Who has the BEST DIY TELE KIT? GFS/TOMTOP/FRETWIRE review (part 1-unboxing and building)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 1 лис 2018
- This is a shootout between 3 different guitar kit manufacturers, comparing back to back from opening the box to completely built.
Here are the 3 kits I'm reviewing:
*Prices mentioned in this video are subject to change without notice. Please check the links below for current pricing.
Guitar Fetish - lightweight tele kit:
www.guitarfetish.com/Super-Li...
TOMTOP - gold/burl tele kit:
shrsl.com/19b74
The Fretwire - thinline semi-hollow tele kit:
shrsl.com/19b76
Full disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate, and the links in this description are affiliate links, which means that if you make a purchase, it doesn't cost you any more money, but I will earn a commission.
Want a Guns and Guitars shirt? buy one here: teespring.com/stores/guns-and...
Facebook: / gunsandguitarsofficial
Instagram @gunsandguitarsofficial
Support me on Patreon: / danthompson
Hey Dan, could you do a telecaster kit? Thanks!
U pok ker
Hey dan, could you do a telecaster build? Thanks!
LoL
I bought that same tele kit from Fretwire 3 days ago and they just started a free tuner promo with kit purchase. I asked if i could get the tuner even though i purchased my kit before the promo began. They sent it out UPS today. Enough said.
No one says Enough said anymore that is so last century !! We now say Buff said coz he did !!
@@tamsinmccormick last century was pretty much the last of the cool old dudes with strength and real gutsy character. Now we have you tube nerds who can't change a flat tyre or check THIER oil, thinking they are cool. Enough said.
@@harrys.3165 ok boomer
@@harrys.3165 ok doomer
@@harrys.3165 remoob ko
Turn them into a 3 neck tele.
this is the kind of insanity i would like to see
Yes!
That's the ultimate GUNS n Guitars guitar right there.
Oh man. Yeah. Haha
ABSOLUTELY!
Broooo, I remembered how you started out but dude you seriously improved 10 folds!!! It makes me almost cry how well improved. So far you’re one of my favorite DIY UA-camrs so far. Keep doing you my dude!
After sitting on the fence for months, and then watching this presentation a second time, I pulled the trigger and went with Fretwire. I'm excited! Can't wait to get started!
Who uses red for ground? Psychopaths, that's who.
Bombmakers
@@troythompson1621 naaah...it's always the blue one (".)
About half the touring houses that I have been to as a tour electrician have mis-wired cables or pigtails. It's a lot of fun accidentally finding a hot green mains wire.
The same sort of people who use black for hot and white for neutral, maybe? :)
deepstate actors
I really appreciate how much effort you put into these videos
Your videos never disappoint!
Thanks!
That semi-hollow Tele was my first guitar build. Fretwire does a great job with customer service, and their kits are really top notch. I replaced a lot of the hardware (I wanted P-90's) and the switch isn't very good in my opinion, but otherwise the guitar is great.
vintage tele has the flat cut were the jack socket is ;)
Yyyyup.
no...
@@huuuuuuuu175
Level very but it is flat , and the reason is that jack socket with screw (not the lp style) is flat so it is easier to insert on a flat surface, it's not because not the 67 years of telecasters are not all with the flat cut that it doesn't exist!
Copy kit manufacturers have not mindblowing imagination, and they do to make their guitars look like the shit!
www.google.fr/search?rlz=1C1ASUT_frFR718FR718&biw=1366&bih=657&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=H2b0W9fXJo-qa6K3huAD&q=telecaster+54+jack+socket&oq=telecaster+54+jack+socket&gs_l=img.3..35i39.56735.61195..61472...0.0..0.1566.4500.3-1j7-2j1......1....1..gws-wiz-img.cdS0WRUIsDo#imgrc=XpVzWd7Sh651sM:
www.google.fr/search?rlz=1C1ASUT_frFR718FR718&biw=1366&bih=657&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=u2b0W7XVN4HyarzYtrgN&q=telecaster+jack+socket&oq=telecaster+jack+socket&gs_l=img.3..0i19.52577.53976..54621...0.0..0.486.1690.0j3j3j0j1......1....1..gws-wiz-img.-iI1FLo9JS8#imgrc=F2H01UxivEcSkM:
Yep your absolutely right!!!
Chambre de Goupil they did that after switching from the recessed input cup
That was a good analysis of all 3 kits. I like the thinline even though I never spent time with one. Nicely done!
I just ordered a Lefty Tele kit from Fretwire. It will be my first build. And I used your coupon code. Thanks for all you do!
Proper aligned holes, proper fit neck, proper finished frets is value to me.
Ok, I would have to go with the bologna Telecaster. I love the traditional Telecaster and I think in the long run you have more to work with. I am so happy you finally did a Telecaster! Can’t wait for you 2nd video on this. Rock on bologna master!!
Mod one to be a 12 string/bass
Just get a standard telecaster kit from the fretwire. It's gonna be better
Dude, I've been watching your vids for a few months and your productions have shot up in terms of production. Great job on the b-rolls and over style of the video. Cheers
OH HELL YEEEAH! You are making a part 3 of Teles!
They have become my favorite.
I've been eyeballin' the Tele Thinline from the fretwire for a while now. It sounds awesome and looks beeeautiful! Now, I can go buy it w/o hesitation.
My second choice is the Chelecaster.
Love your channel!
Thanks David!
While the kit from "The Fretwire" was the most expensive (by a whopping $13usd our cost - gunsngtrs cupon code), it was also the best for final fit and finish. The GFS kit was nice and cheap, but by the time you take into account the labor and hassle of fixing someone else's mistakes, it just adds up to be more expensive in the long run. The same could be said for the TomTop kit. At $13usd difference, is it really worth it to have to fix someone else's "my bad" moments? (The top missing a chunk of wood, the neck pocket being over routed, the messed up wiring, etc). I'm not saying the others aren't great learning tools, figuring out how to fix mistakes as you build a guitar is a LARGE part of the deal if you are leaning to be a luthier, but if your looking for a "one and done" kit... The Fretwire gets my vote!
It's Paulownia, literally "Paw-loan-ya." Extremely common in Japan, it is the go-to wood for traditional Japanese woodworking, specifically Sashimono.
Another quality vid, Dan. Keep em' coming🤘
Great build, Dan.
Holy crap I’ve been waiting for this video for two months, after fantasizing over Joe Walsh’s solo on Hotel California I’ve wanted one so bad but all the kits I could find were rose wood necks ( I want a red body and white scratch plate with maple neck ) so this helped a lot. Wish you uploaded more too
I wish I uploaded more too
I haven't checked. But you should do a video on how to verify the measurements, spacing, drill holes, fret spacing, etc., on a guitar before a build.
I just wrapped up the Thomann Herley Benton Tele kit. With shipping just over $100. End result is awesome! Holes in the right spot, neck pocket and alignment perfect, frets level. I had to do three things: 1) file out some router marks in the neck pocket, 2) the socket jack was wired backwards 3) five nut slots too high, one too low so I replaced with a zero glide nut. Absolutely love it.
Dude I'm supposed to be working! You do excellent work & I can't stop looking for tips for my builds!
An SG kit would be great dan.
Yea
Jake Styles yeah.
I agree completely and not just an SG.
Do an Explorer and Flying V and if he has done the explorer and/or Flying V I don’t care tell me and I’ll watch it and if he hasn’t he need to do a explorer and Flying V
Nice overview! I'm just about finished with a thinline tele kit that I've been building from Solo Music Gear. Overall, I'm pretty happy with it, and would recommend it. GFS seems to be very hit or miss. I built a thinline tele from their XGP body and neck, where I chambered the body, planed it down, and put on a spalted maple top a couple years ago. Like you, they sent me the wrong neck at first, and I honestly have to say that the body and neck in the Solo kit were much better made than the GFS ones. Not what you'd expect, considering that the Solo kit was actually a B-stock kit, and the XGP parts are supposed to be GFS's top-of-the-line. I'd like to try out a kit from the Fretwire at some point.
I’ve been wanting to build one of these for a while. This helps. Thanks!
Thanks to you Dan I got not 1 but 2 different Fretwire Telecaster bass and I love them
I feel like I must have gotten a wonky run of Tele from the Fretwire. It needed a ton of fret work, a sloppy neck pocket, and the pickup cavities weren't routed correctly. I never reached out to them, I just fixed it myself, but it's nice to know they could have helped. You should review a Solo kit sometime. They're a bit more expensive than the fretwire (about $200 per kit) but the quality is ridiculously good.
I would love to see him do a double neck or a 12 string kit.
Great video! Also it sounds like a great weekend project!
Hey! That coupon code really works! I just ordered a tele kit from Fretwire. Thank you for the videos and the coupon!
I want to see a comparison between a Rickenbacker 325, a Strat, and a Glock 9. The best tone? Which kills the most?
Glock 9s are totally prohib where I'm from... Did you know they're actually made of Porcelain and can get through airport metal detectors undetected? :o
The Fretwire Thin line is the best, hands down.
Just got my thinline kit from the fretwire and I can’t wait to start building it!
I agree about "The Fretwire". I purchased a fretless 5 string Bass, and I enjoy it. I named him Jimmy the Jazz Bass. The wiring was a bit of a challenge.
Correction: Tellies DO "have that notch cut out" at the jack assembly.
Hey, could we eventually get some baritone/7 string guitar kits?
He should do a 7 string "shred guitar" with fanned frets, that would be sick.
@@petraliamusic there are no fanfret kits out there, but there are Ibanez RG style 7 string kits
@@Mr.Goldbar Yeah the market is missing that which is a vacuum that surely will be or should be filled.
The best entry point I know of personally is to grab one of the cheap "Harley Benton" ones available at Thomann.de then get to work using that as a template if you will.
Granted it is very different from the slew of options and essentially endless possibilities which a kit offers but currently it is the cheapest entry point and with far less work than would be expected you can have yourself a multi-scale, 7-string fanned fret electric for as little as £160, That are shockingly not at all bad, I'd doubt they could do them for fewer shekels tbh. I went for a T-type 7-string with an ash body and the best part a reverse headstock for that additional tension on the bottom few strings which makes a big difference when its a string thru hardtail to Me, It even has locking tuners and it only will set a person back £260.
This is the model, This is a b-stock one that can be had for just under £200 quid (GBP) - Just put thomann dot de in and add this to it de/gb/harley_benton_te_7_fanfret_jbb_2018_b_stock.htm @MatthewMusic and Bar, Hope that might be useful to both of you or one of you gent's. I'd love a kit as then I'd be able to go proper nuts and build one that would be about as perfect for My wants and needs. The reason I went with the cheap is down to wanting to test the waters on a fanned fret, multi-scale before dropping real money on one, I think Harley Benton is Thomann's own brand, The stuff offers very good value for money.
My main extended scale electrics are a Chapman 28" scale, Ibanez Iron Label 28" also, Another Ibanez but the 8-string M80M which has a 29.4" scale and a Schecter 30" scale. 27" is now essentially standard scale for Me but I still have plenty of great 25.5" options, The fanned fret was a great addition and now I know it works for Me I'll likely BOLO for one by Ibanez, Chapman or similar.
All the best and yeah I hope to see proper extended range kits become normal as there is definitely demand \m/
@@nekromachine I plan on buying that cheap Harley Benton fanfret 8 (R458 to be exact)
@@Mr.Goldbar nice, I hope that it works out well for You FWIW Bar, Let us know if You remember once You've grabbed one and gotten used to it/pimped it to Your liking. I'm always up for hearing fellow players experiences so that I know I didn't just get lucky with a buy and recommending to others is fair, As I'd hate to be apart of helping someone waste there money. Again I hope it turns out awesome for You.
Dean \m/
Just ordered my strat kit from fretwire with the promo code. Thanks for the tips and the discount!
i built the tele from the fretwire and love it. i had no problems, the frets came perfectly leveled and crowned. the electronics are okay for what you get, i havent swapped any of it yet, but i play it often.
Do the Dave Grohl Trini Lopez style guitar on The Fretwire
It's called Semi hollow Diamond ... And to make it Dave Grohl style, you just need to paint the Trini blue.
Paulownia is pronounces 'bol-on-ya'
You're welcome 😊
I'm currently building the fret wire 7 string kit. Love that company!
just purchased a kit using the code. you rock in more ways than one. keep it going and remember rock it or shoot it!!!!!
Probably the fretwire one but I'd like single coils
yep the fretwire cut for single coils and a nicer top veneer would be cool , just add your own choice of pickup / switchgear etc and you would have a decent guitar :)
lets get the comments going for a 6 string bass here is a template
DAN!!!!! Why have you not done a 6 string bass kit?
No-one likes 6 string basses. No-one.
@@gooble69 you take that back.
False. Thundercat
I’m going to do a 11 string bass. Goes from low B all the way up to high E of a guitar. Will that be enough strings?
@@GunsandGuitars i will look forward to it also another option would be a bass/electric twin neck combo and as to whether it is actually better than separate bass/guitars
Great video! Really helpful and informative. Thanks
I was actually looking at the semi-hollow from fretwire earlier this week. Looks like a winner!
What about the classic tele from the fretwire?
Exactly!
thefretwire.com/collections/diy-guitar-kits/products/diy-electric-guitar-kit-tele-style-build-your-own-guitar
only $125, or $115 with the coupon code
After that I've decided NOT to build one , saved me time and money ! Thanks !
That's what I was thinking you can get a squier bullet telecaster for 129$ built and been threw qc and just do the fret work if you want and upgrade the pups that will have to be done on the three diy kits anyway and the bullet is painted.
@@captaindeadpool1640 yep I bought a squire hardtail strat w/excellent neck just changed bridge pu and tuners smoothed the frets , my go to thrash guitar now
Great video, Dan, I have to say I've been hoping for it.
I bought the Tele XII kit from Bargain Musician and it's nearly finished now. I had the same issue of the string-through holes not lining up properly that your TomTop had but the bridge PU route was also wrong, I had to chisel it to more of a HB shape for the bridge and PU to line up correctly. Otherwise it was very well made; I would have bought it just for the 12 string Tele bridge as I've never been able to find one elsewhere.
Lol love your direct fit washer/bushing. Good thing you told us we wouldn't have noticed otherwise.
7:38 - actually Fender Telecasters do have cuts like that near the input jacks.
Yep, my American Standard Tele has that cut.
That’s the way the old ones were made.
Who uses red for ground? When I worked on a power plant I had to deal with a unit that was wired with all PE wires, I.e. yellow and green ones. Imagine about 100 inner connections with the same color and without any marking on. That was a nightmare. I suspect it was the same person
Great video man.
A Crimson Guitars diy kit would be awesome to see! Do one?
Hahaha nobody is that rich
Super expensive
Yes!
its cheaper just to buy a guitar. their prices are ridiculous.
Check out USA custom guitars necks and body’s you think crimson guitars is expensive USA custom is about twice the cost of crimson but also twice the quality
Can you please find and build a Flying V guitar?
Heck yeah you bet
YESSSSS Flying V!!!!
Love to see this stuff. I got a Mod bass Kit from the Fretwire and I am absolutely happy with it! I would buy another kit from them without a problem.
thanks for this video. I'm very appreciative of the neck profile descriptions. i like big necks. bought a Dean that sounded great, never played because i never liked the neck. it's a deal maker/breaker. the fretwire kit with coupon code sounds like the winner.
So... Strat comparison video next, right dan ?
😂😂😂I’ve done a couple strat videos already. It’ll be a while before another one.
@@GunsandGuitars well, im off to hibernate til then, love the videos dan ! That HH super strat is a beauty 😍
Most people don't know this, but part of the original "tele" sound, came from the slightly off intonation caused by that 3 saddle bridge design. That is why a tele with 6 saddle bridge and perfect intonation doesn't have that "tele mojo". Now you know.
Tim Hallas : You can get plenty of “Mojo” without being out of tune.
Buy a Callaham (or Glendale, or other versions) COMPENSATED Tele bridge with brass, steel, or titanium saddles.
I bought one from Solo and so far it looks good. The wood body is really soaking up the primer, so I've been doing a lot of sanding. No complaints though. The neck is really nice.
Hey I wanted to say thanks for the awesome videos man
You’re welcome
Yeah, you wouldn't want to pay attention to what you order.
The best kit is the one that takes a minimal amount of work to play correctly.
My choice is C
Crazy Uncle Duke it’s still fun to learn how to do all the extra work
I subbed from this video alone. Excellent!
I just finished a Fretwire Tele kit and had the same issue with the selector switch. I ended up burning through one of the sites when realizing I had wired it incorrectly (due to poor directions) and ended up replacing it with a $15 fender switch from a local music store. Now it sounds and plays great!
The nut piece is generally just called a nut. It would be funny to reshoot the video where you at "piece" at the end of each part. Neck piece, bridge piece, pickup piece, pick guard piece
heh heh heh
Put a Bigsby on it!
Matthew Casella yes, that would be awesome!!!!!!!!
Noooooo!!
I think the FretWire brand is the best and comes with the best material, thanks for sharing Dan....
A great video Dan. I love the fact that you're doing a 3 way comparison. The GFS surprised me. I bought some pickups from them once. not great, not bad. I won't be buying their kits any time soon. the fretwire kit is clearly the best
What the actual hell is baloney wood?
...also, I was sniffing out kits for awhile. Intending to save some cash, and and up with a completely custom guitar.
But I came across Harley Benton guitars, which are generally well built and the pricing is literally down in the same price range as kits.
So... I would rather grab one of those and do mods to it.
At least until some point in the future when I just feel like building a guitar.
Thanks : )
IPushHard Just got a H-B TE-90 QM, love it! What I also noticed was the higher quality kit cost as much or more than an assembled guitar; so $500+ just for parts is a no-go for me, I'm not good enough to justify that for a guitar.
@@tomjohnson5597
I agree.
Actually, here's the way I look at it...
How many people out of 1000 people would pay 5.00 each to hear you play?
...If every one of those 1000 people would pay 5 bucks each? Then youre good enough to buy a $5000.00 guitar.
If half of that 1000 people would pay 5 bucks each, then youre good enough to buy a $2500.00 guitar.
If only 100 of that 1000 people would pay the 5 bucks, then youre good enough to buy a $500.00 guitar.
I'm sure you see the pattern... Up to $5000.00 it works pretty well.
That's how I set my guitar budget. : )
IPushHard I could probably get somebody to pay $20 for me to stop playing!
I may be able to get the 100 out of 1000 to pay 5 bucks, but the other 900 would want me to pay them 5 bucks. lol
The low cost HB guitars appear to have the same stuff as these kits. They're only about $10 more, but you do risk one not being put together correctly. For any of these to play really well, you're on the hook to learn to do a fret level and cut the nut slots where they're supposed to be. You might also get stuck doing some pocket refitting or shimming.
Actually, you would be incorrect about the jack plate flat. Some real tele's DO have the flat there!!! Just look up some pics.. I would go as far to say that MOST Tele's have the flat. They vary in the size of the flat, and some are subtle and not very apparent, but they are there. Also, the "standard" bridge you refer to on the first kit, is an "ashtray" bridge. The "standard" bridge is flat, and does not have the sides.
my 2018 bullet tele Squier has a slight flat spot at output jack. hmm i just noticed....!!
Great video. I've been thinking about getting a Tele kit and have been up in the air about which kit to get. I like double humbuckers and the Fretwire kits seems to be the best bang for the buck. Thanks!
Great Vid Bro!!!
Tele is Gods guitar. Amen.
Les paul
@@amieguinn4952 for sure a Les Paul
God plays a Chibson.
Ford Chevy Coke Pepsi who cares rock the one that makes you feel like sharing music with the world
Thx Dan . Love the videos
Brilliant video , really enjoyed it,.
For what it's worth, I'm in the middle of a strat build from "Pyle" and I couldn't be happier with their kit thus far.....all holes are pre-drilled, the hardware is a little on the cheesy side but there was very little finish sanding to do so I'm to the color stage and final assembly now....wish me luck and great channel my friend....
Stew mac sells kits too
i was going for a solo guitar kit but after seeing this i will give a try to the fretwire diy kit thx mate
Little late to the party but I would choose "C". A second on the Crimson Guitars build! Need to go through your archives to see your valued opinion on guitar finishes. Keep up the great vids, learning a ton.
Dan, THANK YOU for this video, it helped me find my new guitar. Now, all I need is your advice on what switch and nut you recommend for the FretWire TL Telecaster. Thank you for showing me how to get the grain to show up, as well in your related video.
Holy crap. I just found the perfect UA-cam channel. Guns and Guitars. Two of my three favorite things. Just start doing motorcycle videos too. 🤘
7:39 That flat spot at the output jack is supposed to be there on a tele. It's very prominent on some, not so much on others. Back in the 50s and 60s it was very common to see a big difference between guitar bodies. Now, they are mostly made on cnc, so it's to a closer standard. It used to be done by belt sander, so each depended on the luthier building it.
Dan, your comment on the strange body cut on the TomTop kit sounded familiar, so I pulled out my Squier Classic Vibe '61 Tele Custom and took a look at it - sure enough, the body has that same flatter cut near the output jack. I think Fender may have done such a design back in the early sixties to better allow alignment of the jack placement, I know not all Teles have that.
I have been looking at the Fretwire kits recently after seeing someone's post on reddit with their results. Thank you for this really informative video, I am going to pull the trigger on a Fretwire double cut kit soon. I am not surprised at all about the nut and switches being bad. After having poorly made nuts and bad switches on brand new mid-range guitars I always assume they need to be replaced.
I have a bit of a craving for Thinline Teles at the moment, so I'd pick number 3. I'm excited how it sounds.
Already considering buying that Fretwire guitar
Yes I’ve been waiting for so long
Very informative video. The Fretwire kit would be my choice, its the less troublesome kit to put together because it has the best fit and finish.
Very helpful. Thanks.
I saw a resonator guitar kit from fretwire, I’ve never seen any kit like that you should totally give that a try!!
I’ve built a couple TOMTOP teles. One for me another for a friend. Not the burled wood one but just the basic kit. Needed some work on the neck but sounds good and plays well.
Hey Dan great stuff as usual..I think you'll find that some telecaster guitars do come with the flat spot on the bottom ..someone's probably already said but I have not read the comments..took me by surprise..keep up the great content.
Switch control easy fix. Detatch the pu selector and just turn it around. Hopefully you won’t have to resolver. Thanks for the vids. Much enjoyment
Man, gona have to build the thin line Telecaster from TheFretwire. Just as soon as I finish up the Spalted Maple LP kit I'm building on my channel. Thanks for the video, saved me some research on these kits.
Please do a build video on these. I love that burl tele. Also, is there a quality/affordable tremolo for the TL type other than Bigsby?
I wired up my first strat with only red wire. I had a few of the GFS mods installed as well as the superstrat kit for all the fun. My first two attempts to get the whole thing going failed so I had to trace the entire circuit to figure out my mistakes.
I will add, having ordered a bunch from guitar fetish over the years, they do have a quirky website. I ordered the wrong switch on a mod one time because I forgot to select the correct one on the drop down.
I can't wait to hear how they sound. I've been thinking about ordering a neck and body from guitar fetish and this video has about convinced me to go ahead and do it.
Fretwire kit looks amazing!
So you did a really good job of running through all three of these. i like that you told it like it was even though you get some special treatment from the last. Nothing wrong with that. Great job, thanks. I personally don't have the patience for much more than a setup or string change but if I were buying I'd have a hard time not picking the Bologna wood. it looks nice and you were indiacting it's light. At 71 yo I need light.