Glenndeneef Posted April 18, 2020 Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 Hi all, I'm new to this forum and to building guitars as well. I want to start my first project but i have some doubts. My idea is to build a vintage Jazzmaster. This looks the best DIY kit so far: https://thefretwire.com/collections/diy-guitar-kits/products/diy-electric-guitar-kit-offset-p90-build-your-own-guitar-kit I was wondering if buying a cheap Squier like the Affinity series and upgrading that one is a better idea then this DIY kit. Any thoughts? Kind regards, Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted April 18, 2020 Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 If you want to learn, a kit is better than modifying a guitar. Upgrading an existing guitar only teaches you how to solder and that's no rocket science. With a kit you'll have to double check that the scale is correct and fix it if it isn't, learn to read the wiring schematics, learn to avoid nicks and scratches and deal with them when your precautions fail, learn to do a finish... If it then appears that the kit guitar is a dream to play but the hardware isn't that good, you can upgrade it. But if you get a perfectly fine cheap guitar (yes, price doesn't necessarily equal with playability) chances are that any modification would only make it worse. If it isn't broken, don't fix it. BUT: If you find a trashed guitar for next to nothing, fixing that into a pleasing instrument will teach you as much as a kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenndeneef Posted April 18, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 Hi Norm, Thanks for your inspiring reaction! I ran into some aftermarkt sites but i don't have any experience with those. Do you have a favorite online shop to buy parts? This are the sites i already checked: https://www.northwestguitars.co.uk/ https://www.guitarfetish.com https://stratosphereparts.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenndeneef Posted April 18, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 Hi Bizman62, Is there any building tool set to buy online that covers everything i need? Or any checklist i can use to make sure i have everything before i start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bizman62 Posted April 18, 2020 Report Share Posted April 18, 2020 2 hours ago, Glenndeneef said: Is there any building tool set to buy online that covers everything i need? Or any checklist i can use to make sure i have everything before i start. That's a tough one to answer as it seems that all you'd need for the kit you linked to is a couple of screwdrivers and a(n adjustable) wrench, plus a soldering iron. My favourite in minimalism is this: For a kit I believe the most essential tools is a variety of good quality sandpapers, a sanding block, something to spread the finish on... Oh, and you'd need a sanding beam of sorts plus some masking tape and super glue and a Sharpie to level the frets. There's several tool sets available but for the most part they're for making things from scratch. Look at some start to finish videos to see what's involved and try to adapt the tasks to your existing tool set. Let's just say that if you know how to and/or if you have to you can improvise you can get as fine a result using makeshift tools as anyone with the highest end workshop and tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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