Cheap Hardware and Keeping Costs Down

[SIMpleONe89]

Wow such a great discussion for an amateur builder like me. I also struggled with wanting to use cheap parts but I ended up wasting more money in the end after upgrading them. You get what you pay for and I'd pay for the better quality items that will last. 

[Prostheta]

After a while you kind of get a feel for what to avoid and what works as adequately as needed you know? There are some good cheap items out there, however it has become much more difficult to tell until you get your hands on them. Going for "name brands" gives you a better degree of recourse and confidence that you're getting what you pay for though.

[komodo]

Some things don't lend themselves to upgrade. The bridge could be swapped later, but those are really critical and small dimensions. Even a bridge that looks identical probably isn't. Since the whole guitars action is basically built around that, I pick the bridge first before I start building and it will likely not change. That said, I have used some very inexpensive bridges and they aren't THAT bad for a utilitarian instrument.

Pickups are easy to swap later, though I've been waiting to start a build for a year as I try to source some specific pickups that are non-standard size. 

Wood I like to get anytime I see it, not specifically for a build. So I have a small library of wood to go to that also gives design choices. This obviously won't work for everyone given space concerns.

Truss rods are not changeable later (easily) and i wouldn't cheap out there. Actually I wouldn't even look at the price, I would pick the best built I can find.

Nuts are best from raw stock which is cheap. I've been using black buffalo horn forever, though I'm almost out of that stock now.

 

[Prostheta]

Plastic parts are an obvious issue. The really low end is plumbing new depths these days.