Anybody ever had the build your own bug?

[Katastrophe]

Cruising through the 'net today I found www.guitarshopsupply.net . They had a good selection of strat-style bodies at good prices... now I'm getting the "build your own" bug (as if there weren't enough music related items to separate my money from my wallet).

I've always wanted to try this (assembly, not full blown luthier work), and it just so happens that I'm looking for another guitar soley for country lead and rhythm work. All my other guitars have humbuckers in the bridge position, and while I can make 'em sound good, they're really high output and built more for rock and metal work.

Of course, I could always just save the extra money buying parts and just get a Squier '51 or Tele and mod the heck out of it...

BUT, the idea of a semi-custom Strat or Tele style guitar, built with parts I selected, and with my own two hands is just darn appealing. What do y'all think?

[Tone2TheBone]

Building my own Frankenstrat would be awesome. A nice Tele would be sweet too.

[Robert****]

I'd like to build my own amp! There are several interesting amp kits out there, but I currently don't have the time and space available to try it. Allen amps seem awesome and they are available in kit form. See http://www.allenamps.com/kits.html
There are other alternatives too, maybe it'd be better to start with a real simple small amp as a first project.

One day... one day I'll build my own amp!

[SuperSwede]

Put me on the buy list for a Renman Amplification Twangmaster Deluxe, Robert

[cacti]

Im right there with you!

I have a really cheap Carlo Robelli Strat type guitar in black, and I was thinking about taking it apart and just keeping the body and building from there. Ill have to look inside to make sure the wood is good enough.

Its my first attempt at a rebuild so i think i wont pimp it out too hard, but if this goes well, im worried that i wont have money for food....

[bigoldron]

Sounds good to me, Kat! Check these kits out:

http://store.guitarfetish.com/gukibuityo.html

Good luck with it, whichever way you decide to go. And remember, pics or it didn't happen!

[sumitomo]

Ron I had a look at those kits and they look like those Saga kits and they are a piece of S#$!,you could get a good guitar from Rondo and mod it and save the headaches.I speak from experience.Sumi

[tunghaichuan***]

Allen amps are the best kits out there for Blackface Fender style amps.

Mission Amps makes a great 5E3 Tweed Deluxe kit. I know the owner, Bruce and he is very knowledgeable about Deluxes. He's been in a lot of real vintage 5E3s and has used this knowledge to spec his own transformers for the kits. The kit is a steal as well. For anyone into tweed tone, Bruce's kits are a no brainer.

If I had to get a Marshall style kit, I'd get one from MetroAmps.

tung

I'd like to build my own amp! There are several interesting amp kits out there, but I currently don't have the time and space available to try it. Allen amps seem awesome and they are available in kit form. See http://www.allenamps.com/kits.html
There are other alternatives too, maybe it'd be better to start with a real simple small amp as a first project.

One day... one day I'll build my own amp!

[bigoldron]

Ron I had a look at those kits and they look like those Saga kits and they are a piece of S#$!,you could get a good guitar from Rondo and mod it and save the headaches.I speak from experience.Sumi

Thanks, Sumi. When the funds become agreeable again, I might just do that.

[sunvalleylaw]

I think it would be fun to put together my own tele or strat, and do it very understated. I could see finishing the neck only enough to make it feel good, and almost just leaving the body. Maybe just a little something to protect it, but let it look beat up right away, and maybe put some duct tape on it and such. Someday when there is time for such projects I would enjoy it I think.

[ShootTheGlass]

I was reading a book in the library, sorry I mean Borders book shop, the other day; it told how to build your own guitar from scratch in very fine detail. Im very tempted to try it as Im quite handy with the tools - though having enquired about locally, it seems fairly difficult to get sizes of wood big enough in anything but pine!

[Perfect Stranger]

Yes, I've built several Strats from different parts I accumulated. Here is a Strat I put together out of parts...





It turned out really well and I ended up selling it for $350......the current
owner is happy as a pig in slop with it.

[kiteman]

I agree with Sumi about saga kits. I've read about people putting together those kits and had to do extra work to make things fit.

Do what I did, get a Carvin Bolt kit.

Here's my kit guitar.