Ebay DIY guitar kit review & build tutorial by professional guitar builder
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- Опубліковано 1 сер 2019
- I got a stratocaster guitar kit from ebay a while back, and it had just been sitting in my shop. i figured i would do a review of it, as well as do a "how to" video on putting it together. during the build process i talk about what is wrong with the kit, as well as what is good about the kit. if you have been thinking of getting one of these kits, or you already have one but have not put it together yet you should watch this video. you can get my guitar building course in the shop section at www.GelvinGuitars.com
#ebay
#guitar
#kit
#diy
#ufixit
#luthier
I watched your videos several years ago. Since then I've been fixing up pawn shop finds and even made my own Tele that's a cross between John 5 and Jim Root's guitars. I have a wall of guitars that all cost less than $200 each. Last weekend my friends came over and played a lot of them saying they play just as good as their expensive guitars and even offered to pay me to build a kit explorer for them. Thank you for the knowledge! You have saved me hundreds if not thousands and now I might actually make some money off it. I've never met you but I consider you a friend.
Kits are an awesome way to learn the workings of guitars. I built 2 and it's sent me on a journey that has enriched my life! I've since modified both kits with homemade bone nuts and new pickups. They've both become my go to guitars when I want to play. I recently picked up a Strat style guitar at a yardsale for $15! I've used the knowledge I've gained to turn that pos into an incredible player. I highly recommend building a kit if you want to get into guitar building. It's a great way to start!👍😎🎸🎶
One of my favorite guitars is a silver peavey rockmaster (no super hero painting on it)....I got for 25.00....added a neck - single coil humbucker. Routed it out with a drill. The pick guard was perfect to add the neck pickup. Refretted it with jumbo's....sounds like a les paul. Put the three way switch between the vol and tone....worked put perfect. The pick up's have power and hair! The stock tuners hold well. I have maybe 40.00 in it....used chinese jumbo frets.....2.00 for a set. They're fine if you don't play it every day.
Great to hear man, as a lefty I see allot of Chinese kits for lefty versions of guitars that don’t have left handed counter parts, I’ve always considered trying one and you drive me to really consider it.
$15? ... okay. you win. I came in at $61.50 and was proud of that. Now I feel shame.
Lol...$61.50 is still a great price for a good playing guitar!👍😎🎸🎶
@@74dartman13 Bought it back in 2002. I'm still making payments.
I am really considering building my own guitar. This video is one of the most informative videos I have ever seen. While this is 3 years old, it is still incredibly pertinent. With this, I feel I can actually do this at 50 years old! Thank you so much for sharing this experience!
Will is awesome. He got me into it 3 years ago. You can do this.
My daughter and I built a Stratocaster (HSS with a hardtail configuration) 2 weeks ago. We went with some selected parts from Amazon and Guitar Fetish. Came out really good.
And you can still find strat kits on the bay for $65 plus tax. I just picked one up myself to practice using a mini HVLP gun I bought. Going to try to move away from aerosol cans. They work okay and lacquers forgiving but I have a hell of a time keeping the nozzles clean between coats. The first one has a nice fan pattern and then by the third or fourth coat it's just a circle. You can actually buy one of those HVLP touch up guns for the cost of a can of aerosol nitro. It's not the best thing in the world but it's got to be better than a spray can.
not even planning to buy a diy strat but this is very fun to watch
takes me back like watching your dad build your biggest fav lego set
Christian Enmon - I never got to build my Dads pinewood derby car but he had fun so that was all that mattered.
I'm old fashioned so I listen to people who know more than I do. That's how I learn. Thanks.
This video is probably the best when it comes to explaining and breaking down each part of the intonation process. There are ones I've seen that go way more in depth but with those they sort of lose the forest for the trees, where as this has the best overhead view for any beginner to find out.
I'm closing in on 60 and am not handy but when I started learning guitar I picked up a cheap strat and took it apart to try to understand it. This video really helped me understand MORE. I love learning about things so thank you for being a good teacher.
I'm really good at taking things apart. Putting them back together I'm not quite so well versed!!!
Awesome video. Ive seen a lot of this information, but its almost always in videos broken up by the specific step. Kudos for putting everything in one place. Ill be rewatching this video quite a bit as I start my tele kit build.
That was the best crash course in guitar building, repairing, modifying, on the internet by far.
Thank You Very Much.
I've been a finishing carpenter and cabinet maker for years. I dabble in playing the guitar and a few years ago I lost my home to fire. My Fender Telecaster was salvaged but had been floating in the basement that was full of water from the fire trucks. I kept the guitar and put it out in my shop for years totally ignored until lately.
I decided to take a look. There were some cracks in the finish on the backside of the guitar but the entire thing was intact.
I plugged it in and everything worked except the buzz from the strings hitting the frets near the nut was unbelievable.
The high strings up by the nut were hitting or resting on the frets. I played with the bridge to try and make a difference with no luck, the neck, amazingly enough, was straight. No back or forward bow. The nut, however, was in bad shape.
I've ordered a few different nuts to try and fix that issue but for now, It's just sitting until some parts come in.
I have never set up an electric guitar before so I was looking for some videos about what do I need to know.
I went through a few and today I came across this video.
This video has answered every question I had and more at this point to get a grip on what I need to go over on the Telecaster in order to make it play again.
The guitar has sentimental value. It's a Squier, so it's not a valuable guitar however the story behind it is what makes me want to resurrect it from the dead.
I can't thank you enough for posting this video. It is absolutely the best one-hour long video to explain and shows the workings, the setup and the fundamentals of this style of electric guitar.
I have subscribed to this channel to continue to learn more and perhaps take up a new hobby fixing and building guitars. I have every tool imaginable munis a few specialty guitar tools to build anything from raw wood as I own a sawmill, I have a fully equipt woodworking shop, mechanical shop where I build hotrods and custom motorcycles, a metalworking and welding shop
FANTASTIC VIDEO AND KNOWLEDGE FROM A PROFESSIONAL WITH A GREAT DEMEANOR. THANKS AGAIN.
55:20 I can’t believe I never thought to use string clippings as nut files; that’s absolutely brilliant.
Absolutely! The tip with the string for gauging neck bow was great too, it seems so obvious now he said it. I'm not actually doing a parts build (yet!), but there's a lot of tips in this video that are going to help me get a stellar set-up on a strat I've had sitting hardly played for years because it's never played quite right.
That idea to use a string to file down the nut is genius!
They made cheap guitar kit in about five minutes for amateur users
You make it like one million dollar for pro players. With so much passion
I appreciate your time , work and so much experience. Thank you very much.
I have Washburn guitar my dad bought me before 28 years ago, I made it to keep her and not throwing her, the condition isn't that good, now it's time to work on her, I will order from China the stuff I need, but will try to keep her in the same original as she was, for my dad's memory
With that teaching filming, you helped me a lot. Well done
Good video Will, thank you for taking the time. I have built a few guitars, Cigar boxes and a banjo, and all played well, but that was just sheer luck. these kind of straight forward no nonsense explanatory videos is what's needed out here with the increase of DIY'ers becoming a new thing. You sound professional and knowledgeable. well done.
My favorite DIY guitar finish paint is Rustoleum Truck Bed Liner. One coat, dries fast, durable, looks cool, covers flaws and only costs $4 or $5. It’ll save a week of painting and sanding. Perfect for a cheap guitar.
Thanks for this. My daughter is building pretty much the same kit, but hers came with all the holes predrilled. The neck was way out of alignment but I filled the holes with dowel and re-drilled that for her. These set up tips are fantastic! Great video.
This is by far the best kit building video on UA-cam. I learn so much about the guitar building. You Virginia what you are talking about which makes it easy to believe every word you said. Thanks for taking the time to explain everything.
I've been watching your videos for the past four years. This is one of your best on so many levels... especially in terms of explaining setups.
You're a star Bill.
Good Teacher, with all the main points to building your own.
i LOVE THE STRAT BODY IMPRESSION ON HIS BENCH.
Your channel is great dude. Been watching as I have a great old Strat style guitar that needs some TLC. I was going to send it to a local guitar doctor at great expense. But having watched your videos I decided I'm definitely going to do all the work myself. It's so helpful to see what tools I might need and hear all your tips and hints. Thanks dude!
I had to sign in to add this note - yah, pain in the ass it's late I'm beat - but Will here was so GOOD! This man knows his trade. The double-set on the intonation.. the first 3 frets and nut adjustment.. Only real dudes know this stuff! He's spot on. Mark this one. I'm 70 yrs old and been playing for about 63 of them. My $2,000 Gretsch wasn't set up this well from the factory and neither was my $2,600 Cordoba - Kudos!
Thanks for explaining the setup process in a very simple way.
I just started watching this video, and thought I had to comment on your qualifications statement. In my honest opinion, based on watching (and thoroughly enjoying) quite a few of your videos, I have to say that, for me in particular, I have no doubts as to your qualifications to comment on the quality (or not) of any guitar you review. Keep up the great work!
i made that comment for those that this will be the first video of mine they watch. most people dont know about the history of my channel and what not. thanks for tuning in.
Thank you, I just ordered one like that, one hour before I found your video. Perfect.
Great job, Will. Ben watching your videos for *_such_* a long time. You were one of my first subs on Utube and you taught me a lot! Thanks again.
I've been playing since I was 12, I'm 64 now. I always learn something from your videos.
Great job man, very professional.
I know you mentioned that this was the 'Cliff Note' version, but OMG! did I learn so much! Thank you!!!
Hey, don't disparage Cliff's Notes. Most everyone with extensive experience taking literature classes in college has a lot more experience with Cliff than with the actual books. I mean, YOU try to read Finnegan's Wake and then try to write something coherent...
I love how detailed and informational this is. Thank you!
Thanks for the great video, Will! Also good to hear you sounding upbeat and in a good mood. Hope everything is going well for you!
Thanks, Will. An excellent view. Made my day and not a minute wasted!
What an awesome video. I bought a kit LP and muddled my way through building it. I made a lot of mistakes, this has told me what they were. It's also taught me a load of stuff about pickups & nut cutting. Thank you very much. I learned loads from building the kit and would recommend anyone interested in building or repairing guitars to give it a go.
Really been looking forward to this one! Thanks again, Will.
It’s so much fun to put these kits together. Did 4 of them in a years time (2 I kept, the other 2 were presents for my son).
Great video. I am a guitar tech and I wish a video like this was around when I started years ago. This is probably the best video I have seen for beginner guitar set ups and even an old dog like me can learn something new. like setting up the guitar nut. Thank you
Great video. Thanks!
Built one about 17-18 yrs ago. Painted it in nitro Fiesta Red with the Re-ranch rattle cans (sealer, primer, paint, and clear). Turned out great. Was just for a fun project and for wall art. I just took it off the wall the other day as I an urge to use some Fender Fat 50s w/ nice wiring harness, CTS pots, etc. I like how the paint came out so much that it feels like a waste just hanging on the wall, so she's getting a nice neck too and gonna make a nice player out of her!
Great video, Will! I really liked this one. Very practical advice about a build, and I am going to try some of your setup tips next time.
Another great guitar video, especially for the beginner. Keep 'em coming Will.
Thanks for the thorough explanations on everything, another great vid! Thanks Will!
Thanks for making these videos. I appreciate your slow and concise explanation of your observations and methods. I have done my own work on my own guitars in the past, but have never had the expertise to scrutinize the original work or how to fix issues I did find. These videos are a really cool supplemental education.
I just found this channel - goal mine.
Been playing guitar since I was a little kid, and I’m looking at building my own from scratch, but I’ve never soldered pickups or any guitar electronics. I’ve been looking at these diy kit things just to get some experience with the soldering, and building it. This is a great and very helpful video!
I would suggest you learn how to solder as i belive it might be the easiest part of build the guitar once you get a little familiar with it. If not then try looking for obsidian, mojotone etc pre-wired electronics. Good luck bud!
Great video Will. I love these long informative videos they really help
This IS the quintessential guitar building video. I’ve learned a lot of this stuff on UA-cam including some of your other videos but this is the best video I’ve saw.
Hey, look - if your going to use a word like "quintessential", you got to get you're syntax right. "The best video I've saw?" Holy crap! Everybody knows it's "The best video I seen," or alternatively "The best video I done saw" (or done seen. Theirs surprising flexibility, ref. "The Elements of Style", Strunk and White). Your even beginning to see the formerly acceptable "I have see'd" being increasingly relegated to the status of archaic, accept in small pockets of you're Ozark Southern Standard English. Them people been talking funny since before Jesus played shortstop for Paducah AA.
Robert Barnes yeah.....
Wow Will, one of the quickest hours of my life. I hung onto every nugget of wisdom and experience - not that I am going to build one of these (I go the second hand guitar route) - but just to listen to the way it should be done. I have an old sports car I am starting to rebuild and watching you at work confirms that I really need to step up to get the quality I want. Thanks.
Really clear explanation! MANDATORY video if you want to put a guitar kit together! It's not just a big 3d puzzle, it's correcting all the little imperfections the cheap manufacturing proces left behind.
Your vids are great! Thanks for showing the process.
I like the color. Quality stuff as always. Thanks Will!
This is the longest youtube video I’ve seen on youtube, learned too much from it one billion thank you sir !!! Youre the best guitar builder on the Internet
Been wanting to get into luthiery for a long time, this seems like a good place to start, really grateful for this video
Will, you’re quietly closing in on 120k(!) subscribers. So great to so you continuing to grow the channel.
This was the guitar video I was looking everywhere for. Thanks.
I bet this is one of the best budget "beginners" guitars after you build it. Learned so much. Thank you!
Very interesting and informative. Thank you ever so much!
This is not only a wonderful start to finish video but a really good set up video
Thank you for a very nice tutorial video, it certainly filed some knowledge gaps I had. I have never used a DIY kit, instead, I started from the beginning with my own design and build it from scratch just a while ago (I released the first one around Jan. 2020) and enjoy every minute of it along the long process.
Thanks
yo will, poppin in to say what's up man. I see your channels been gaining momentum, absolutely love it. Hope everything's goin well in life, and as always, appreciate your insane amount of knowledge you put forth in your videos. Much love dude
Excellent tutorial. I'm very grateful for this. Thank you.
Thank's for info. So many awesome details!
Best guitar video ever, I can't stop watching, so much knowledge. Thanks a bunch been playing for 30 yrs and still learning.
Thank you for posting!
This is amazing. ❤️
Although I'm not a master guitar builder, I've moded my own for some time now and I am so glad you referenced bondo and auto materials. I grew up in a body shop with an uncle teaching me and have transferred that to 🎸! It works fantastic for refinishing a guitar to ... thanks and just subbed.
Ive watched a few of your videos over the last year or so, and i think you know what you're talking about. So i just subbed! Ive never built a guitar from scratch , but some repairs Ive done might be considered building from scraps. lol Ive been looking at kits to build a guitar but wanted a different body style. But those all seem to go really quick, and no one leaves any knowledgeable reviews if any reviews at all. You do point out a lot of good areas of concern when building these kits. Ima share this with my guitar friends they could use some pointers. Thanks for sharing!!
I used to tech for numerous guitar greats myself but that was just so I could keep working towards my main goal of building a DIY guitar kit.
Mark my words, "Someday I'm gonna reach that goal!"
Righty tighty, lefty loosey. (Most of the time) Got it! Thanks!
Really great video. Valuable insights and really helps to raise awareness of what quality means. Thankyou
Fantastic! Tons and tons of great information! Also loved the magic iron and wet cloth trick!
Best explanations I've ever watched. Great job. Thanks
Great video. Thank you for putting it together. I've been looking at ordering an SG kit from Solo Music in Canada where I live. They look to be very good quality kits. It would be my first build so the instruction you've provided here, especially with the setup is invaluable to someone like me.
That is true, you are NOT just some chump with a camera on youtube.. You are the real thing, a pro thats sharing knowledge with the rest of us. Thanks Will!
I was pretty impressed with this video and I will tell you why... I have never bought a kit guitar, but long before I came across this video, I had bought two Fender Stratocasters. A little over 1,000 dollars each. I used them both for several years with complete satisfaction. One morning I woke up and looked out my front window and noticed the head stock sticking out of a trash can across the street, set out for the trashman. I rushed across the street and dug it out. It really appeared to be a real "CHEEZE~MASTER". It was an all black nice copy of a Strat that weighed less than half what the heavy real Strats weighed. It had one single humbucker pickup in the tremelo position, 1 volume switch, 1 tone switch and a standard input plug mounted in the pick guard. It definitely needed some TLC and a bit of minor repair and adjusting. I added a new set of tuners that I traded some other guitar parts for and some repair to the pickup mount , then allot of cleaning and polishing. The brand name on the head stock was "BAJA". Never heard of it. Once reassembled and plugged in, I was shocked how this guitar sounded and played. The tone had a great variety of range, the volume had a louder range then the real Strats, and the sestain is fantastic. I eventually sold off 1 Fender Strat and began using the "BAJA". I have since replaced the volume and tone pods, did some other major adjustments to the neck and frets by playing around with something I knew nothing about how to do. I guess a trial and error thing, but by luck, no errors. My guess this guitar sold for right around 100 bucks new, but I roughly have approximately 15 bucks in it. I removed the brand name from the head stock and repainted it "Lil' Fucker" with classic Fender lettering. It is one of the best guitars I have ever owned, used, and played!!! I have learned allot with this trash picked guitar!!!
Don't waste your money on a name!!!
That was fun and entertaining. Love that blue.
Thank You for being a professional. Being a custom solid wood furniture designer/builder for over 40 years, as well as an ameteur guitar player, I really appreciate the facts you pointed out about how the guitar was built, the type of wood and what to look for in the routing of the body and the feel of the neck. You are a credit to UA-cam videos. I just watched DIY Gene and was so disappointed in the build of a $100 Stratocaster where he obviously had no woodworking skills or details about the kit and how to go about laying out, setting up or even playing the end product which he said, would make a nice wall hanging...?????
looking forward, hope I can catch it live
Very very great job Mr.Wills !!! you have open my eyes !!! Thank you so much for this building a very good e guitar !! i want to buy this beast right now !!!
This is super cool. Thanks so much for doing this!
Wow, great video! Learned a lot about setups that I will use on my current guitars. Thank you.
I want that guitar
Nice guitar dude I to buy the guitar
I like that you mention the tools to use to work on and set up the guitar, that would work when not having the correct tools the professional would use, because that is whats going on most of the time.
Great video, Will. Covered a lot of basic repair and setup as well. Good to see you're back.
I think I have learned more about setting up a guitar here than anywhere else. Thanks
You did a nice job there, the blue colour looked very good.
Thanks for posting.
Outstanding video!!!! Much appreciated!
Putting together a double cut soon. I have tons of wood working, painting and finishing experience so that wont be a problem. Excellent tips for doing all the neck/fret work. I do build quality furniture also so I am used to working with most of these tools but I am sure I will have my share of challenges when I start the project. Thanks for all the great stuff!
Very good job bro! Most of us tgat have been playing for a long time will say, I would have loved a guitar like this when I started out! No question about it! Thanks!
I rarely sit through an hour-long video, but this was really well done. Thanks!
I enjoyed the video and learned a lot about setting up a guitar. Certainly helped me out with improving the touch and tone of a guitar … especially an in expensive one. Great tips!
Really enjoyed this . Thank you Will .
Super comprehensive, learned a few new tricks! Best one of these type vids I've seen yet. You Sir, 4 sho know what your talkin about, Thanks!
Watched this whole video, it was great! Thanks!
Loved the video and your insight!
A smear of candlewax on the screw threads will put them in a lot smoother and avoid risk of breaking.
bar soap too
Yep! I was very disappointed that many simple tips were left out of explaining to novice builders how to make things easier. Drilling tuning peg pilot holes...”Don’t go too deep. I can’t tell you how many times that’s happened (paraphrased)”. Okay, then show them how to hold the drill bit next to the neck and wrap masking tape on the bit as a depth gauge/stop. I have no doubt he’s a great builder, but not the best teacher. Oh well...it’s free advice.
You're quotation finger dance for "qualifications" was hilarious. Thanks for sharing your guitar knowledge, this is where I go for the right answers.
such a well done tutorial! great stuff!
I'm probably not building my own guitar anytime soon, yet I'm new to guitars and am learning about the electric guitar.
This answers a lot of questions I wouldn't even know to ask. I get to see the guts without tearing up a good guitar
" I'm gonna hit it with a bit of air PFFFFFFF (using mouth) " cracked me up
i damn thought he was gonna use that air pressured gun thingy
@@awangkuaiman I'm sure he did off camera
Looking forward to this Will!
60 year old beginner- thanks, i learned massive info-thank you
I put one of these kits together last year. I build almost entirely by hand (by that, I mean no more power tool use than I need), and I thought the kit was pretty good considering what it is. Mine was advertised as swamp ash, but it actually came as paulownia (not a surprise - expected basswood or paulownia). The rosewood fingerboard was made like a bowling alley floor, but linseed oil and sanding dust slurry filled any little nits in it. I didn't use the tuners or the pickguard and pickups (but those are fine) and used everything else. Aside from the body being a little soft (pocket needs refitting after a year), I think it's pretty good for what it costs. If it's put together correctly, leveled, etc, it makes a nice throw-around lightweight guitar, and the neck has stayed straight. I block all of my trems, so no issue with the trem.
Straight and good fretwork (which we generally control), and most snobbery from others is out of place.
I have no reason to even get a kit like that, but I wanted to try some of the translucent engine block paints that you can get from auto parts stores, and they work really well on good clean wood. You can see the wood just through the color, and they're cheap. No dye or anything needed. Just a transition coat of shellac and then spray clear over top. Forgot, the reason that I bought the kit beyond that is my 4 year old son wanted a guitar after seeing me handling them all the time. I killed two birds with one stone - $100 in it other than the good parts that will come out at some point in the future and he can stand it on its peghead and i'm not bothered by it.
Oh, tossed the strings, too. The kit strings are terrible.
Hey I was a painter for 7 years, there's a primer made by an arm of ppg that is self etching primer. I still remember the ordering code DPX-171 and the catalyst is DPX-172. It is AMAZING for wood work. But it was extremely expensive, i believe we was paying like 400$ a gallon. Plus 200$ for the catalyst. I could be off on the price but it was the most expensive primer we used. Also it dries in like 1 minute. I literally mean it dries so fast that if you use too high of air pressure it can dry before it reaches the surface of what you're spraying and it will feel like sand paper.
I also used a binks gun similiar to yours but my favorite was the blinks SL series. Amazing and easy to rebuild/clean.
Cheers.
Wouldn’t need self etch on wood
Best kit video on you tube by far 6 out of 5 stars
So much good information in this video. Keep these videos coming. 🤘👍
Great kit built tutorial Will.
For those that don't have a buffer, you can get a small 3" sponge/lambs wool buffer combo wheel for your drill off ebay for about $5. If you washed them afterwards you could probably do a couple of guitars. But for $5, I'd just throw it and buy another kit.
Every time I've built one of these kits, the first thing I do is leave it for a few months. They smash these out so quick, I don't even think the woods completely seasoned! After a month or so it generally dries out enough, stabalises and stops twisting and what have ya. Then give it another good sand. Parts that generally go straight in the bin is the plastic nut and pickups. You can get pre-cut bone nuts for $1 off ebay, why use a plastic nut? The tuners and bridge it depends if any of them are dodgey. Normally I'd just swap out one or two dodgey ones with a spare.
But at the end of the day, unless I want a custom colour or I'm doing something out of the ordinary, it's cheaper and easier to just pick a cheap a guitar from one of a 100 online sellers. Just pick the colour I want, upgrade a few parts, do a setup and you're generally good to go.
awesome video. Thanks for taking the time.