wearing bracelets, but there is wear and tear on it from me.
@@Funkybassuk With the homogenization of processes FIFTY years ago, there's no 'vintage' anymore.
I have 3 Strat style parts casters. Each are different and contribute to a specific need. My main one is my HSS parts caster, which was the first one I ever got. The beauty of such guitars is that you can experiment/swap with different parts and it won't cost you an arm and a leg (unless you're willing to do that 😂)
My go to guitar is a Partscaster. Hardtail with a MIJ 62 neck, heartwood body with the jack on the corner like a Les Paul. Plus the headstock was autographed by Dick Dale, I love that thing!
Hardtail strats are the business! In fact, they are the reason why I might build a parts caster myself. Because its so difficult to find a ht strat otherwise.
I read somewhere that that's the reason Leo designed the Strat and Tele the way he did, so the the average player can fix them when they broke or wore them out , they're meant to be dicked with and modified, that's why there designs are timeless
Clarksville, TN. My home for three and a half years with the 101St Airborne Division. Friend of mine bought a rare Gibson acoustic in black. Looked like a J45, but that was before I knew anything about gear. The base had a rec center that had Gibson Les Paul Standards donated from Gibson…. It’s been 22 years since I was there last, but cool indeed. Pawn Shops were plenty and cheap gear was easy to find…
I use Fender Player guitars for modding. I am a lefty so it is not a always possible to get certain specs off the shelf. I have HSS, HSH and HH Strats (all converted from SSS). The Humbuckers are Fender Tim Shaw Shawbuckers. I also have a Strat with two Gibson P90s fitted. The pots and wiring have all been upgraded and all have locking tuners and Graphtec nuts and Stringtrees. I also have a Fender Player Tele with a GOTOH in-tune bridge, Fender 51 pickups and a six way switch. Admittedly non of these guitars are in anyway vintage, but they are partcasters.
I have a 2002 mim strat with pre CBS nos pickup parts.
A family company had a contract with Fender doing pickups. When CBS took over they were left with all the parts. the wire, bobbins the machines. Someone found them a few years ago and assembled them. The brand is Flying Mojo.
To paraphrase the old "ship of Theseus" thought experiment, when is a 1962 strat partscaster no longer a 1962 strat partscaster? Does just the body have to be a '62 strat? How about a '62 strat body with EMG's, a Bigsby, and an Ibanez Wizard neck with generic tuners?
What store was that in? I would love to buy it... "One day it will be mine, oh yes IT WILL BE MINE!" - Love you guys! Thanks again!
Makes me chuckle when people talk about Clapton and Gilmour's black Strats. What gets forgotten is that for the majority of their careers, Clapton has been playing brand new Custom Shop Strats and Gilmour used a couple of 80s AVRIs with EMGs fitted.
My first guitar I got in 83 was a 61 Partscaster I bought for 300 bucks. It was an imbarassment , but I loved it. Every band I was in hated it. It was ugly. Everyone try to talk me into painting it. The guitar class teacher at school told me I got ripped off and that it "Looks like the guitar that Hendrix burned on stage". I was proud of it and I'm glad that I did not listen to any of them. I still have it and it is still my favorite guitar. And I have some nice ones.
“Looks like the guitar Hendrix burned on stage”
If only he fricken *KNEW*
I have two partscasters, a strat and a jazzmaster. Love them both. They are guitars that I could not have purchased from Fender without going to their Custom Shop, and as a hobbyist I can't justify spending that much. You really have to love to tinker and problem solve to assemble your own.
Regarding Gibsons, I have always loved the way Les Pauls look, but I didn't like their weight, tone or price. And, I didn't want to attempt to build a set neck. Thankfully, Epiphone produced the Les Paul Modern, chambered body, alnico 2 pickups which sound great when split, locking tuners , quality nut, and affordable.
The neck is the heart and soul of a guitar. If you’re building a vintage partscaster always get a vintage neck, and if you can swing it pickups. My main guitar for the past decade is a vintage parts Strat 66 Coronado neck 66/65 mustang pickups, ultralight swamp ash body made for me by mjt, all part pickguard and all other parts are from 63-66. Best guitar I’ve ever played.
I went through 4 bodies, including a 63 and a 74, and 3 sets of pickups including an original 57 set before landing on this configuration.
What was it that you were looking for?
My main guitars are an HSS Strat partscaster and a basic 60’s style Tele partscaster, both built by me with Warmoth necks and bodies and various other high quality parts. Both lightly, BELIEVABLY reliced, also by me. It’s actually now like a special occasion when I play an actual Fender at a gig. I built them the way I wanted them for ME. Not considering resale value. I have a few American made Fenders that I’ll probably hold on to just because they are what they are. But I actually “live” in the land of “partscasters”!
Thank you for always putting out great videos! Also love the ZZTop tee shirt !
Niw back on topic, I’m a huge fan of build your own using vintage parts It’s always about the neck
I just built my fave axe (I have 12) from a mahogany bodied fake - all new parts and a rosewood neck later - I adore it - future classic..
Hey folks. Still need moar basses on the Casino website.
Yes this
Good point. Purity may be important to Norm, but I can't help thinking that all those super clean vintage guitars were that way for a reason.
Really the only way some of us are going to get a "vintage" Fender. Kinda like getting into the older Les Pauls by getting one with a repaired headstock break. Gotta get out of the mindset of wanting the perfect guitar from a specific year with a specific finish.
There's also the little world of converting old ratty Gibsons into more desirable guitars. Definitely some more work involved though. But I've seen some incredible results.
Getting a vintage Partscaster assembled sounds like a very interesting project!
I have three so-called partscaster bass guitars. One is a Daphne Blue Nash PB-63 with 10-hole gold anodized aluminum pick guard. It’s gorgeous, plays and sounds great for a fraction of current Fender Custom Shop prices, new or used.
The other two basses I enjoyed building and honing myself with top quality and correct spec parts; Fralin, Lollar, Klein, Gotoh Res-O-Lite, Fender Vintage, Fender American Original, Musikraft, Warmoth, etc.
One is a Fiesta Red Jazz based on hybrid 1960 through ‘64 specs. The other one is based on 1958/‘58 vintage reissue Fender/FCS Precision bass specs, white blonde on swamp ash.
I even do my own lacquer finishing, light parts and finishing aging and mods. (Fender Vintage ‘58 gold anodized aluminum P bass pickguard re-anodized black… came out gorgeous)
I’ve owned an early ‘65 L-serial Fender Jazz bass. I know vintage and player grade. My parts basses are top notch, uncompromising instruments that I’m very happy and proud to have.
They aren’t for future sale/resale value. Their purpose is my enjoyment to play and take care of in the here and now. When I’m dead and gone what happens to them or what they’re worth won’t matter to me.
I want to open a guitar shop with a high-end/vintage focus. One of the sections of the store would be a glass jewelry type case with just a bunch of vintage parts so folks can come in and build a vintage partscaster. Thanks for making this video and driving prices up...😆
My current main guitar is a vintage partscaster of sorts. It's a 1965 Jazzmaster that I picked up for $475 a few years back. It was spray painted black (along with the plastic hardware) and had 70's style tuners installed at some point. My dad and I refinished it in sonic blue. The bridge pickup is a Seymour Duncan Antiquity II, but I still have the original one, just needs a re-wind. The pickguard, knobs, and pickup covers are replaced as well. I play it every Sunday at church and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
I'm 52. Been playing over 35 years. Own 20 guitars. Of that I've built 7 Warmoths. I've only played my Warmoths - any two in rotation at a given time - now for most of the past decade.
Funny, I've been thinking about putting together a parts Jazzmaster.
I think you love Avril because she is from a small town in Ontario, Northern Ontario produces a lot of cool musicians.
Talk about parts asters, Rory Gallagher was a master of that. He was always tinkering and adjusting and rebuilding his strat and tele. They didn't look that just from sitting in a ditch for a year.
The vintage pickups are the thing for me.
My vintage partscaster is a Duosonic with a 1964 Musicmaster neck, 1966 pickups, 1964 pots and a 1964 or later body with an old nitro refinish. Don’t know the history, bought it on eBay.
I like it.
Nice I have a 65 mustang with a 65 musicmaster neck and a middle pickup added, that was only my 3rd fender, after a 79 lead ii and a 77 musicmaster.
Given how heavy 70’s Fenders are I’m amazed the practice of swapping out bodies isn’t commonplace. I have a 1979 Anniversary Strat and it weighs 12lbs. I’ve been toying with the idea of just changing the body out and getting something lighter with maybe a nitro paint job. As the neck is amazing.
The thing is, the most killer guitar in my collection playing wise is a 2002 Fender Japan 71 Strat reissue. According to the serial it was built by Tokai-Gakki. The previous owner added Jescar frets and a Floyd. It’s an amazing instrument.
But that’s what I don’t get with the guitar industry. A JV Squier or Fender Japan domestic market model will see off any 70’s Strat for tone, playability and quality. So why are they so undervalued? Likewise a Yamaha SG1000/2000 is usually vastly superior to a similar era Les Paul. The question should be “Is American guitar culture structurally racist?”
Love the show as always guys.
I've got a 94 st62 pink refin. Plays so good. 7.25 radius with as low action as any guitar. I had a 79 strat I sold for $400 that guitar sucked
Things like tone and playability are very subjective. What's awesome to one may not be to another.
But Jim I own lots of high end guitars. Custom built stuff. PRS, Fenders, Gibsons. The USA is best myth is that. A myth. There’s no magic in Texas that can’t occur in Tokyo. It’s time American guitar culture stopped sneering at the rest of the world.
@@jezzer1969 It just means that some people like the built in USA guitars better. I have an American Standard Strat, a Mexican Strat, a 1956 Les Paul, an Ibanez Roadstar II, and a Yamaha from 1969 that was built in Japan. I love every one of them. That doesn't mean they're the best. It just means I love them
I bought a Fender reissue factory made Broadcaster. I figured that was as close as I would get to a vintage Fender. I love it. I built a vintage looking, Partscaster with Guitar Mill neck and body, Tele style body and Strat style neck with light artificial aging. It's the best guitar I own.
I create Tonal Magic when assembling a partscaster, although at times they also hit the Visual Triggers most love, but I build for Kids, seniors, vets and charities as well as replacement Performance instruments for Working Musicians that have either Lost or broken or even had Stolen their Guitar. Collectors that Don't and Won't play their Investments are why no one that does play can afford a true Vintage Guitar without going into debt or divorce, it's kind of Like Owning a Vintage Bible you refuse to Read, What good is it Really under Glass
Baxter… “F*CK YOU I WON’T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME!!!” LOL
My old man has a really cool vintage '73 Stratocaster that's all worn and beautiful. Sunburst. Maple neck. But I'm a rosewood board fan so I may swap the neck at some point. But it does have that fun cartoon big-ass headstock.
Everytime I've thought hard about doing a partcaster I always end up doing a bunch of carpentry instead. I know everybody talks about keeping all the original parts to put back in so you can get your money back, but there is no retaining the value on an instrument you have weight relieved yourself.
Lived in Clarksville and was stationed at Ft. Campbell, Ky.
I bought a partscaster copy of a 58’ strat, Mary Kaye blonde, my buddy who is a phenomenal player tried to talk me out of it for a $1000, I bought it off of a music producer who had it made for him at 3 times the cost so he could fund a vintage strat, well I brought it home and bought and relived gold hardware and made it my own Mary Kaye, well my guitar hero buddy played it and now tells everyone what a mistake he made trying to talk me out of buying it, it was made buy a luthier in Toronto from parts and he hand winds the pups…..I loved it so much I had a matching Mary Kaye Tele made , 2 best guitars I’ve ever played….
I’ve come close to buying heavily modified 50s Fender Musicmasters/DuoSonics on several occasions over the last few years. All of them were on Reverb so I decided to err on the side of caution because the sellers seemed a little sketchy. I’ve been buying on Reverb since 2017 and I’ve never had a bad experience, but you never know.
All my guitars are partscasters! None are warmoth. All the pickups are quality, necks are either fender, or musickraft. All the bodies are Fender, MJT and Guitar Mill. I love them. All components I’ve had swapped or replaced, for specific purposes.
I spotted a ‘68 Tele bass neck with ‘65 Precision bass body on Reverb earlier, and next to it another listing of a ‘68 Tele bass body with a ‘66 Precision neck. I thought about buying them both and swapping the necks again to get a ‘65/‘66 P bass and ‘68 Tele bass - until I remembered I don’t have £10,000 spare for a double experiment (or for any reason).
for a a tele or strat , a partcaster is the way to go , forget about the fender cs bulls... , there way to expensive and in the end it's just a marketing /branding / sales trick , create you're own custom made guitar , and save yourself a load off money , and you also don't have to wait before you're guitar is made ( paying 5000 - 8000 dollar for a guitar and then have to wait for more then a year before you get it is crazy , you have to be an real brand fool to fall for that kind of bs ) .
The only people who would turn their nose up at a non original vintage guitar would be collectors I feel. As a player I love my 61 Jr even though it doesn't have O.G tuners and a repaired headstock. It actually stays in tune but id rock a 50-60s Tele with a new neck. As long as it had its original electronics I'd be happy
New alder or poplar body, 8-hole pickguard, neck & tuners + vintage bridge, nut, pots, pups & wiring. Wallah!
I have a partscaster that my guitar teacher built for me. He’s currently tweeking, at my request. I spent $350 to build and it’s a great tele.
Good stuff boys!
I live in Canada so guitar prices for me have always been high, with the way all of the prices are skyrocketing, I think our personal choices are becoming less to do with what we want & more of what we can afford, used or new. If I saw a parts caster with pieces from the 1960s-1970s at a $1700 and had the cash, I'd grab it ASAP the way prices are going.
I agree, I'm in Canada too.🇨🇦
It's funny because the Fender Mod Shop is basically a place to create a partscaster build. People look down their noses at partscasters yet still want guitars with their own specs. Nothing wrong with partscasters, new or vintage!
I’d def be into it
True story, I found a Gibson Les Paul Gold Top in a small guitar shop in the St. Louis area. The owner insisted it was a 61 and it was clearly an older guitar, but a 61 should be an SG, right? The person he bought it from insisted it was purchased directly from Gibson. The serial # on the headstock indicated it was indeed a 61 however tearing it down to solve the mystery, we found Pots and switches were 61, pickups were the open SG type also 61. The kicker is the body was dated 4/60, did this turn out to be a "partscaster" direct from the factory. Well, the folks at Gibson say the only thing they can say is that they don't have a record of anything like that but when they were changing the body style of the Les Paul there was a short period where anything could have happened. Anyway, I held on to it and played it for about a decade and sold it for a pretty good stack of cash a few years ago. Not bad for a Frankenstein Les Paul.
I suppose you could also call them players grade. Refins are a good option as well.
My #1 is Partscaster made from 3 damaged telecasters. 1950’s, 1960’s, early 90’s
Allen Hinds combined a '50s Tele Neck with a '50's Esquire body and its one of the coolest guitars I have ever heard. Of course, the fact that Alan is playing is a major factor but the tone of that guitar just sounds awesome.
I worked the ZZ Top eliminator show in Columbia, SC
I bought a heavily modified 79 strat where I think the original parts are body neck and tuners. That being said the pickup s duncan sd s from about the same time and its great. Very heavy but that makes it well balanced. My mx roadworn is so much lighter I find.it strange to play. :-)
I bought my Warmoth to have it.
I don't care about the value or lack of value, it's custom, it's exactly what I wanted and exactly what I want to play.
And it's new now, but it will be vintage in 25 years and I wanted something to grow into, something to see age.
Occasionally I have remorse that it isn't a Fender... but then I look at it and pick it up and play it. It's custom, it's gorgeous and that remorse of the resale value and status of a Fender means precisely nothing to me.
I still want one though, but it has to be a custom shop, it has to be perfect.
I was going to tell you about my partscaster with the vintage Dimarzio Super Distortion from the 70's, but this video didn't go that way.
Found a nice Allparts neck that's much more 'vintage' than Am Std Strat ... but what to do about the Micro-Tilt?
An unbranded partscaster is the only way i'll be able to own the guitar i want. I'll never be able to afford a vintage southpaw anything.
What happened to the SILVER SKY GIVE AWAY??
I'm not into the "Vintage" thing at all. I have guitars that are over 30 years old... a couple that I bought new! I'm not a "collector", as much as I might find something to add to my Guitar "Tool Box". Something with a little different sound (a baritone or a 12 string). I look for something that fills that spot at a great value. The PRS SE models are a case in point. For that matter... I've got 2 Harley Benton guitars that are amazing instruments after some initial setup (which most guitars could use...these usually need MORE attention. ;-) ) and they became my most played instruments. Even my original U.S. made PRS (from '94) my T.C. McInturff that I ordered custom, my Hamer Mirage I, and my G&L Legacy (found used but absolutely MINT!) were all purchased at a savings and were filling a need in my "Tool Box". I made my own T-style guitar because even though I wanted the sound (plus something added for a little added "flavor") I could not stand a typical T-style in looks or how they felt in my hands. The "Parts Caster that I built fit my needs perfectly! It's a Double Cut T-style body with mild contours... a headstock that doesn't look anemic (sorry, but I can't stand the Fender T-style headstock!) AND I stuck a low output Humbucker in the MIDDLE. It's KILLER!
These guys are campaigning for boycotting Harley Benton so don't expect any love here, lol.
@@andreasf6671 ... I know of that video .... that view doesn't bother me and I'm not asking for their approval. Only sharing my view on the "Vintage" aspect they were bringing up.
Not a bad time to consider Norlin era LP’s. Be careful as plenty of junk but I love my 70 LPC…. All 10.4 lbs of it.
Yeah back in the mid eighties I seen a well played black L series Strat with seventies middle pick up for $750. I thought is was high but I heard this guy tried to buy it back for he got for it. I guess the asking price was too high
Matthew Scott. Case in point.
man that is insane. But hey ... keep it coming right?
Stevie Ray Vaughn 's guitar was a partscaster...I think you hit the nail on the head...buy a guitar to play rather than an investment.
Dont give away my hack! Haha
I have 3 partscasters and they're easily the best guitars I've ever played. Granted... I can do the setup and all myself lol but still. Couldnt agree with yall more!!
The famous players of the early 70s would mix and match parts all the time, Hendrix, Clapton , all of them
Any 90’s Levinson R1, 2, 3 or 4, just bang in a set of Hot Rails and you’ll forget all about those 3,000,000 Kakk Strats. True story.
When I was a kid, my grandmother used to get mad at my grandfather because he would let us listen to "Country Boy Can Survive" by Hank Jr. In the song he says "I don't give a damn". I think it was the only swear I ever heard in a song until Appetite for Destruction came out.
⚓️ Thanks Casino 😎
I love mine, at this point I’ve had it like 30 years now and it’s staying with me until The end…unless someone offers me 10k 😎
I never buy a guitar for investment reasons. I buy it because it made me feel something and makes me want to play and to create something. The best guitar is the one that inspires you to play. Let the investors invest and let’s the players play
Partcaster all the way. I never bought a guitar off the shelf. All my axes are partos..
would it not cost alot to make a vintage strat with vintage parts?
Oh heck yeah.
Nice video. It's funny the only people really craving for genders in 50s through 70s were the British, the great artist of that era in the u s a were bulding parts from different guitars. Now days all big artist play guitars bult from buteak builders that are shaped like fenders or gibsons.when they record , they use some old LDS studio or fender
I think we are getting to the point that the availability of actual knowledge about all these various factors are going to make people realize a good playing and sounding guitar should be priced based on that and not so much the name on the headstock.
Edit... Eventually. Maybe.
Parts caster all the way!
You get to hit whatever price point you want
There's no need to spend over 2 or 3k on a guitar. These prices are ridiculousness.
Your next guitar should be a GT. There are only about 40 of them in existence and only about 12 left. Look for them on Ebay.
I remember finding early 70's strats all day long for $300 from pawn shops!(mid -late70's). 2 slabs of cheap wood & some electrical wire. Leo is probably laughing his ass off!
I bought my 1st electric(early 60's double pickup/cutaway Melody Maker for $75! I gave away a 36 Dobro, 74 Strat & my 1st alpine white Les Paul, to guys that could really play & had shit instruments.
Parts that are available now, so far surpass the sketchy stuff, that was available in the 70's! Even the cheapo guitars are better than lots of the crap Fender put out during the CBS days! Buy a house and play a hotrodded import. Idiots that can't play have driven the prices into the stratosphere. Get pickups you like, adjust the neck & practice. Anything else is bragging rights.
Rage Against the Machine, been listening to it for years. I just looked up the lyrics. Still like the jam, but wow. Now I hear it. Again WOW. Not a bed time song for the old rug rats.
Where the hell are you coming up with your prices and what are you considering a partscaster? Under 20K for a partscaster? More like under or in and around 10k. But that’s for a genuine partscaster something like SRV‘ with a 62 body, 63 neck, 59 PUPS, replacement bridge and hardware from numerous guitars. That’s a partscaster and you can assemble one for in and around 10k. A guitar with one thing replaced or even in the case of Blackie where Clapton assembled it from 3 different guitars in my opinion it largely depends on how much he used of each guitar before it falls into the realm of partscaster. That’s grey area but I’d be hesitant to call merging two guitars into one a partscaster.
american vintage re-issue AVRI Lavigne would work as a pun,...but she's Canadian, oh well:)
*was* a good way to get a vintage guitar....
Too bad people like Ed Vegas have been parting these out for years selling the parts for ludacris prices. 62 neck by itself at least 10k
I’m normally good with you guys going off on tangents, but in a 12 minute video you talked for less than five minutes on the topic. I had to start hitting the forward button.
Wait for the next crash it’ coming just sayin’
Sq Fat Tele {think Andy Summers)
maybe the least played of 12. glad i have one.
I'm 49 my wife (3rd....yea 3rd thanks to Uncle Sams Misguided Childrens op-tempo) is 29....our pop culture clashes but in funny way.
The magic is your mind?
Duck 🦆 you !!..I won’t do what you tail me!!!..🎶🎶mash up…..a very we’ll rounded music/movie diet🤣 😎✌️🤘🎸❤️
I watched cause of the beard, I stayed cause you tell me how to reach me dreams… lol
Watch some YT vids of Dave's World of Fun Stuff, and yer good to go.
I have a 1988 MIJ Strat. I bought it new. I used it for a 3 night gig and never use it again. It seems to be time to sell it.
Why!!!! Why oh why would you let the cat out of the bag?! There goes the parts-caster market😩