Ebay DIY guitar kit review & build tutorial by professional guitar builder
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- Опубликовано: 17 сен 2024
- I got a stratocaster guitar kit from ebay a while back, and it had just been sitting in my shop. i figured i would do a review of it, as well as do a "how to" video on putting it together. during the build process i talk about what is wrong with the kit, as well as what is good about the kit. if you have been thinking of getting one of these kits, or you already have one but have not put it together yet you should watch this video. you can get my guitar building course in the shop section at www.GelvinGuitars.com
#ebay
#guitar
#kit
#diy
#ufixit
#luthier
Kits are an awesome way to learn the workings of guitars. I built 2 and it's sent me on a journey that has enriched my life! I've since modified both kits with homemade bone nuts and new pickups. They've both become my go to guitars when I want to play. I recently picked up a Strat style guitar at a yardsale for $15! I've used the knowledge I've gained to turn that pos into an incredible player. I highly recommend building a kit if you want to get into guitar building. It's a great way to start!👍😎🎸🎶
One of my favorite guitars is a silver peavey rockmaster (no super hero painting on it)....I got for 25.00....added a neck - single coil humbucker. Routed it out with a drill. The pick guard was perfect to add the neck pickup. Refretted it with jumbo's....sounds like a les paul. Put the three way switch between the vol and tone....worked put perfect. The pick up's have power and hair! The stock tuners hold well. I have maybe 40.00 in it....used chinese jumbo frets.....2.00 for a set. They're fine if you don't play it every day.
Great to hear man, as a lefty I see allot of Chinese kits for lefty versions of guitars that don’t have left handed counter parts, I’ve always considered trying one and you drive me to really consider it.
$15? ... okay. you win. I came in at $61.50 and was proud of that. Now I feel shame.
Lol...$61.50 is still a great price for a good playing guitar!👍😎🎸🎶
@@74dartman13 Bought it back in 2002. I'm still making payments.
I am really considering building my own guitar. This video is one of the most informative videos I have ever seen. While this is 3 years old, it is still incredibly pertinent. With this, I feel I can actually do this at 50 years old! Thank you so much for sharing this experience!
Will is awesome. He got me into it 3 years ago. You can do this.
And you can still find strat kits on the bay for $65 plus tax. I just picked one up myself to practice using a mini HVLP gun I bought. Going to try to move away from aerosol cans. They work okay and lacquers forgiving but I have a hell of a time keeping the nozzles clean between coats. The first one has a nice fan pattern and then by the third or fourth coat it's just a circle. You can actually buy one of those HVLP touch up guns for the cost of a can of aerosol nitro. It's not the best thing in the world but it's got to be better than a spray can.
not even planning to buy a diy strat but this is very fun to watch
takes me back like watching your dad build your biggest fav lego set
Christian Enmon - I never got to build my Dads pinewood derby car but he had fun so that was all that mattered.
I'm closing in on 60 and am not handy but when I started learning guitar I picked up a cheap strat and took it apart to try to understand it. This video really helped me understand MORE. I love learning about things so thank you for being a good teacher.
I'm really good at taking things apart. Putting them back together I'm not quite so well versed!!!
They made cheap guitar kit in about five minutes for amateur users
You make it like one million dollar for pro players. With so much passion
I appreciate your time , work and so much experience. Thank you very much.
I have Washburn guitar my dad bought me before 28 years ago, I made it to keep her and not throwing her, the condition isn't that good, now it's time to work on her, I will order from China the stuff I need, but will try to keep her in the same original as she was, for my dad's memory
With that teaching filming, you helped me a lot. Well done
This video is probably the best when it comes to explaining and breaking down each part of the intonation process. There are ones I've seen that go way more in depth but with those they sort of lose the forest for the trees, where as this has the best overhead view for any beginner to find out.
That was the best crash course in guitar building, repairing, modifying, on the internet by far.
Thank You Very Much.
I've been a finishing carpenter and cabinet maker for years. I dabble in playing the guitar and a few years ago I lost my home to fire. My Fender Telecaster was salvaged but had been floating in the basement that was full of water from the fire trucks. I kept the guitar and put it out in my shop for years totally ignored until lately.
I decided to take a look. There were some cracks in the finish on the backside of the guitar but the entire thing was intact.
I plugged it in and everything worked except the buzz from the strings hitting the frets near the nut was unbelievable.
The high strings up by the nut were hitting or resting on the frets. I played with the bridge to try and make a difference with no luck, the neck, amazingly enough, was straight. No back or forward bow. The nut, however, was in bad shape.
I've ordered a few different nuts to try and fix that issue but for now, It's just sitting until some parts come in.
I have never set up an electric guitar before so I was looking for some videos about what do I need to know.
I went through a few and today I came across this video.
This video has answered every question I had and more at this point to get a grip on what I need to go over on the Telecaster in order to make it play again.
The guitar has sentimental value. It's a Squier, so it's not a valuable guitar however the story behind it is what makes me want to resurrect it from the dead.
I can't thank you enough for posting this video. It is absolutely the best one-hour long video to explain and shows the workings, the setup and the fundamentals of this style of electric guitar.
I have subscribed to this channel to continue to learn more and perhaps take up a new hobby fixing and building guitars. I have every tool imaginable munis a few specialty guitar tools to build anything from raw wood as I own a sawmill, I have a fully equipt woodworking shop, mechanical shop where I build hotrods and custom motorcycles, a metalworking and welding shop
FANTASTIC VIDEO AND KNOWLEDGE FROM A PROFESSIONAL WITH A GREAT DEMEANOR. THANKS AGAIN.
I just started watching this video, and thought I had to comment on your qualifications statement. In my honest opinion, based on watching (and thoroughly enjoying) quite a few of your videos, I have to say that, for me in particular, I have no doubts as to your qualifications to comment on the quality (or not) of any guitar you review. Keep up the great work!
i made that comment for those that this will be the first video of mine they watch. most people dont know about the history of my channel and what not. thanks for tuning in.
I've been playing since I was 12, I'm 64 now. I always learn something from your videos.
Great job man, very professional.
Thanks for this. My daughter is building pretty much the same kit, but hers came with all the holes predrilled. The neck was way out of alignment but I filled the holes with dowel and re-drilled that for her. These set up tips are fantastic! Great video.
Good video Will, thank you for taking the time. I have built a few guitars, Cigar boxes and a banjo, and all played well, but that was just sheer luck. these kind of straight forward no nonsense explanatory videos is what's needed out here with the increase of DIY'ers becoming a new thing. You sound professional and knowledgeable. well done.
I watched your videos several years ago. Since then I've been fixing up pawn shop finds and even made my own Tele that's a cross between John 5 and Jim Root's guitars. I have a wall of guitars that all cost less than $200 each. Last weekend my friends came over and played a lot of them saying they play just as good as their expensive guitars and even offered to pay me to build a kit explorer for them. Thank you for the knowledge! You have saved me hundreds if not thousands and now I might actually make some money off it. I've never met you but I consider you a friend.
Been playing guitar since I was a little kid, and I’m looking at building my own from scratch, but I’ve never soldered pickups or any guitar electronics. I’ve been looking at these diy kit things just to get some experience with the soldering, and building it. This is a great and very helpful video!
I would suggest you learn how to solder as i belive it might be the easiest part of build the guitar once you get a little familiar with it. If not then try looking for obsidian, mojotone etc pre-wired electronics. Good luck bud!
My favorite DIY guitar finish paint is Rustoleum Truck Bed Liner. One coat, dries fast, durable, looks cool, covers flaws and only costs $4 or $5. It’ll save a week of painting and sanding. Perfect for a cheap guitar.
Hey I was a painter for 7 years, there's a primer made by an arm of ppg that is self etching primer. I still remember the ordering code DPX-171 and the catalyst is DPX-172. It is AMAZING for wood work. But it was extremely expensive, i believe we was paying like 400$ a gallon. Plus 200$ for the catalyst. I could be off on the price but it was the most expensive primer we used. Also it dries in like 1 minute. I literally mean it dries so fast that if you use too high of air pressure it can dry before it reaches the surface of what you're spraying and it will feel like sand paper.
I also used a binks gun similiar to yours but my favorite was the blinks SL series. Amazing and easy to rebuild/clean.
Cheers.
Wouldn’t need self etch on wood
I've been watching your videos for the past four years. This is one of your best on so many levels... especially in terms of explaining setups.
You're a star Bill.
I know you mentioned that this was the 'Cliff Note' version, but OMG! did I learn so much! Thank you!!!
Hey, don't disparage Cliff's Notes. Most everyone with extensive experience taking literature classes in college has a lot more experience with Cliff than with the actual books. I mean, YOU try to read Finnegan's Wake and then try to write something coherent...
Best guitar video ever, I can't stop watching, so much knowledge. Thanks a bunch been playing for 30 yrs and still learning.
It’s so much fun to put these kits together. Did 4 of them in a years time (2 I kept, the other 2 were presents for my son).
Wow Will, one of the quickest hours of my life. I hung onto every nugget of wisdom and experience - not that I am going to build one of these (I go the second hand guitar route) - but just to listen to the way it should be done. I have an old sports car I am starting to rebuild and watching you at work confirms that I really need to step up to get the quality I want. Thanks.
Really clear explanation! MANDATORY video if you want to put a guitar kit together! It's not just a big 3d puzzle, it's correcting all the little imperfections the cheap manufacturing proces left behind.
This IS the quintessential guitar building video. I’ve learned a lot of this stuff on RUclips including some of your other videos but this is the best video I’ve saw.
Hey, look - if your going to use a word like "quintessential", you got to get you're syntax right. "The best video I've saw?" Holy crap! Everybody knows it's "The best video I seen," or alternatively "The best video I done saw" (or done seen. Theirs surprising flexibility, ref. "The Elements of Style", Strunk and White). Your even beginning to see the formerly acceptable "I have see'd" being increasingly relegated to the status of archaic, accept in small pockets of you're Ozark Southern Standard English. Them people been talking funny since before Jesus played shortstop for Paducah AA.
Robert Barnes yeah.....
i LOVE THE STRAT BODY IMPRESSION ON HIS BENCH.
I used to tech for numerous guitar greats myself but that was just so I could keep working towards my main goal of building a DIY guitar kit.
Mark my words, "Someday I'm gonna reach that goal!"
Righty tighty, lefty loosey. (Most of the time) Got it! Thanks!
This is by far the best kit building video on RUclips. I learn so much about the guitar building. You Virginia what you are talking about which makes it easy to believe every word you said. Thanks for taking the time to explain everything.
I bought a Chinese Strat for 60 quid here in the UK. Really you can't get a new guitar cheaper than that. Wasn't expecting much. It had fret sprout and didn't sound the best through the bass amp the shop owner put me through. But it had a bit of 'mojo'.
Got it home, sanded down the neck, used a nail file to level the nut - new strings. Adjusted the saddles. Checked the truss rod. Not exactly in that order! All thanks to lessons learned from Willseasyguitar.
Within an hour or two I had it rocking. Man that thing sounds more like a Strat than a Strat!. The maple neck is very discoloured - it's almost dirty in the wood grain but it's a lovely solid, smooth, chunk of beautifully CC'd wood.
The paint is fading on the wings and could have done with another coat or two, so it's got this bright red Fiesta Red stripe down the middle with the fading wings. Love it! Guitar still sounds great.
All five positions work as you would expect on a Strat. The neck is not too thin or too fat. I really hacked at that nut for fun. Surprised it actually worked. When I get time, I'll be putting a new nut on and doing it properly.
Yeah, 60 quid. Would never ever part with this guitar. Love its vibe, it's sound. I've already written some great music with it. I'm a failed guitarist - I'll admit that - but I'm a musician as well and this is a great musical instrument.
Don't know what's up with thos pickups but they sound as good as anything I've got in all of my five Strats I own.
I'll rub her down at some point and if the grain is good do a natural stain, if not I'll push the boat out a bit more and maybe attempt a glossy nitro or get someone else to do it for me. The Crimson boys are just down the road from me though they are expensive.
Anyway, Will, it's great to see you making vids like this again. Thanks for the great content!
Love to see pics. Sounds like a nice little project, and one more is always how many you need! Go natural 1st maybe?
Awesome video. Ive seen a lot of this information, but its almost always in videos broken up by the specific step. Kudos for putting everything in one place. Ill be rewatching this video quite a bit as I start my tele kit build.
55:20 I can’t believe I never thought to use string clippings as nut files; that’s absolutely brilliant.
Absolutely! The tip with the string for gauging neck bow was great too, it seems so obvious now he said it. I'm not actually doing a parts build (yet!), but there's a lot of tips in this video that are going to help me get a stellar set-up on a strat I've had sitting hardly played for years because it's never played quite right.
I had to sign in to add this note - yah, pain in the ass it's late I'm beat - but Will here was so GOOD! This man knows his trade. The double-set on the intonation.. the first 3 frets and nut adjustment.. Only real dudes know this stuff! He's spot on. Mark this one. I'm 70 yrs old and been playing for about 63 of them. My $2,000 Gretsch wasn't set up this well from the factory and neither was my $2,600 Cordoba - Kudos!
I was pretty impressed with this video and I will tell you why... I have never bought a kit guitar, but long before I came across this video, I had bought two Fender Stratocasters. A little over 1,000 dollars each. I used them both for several years with complete satisfaction. One morning I woke up and looked out my front window and noticed the head stock sticking out of a trash can across the street, set out for the trashman. I rushed across the street and dug it out. It really appeared to be a real "CHEEZE~MASTER". It was an all black nice copy of a Strat that weighed less than half what the heavy real Strats weighed. It had one single humbucker pickup in the tremelo position, 1 volume switch, 1 tone switch and a standard input plug mounted in the pick guard. It definitely needed some TLC and a bit of minor repair and adjusting. I added a new set of tuners that I traded some other guitar parts for and some repair to the pickup mount , then allot of cleaning and polishing. The brand name on the head stock was "BAJA". Never heard of it. Once reassembled and plugged in, I was shocked how this guitar sounded and played. The tone had a great variety of range, the volume had a louder range then the real Strats, and the sestain is fantastic. I eventually sold off 1 Fender Strat and began using the "BAJA". I have since replaced the volume and tone pods, did some other major adjustments to the neck and frets by playing around with something I knew nothing about how to do. I guess a trial and error thing, but by luck, no errors. My guess this guitar sold for right around 100 bucks new, but I roughly have approximately 15 bucks in it. I removed the brand name from the head stock and repainted it "Lil' Fucker" with classic Fender lettering. It is one of the best guitars I have ever owned, used, and played!!! I have learned allot with this trash picked guitar!!!
Don't waste your money on a name!!!
Good Teacher, with all the main points to building your own.
That was so good, Will. I'm a professional woodwind technician and just learned a whole bunch of information that's going to make setting up my own guitar much better.
Really; well done. All the information on 'orange peel' and to be extra cautious sanding the edges (I've been there, in another scenario), the quality of the components (and why)...very well presented.
Thank you.
I like that you mention the tools to use to work on and set up the guitar, that would work when not having the correct tools the professional would use, because that is whats going on most of the time.
Great video. I am a guitar tech and I wish a video like this was around when I started years ago. This is probably the best video I have seen for beginner guitar set ups and even an old dog like me can learn something new. like setting up the guitar nut. Thank you
This is the longest youtube video I’ve seen on youtube, learned too much from it one billion thank you sir !!! Youre the best guitar builder on the Internet
What an awesome video. I bought a kit LP and muddled my way through building it. I made a lot of mistakes, this has told me what they were. It's also taught me a load of stuff about pickups & nut cutting. Thank you very much. I learned loads from building the kit and would recommend anyone interested in building or repairing guitars to give it a go.
That is true, you are NOT just some chump with a camera on youtube.. You are the real thing, a pro thats sharing knowledge with the rest of us. Thanks Will!
I rarely sit through an hour-long video, but this was really well done. Thanks!
Great video. Thanks!
Built one about 17-18 yrs ago. Painted it in nitro Fiesta Red with the Re-ranch rattle cans (sealer, primer, paint, and clear). Turned out great. Was just for a fun project and for wall art. I just took it off the wall the other day as I an urge to use some Fender Fat 50s w/ nice wiring harness, CTS pots, etc. I like how the paint came out so much that it feels like a waste just hanging on the wall, so she's getting a nice neck too and gonna make a nice player out of her!
Your channel is great dude. Been watching as I have a great old Strat style guitar that needs some TLC. I was going to send it to a local guitar doctor at great expense. But having watched your videos I decided I'm definitely going to do all the work myself. It's so helpful to see what tools I might need and hear all your tips and hints. Thanks dude!
I'm old fashioned so I listen to people who know more than I do. That's how I learn. Thanks.
OMG! I just learned more in 10 mins excuse me the counter is at 30 mins but i came in after it started. Whatever we'll say 20 mins. Than i've learned in maybe months of watching these type video's. Two examples the steam thing and the zippo lighter fluid thing. Those are extremly important points that will keep you from getting so frustrated that you start thinking your in over your head. I can't tell you how important good instruction is. This guy get's my vote for the best instruction video of this type. Outstanding! If your new and want to try this i urge You to just watch this a cpl times to gather some of these points before you attempt this just so you understand what he's doing and why ahead of time. This makes these projects as simple as advertised. Great job!
Thank you, I just ordered one like that, one hour before I found your video. Perfect.
I use a piece of tape around the drill bit to set the depth so I don't drill all the way through whatever I'm drilling. Cheap & easy tip .
Great video, Will. Covered a lot of basic repair and setup as well. Good to see you're back.
Thanks for making these videos. I appreciate your slow and concise explanation of your observations and methods. I have done my own work on my own guitars in the past, but have never had the expertise to scrutinize the original work or how to fix issues I did find. These videos are a really cool supplemental education.
I just found this channel - goal mine.
Great kit built tutorial Will.
For those that don't have a buffer, you can get a small 3" sponge/lambs wool buffer combo wheel for your drill off ebay for about $5. If you washed them afterwards you could probably do a couple of guitars. But for $5, I'd just throw it and buy another kit.
Every time I've built one of these kits, the first thing I do is leave it for a few months. They smash these out so quick, I don't even think the woods completely seasoned! After a month or so it generally dries out enough, stabalises and stops twisting and what have ya. Then give it another good sand. Parts that generally go straight in the bin is the plastic nut and pickups. You can get pre-cut bone nuts for $1 off ebay, why use a plastic nut? The tuners and bridge it depends if any of them are dodgey. Normally I'd just swap out one or two dodgey ones with a spare.
But at the end of the day, unless I want a custom colour or I'm doing something out of the ordinary, it's cheaper and easier to just pick a cheap a guitar from one of a 100 online sellers. Just pick the colour I want, upgrade a few parts, do a setup and you're generally good to go.
I bet this is one of the best budget "beginners" guitars after you build it. Learned so much. Thank you!
This is not only a wonderful start to finish video but a really good set up video
Thank You for being a professional. Being a custom solid wood furniture designer/builder for over 40 years, as well as an ameteur guitar player, I really appreciate the facts you pointed out about how the guitar was built, the type of wood and what to look for in the routing of the body and the feel of the neck. You are a credit to RUclips videos. I just watched DIY Gene and was so disappointed in the build of a $100 Stratocaster where he obviously had no woodworking skills or details about the kit and how to go about laying out, setting up or even playing the end product which he said, would make a nice wall hanging...?????
Awesome video bro! I do all my own set ups and guitar work myself, There are not to many places to go around my area unless I drive 45 minutes to Boston. So around 30 years I read a few books and learned how to do that kind of work... Now that I'm in my mid 40's I wan't to build my own from scratch and maybe work on some friends guitars (Little part time hobby/business) And a guitar I've always wanted is the SG double neck (6&12 Jimmy Page style) Solo company up in Canada has the SG double neck kit for 300 bucks! I know it's probably a cheap piece of crap but for 300, I can't even find the Epiphone version of this guitar for less than 900... So I figure what a better way to learn more than to build a double neck kit! And like you said, slowly over time mod the pickups, tuning keys the nut and whatever else needs it. Thanks again for making this vid and sharing some skills bro!! 🎸🎸👍
man, what i would give to have a fraction of your knowledge and experience, the fretboard/neck on my epiphone lespaul warped from being in storage for too long and i'm anguishing on how to deal with it. awesome video very informative.
A buddy of mine had a rickenbacker 4001 with a warped neck. Took it to a guitar shop in town and he put the neck in a "heat press" overnight and straightened it. That was 35 years ago. I now own it and its still straight as can be. Don't give up. Let someone who has dealt with that issue handle it.
Thanks for the great video, Will! Also good to hear you sounding upbeat and in a good mood. Hope everything is going well for you!
Another great guitar video, especially for the beginner. Keep 'em coming Will.
Great tutorial for first time builder simple and easy to follow and in simple terms without being blinded by science hi do them for my daughter to raffle off at are local school to raise money for the pta to raise money for equipment for the kids
steve - Why not just raise money for the kids equipment? The PTA can get a job like everyone else.
Great video, Will! I fall in behind the previous posts of celebrations. I have been fiddling with guitars since the 70's, and if this had been around then, gosh!
Today's kids just don't know how lucky they are to have people like You/these videos to get info from. A superb basic instruction/tutorial video for anyone with with a will and basic capabilities to built a kit-guitar.
And if one fails the first time and You feel like You are not up to the job to correct it, so what! These kits are cheap, just learn and start all over with a new kit. Save the messed up ones though, because parts can always be used for other things and they are excellent to practice on when one gets in to repairs and more serious stuff.
I'm 17 years old and I've been playing guitar for 6 years because of youtube. I'm taking formal lessons now, but if it weren't for youtube videos I wouldn't be nearly as far as I am today.
I completely agree that so many kids my age just don't understand how much great information there is out on the web. If they spent half as much time trying to learn a new skill as they did watching pointless videos or playing video games, the world would be a much more interesting place. I'm starting to do research for a guitar build I'm hoping to start with my father early next year, and I have found information about every aspect of building a guitar, it's incredible.
I put one of these kits together last year. I build almost entirely by hand (by that, I mean no more power tool use than I need), and I thought the kit was pretty good considering what it is. Mine was advertised as swamp ash, but it actually came as paulownia (not a surprise - expected basswood or paulownia). The rosewood fingerboard was made like a bowling alley floor, but linseed oil and sanding dust slurry filled any little nits in it. I didn't use the tuners or the pickguard and pickups (but those are fine) and used everything else. Aside from the body being a little soft (pocket needs refitting after a year), I think it's pretty good for what it costs. If it's put together correctly, leveled, etc, it makes a nice throw-around lightweight guitar, and the neck has stayed straight. I block all of my trems, so no issue with the trem.
Straight and good fretwork (which we generally control), and most snobbery from others is out of place.
I have no reason to even get a kit like that, but I wanted to try some of the translucent engine block paints that you can get from auto parts stores, and they work really well on good clean wood. You can see the wood just through the color, and they're cheap. No dye or anything needed. Just a transition coat of shellac and then spray clear over top. Forgot, the reason that I bought the kit beyond that is my 4 year old son wanted a guitar after seeing me handling them all the time. I killed two birds with one stone - $100 in it other than the good parts that will come out at some point in the future and he can stand it on its peghead and i'm not bothered by it.
Oh, tossed the strings, too. The kit strings are terrible.
A smear of candlewax on the screw threads will put them in a lot smoother and avoid risk of breaking.
bar soap too
Yep! I was very disappointed that many simple tips were left out of explaining to novice builders how to make things easier. Drilling tuning peg pilot holes...”Don’t go too deep. I can’t tell you how many times that’s happened (paraphrased)”. Okay, then show them how to hold the drill bit next to the neck and wrap masking tape on the bit as a depth gauge/stop. I have no doubt he’s a great builder, but not the best teacher. Oh well...it’s free advice.
Hi, I remember you. I hope your health is reasonably good. Just want to drop a couple of ideas I found and think are pretty cool.
Leveling beam: Get a good metal yard stick and cut it to length, lay it on the fret board and use a sharpie to mark on it where the frets are. Now notch it with a file or Dremel
Sanding beam: Get a good level in appropriate length, put masking tape down one side. Get (or cut) a length of sand paper the width and length of the level. Put masking tape on it. Now super glue the tape on the sand paper to the tape on the level. To change the sand paper, just peal it off of the level and repeat to install new sand paper.
Enjoyed the video.
Will, I don't call myself an expert by any means, but one thing that I would add to the things I would replace is the bridge. I would get a brass and steel bridge and put that in the place of that cheap piece of junk included with the kit. That would make for better sustain AND tone, and might increase the string volume, which would help those weak pickups -- maybe even to the point of not needing to replace them. Hear me out:
My thought is that an electric guitar has an acoustic base onto which the electronics are added. Doing anything to improve that acoustic base affects and probably improves the string vibration. Anything that affects the string vibration affects the very thing that the pickups, pick up. This means that a better quality of string vibration gives the pickups something better to read and necessarily improves their output. Gold in, gold out -- just like garbage in, garbage out. Will improving the bridge (and nut, since the kit comes with valueless plastic) improve the guitar to the point of making a pickup swap unnecessary? Maybe and maybe not, but the possibility is there and is strong enough to warrant replacing the bridge and nut first, then evaluating the guitar with the original pickups in place. If you like what you hear after adjusting pickup height, maybe you've gone far enough for a while. If not, maybe cast about for a used set of Squiers on Ebay!
Just my non-expert 2 cents. I have a couple of pawn shop prizes that bear out my statements and gave me my ideas. Here they are for whatever they're worth!😎❤️️🎸‼️
I’m no guitar builder although I’ve made or worked on a few with decent results lately but I’ve been playing for 24 years. Even before some of the issues on the kit were brought up I could see certain things. I definitely agree that beginners should just buy a good entry level guitar, far better for them. These kits are more for experienced guitarists that want to learn to build their own. I think it’s a great idea. I learned a ton of things from this video and some things I did know. Actually I was surprised that I knew some of them as I’m really not good with making stuff. But I’ve always been light on funds and always tried to adjust and fix all my guitars myself due to that fact.
Thanks for explaining the setup process in a very simple way.
What people don't realise is in a factory where guitars are made, these individual pieces are made and then likely put through a quality control and / or calibration process before they're put together. When you cut off the production process at making the pieces, it's then the job of who's putting it together to calibrate everything. Not just slap it all together on a table in your living room. Great video man!
Great video, an hour just flashed by. I have been given "semiau coustic " - really-5 string bass kit and it's a bit of a dog. Rough as hell and no holes for wiring, bridge, strings and it's right handed, I'm a lefty. Despite this I'm looking forward to do it, I will know a lot more about construction and I will (probably) be able to drill a 20cm deep hole through wood. This vid. Is invaluable , thank you very much.
I'm probably not building my own guitar anytime soon, yet I'm new to guitars and am learning about the electric guitar.
This answers a lot of questions I wouldn't even know to ask. I get to see the guts without tearing up a good guitar
You're quotation finger dance for "qualifications" was hilarious. Thanks for sharing your guitar knowledge, this is where I go for the right answers.
That idea to use a string to file down the nut is genius!
Although I'm not a master guitar builder, I've moded my own for some time now and I am so glad you referenced bondo and auto materials. I grew up in a body shop with an uncle teaching me and have transferred that to 🎸! It works fantastic for refinishing a guitar to ... thanks and just subbed.
Great video. Thank you for putting it together. I've been looking at ordering an SG kit from Solo Music in Canada where I live. They look to be very good quality kits. It would be my first build so the instruction you've provided here, especially with the setup is invaluable to someone like me.
" I'm gonna hit it with a bit of air PFFFFFFF (using mouth) " cracked me up
i damn thought he was gonna use that air pressured gun thingy
@@awangkuaiman I'm sure he did off camera
I did a Tele. Turned out pretty good. I'm a Lefty and used guitar options are really slim so made sense for me.
Mick Mccluand - They say left handed people are generally a lot smarter than right handed people because of all the issues a lefty has to overcome. Your comment is proof to me.
If I was left handed, I'd flip a Strat like Hendrix!
I don t usually do the commenting thing. But nice job on giving the straight goods. I appreciate it as a beginning guitar builder!
Great video. I recently started a kit myself and have seen A LOT of videos. Still there were many tips in here I havent seen mentioned. Thanks!
Highly informative video brother; as an industrial mechanic I can really appreciate the attention to details, technical jargon and whatnot. Dude, I subbed as soon as you said you're not a chump off the streets! 😂
Bought my daughter one of these as a father / daughter garage project. Mate did you learn me a heap in one hour. Thanks for tips as to making something that would have sounded basic to making it better and I’ll be able to teach her the knowledge I have learned, maybe this might lead her in the right direction as opposed to just buying 1. I’m looking forward to this.
Great video as always. Precision Guitars makes a Pro Level guitar kit for strats, LP, ect. If anyone is looking to build a very high quality guitar, I reccomend THEM! The Gibson styles all have set necks. Everything is cnc cut, the frets are real jumbo (sign of a pro guitar in my book). The last LP I built I brought in the guitar shop because some customers wanted to check it out. Guys who didnt know it was a build, offered to buy it.
We had Gibson LP jr reissues on the wall (not a good guitar). And we had higher end Gibsons on the wall. Customers thought my build was as good, or better than the much higher priced guitars on the wall. And they were correct.
My build quality was higher. Craftsmanship was higher. Materials, hardware and electronics were of higher quality. My finish looked better (Gibson uses Water based Lacquer) and it looks like glossy plastic to me.
The only cheap part I installed was a P180 pickup by GLS. This pickup is dirt cheap and has some of the best tone I have ever heard.
The ebony on the fretboard was bigger quality than anything we had in the shop. Everyone e who checked it out agreed it was the nicest piece of ebony they had ever seen. A couple guys thought it must be fake because it was too perfect, it is real.
The neck comes oversized. As is, it is the biggest neck you have ever played, and it's not even CLOSE! I actually like it. But you can shave it down into any shape you want.
You can build a LP jr, and choose all your parts, and come in just under a grand. You will have a LP Jr that will make Gibson owners jealous. Oh, I want to add, I always figure I might have to do some fret work when building a kit. On the Precision Guitar kits, it is the best fret work you will ever see. And they all have dual action truss rods.
I don't understand how 110 people hit dislike for this video ! It was thorough and informative and well done.
Whats wrong with you people?
Great video I'm a woodworker/ cabinetmaker by trade so the woodworking and painting is no problem. I just didn't realize all the adjustments and setup that was involved.
60 year old beginner- thanks, i learned massive info-thank you
Great video. I'm a professional player who is loving learning how to work on guitars. Also to save money as I'm not working a lot right now. So far (because of videos like this) I've gotten good results. THANK YOU!
FIRST: I want to go on record as saying I appreciate ALL of your videos man. You NEVER come across snide or construde. You seem to always explain things in a respectful fashion, at least I feel you do? And most of all, you DO know what you're talking about! There will always be haters out there who get their feelings either hurt or get offended by a tone or a word that may rub them the wrong way. There are those who tend to know everything, more than God & try to bust you cause they believe you are bashing something in the wrong way. So-be-it I say, rave on ye haters that are self-proclaimed experts of nothing. Again dude, you rock! I friggin' love your videos & learn something everytime you post one... Thank you, and keep them coming. Okay, I'm off my soap-box! "And I got A LOT out of this video!!!!!
Putting together a double cut soon. I have tons of wood working, painting and finishing experience so that wont be a problem. Excellent tips for doing all the neck/fret work. I do build quality furniture also so I am used to working with most of these tools but I am sure I will have my share of challenges when I start the project. Thanks for all the great stuff!
Very Good I built three of them, and upgrade three more. You always keep Learning.
ABSOLUTELY! Thats a pin router job. I ran a speaker company that used a lot of pin router fabricated parts. We had to constantly adjust/repair the patterns as they got used to prevent the flaws this guitar body shows.
Best kit video on you tube by far 6 out of 5 stars
I'm not building a guitar any time soon but the setup walkthrough was very helpful. Gread vid.
I was all set to buy a left hand bass kit and build it myself, then I scored a nearly brand new Ibanez 5 string lefty from Offer Up for $30. Not a hard decision to make...
whatru somekinda smartguy ? who cares ?
@kevindlinc I agree. I did a lot of research and found out that building from a kit is usually more expensive than buying a second hand guitar. The kits give you the experience and pleasure of building, and you can customize to your hearts content. It's really a matter of what is the right choice for yourself.
I decided in the end that building wasn't the best choice for me. Perhaps next year I'll get a kit, I've always wanted to do one.
I think I have learned more about setting up a guitar here than anywhere else. Thanks
Been wanting to get into luthiery for a long time, this seems like a good place to start, really grateful for this video
The nicest thing about buying a DIY kit to me is the individuality it affords the builder. Yes. For $100 is bucks you can buy a squire bullet. But It's going to be designed how fender wants it to be. With a kit you can do any goofy crazy cool thing you want to make it your own. I built a kit and did some sanding to create a bit of a design into the top of the guitar. It just makes it uniquely mine. There's not another one quite like it. Not having all the tools to start from scratch, a DIY kit was my best route to go to build out a custom guitar with good parts in it (Which I bought separate, like new pick ups tuners and a trem) not spend a lot on the foundation of the project, and still end up with something that is just for me and no one else. It's now my favorite guitar to play out of the 4 that I own.
I pick up the used Squiers on let go for $50 to $75 all day long. People buy and try then throw it in the back of the closet. This video was a great video on various things I wanted to learn.
I got a similar kit to play with and added a few upgrades. I'm just getting started with electric guitars and I wanted to be familiar with how they work and what tweaks can be made and how they change the sound (tone). I learned a lot and feel confident about my gear. It's unique and totally what I was looking for.
Now that I've done that, my advice is to buy a $100 - $110 finished guitar. I feel like the time I spent would have been put to better use practicing. Adding mods after the fact might have saved time & money too.
I love how detailed and informational this is. Thank you!
Will, you’re quietly closing in on 120k(!) subscribers. So great to so you continuing to grow the channel.
Very good job bro! Most of us tgat have been playing for a long time will say, I would have loved a guitar like this when I started out! No question about it! Thanks!
I recently bought one of these guitars and put it together whilst in lockdown , I decided to leave it with just i't's natural wood finish and it looks and plays great.
Yeah Ive thought about just using tru oil only as I bought a strat kit and it’s ash body and looks pretty decent.
Thank you for a very nice tutorial video, it certainly filed some knowledge gaps I had. I have never used a DIY kit, instead, I started from the beginning with my own design and build it from scratch just a while ago (I released the first one around Jan. 2020) and enjoy every minute of it along the long process.
Thanks
Bondo? Yes, Bondo. He's right! I have a Squier Affinity Strat which is actually a great-playing guitar, nice extra-small neck for my small hand. It stays in tune and sounds better than just "passable" for my needs, also has great frets and rosewood (?) fretboard. Plays like a dream. I suppose I simply got lucky. But the previous owner had dropped it and caused a small bash in the corner edge of the body below the output jack. Later, some of the finish chipped out and exposed some strange, hard grey matter (not unlike the stuff in my brain, LoL!!!). So, I asked the tech at my local music store and he said they use Bondo when they cut through hard spots which takes chunks out, or if a knot in the wood falls out, that kind of thing. I'm familiar with Bondo, but I guess I just wasn't expecting to see it in a guitar body. But he fixed it with wood filler and the original existing metallic Candy Apple Red color. Looks like new, and it's beautiful with the dark fretboard. Considering I originally paid only $50. for the guitar, I still consider it a bargain.
Wow, great video! Learned a lot about setups that I will use on my current guitars. Thank you.
I want that guitar
Nice guitar dude I to buy the guitar
I have one of these kits and my first recommendation is to buy a set of strings, a nut and a set of tuner machines. The strings are good for setup, but other than that, they are just pieces of wire. The nut is terrible and is way too loose and one of the tuners had the wrong thread size barrel nut and a couple of the others were really stiff. As far as the body goes it is a CNC machined part. I do CNC woodworking and I know what it looks like. It is also obvious that they machined the outside contour from top and bottom because while there isn't a mis-match, there is definitely a slight contour or dip around the centerline. The thickness of the body is only 1.5 inches whereas the Fender body is 1.75. This may create problems if you want to change out the bridge assembly that is slightly longer. I downloaded a drawing for a 1960s era Stratocaster body and other then the shape of the cavities which is no big thing the relief on the back to fit your body and the relief on the from for your arm are way off. I used my random orbit sander to get them as close as possible to the drawing. I used 150 then 180 then 220 and then 320 grit discs to do the reshaping and then hand sanded with 320. The one that really needs work is the one for the arm. The way it is made it pushes your hand way far forward towards the bridge pickup. The neck was loose, but not sloppy loose. I also downloaded a template for the head to get it close to the Stratocaster shape. I was able to get the neck aligned with the pickups and the bridge with no problems and then screwed it in place. I did all of the alignments and hole drilling before I did any finish work. I am not finished with the finish and detail work so I don't have any input on how it plays. But for +/- $70.00 it is worth the money and it is an easy fun project and it doesn't require a lot of professional wood working skills and tools.