Assembling Custom Guitar

[lemonade93]

Hi guys, incredibly interested in assembling my own strat, just wanna ask those who've done it where do you get your bodies/necks? Do you use prewired pickguards or do you make your own from scratch? Which shop is the best place for convenience so that one doesn't have to jump from shop to shop, and how much would it cost you for building one from scratch?

Thanks

 

[CyanideJunkie]

Price: depends on what parts you use obviously.

AFAIK, Guitar Connection is the best place to get a custom guitar done. They bring in AllParts, Musickraft and Monster Relic bodies and necks, so the possibilities are pretty much endless.

Don't forget that a good guitar is more than the sum of its parts, so don't neglect the final assembly and set-up. Get it done once, get it done right.

 

[Jumpin'Jellybean]

Agree.. It's wayyy more expensive to assemble your own. Definitely. So if cost isn't an issue you might wanna order quality parts (ie Warmoth USACG) and bring them here, then you might wanna use Malcolm or Sound Alchemy (they're very versatile with custom stuff and not too expensive either).
Till now i've been using cheap bodies and necks to practice on since i like experimenting. If you want a custom guitar, i'm pretty sure you already (roughly) have a pickup combo in mind and prewired ain't gonna cut it.
A custom guitar will set you back approximately 800++. excluding labour. plus minus depending what parts you use.
I use average parts, those that are mass produced and it sets me back roughly 800 since i do most of the work myself.
Hope this helps.

 

[J.custom]

Common places that people order custom parts from are Warmoth, Mighty Mites, All parts. Noticed that places like GC, Guitar Workshop as well Davis sell separate necks and bodies etc. Most importantly you want to make sure that your neck and body fit. If the neck pocket is too narrow, still can route, but if it's too wide, gone case. can't really use it.

Regarding pickguards, you can go for pre-wired ones if there's a pre-wired pickguard on the market with specific pickups that you like, first one off the top of my head is the Dimarzio Injector pre-wired pickguard. These are generally pretty safe choices as well as popular choices used by many people, so can't really go wrong there.

However, if you know exactly what pickups you want in each position, what kind of pickup selector, what kind of pots, what sort of mods you want to add in, what caps etc. Then I suggest you wire your own pickguard. It's important to know what it sounds like, if not you will have regrets after wiring it and if you can't do the wiring on your own, that means extra $$ getting people to re-wire it for you (That means no 'Hmm I think this config/mod seems quite interesting, maybe I should try it out' sort of thinking!) But then again if you know how to solder, then it shouldn't be a problem. Lots of wiring diagrams available all over the net. I used the ones over at Seymour Duncan to get started.

Hope this helps

 

[CyanideJunkie]

I always think that it's best to go all out on partscasters since you won't be selling it off, and even if you do, you probably won't be able to come close to breaking even.

I'm in the midst of planning an Esquire, so far it's up to $1600+ minus electronics and assembly/setup. Already looking at roughly 2k final price.

 

[relinquish69]

you have to have a clear idea of what you want if money is the primary concern. quality of wood, wood combinations, take reference to the guitars you've tried before and loved but most probably couldn't afford.

A basic Fender Stratocaster is made out of a maple neck (sometimes with a rosewood board) and an alder body. this being a tested and proven formula, why does it vary so much between so many different manufacturers and brands? IMO pickups are always secondary. you should be more concerned about the quality of the wood compared to anything else.

a custom guitar is not fixing a neck on the body. many minute things to consider like alignment that make a big difference.

btw experimenting and building a custom is totally different. then again, you could be lucky like Eddie with his frankenstrat.

 

[JennyLow]

Hi! Would like to ask how possible it is to create my own acoustic?
As in not those Pre-packed once like Martin..
i mean like buying a body and neck,tuners,etc..

 

[relinquish69]

I think this would be a good option.

http://www.gimmusic.com/

 

[kahuna]

If you want a not so expensive custom guitar, check out MJT, they run about 1.2k +/- for hardware, body and neck and color options

 

[relinquish69]

^ I'm not a fan of their finishes. Not one bit. The nitro they use makes the guitar look ridiculously dull.

 

[kahuna]

They polished mine quite nicely, but to each his own yeah

Cheers

 

[JennyLow]

yup! met up with the Jeffrey Yong staffs during the Guitar Show in Suntec Convention the other time..but its kind of 'Mafan' since its in KL.. their quality is superb though.

 

[relinquish69]

I believe building an acoustic guitar does vary abit especially when it comes to the glues they use. Some glues that work well in a cooler climate might not work well here in Singapore. Hence, a lot of high end guitars have lifted bridges even though they have spent most of their time in their cases.

long story short, if you are looking at making something custom, make sure the glue they use can survive in our climate. even those guitars with 5 figured pricetags don't stand a chance.