Members ebuljan Posted April 30, 2005 Members Share Posted April 30, 2005 So I've settled on getting a vintage-vibe Strat, but I can't decide if I should go the buy vs. assemble from parts route. Has anyone out there tried buying the "perfect" parts, assembled it, and wasn't really happy with the result? Keep in mind this is coming from someone who hasn't assembled a guitar before. Price is a factor, I'm shooting for the $5-600 range. I'm also a little worried about buying say, a '57-style neck and a whatever body off of eBay and having them not fit properly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members robt57 Posted April 30, 2005 Members Share Posted April 30, 2005 Originally posted by ebuljan So I've settled on getting a vintage-vibe Strat, but I can't decide if I should go the buy vs. assemble from parts route. Has anyone out there tried buying the "perfect" parts, assembled it, and wasn't really happy with the result? Keep in mind this is coming from someone who hasn't assembled a guitar before. Price is a factor, I'm shooting for the $5-600 range. I'm also a little worried about buying say, a '57-style neck and a whatever body off of eBay and having them not fit properly. Unless you are lusting for the experience of a DIY, you'd be better off buying used Fenders at fair prices and reselling until you get one you want to keep. Also, a 600 Warmoth, will have a poor resale as compared to a MIA Standard Strat. The MIA Strats just seem to hold their value if kept nice, but not as well if you buy new. Just IMO.If you are yearnig for a DIY, I recommend buying a cheap kit for $100.00, learn what happens when you embark on such an undertaking while practice on a Saga kit. The when you are ready to move onto a real kit like a carvin blot or similar, give the Saga away to your local school, church, or a nephew/neice to get something into the hands a inspiring talents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarmook Posted April 30, 2005 Members Share Posted April 30, 2005 The only real reason to build is if you want something quite custom, that you can't go out and buy... like a telecaster bridge on a strat body... if you want a pretty middle-of-the-road guitar, it's always best to buy, and better still to buy used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members metropolis74 Posted April 30, 2005 Members Share Posted April 30, 2005 For $500-600 I'd get a Fender 50's Classic. It has vintage vibe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JoeBoy Posted May 2, 2005 Members Share Posted May 2, 2005 www.mostertoneguitars.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members iknowjohnny Posted May 2, 2005 Members Share Posted May 2, 2005 After years of building strats i am now a dead firm believer in buying off the shelf fenders. The key is you never know what you'll end up with tonally when you build. i've run into some very dead sounding bodies and necks. Never seem to find off the shelf fenders like that, but then even if you do you can always try b4 u buy unlike with a self built. Not to mention many places have a return policy. It's just infinatly safer and easier to end up with a good axe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members k4df4l Posted May 2, 2005 Members Share Posted May 2, 2005 I think you are going to have a hard time building the "perfect" partscaster for 600 bucks...you would be better off hitting VC up and discussing the potential project with him. The carvin bolt kit is a great idea too...however, it's not the most vintage spec'd piece. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members yaz75 Posted May 2, 2005 Members Share Posted May 2, 2005 You're much better of to buy an off the shelf guitar that feels good in your hands, then learn to solder. You can change pickups at your leisure, but you still have the guitar that feels good in your hands. And if you want to, you can always re-install the origional pickups and start fresh. Strats are perfect to customize but I agree with the other posters, find a strat that the neck and body feel good to play unplugged, in your hands. Electronics are the variable and the thing you have the most control over. A crappy neck is a crappy neck and there is no remedy except replacement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Prages Posted May 2, 2005 Members Share Posted May 2, 2005 Originally posted by JoeBoy www.monstertoneguitars.com Fixed it for you....you forgot the 'n' in 'monster'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members robt57 Posted May 2, 2005 Members Share Posted May 2, 2005 Originally posted by iknowjohnny After years of building strats i am now a dead firm believer in buying off the shelf fenders. The key is you never know what you'll end up with tonally when you build. i've run into some very dead sounding bodies and necks. Never seem to find off the shelf fenders like that, but then even if you do you can always try b4 u buy unlike with a self built. Not to mention many places have a return policy. It's just infinatly safer and easier to end up with a good axe. Plan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Paul Buerk Posted May 2, 2005 Members Share Posted May 2, 2005 I don't think I'd ever build a Strat or Tele copy. It just doesn't make any sense, economically or otherwise. They're both perfect parts guitars, designed to make it extremely easy to customize with minimal skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lkbong Posted May 2, 2005 Members Share Posted May 2, 2005 Building is a great way to get some features you can't get at production prices, like a fatback neck or a particular finish. It's also a great way to spend time if you like to put things together and want to learn how to setup a guitar. It's easy to put a lot of money into parts and tools and you won't get it back if you sell it. At around $500 - 600, you might take a look at a used Fender Jimmie Vaughan strat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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