Is Building a Partscaster REALLY Worth It?
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- Опубліковано 10 січ 2025
- Is it really worth your time and money, building a partscaster? Or should you just buy a Guitar?
Is it really cheaper to build? Is it likely to be as good?
That's what I want to test in this video.
Let's compare a Fender Classic with a Partscaster ;)
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I started out heavily inspired by Novo guitars by Dennis Fano - and my building philosophy is - not to reinvent the wheel- but rather try to learn from the greats.
I’m a guitar building beginner with my fourth guitar/partscaster build.
With this project I'm I want to make something special and unique with the visual style while keeping it pretty traditional with the rest.
In this video I make a lot of mistakes so that you don't have to.
You should pay attention and learn ;)))
I built my first guitar under corona lockdown in the summer 2020 and guitar building kind of hooked me.
My first guitar build - Novo Serus J inspired:
• How I built my dream g...
My second guitar build - Novo Serus T inspired:
• My Second Guitar Build...
My third guitar build - Andy Summers Telecaster::
• Building Andy Summers ...
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All music on my videos is composed, recorded and played by me.
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www.linkedin.com/in/michael-lagerstedt-johnsen-46a98446I set out to build a unique partscaster.
A partscaster will give you all you want in one place. It works best for committed players who aren't going to quit playing and players who aren't inclined to sell gear. This isn't about "investment", its about playing.
Well said Shawn 👍😉
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻😃
This is the part that cooks me when people say things like "you can't make your money back". If I'm making a guitar to MY specs, it's so I can play the guitar that I want that suits me that no manufacturer is making, I don't care about resale value.
100%, after decades of playing off-the-shelf Fenders and finding they didn't make a guitar with the specs I wanted I but my own. Now I have the best Strat I've ever had, it was not cheap but glad I did it.
To save money NO. You will lose the difference in resell value. For a fun unique project hell YES.
Right you are sir 👍😉
@@hazymousGreat that you saved money 👍🥳
But it’s not a way to make money because the resell value is lower than the Fender.
Thanks for your input. It’s literally valuable experience to share 😃🙏🏻🥳
My Partscasters are works of art.
Not for their beauty, but I do meticulous fret work and setup work.
Inexpensive parts, but they play amazing.
Great point Jeff - inexpensive parts but great setup 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thanks for watching 😃🙏🏻
5:20 I couldn't tell!! All 3 sounded nearly identical. I have a nice partscaster I made, it plays really well!
Good to hear… I think that your own perception of the instrument makes it sound good. If you love it you play better 😉👍
I have built several parts casters. Some of my favorite guitars. Purple Stratocaster with an ebony board, medium jumbo frets, duel humbucker and locking tuners. Trem is hard tailed and the guard and hardware are black. It’s my go to!
I've spent about 1k on an offset tele I'm building from scratch (ok, I bought the neck...). that includes all the different finishing products I've bought to test on scraps, routing bits, sandpaper, etc.
I could've just bought a nice used tele and be done with it, but then I'd miss out on everything I've learned, and the experience of designing and building my own!! it's been SUCH a fun project. My wife appreciates how busy it's kept me, too!
That’s just great Sean 👍😉 but I can’t help wondering what you are doing when you’re not building guitars that makes your wife encourage you to keep busy building 🤣.
Sounds like a real win win 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts 🙏🏻😃
@@MichaelLagerstedt Ha!! I get a bit neurotic and hyper focused on things (thanks to my adhd brain!)... she's really cool gets how this has been a therapeutic experience for me :)
We never get our money back when selling, but I prefer to play my highly modified guitars over the factory made.
I hear you 👍💪🏼😃
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻
Building partscasters is one of the most enjoyable activities, even if the one I made isn't perfect. It feels personal and unique, and I can't get enough of the tone. I recently published a video with mine, hooked up to an obscure Italian tube amp from the seventies. Awesome clean and drive tones with this pairing.
Sounds great… it’s definitely satisfying to play your partscaster my only problem is that I’m running out of space 😅
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻😃
@@MichaelLagerstedtrunning out of space because of guitars or because of all these "if one day..." parts? 😁
I made a partscaster thinking it would be cheap (just parts, right?) but the cost of decent components added up quite quickly. But I like to think that for the price of one of the cheaper Mex Fenders, I got an american one. Therefore, maybe I saved, in a way.:) The guitar body was not drilled, so I learned a lot along the way which is hard to put a price tag to. And of course, all this effort makes this guitar very special to me, which couldn't be easily matched by any off-the-shelf guitar! DIY guitar obviously has no market value so you will stay together until the end.
Exactly the point you make that this guitar is special to you this is also the point. I’m trying to make.. in fact, I think my UA-cam channel is all about inspiration. Whatever inspires you to make music is the right thing to do.
Of course within your budget 😅
Thanks for watching and for a nice comment 😃🙏🏻
I hope to one day make a tele style partscaster.
The idea that I can make something and it’s truly as ‘mine’ as I could achieve is really appealing.
You can do it Leo 👍🤩
Let’s not forget, Leo designed the tel and the Strat to be parts guitars. With his thinking that when necks and bodies were worn and tatty you replaced them. Also 4 of the most famous Strats in history were partscaster’s SRV’ number one, Claptons Blackie, Gilmore’s The Black Strat and EVH Franken Strat
Exactly… 👍
Well said 😃🙏🏻
You simply can not buy the joy and satisfaction building your own unique guitar ☺️
Couldn’t agree more 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼🥳
Assembling. This isn't building.
@@ciri151 Right! Assembling and so much more: choose the components, modify, personalise, paint it, set it up. 😊
@@ciri151 ua-cam.com/users/clipUgkxL3GF7Gr6_l6XvD6U8tAIKNSAGjmOoetJ?si=pyMnxG4_LjKcPAHQ 😅
The purpose of a parts caster is a higher quality guitar. You can get a swamp ash body with a precision heel routing and Callaham components and Fishman pickups and you can not buy a guitar that good you have to have it built.
You are right John … and it’s fun to do as well 👍
Thanks for your comment 😃🙏🏻
Totally agree that if you want something unique for yourself, it’s totally worth it! The first time - and maybe the second, or even third (you’re not likely to stop at one!) it’ll probably be a learning curve but the journey is almost as important as the end result. Shopping around for the perfect parts at the best price is fun in itself. There can be risks and some may pay off, others not but you get to know your instrument inside and out, in a way that you don’t with a bought guitar 👍🙂
I couldn’t have said it better 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
I’m hooked but I’m running out of space 😱 and my wife is not giving up more wall space 😅
Thanks for watching and a great comment 🙏🏻😃
Awesome video! Thank you for the smiles and the information. The biggest advantage to me is the capability to have an amazing hot rod guitar at an affordable price. Resell price should not matter as this is something for you by you.
Thanks so much Rich. 🙏🏻😃
I’m glad you enjoyed the video 😉👍
If you want a specific colour that you can't find or want certain features that don't come stock on a store bought guitar. Yes, make your own. But, you will never be able to sell it for the amount you put into it. Think of a Partscaster as your "Forever Guitar". I have 4 Partscasters and they are all good.
Great input 👍👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thanks so much for watching and taking time to comment 🙏🏻😃
Partscasters are definitely the way to go if you're into the unique, or demand extreme quality. You may not get the resale value of a genuine Fender or Gibson from a partscaster, but you can build stuff that would easily rival the "custom shop" builds from the big guys - especially if you purchase handcrafted necks and bodies from skilled builders.
Couldn’t agree more… but I want to challenge the selling part in a video by trying to sell one of my creations 😅
Thanks so much for watching and taking time to comment 😃🙏🏻
@@MichaelLagerstedt enjoyed this video and would like to see a selling video.
Worth it if only you know what you are doing. I built mine (70s model) in May this year. Totally love it. Save money? Depends from which seller you buy those parts. I spent about $500 to build that partscaster. Same price as Squier CV. But it plays way better than CV. With that price I got a very nice alder body and hardware. I do owned a Squier CV 50s and MIJ Fender Trad 50s. And currently they are sitting in my guitar bag since the day I completed my partscaster.
Sounds great - I obviously like building and the only downside is that I have too many guitars now 😅
Thanks so much for watching 🙏🏻😃
sounds great, love those fuzzy duck pickups, i have a set of alnico 5 singles ready to go in a strat im building, cant wait to try them.
😉👍 … thanks for watching and for your comment … good luck with your strat build 🥳
You can certainly find good deals on fender bodies and neck, join the two together, sometimes cheaper them buying the entire fender guitar. I think brand matters most in terms of value. I can find no name brands for very cheap, and just mod it.
Exactly 👍
Thanks for watching and taking time to comment 😉🙏🏻
Great video! Trying to compare a Partscaster to a Factory built guitar is crazy, unless that is what you are basing it off of. Partscasters by their nature typically are more like a Custom Shop in terms of concept, you want something that isn't being made and you want it to your specs. So in concept MOST Partscasters have the spirit of the Custom Shop guitar more than a Standard line.
Now in looking at it from that point, a Partscaster is a VERY cost savings way to try out concepts. If you can do the work yourself, all the better! The other thing that Partscasters can help with is being a cost effective way of discovering that a concept won't work. Things like Filtertrons do not match US specced Strat bridges and P-90s can be problematic in a Strat if you want one in the neck (it can be done but you either need to cut a customized pickguard or you will end up mutilating a stock one).
Quality wise a Partscaster can end up ALL OVER THE PLACE depending on if you go with cheap parts or Boutique parts or (like many of us do) a mixture of cheap, Standard, and Boutique parts. Partscasters tend to change over time and modding a Standard guitar tends to drop the resale value and I have heard of very few people modding a Custom Shop guitar (outside of professional musicians).
Value... honestly depends on where you live. I have ALWAYS lost money or broke even (if I bought a guitar Used) on a guitar in the US. Partscasters are harder to sell but so are modified Standard models. Standard guitars sell for "the same" or more than what you paid for them under specific circumstances (right buyer, it's modeled on a famous guitar, someone famous plays that model, scarcity, etc...) and usually if it really isn't played (basically Mint, and you need a bit of distance time wise from when it was made). The Pandemic has distorted prices and right now people think they can get out of what they paid for a guitar and that isn't the case. Partscasters are typically worth the sum of their parts on the used market.
Make a Partscaster if you have extra guitar parts lying around, can get a cheap or free guitar, or you want something specific that either only Boutique makers or Custom Shops make or isn't being made by anyone. If you want a high end guitar, commission a Luthier to make you a custom guitar. Make a Partscaster if the journey is as important as the destination in terms of a build. Partscasters typically make you happier too. 😉👍✨💙💙💙
What a great comment Greg. 👍😃. Thanks so much for contributing with really good points 🙏🏻
Ive put guitars together with what i have laying about... thats about as far as ill go. Ive enjoyed cosmetically restoring guitars, i can imagine the pleasure you get ftom this, but nah... id just buy something vintage znd Japanese on ebay if i wanted something retro.
Yes it’s fun to do 😉👍
Thanks for your comment Mike 😃🙏🏻
The parts caster to me sounds more deep and sustainy as the fender sounds thinner and not as warm.
I think you are right but often you need thin especially in a mix.
Thanks so much for watching and for taking the time to comment 😃🙏🏻
If you are building them to make money, you will go broke, if you have the skills and are looking to build one just like you want to play, depending on how good your skills are, how large your pocketbook is for those parts and those Expensive Tools most people forget they will need to do that work
Thanks for making a few great points 🙏🏻😉
You can get a plethora of custom and partscaster guitars out there...such as MJT. I have one. And like it. (I was give a Fender neck and parts so it justified the build.) But the boutique builers and dealers can go up as high as the $7000.00s. And given that there aren't that many gigs around these days...WHY? If this were back in the day...then it would've been justified. Even then...you'd of been better off buying a brand name guitar to get your value for $. Lets face it...not all of us become stars and some sell the instruments. Or at least we sell s few of our instruments.
Yes, the old battle between what you want and what you need… I’m already running out of space to store my guitars. So selling off some stuff isn’t out of the question… but is it even possible? I don’t know.
Thanks for watching and for a great comment 😃🙏🏻
What a great video I loved it! 🙂I am building a Tele now!
Thanks Roddy 🙏🏻👍😃
Good luck with your project 😉
Both guitars sound fine, but the voice of the partscaster is more to my liking.
Must confess I could not hear a clear difference in the blind test towards the end. I build partscasters because it's fun and challenging (for me).
The first one, I built because the combination I wanted simply wasn't available (I doubt it ever will be - it is a Telecaster maple neck with jumbo stainless steel frets and locking tuners, a slightly size reduced version of a Jaguar body routed for 2 P-90 pickups, with a Telecaster control plate and a hardtail bridge. The electronics are routed for 8 positions (similar to a Jerry Donahue Tele) with 1: bridge 2: both parallel 3: both in series 4: neck, and a push-push pot to change all 4 positions for 'half out of phase' which does interesting things to the sound of each position, for example position 3 is very similar in character to the clavichord in Stevie Wonder's Superstition). Painted it candy apple red with acrylic lacquer rattle cans (not easy, I got runs on the back and ended up sanding away the transparent red layer, so the back is gold and the front and sides are CAR) and clear coated with 2k polyurethane, also in rattle cans. Took a long time, I made quite a few mistakes, but overall it was so much fun that I keep building.
Followed up with a Tele partscaster and am now assembling 1 Jaguar and 1 Jazzmaster, with 2 Strats lined up after that...
Wow sounds like you have a hole production line going… It’s definitely super fun and satisfying when it all works… thanks for sharing your thoughts and for watching 🙏🏻😃
@@MichaelLagerstedt Yes - just keeping them all stringed up gets almost expensive... :D
It's all for fun - I never had a head for business... but I do need to sell or at least give away a few, as it's silly to hoard stuff you don't actually use (in my personal opinion, I know many disagree). I really enjoy your videos and hope your channel will keep growing.
@@meadishthanks so much man 🙏🏻😃
What if i bought the parts for a Good Luthier to build it for me?, Fender 70s Maple Neck, Fender body, and Fender 69 SSS Pickups, Would those specs be worth it? 🤔
If you have to pay a luthier for his work I would think it would be too expensive. But on the other hand who is to say what inspires another person.
That’s really something that would inspire you to play maybe it would be worth it . 😉👍
Thanks for watching 😃🙏🏻
Haha! Great vid. I spend way less money getting premium parts, doing something really fun to get a totally unique guitar - partscaster all the way!
😂… “partscaster all the way” I love it 🥳
The videos‘ end was hilarious 😂
👍😎
Great video!
Thanks for watching Eric 😉😃🙏🏻
I love my Mr. Potato Head guitars. If they suck, just perform surgery.
😂… sounds great 👍.
Great video. Yes resale is the only problem. So if it is fun we have to do it.
True… I still really want to make a video about me trying to sell one of my builds. I actually talked to the owner of a small local shop who agreed to put it in his window, but I haven’t mustered the courage to do it yet. Would just be a great experiment…
Any way thanks for watching and taking the time to comment Gary
😃🙏🏻
@@MichaelLagerstedt Thanks for the reply. I always enjoy your videos and have built electric guitars and I am working on two telecasters presently. Along with restoring a VW Beetle. Boy the things I get myself in to LOL.
It's more fun to make your own... 😎🤘
You are absolutely right 😃👍
YES IT IS!!!!
You are right… 🥳 thanks for your brief but accurate comment 😃🙏🏻
Very funny video but I still don’t know the answer yet 😂. I think there is no answer to this question 🤷♀️.
your buying at the wrong places.Partscasters are the way to go if you are a player,you dont have to settle for factory profiles a d pickups, you can do it for 2 to 500 bucks ,Build it to keep ,and play ,If you try ,you can build a better guitar .
Well said 😉👍
Tell me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't it also be important to ensure the neck and body match to make a platform for a well-balanced weighted guitar? Say, Work out what weight you want your guitar to be, perhaps use artificial intelligence to estimate what weight both neck and body should be to achieve overall well-balanced weight, then order several necks and bodies in these weights. Cuts of wood are not consistent in quality. Choose the preferred neck and body, post the others back for a refund.
You are right. Pairing neck and body can be great but I think that’s out of my league just now. I just choose what I like and hope for the best 😉👍
Life in general, isn't worth it.
Wow, cheer up my friend 😂
Thanks for watching 🙏🏻😃
Fender won't make me a subsonic baritone with an evertune bridge, fishman fluence pickups, and a solid epoxy resin body.
I can literally build a better guitar off Etsy, imo. I don't care about it's resale value. I'll never sell it. It's what I want.
Amazing… that’s the spirit 🤩👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼. Not everything can be made up in money 👍