Did you mean: the massive Gibson Buckethead signature? Alternatively, Ah, yes, Lester Paul's lesser-known big brother, Morty. Legend has it, since they've never been seen together at the same time, that Les is Mor.
A tip I was once shown by a cabinetmaker is to drag the screw across a candle before inserting for first time, the small amount of wax is enough to stop the screwdriver tip rounding out the screw head and makes the actual screw driving a lot easier on the arm !
Every guitar tech that knows what they are doing has a bar of soap or wax to ease the screws into the wood. I too remember seeing that for the first it was an ah hah moment……
Darrell, you’ve gotta be one of my top 5 favorite RUclipsrs. Between the awesome content you put out, your constant uplifting positivity, and your enthusiasm for what you do, I can see you really put a lot of effort into making these videos and educating people about guitars. Just thought I’d let you know I love all of your content and I’m glad you make it!
Not watnting to deal across the US border with customs, credit cards, exchange rate, shipping etc, I decided to try Solo for some tools for a fret job on my mandolin. I needed help with some items and called the number and a person answers the phone. He is knowledgable and Padraig helped me to get exactly what I needed, being new at this. Being able to pay with e-transfer was another bonus, and shipping was quick with Expedited. In short - I trust Solo - not easy to say these days. I'm glad Darrell did this build or I would not have found Solo otherwise. Maybe I will build that Les Paul now and will remember to use your link.
I am a Yamaha Pacifica fangirl, but a walnut dashboard in an old Jaguar "has just something about it". Sometimes a painting by Turner looks almost better than my Pacifica 112! Play your guitar and... shut up!
@@onegenooneappleonetilly9234 🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️ Says millions and millions and millions of Gibson owners. I'm 6'2" 230 pounds a 9 lb. Les Paul doesn't bother me even after 3 hours. To each his own my friend.
You for sure can't argue with that... I'm with anyone on that guitar kid being a guitar kid being a guitar kid being a guitar kid being a never ending guitar kid.
You for sure can't argue with that... I'm with anyone on that guitar kid being a guitar kid being a guitar kid being a guitar kid being a never ending guitar kid.
I'm a huge Les Paul fan I went through dozens of different guitars before I pretty much went full circle and settled on Les Pauls as my favorite. I have four LP guitars but I may need to build this one because it looks BEAUTIFUL
I enjoy guitar building and I love going to Solo. I feel like a kid in a candy store. As a long time customer I can’t say enough about their amazing customer service. I recently built their double neck sg kit, and I absolutely love it. Downside is their kits don’t always match the online description. I recently subbed to this channel after years of watching, yes I feel foolish. I enjoy the content and it’s great to see fellow Canadians here.
I as a builder and assembler have used Solo for several things a d have found gheir products to be quite good the service friendly helpful and knowlegable. Their products are priced competitively and their parts tools supplies department is vast. Good stuff.👍
Love the content. Can't wait until its complete. We have Les Paul builds, Tele style builds, Strat style builds. Time for a V, ES style, Firebird, or something else completely different. Well done sir.
Thanks for this post. I a father of 4 and on a tight budget. I saw another one of your videos about the Harley Benton HB-35 Plus. I bought it and it played and had great tones right out of the box. After that, I had to save my pennies to get a case. I went to the link you shared at Sologuitar and found a good deal on a hard shell case. Thanx for all your help.
So much fun, My luthier buddy put together a Gibson scale, ebony board, large headstock, natural finish Strat, tortoise guard with Seymour Duncan single coil size bridge bucker. Your channel is a blast.
Very cool video 📹 and build kit. You didn't mention about the weight, traditionally the Les Paul is hearty in weight 13 ish pounds, what did the final kit weigh in at? Thanks 😊
I Use the fretguru ultimate fret end file starting at the bottom of your fret push it up and over to the center 2 times on each side of the fret then take your neck and run 3M TriMite wet/dry polishing paper up and down the edge holding at approximately a 35° to 45° degree angle. You can feel it when it's correct. Starting with the coarsest grit which is olive green and work your way up through the color code is grits I usually go up and down about 8 times twice 16 times total per side per Grit. This will give you perfect hot dog/hemispherical shaped ends, very easy to do. I also use the 3M polishing paper to polish the frets and the fretboard at the same time. I do not waste time and tape taping up the fretboard. I use the polishingp paper on the Frets pressing mostly on the sides your finger will get a little bit over-the-top. This prevents you from wearing away on the top and maybe slightly knocking your Frets out of level when you do the left side and the right side of the Fret maybe for the first 3 to 5 frets you will have a little place in the center where your fingers do not touch you'll have to rub over that too. After the 5th fret or so the Frets are close enough together your finger overlaps in the center so you no longer have to do that little teeny piece in the center that doesn't quite overlap with your fingers when you're polishing. I do the entire length of the fretboard and then I do the sides like I was telling you holding it at an angle with each Grit. When I get done I have perfectly rounded ends and Fret that look like newly polished chrome. The Frets look like mirrors and the fretboard looks finished like a lacquered Maple fretboard. It's so shiny because Rosewood or Ebony is so hard it Buffs up like a polished Rock. Everybody's guitar that I have done this to asks me how did I get the Fret board to look like that. It looks like it's got to finish on it, but it doesn't, it's just that I've polish the wood to a mirror shine at the same time that I've polish the frets. This does not take any longer than polishing the frets because when you rub both sides of the Fret you're rubbing half or more of the space between the Fret if you don't tape it you're rubbing the wood and the Fred at the same time the only place that you have to rub a little bit more is probably the first five Frets where you have to rub an extra time in the center where your fingers don't overlap, but you save so much time taping it that it ends up not taking any longer than just polishing the Frets. If you cry this once you will never try it another way. If you try the Fret Guru ultimate fret in file you won't use anything else. They are expensive but they are perfect for creating binding nibs and filing fret ends. They have a mirror polished bottom so when you run them over your guitar they don't scratch anything. The sides are what cut. They're a Square file and the nose has been rounded over in case you slip so you won't get out A Great Big Gouge in the body when you're working on the portion of the Frets that are over the body. I get my 3M polishing paper from Rio Grande jewelry supply because you get two 9"× 11" sheets of each of the 6 grits, a total of 12 sheets for the same price that everybody else charges for 6 sheets when you buy the assortment pack. It's about $15 American the last time I bought any. Make sure you put a mark on the back of the last grit. The color is such a pale shade of green it looks White and you can't tell the front from the back. You can easily mix it up and you won't be doing anything by using the back side it's 8000 grit so you can't even feel the grit on it. I Mark the back of the paper in 4 places because I cut it lengthwise and crosswise giving me the perfect size 1/4 sheet little piece. When folded in a trifold it's just right for working on your guitar so I put 4 marks per sheet. If you tried this once you will always do this you will love the way it makes your fretboard feel. I also use fret doctor or bore doctor from doctors products. It's the same product with two different labels. It started out as a clarinet bore oil, but they realized how good it was for fretboards so they labeled some of it fret doctor. It's pricey but it's the best oil on the market it's a blend of tropical hardwood oils and does not clog up the pores of your fretboard like fretboard oil which is lemon scented mineral oil or seal up the pores of your fretboard like linseed oil products do which dry and give you kind of like a finish. This oil replaces the oil in Rosewood Ebony or other tropical hardwood fret boards with the same type of oil they had in them naturally because it's tropical hardwood oil with a little bit of antioxidants in it to preserve it. I have watched it penetrate completely through a fretboard all the way down to the neck. I recently ordered some I'm waiting for it to come in should be here any day now from Willcutt Guitars because they're the only place that I can find that still carries it in the 60 ml/ 2 Oz size and it's only a little more than the 30 ml/ 2 size. For a few dollars more you get double the amount. Nobody seems to have that size anymore except Willcutt Guitars. I hope this helps you God Bless!! Jimmy in NC....
Strings. Use the cheapo set to do the initial setting up then fit some decent one's. Always a good idea as denting and bending the strings in the wrong place is a natural part of setting up.
When you got ready to finish the back of the neck I thought, I’d bet Watco would be good to use. Then you just blew my mind when you pulled out the Watco. Awesome choice.
I've never had any luck with wipe on, one part poly finishes. I've tried a couple of brands (but not Watco) and it seems they don't cure quite hard enough and always feel just a little tacky which isn't so bad on the body but is on the neck.
14:02 And make sure before you start sanding the frets, you put blue painters tape on each side of the fret so you don't scratch the fingerboards! I'm not a guitar tech but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!!!
I just found your RUclips channel and thinking about trying a guitar kit build. I do a little woodworking and wanted to inquire about what you may recommend in kits. I looked at Solo most of their kits out of stock? Appreciate any and all suggestions. Thank you.
Your timing for epic videos is perfect!! Never seen a LP kit and tackle one. Also like the new amp rack not surprised you get such amazing tone on a totally compressed RUclips format. Thanks
@@ark8tct Compare a new Rolls Royce to a new Volvo, what would be the difference in your bank account? Provided the Volvo and the Royce have the same colour? Excuse me, you do not want to know that. Really.
@@ark8tct Buy a Gibson Les Paul, sand away the Gibson logo from the headstock, apply the Epiphone sticker and 3 layers of clear finish. Then you finally got what YOU want. A cheap Les Paul. Try to sell it....
why didn't you check the frets with a fret rocker and level the frets and crown them before you polished them? Did the frets come level crowned and polished? Looks like a nice kit. Is that the same company that Dave's world of fun was working with. Dave does good set up videos if anyone is building a kit themselves and want to learn how to level, crown and polish their frets and set string height, intonation etc.
My biggest regret is that I didn't learn how to play guitar. I always wanted to but I was always to busy working to take the time. Now that I am in my 50's I do not think i could learn. I do not have the range in my fingers anymore. Also I have not worked in 5 years due to a disability so the income is not there to support it. But I do love watching your channel and love the guitars you feature. I absolutely love the highly figured flame maple top guitars. Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing your channel. BTW, I am also a fellow Canadian.
Please don't give up on yourself. I started in my 20s but basically gave up .then I started again n late forties and I found it easier.....more patience maybe?.....probably biggest diff. Was the internet made learning waaaaaay easier......give it a go
Man, I really want to get one these and build a "signature" guitar of sorts now Seems like it would be a nice little project I could do in my spare time
Really excellent build video. As always you do such a great job explaining everything and inspiring people to step out of their comfort zone a bit. The idea of starting with the body pre-finished makes this build a bit less daunting. Thanks again.
I live in Ontario and have been toying around with building a Warmoth guitar then I watch this video and see the solo guitar kits I didn't realize they were in Concord Ontario that's only 6 hours away from me I'll have to look into solo more now before I pull the trigger.its "local" to me and canadian made
You should definitely look into boiled linseed oil for your neck finishes. Its as easy a finish as wipe on poly, but looks and feels a lot nicer when it's done. Just wipe on coats til your satisfied with the color then let cure for a week or so (Japan drier can speed this up to a day or two). Leave as is for a satin look/feel, or wipe on a coat or two of tru oil for a high gloss finish. Personally i think it's the best looking and feeling neck finish you can do, and just happens to be one of the easiest.
Completed 2 tube amp builds in 2020 so far as well as some old audio amps to guitar use. One amp was an 18 watt marshall build. Fun stuff. Never thought of doin a guitar. Just might have to
Great video, Darrell. I didn't know that they had pre-finished kits as this is always a stress point for me as well. I have to have it be perfect. As a person who has done a couple of builds, I suggest shielding the pickup pockets as well as the control pockets and sending that all to the ground lead. I find, in my area of the states, that it reduces that annoying 60 hz hum that we tend to pick up. Thank you, Sir. Love your videos.
Very cool kit and only $250! The finish is really the hardest part. I’ve done a lot of wood working in the past, but I still steer clear of building a guitar from raw wood blanks. Just getting a decent looking solid color is hard enough; that sunburst would be nearly impossible for most hobbiests.
Looks like they sent non radiused pickup rings, that neck pickup ring is bugging the heck out of me. Some fine sandpaper taped to the top (gritty side up) and you can rub the ring over it to match the arch of the top.
I love all your videos and I bought this kit but the hardest part was the soldering the pots? My kit has no sound? Maybe next time you do a kit help with the wiring. Just a suggestion.
Awesome kit, I got a telecaster build kit from Grizzy industrial woodworking about 12-15 years ago had to paint it and contour the headstock super fun build learned a lot this look like a fun kit to build too nice
The finish is really technical. I have butchered a few guitars with my own custom finishes. I did attempt a diy and the neck pocket and string action were seriously bad from the factory. That was the last one I ever tried. I am more of a composer/recording type player but I admire folks that can build guitars.
Darrell you gotta get your Mitts on the Vox V90 and V66 . You will fall in Love . It was Vox's answer to the Gibson 335 . And we all know how much you like Gibson 👍😜
Hi Darrell 😊 how are you doing? As usual always good job👍. Just wanted to know where did you purchase this LP Kit. How much does it cost? The problem in India is, it's a total rip-off buying a guitar. I got a Les Paul Style Guitar but it's not good quality. I want to change the pick ups, but I don't know which ones to buy and the potentiometers are not the Pull Push kind, the fret board is also not very good it's got sharp edges on both sides. Can anyone help me?
Was definitely going to mention you not doing the ground wire while watching the video....luckily I finished watching. I do like the finish on the guitar. Always wondered what they looked like
Isn't the neck already finished? It looks like satin finish which is much nicer to touch than glossy when you're playing for a while - it doesn't feel sticky.
You mentioned in the second part if we would like to see another kit build absolutely. The same company. The strat solder less finished kit. I'm sure I am not the only channel subscriber here curious to see and hear how their kit sounds against an actual Fender strat. Looked like a decent kit even the alder body kit looked decent but absolutely curious to how it comes together and how it sounds put against a genuine strat. Loved watching the Les Paul come together. Any fret buzz or weird noises in the electronics you've found I know alot of these kits tend to have really lousy necks and fret buzz bad string heights had one that was what I ended up calling a cheese slicer and ended up on my wall as a decorative piece couldn't enjoy playing it at all enjoyed the build but not the guitar after the fact as I am sure alot of others here have had the same experience. As always awesome video really enjoyed this one especially watching the poly finish. I would love to see one of these kits come out in a warrior body and get to compare one to my Jackson Warrior 24m. Amplifier sounded great was curious what interface you were using cab sims etc Thank you for this video.
If you did it again would you line the cutouts with copper tape to ground those areas? Also did you test the pickups to see resistance so the hottest one goes to bridge?
Thank you Darrell for all your videos. I have to ask you for my wife, were you a radio DJ or a Television man ? You have an excellent voice for it ! We are regular fans here. Live long and prosper in health and wealth.
I found the same hardware, I assume from the same Chinese factory, on Ebay for super cheap. Electronics, bridge/tail/posts, tuners, etc. I had a 91 Gibson Les Paul studio lite that had a broken headstock at the neck. Over the years, all the hardware had been stripped to improve some Epiphones. I repaired the headstock and installed this cheap hardware, and in the end my Gibson is alive again. It's not exactly Gibson quality, but it actually sounds great and the body and fretboard are original Gibson.
That looks like alot of fun, the LP i have my eye on is 6K , can you get a great sound and save money with those build or is it just the fun of asembly ?
Dear Darrell, I like the les paul shape and the sunbrust flame top look a lot.but as i'm used to ibanez s series a les paul feels very heavy and uncorfomtable. That's why i was thinking about buying a cheap les paul kit and cut and sand the body to make it as thin as possible kind of like a s series guitar. Also matching headstock as well. But i haven't ever done a kit build before, so i'm little nervous. I would be so greatful if you do a build like this in your channel if this sound a interesting video idea to you. That might would be a nice collab video with someone who makes woodworking videoes on youtube. I appreciate everything you do by the way. Thank you.
Does the wipe on poly create a gummy neck like you get with Epiphone or is it a satin finish that stays smooth? I did a garage sale franken-axe when I refinished the neck I used Tung Oil and hand buffed it. The neck was like glass afterwards it was actually one of the smoothest necks of any guitar I own. I was just curious because I have not messed with any other types of finishes for a guitar neck. That looks really slick for an out the box finished body kit.
I've got a glary like that one Daryl and I love it although mine has the humbucker in the neck. And the color is translucent red. But I love that guitar plays great sounds great.
Awesome new LP kit build for you guys this week! Enjoy :)
Thanks for the drop in a stressful week! I love your channel, you’re my favorite Canadian
Love this❤️
Honestly with CNC machining the parts should just fit almost perfectly.
Darrell, does this kit have a real maple cap or just a thin veneer?
That solo website link isn't working
I, for one, am a fan of More Paul
Lol good one
Did you mean: the massive Gibson Buckethead signature?
Alternatively,
Ah, yes, Lester Paul's lesser-known big brother, Morty. Legend has it, since they've never been seen together at the same time, that Les is Mor.
Pa-dump-pump, cheeee! Rim shot.
LOL! Took a second before it clicked with me, too! :-))
That's a Dad joke.
A tip I was once shown by a cabinetmaker is to drag the screw across a candle before inserting for first time, the small amount of wax is enough to stop the screwdriver tip rounding out the screw head and makes the actual screw driving a lot easier on the arm !
Every guitar tech that knows what they are doing has a bar of soap or wax to ease the screws into the wood. I too remember seeing that for the first it was an ah hah moment……
Thanks 😎
Darrell, you’ve gotta be one of my top 5 favorite RUclipsrs. Between the awesome content you put out, your constant uplifting positivity, and your enthusiasm for what you do, I can see you really put a lot of effort into making these videos and educating people about guitars. Just thought I’d let you know I love all of your content and I’m glad you make it!
He's my LEAST favourite 🙄
Piss off@@RobBob555
Not watnting to deal across the US border with customs, credit cards, exchange rate, shipping etc, I decided to try Solo for some tools for a fret job on my mandolin. I needed help with some items and called the number and a person answers the phone. He is knowledgable and Padraig helped me to get exactly what I needed, being new at this. Being able to pay with e-transfer was another bonus, and shipping was quick with Expedited. In short - I trust Solo - not easy to say these days. I'm glad Darrell did this build or I would not have found Solo otherwise. Maybe I will build that Les Paul now and will remember to use your link.
Thanks for filming builds for the person with limited money & tools, who's just starting out. Can't wait to see the rest 👍
I’m a fender fanboy but there’s just something about a Les Paul with a flame maple top.
Probably thin or photo flame
I am a Yamaha Pacifica fangirl, but a walnut dashboard in an old Jaguar "has just something about it". Sometimes a painting by Turner looks almost better than my Pacifica 112! Play your guitar and... shut up!
Until you pick up the bulky 500 pound guitar and realize you are better off. Beauty is one thing, but playability is everything.
@@onegenooneappleonetilly9234 🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️ Says millions and millions and millions of Gibson owners. I'm 6'2" 230 pounds a 9 lb. Les Paul doesn't bother me even after 3 hours. To each his own my friend.
Your content is the reason I love exploring alternatives to mainstream guitar brands and just the science behind guitars in general!
Awesome work as always Darrell. That’s a great kit for a starter for sure.
You for sure can't argue with that... I'm with anyone on that guitar kid being a guitar kid being a guitar kid being a guitar kid being a never ending guitar kid.
You for sure can't argue with that... I'm with anyone on that guitar kid being a guitar kid being a guitar kid being a guitar kid being a never ending guitar kid.
You for sure can't argue with that... I'm with anyone on that guitar kit being a awesome starter guitar
You for sure can't argue with that... I'm with anyone on that guitar kit being a awesome starter guitar
I'm a huge Les Paul fan I went through dozens of different guitars before I pretty much went full circle and settled on Les Pauls as my favorite. I have four LP guitars but I may need to build this one because it looks BEAUTIFUL
Currently building a Jackocaster, 61 years playing, disabled vet, plenty of time
Enjoy the building andvthe playing when it's finished !
Awesome!!
Thank you for your service!
@@jbusk6298 you are welcome
What's a Jackocaster? I've never heard of those before
First 15 seconds I’m thinking, “oh, I hope it’s a Solo kit, I’d like to try one of those.’ 20 seconds in. ‘Yes!’
I enjoy guitar building and I love going to Solo. I feel like a kid in a candy store. As a long time customer I can’t say enough about their amazing customer service. I recently built their double neck sg kit, and I absolutely love it. Downside is their kits don’t always match the online description. I recently subbed to this channel after years of watching, yes I feel foolish. I enjoy the content and it’s great to see fellow Canadians here.
I as a builder and assembler have used Solo for several things a d have found gheir products to be quite good the service friendly helpful and knowlegable. Their products are priced competitively and their parts tools supplies department is vast. Good stuff.👍
I appreciate that you use the Canadian company, SoloMusic. Most other RUclipsrs use American DIY companies that we can't easily get here.
Love the content. Can't wait until its complete. We have Les Paul builds, Tele style builds, Strat style builds. Time for a V, ES style, Firebird, or something else completely different. Well done sir.
Thanks for this post. I a father of 4 and on a tight budget. I saw another one of your videos about the Harley Benton HB-35 Plus. I bought it and it played and had great tones right out of the box. After that, I had to save my pennies to get a case. I went to the link you shared at Sologuitar and found a good deal on a hard shell case. Thanx for all your help.
So much fun, My luthier buddy put together a Gibson scale, ebony board, large headstock, natural finish Strat, tortoise guard with Seymour Duncan single coil size bridge bucker. Your channel is a blast.
I'm a simple man, I see Les Paul, I click!
Love it. Great comment. I love that song too. Simple man. 🎸🎸
Very cool video 📹 and build kit. You didn't mention about the weight, traditionally the Les Paul is hearty in weight 13 ish pounds, what did the final kit weigh in at?
Thanks 😊
Love the new background and the amps look really cool.
Thanks man!
I Use the fretguru ultimate fret end file starting at the bottom of your fret push it up and over to the center 2 times on each side of the fret then take your neck and run 3M TriMite wet/dry polishing paper up and down the edge holding at approximately a 35° to 45° degree angle. You can feel it when it's correct. Starting with the coarsest grit which is olive green and work your way up through the color code is grits I usually go up and down about 8 times twice 16 times total per side per Grit. This will give you perfect hot dog/hemispherical shaped ends, very easy to do. I also use the 3M polishing paper to polish the frets and the fretboard at the same time. I do not waste time and tape taping up the fretboard. I use the polishingp paper on the Frets pressing mostly on the sides your finger will get a little bit over-the-top. This prevents you from wearing away on the top and maybe slightly knocking your Frets out of level when you do the left side and the right side of the Fret maybe for the first 3 to 5 frets you will have a little place in the center where your fingers do not touch you'll have to rub over that too. After the 5th fret or so the Frets are close enough together your finger overlaps in the center so you no longer have to do that little teeny piece in the center that doesn't quite overlap with your fingers when you're polishing. I do the entire length of the fretboard and then I do the sides like I was telling you holding it at an angle with each Grit. When I get done I have perfectly rounded ends and Fret that look like newly polished chrome. The Frets look like mirrors and the fretboard looks finished like a lacquered Maple fretboard. It's so shiny because Rosewood or Ebony is so hard it Buffs up like a polished Rock. Everybody's guitar that I have done this to asks me how did I get the Fret board to look like that. It looks like it's got to finish on it, but it doesn't, it's just that I've polish the wood to a mirror shine at the same time that I've polish the frets. This does not take any longer than polishing the frets because when you rub both sides of the Fret you're rubbing half or more of the space between the Fret if you don't tape it you're rubbing the wood and the Fred at the same time the only place that you have to rub a little bit more is probably the first five Frets where you have to rub an extra time in the center where your fingers don't overlap, but you save so much time taping it that it ends up not taking any longer than just polishing the Frets. If you cry this once you will never try it another way. If you try the Fret Guru ultimate fret in file you won't use anything else. They are expensive but they are perfect for creating binding nibs and filing fret ends. They have a mirror polished bottom so when you run them over your guitar they don't scratch anything. The sides are what cut. They're a Square file and the nose has been rounded over in case you slip so you won't get out A Great Big Gouge in the body when you're working on the portion of the Frets that are over the body. I get my 3M polishing paper from Rio Grande jewelry supply because you get two 9"× 11" sheets of each of the 6 grits, a total of 12 sheets for the same price that everybody else charges for 6 sheets when you buy the assortment pack. It's about $15 American the last time I bought any. Make sure you put a mark on the back of the last grit. The color is such a pale shade of green it looks White and you can't tell the front from the back. You can easily mix it up and you won't be doing anything by using the back side it's 8000 grit so you can't even feel the grit on it. I Mark the back of the paper in 4 places because I cut it lengthwise and crosswise giving me the perfect size 1/4 sheet little piece. When folded in a trifold it's just right for working on your guitar so I put 4 marks per sheet. If you tried this once you will always do this you will love the way it makes your fretboard feel. I also use fret doctor or bore doctor from doctors products. It's the same product with two different labels. It started out as a clarinet bore oil, but they realized how good it was for fretboards so they labeled some of it fret doctor. It's pricey but it's the best oil on the market it's a blend of tropical hardwood oils and does not clog up the pores of your fretboard like fretboard oil which is lemon scented mineral oil or seal up the pores of your fretboard like linseed oil products do which dry and give you kind of like a finish. This oil replaces the oil in Rosewood Ebony or other tropical hardwood fret boards with the same type of oil they had in them naturally because it's tropical hardwood oil with a little bit of antioxidants in it to preserve it. I have watched it penetrate completely through a fretboard all the way down to the neck. I recently ordered some I'm waiting for it to come in should be here any day now from Willcutt Guitars because they're the only place that I can find that still carries it in the 60 ml/ 2 Oz size and it's only a little more than the 30 ml/ 2 size. For a few dollars more you get double the amount. Nobody seems to have that size anymore except Willcutt Guitars. I hope this helps you
God Bless!!
Jimmy in NC....
I like the basic tune up you did on the neck. Thank you for teaching us the latest techniques Darrell
Yes finally haha I’ve been waiting for another build video 😀
Strings. Use the cheapo set to do the initial setting up then fit some decent one's. Always a good idea as denting and bending the strings in the wrong place is a natural part of setting up.
When you got ready to finish the back of the neck I thought, I’d bet Watco would be good to use. Then you just blew my mind when you pulled out the Watco. Awesome choice.
I've never had any luck with wipe on, one part poly finishes. I've tried a couple of brands (but not Watco) and it seems they don't cure quite hard enough and always feel just a little tacky which isn't so bad on the body but is on the neck.
The texture/grain on the fretboard looks gorgeous!
14:02 And make sure before you start sanding the frets, you put blue painters tape on each side of the fret so you don't scratch the fingerboards! I'm not a guitar tech but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!!!
I’m sure you already know but, those foam sanding that you can get from the hardware store are PERFECT for running down the side of your fret board!
I love Solo guitars. I've always had pleasant experiences with them.
Was looking at these Solo kits a lot lately, glad to see you were happy with yours.
at 13:10 you can see there are loads of gaps and the frets are high and low. and there's lots of dings on the guitar top.
I just found your RUclips channel and thinking about trying a guitar kit build. I do a little woodworking and wanted to inquire about what you may recommend in kits. I looked at Solo most of their kits out of stock? Appreciate any and all suggestions.
Thank you.
Your timing for epic videos is perfect!! Never seen a LP kit and tackle one. Also like the new amp rack not surprised you get such amazing tone on a totally compressed RUclips format. Thanks
I really want to see how this one turn out. Really interested in getting one for myself.
@@ark8tct Compare a new Rolls Royce to a new Volvo, what would be the difference in your bank account? Provided the Volvo and the Royce have the same colour? Excuse me, you do not want to know that. Really.
@@ark8tct Buy a Gibson Les Paul, sand away the Gibson logo from the headstock, apply the Epiphone sticker and 3 layers of clear finish. Then you finally got what YOU want. A cheap Les Paul. Try to sell it....
yes the neck is level..but are the frets?..you should check that before polishing and crowning anything
why didn't you check the frets with a fret rocker and level the frets and crown them before you polished them? Did the frets come level crowned and polished? Looks like a nice kit. Is that the same company that Dave's world of fun was working with. Dave does good set up videos if anyone is building a kit themselves and want to learn how to level, crown and polish their frets and set string height, intonation etc.
My biggest regret is that I didn't learn how to play guitar. I always wanted to but I was always to busy working to take the time. Now that I am in my 50's I do not think i could learn. I do not have the range in my fingers anymore. Also I have not worked in 5 years due to a disability so the income is not there to support it. But I do love watching your channel and love the guitars you feature. I absolutely love the highly figured flame maple top guitars. Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing your channel. BTW, I am also a fellow Canadian.
Please don't give up on yourself. I started in my 20s but basically gave up .then I started again n late forties and I found it easier.....more patience maybe?.....probably biggest diff. Was the internet made learning waaaaaay easier......give it a go
Man, I really want to get one these and build a "signature" guitar of sorts now
Seems like it would be a nice little project I could do in my spare time
These kits are cool. That’s a good way to discover the inside of guitars with fun. Plus you have a new guitar at the end !
Darrell thanks for always answering and reviewing the gear I dwell on.
Really excellent build video. As always you do such a great job explaining everything and inspiring people to step out of their comfort zone a bit. The idea of starting with the body pre-finished makes this build a bit less daunting. Thanks again.
I live in Ontario and have been toying around with building a Warmoth guitar then I watch this video and see the solo guitar kits I didn't realize they were in Concord Ontario that's only 6 hours away from me I'll have to look into solo more now before I pull the trigger.its "local" to me and canadian made
I like the scarf joint and neck look after the finish was applied. Great video.
Really happy to see you doing a Les Paul style build. That sure is a gorgeous body.
I've watched a lot of different guitar channels but DB is the Best. Always detailed and informative!!! 😎👍👌💯✔️✔️
You should definitely look into boiled linseed oil for your neck finishes. Its as easy a finish as wipe on poly, but looks and feels a lot nicer when it's done. Just wipe on coats til your satisfied with the color then let cure for a week or so (Japan drier can speed this up to a day or two). Leave as is for a satin look/feel, or wipe on a coat or two of tru oil for a high gloss finish. Personally i think it's the best looking and feeling neck finish you can do, and just happens to be one of the easiest.
Pateints and dust control are the key to a good finish.
Completed 2 tube amp builds in 2020 so far as well as some old audio amps to guitar use. One amp was an 18 watt marshall build. Fun stuff. Never thought of doin a guitar. Just might have to
Great video, Darrell. I didn't know that they had pre-finished kits as this is always a stress point for me as well. I have to have it be perfect. As a person who has done a couple of builds, I suggest shielding the pickup pockets as well as the control pockets and sending that all to the ground lead. I find, in my area of the states, that it reduces that annoying 60 hz hum that we tend to pick up. Thank you, Sir. Love your videos.
A couple of other finishes I like for the neck are Zinisser Shellac and Tru-oil gunstock oil. Both feel more vintage than poly.
Bravo... clair et bien détaillé !
The two solo kits I built needed a fret level. I love Birchwood Casey Tru-oil for necks. If you take your time it comes out awesome.
Very cool kit and only $250! The finish is really the hardest part. I’ve done a lot of wood working in the past, but I still steer clear of building a guitar from raw wood blanks. Just getting a decent looking solid color is hard enough; that sunburst would be nearly impossible for most hobbiests.
Looks like they sent non radiused pickup rings, that neck pickup ring is bugging the heck out of me. Some fine sandpaper taped to the top (gritty side up) and you can rub the ring over it to match the arch of the top.
I love all your videos and I bought this kit but the hardest part was the soldering the pots? My kit has no sound? Maybe next time you do a kit help with the wiring. Just a suggestion.
Awesome kit, I got a telecaster build kit from Grizzy industrial woodworking about 12-15 years ago had to paint it and contour the headstock super fun build learned a lot this look like a fun kit to build too nice
i dont own a guitar.. but i have to say i very much enjoy your review style and thorough/thoughtfulness.... not to mention your excellent playing..
Nice, I'm going to their website to see if they have this kit with a set neck.
Awesome kit, and the best video online. Thank you very much DBG !
The finish is really technical. I have butchered a few guitars with my own custom finishes. I did attempt a diy and the neck pocket and string action were seriously bad from the factory. That was the last one I ever tried. I am more of a composer/recording type player but I admire folks that can build guitars.
Darrell you gotta get your Mitts on the Vox V90 and V66 . You will fall in Love . It was Vox's answer to the Gibson 335 . And we all know how much you like Gibson 👍😜
Would love to see the headstock with a matching burst.
Can't wait to see it gets finished
Fileing the sharp edges off the frets is called De-burring.
as a long time player and beginner builder this is awesome
Same here. I just started, building guitars. Well trying. This is a good video to learn from. Play on my friend. 👍🎸
Hi Darrell 😊 how are you doing?
As usual always good job👍.
Just wanted to know where did you purchase this LP Kit.
How much does it cost?
The problem in India is, it's a total rip-off buying a guitar. I got a Les Paul Style Guitar but it's not good quality. I want to change the pick ups, but I don't know which ones to buy and the potentiometers are not the Pull Push kind, the fret board is also not very good it's got sharp edges on both sides. Can anyone help me?
Was definitely going to mention you not doing the ground wire while watching the video....luckily I finished watching. I do like the finish on the guitar. Always wondered what they looked like
Can you please make a video on how to upgrade a squier tele?
Man, it's the first time I noticed the "SOLI DEO GLORIA!" at end of the description! I'm a week late, but happy reformed day haha!
Link for the wipe on poly. Please
Isn't the neck already finished? It looks like satin finish which is much nicer to touch than glossy when you're playing for a while - it doesn't feel sticky.
You mentioned in the second part if we would like to see another kit build absolutely. The same company. The strat solder less finished kit. I'm sure I am not the only channel subscriber here curious to see and hear how their kit sounds against an actual Fender strat. Looked like a decent kit even the alder body kit looked decent but absolutely curious to how it comes together and how it sounds put against a genuine strat. Loved watching the Les Paul come together. Any fret buzz or weird noises in the electronics you've found I know alot of these kits tend to have really lousy necks and fret buzz bad string heights had one that was what I ended up calling a cheese slicer and ended up on my wall as a decorative piece couldn't enjoy playing it at all enjoyed the build but not the guitar after the fact as I am sure alot of others here have had the same experience. As always awesome video really enjoyed this one especially watching the poly finish. I would love to see one of these kits come out in a warrior body and get to compare one to my Jackson Warrior 24m. Amplifier sounded great was curious what interface you were using cab sims etc Thank you for this video.
Looks nice! When are we going to see a video on the Chibson?
Lol
Very meticulous job Darrell. Very nice! Cheers from Indonesia.
Thanks for the wipe on poly tip. I‘ve been using Tru Oil but looking to try something new for a change.
Excellent I want a lefthanded one like that. Great finish, good choice wipe on polly for the neck!
If you did it again would you line the cutouts with copper tape to ground those areas? Also did you test the pickups to see resistance so the hottest one goes to bridge?
Thank you Darrell for all your videos. I have to ask you for my wife, were you a radio DJ or a Television man ? You have an excellent voice for it ! We are regular fans here. Live long and prosper in health and wealth.
This would be an ideal candidate for some GFS Kwikplug pickups and a wiring kit.
Masking tape is your friend for the keeping your binding clean.
Looks like a very nice kit. NO Pickguard Please, Love The Bolt On Neck.
Hey Darrell, do you think that Solo LP body could fit in a Warmoth neck properly?
They’d give you an idea why it’s hard to justify thousands of dollars on a guitar,it can only be put together so well,regardless of who does it
Ooh! Check that oot!
I found the same hardware, I assume from the same Chinese factory, on Ebay for super cheap. Electronics, bridge/tail/posts, tuners, etc.
I had a 91 Gibson Les Paul studio lite that had a broken headstock at the neck. Over the years, all the hardware had been stripped to improve some Epiphones.
I repaired the headstock and installed this cheap hardware, and in the end my Gibson is alive again. It's not exactly Gibson quality, but it actually sounds great and the body and fretboard are original Gibson.
Hey Darrell, I would like to see the rest of your Yamaha pacifica ,please
That looks like alot of fun, the LP i have my eye on is 6K , can you get a great sound and save money with those build or is it just the fun of asembly ?
Awesome Darrell I just love these kit guitar build videos.
Dear Darrell,
I like the les paul shape and the sunbrust flame top look a lot.but as i'm used to ibanez s series a les paul feels very heavy and uncorfomtable. That's why i was thinking about buying a cheap les paul kit and cut and sand the body to make it as thin as possible kind of like a s series guitar. Also matching headstock as well. But i haven't ever done a kit build before, so i'm little nervous. I would be so greatful if you do a build like this in your channel if this sound a interesting video idea to you. That might would be a nice collab video with someone who makes woodworking videoes on youtube. I appreciate everything you do by the way. Thank you.
Does the wipe on poly create a gummy neck like you get with Epiphone or is it a satin finish that stays smooth? I did a garage sale franken-axe when I refinished the neck I used Tung Oil and hand buffed it. The neck was like glass afterwards it was actually one of the smoothest necks of any guitar I own. I was just curious because I have not messed with any other types of finishes for a guitar neck. That looks really slick for an out the box finished body kit.
I've got a glary like that one Daryl and I love it although mine has the humbucker in the neck. And the color is translucent red. But I love that guitar plays great sounds great.
You must be a guitar tech or guitar maker or something. All your tips make senses. Nice works!
I guess you are probably the first guy in history to forget the ground wire 😉 Tx for sharing!
I’m 46, have been playing guitar since I was 8 and had no idea that there’s guitar kits 😂😂 I just never looked it up 🤷♂️ right on!
your Talent is truly amazing!!! watching here from the 🇵🇭 PHILIPPINES
SOLI DEO GLORIA! Love it my Brother...
Nice use of the Spyderco there. Pocket knives would be another of my hobbies...
Excellent instructor, good training video.
Darrell Doug here again,A Les Paul with a bolt on neck.where do you find these¿I really love Les pauls.i've got an even amount of each fendér/gibson