UK custom guitars?

HeldByWire

Hi all

First post so be gentle.....

Basically to cut a long story short it's my 40th next year and my lovely mum has offered to get me a 'nice guitar' as a present.

I currently play an Epiphone Les Paul  (I'm much more of a Les Paul than a Strat guy), I've been half playing on and off for years(badly) but I've only really started playing properly in the last few months. I mainly play metal and rock, but I've been getting more and more into blues of late as well.

This is probably the only point in my life where I'll get a chance for a really good guitar and I'm looking for input as to what direction to take. Knowing my mum it'll need to be new and I was thinking that it might be awesome to try and have something custom built. I've looked at Kiesels and they seem amazing but the whole ordering from the States puts me off.

So are there any UK builders who would be recommended to build a decent guitar in the £1500 to £2000 range? Or am I better thinking a out something '''off the shelf" for that kind of price?

I know it's a big (and vague) question, but as I said it's really going to be my only chance of a good guitar and I want to make sure I'm getting the best I can!

richh

I'd have thought you would more realistically be looking around the £3k to £4k for a really good custom build Les Paul style guitar, based on what I've seen.  That said there are some very good options from Feline in London for a bit less than that here:

http://www.felineguitars.com/shop/shop_guitars.html

But still over your budget really.  I'm not sure what the cost would be for a true custom build, I'd expect more?

DrBob

Paging @FelineGuitars ;

Jack_

Get her to buy the PEggle Macon on here at the moment.

HeldByWire

richh said:

I'd have thought you would more realistically be looking around the £3k to £4k for a really good custom build Les Paul style guitar, based on what I've seen.  That said there are some very good options from Feline in London for a bit less than that here:

http://www.felineguitars.com/shop/shop_guitars.html

But still over your budget really.  I'm not sure what the cost would be for a true custom build, I'd expect more?

Oh my. Those felines are nice! But they are over budget. I'd imagine that £2000 really us going to be the upper limit. 

If its not enough to get a custom in the UK then I guess I would look at a Kiesel( I've tinkered and they come in at about that much with import duties etc) or I could go for something off the shelf 

sgosden

Can't comment on price, but @kempGuitars look pretty good and I've been eager to try them for a while!

sgosden

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/107764/kemp-guitars-uk-build-thread-2/p1

olafgarten

If you want something truly custom it's going to be at least £3k, otherwise you might be able to find an in stock model for under £2k, but realistically you'd have to go for a second hand to get that price for a Les Paul.

RevMatt

John Birch in Nottingham do custom builds, Feline would be good to look at too. The current incarnation of Patrick Eggle Guitars are another possibility (no longer related to Patrick himself who now builds as Patrick James Eggle). Slightly more affordable would be MG Custom Guitars in Frodsham, search for them on Facebook.

photek

It is worth asking Ade at Vanquish Guitars. He has just relocated his workshop and I think he is doing some that come in around the £2k point. They are stunning guitars and Ade is a genuinely top guy.

bingefeller

Although I haven't played one, I would go to Feline Guitars if I wanted a custom guitar. 

hassleham

Be careful of Keisel, I gather there are a lot of quality control issues at the moment. It’s a long way to ship it back if there’s anything up with it!

Also, check out Stormshadow Guitar Works.

joleefret1

+1 feline - brilliant guitars

interstellar

i wouldnt get a custom guitar TBH, buy something 2nd hand that fits the bill, you can get a great guitar for the money that way, and ultimately its playability and sound and pleasure that count above all else

richh

I'd go 2nd hand myself.  In addition to being lower cost, you could play it properly and really get a feel for whether it is worth it to you.  If you commission a custom build, you might eventually get it and just not bond with it.  If the term 'second hand' doesn't conjure up a very positive image, maybe you could buy a 'preloved' item?

More chance of reselling for a similar amount on a used item, if in the end you don't fall in love with it.

There are often some great deals on the Fretboard classifieds, and it is a bit of a buyer's market at the moment.  What would you be after, if you could specify a custom build?  If you post details, it may be that somebody here can point you in the right direction.

Grunfeld

HeldByWire said:

This is probably the only point in my life where I'll get a chance for a really good guitar and I'm looking for input as to what direction to take....

Hmmm, that would be a really tricky dilemma for me.  I don't think I'd be looking at custom in this situation because I reckon it would create in me a set of feelings where my mum's generous offer was invested in something which might not turn out to be the guitar of my dreams in a lasting way.  Guitars which I've loved in the past have faded from my fickle affections. 

No one makes the guitar I want so I'm really into the idea of a custom (except I obviously need two different customs because I can't decide between two fantastic specifications).  And that's how I look at it:  a custom is a bespoke instrument which you want and can't get elsewhere.  But whereas I wouldn't mind selling on a custom which no longer tickled my fancy I'd feel really guilty if that guitar had been paid for by me mum.  However, if I used her offer to get something off the shelf then that is more likely to hold its value if/when I sell it so basically the gift gets re-invested.  If that makes sense.

JerkMoans

HeldByWire said:

richh said:

I'd have thought you would more realistically be looking around the £3k to £4k for a really good custom build Les Paul style guitar, based on what I've seen.  That said there are some very good options from Feline in London for a bit less than that here:

http://www.felineguitars.com/shop/shop_guitars.html

But still over your budget really.  I'm not sure what the cost would be for a true custom build, I'd expect more?

Oh my. Those felines are nice! But they are over budget. I'd imagine that £2000 really us going to be the upper limit. 

If its not enough to get a custom in the UK then I guess I would look at a Kiesel( I've tinkered and they come in at about that much with import duties etc) or I could go for something off the shelf 

FWIW I *may* be about to chop out my own Feline to help get me back in the black after some reckless GASsage...  It'll be going up in the classifieds but do engage by PM if you're interested/want any further info.

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Given your relative lack of experience with guitar ownership I'd probably be wary of a custom job. Reason being that with limited experience it would be hard to define exactly what your 'perfect' custom guitar would be. There's such a massive range of different specs (neck radius, fretboard radius, fret types, pickup specs etc) that you risk ordering something you think will be perfect, only to find that you don't quite gel with it.

The benefit of buying "off the shelf" is you can head to your local guitar stores and try out dozens of different guitars within your budget to your heart's content. Then you can really get a feel for something that you bond with the most. Especially with it being potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I'd want to try out first hand as many different guitars as possible before splurging your mother's cash rather than putting all the eggs in one basket with a guitar you've never even played before.

Nice little dilemma to have though! 

earwighoney

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Given your relative lack of experience with guitar ownership I'd probably be wary of a custom job. Reason being that with limited experience it would be hard to define exactly what your 'perfect' custom guitar would be. There's such a massive range of different specs (neck radius, fretboard radius, fret types, pickup specs etc) that you risk ordering something you think will be perfect, only to find that you don't quite gel with it.

This is great advice.

Having gone down the custom route for a few instruments myself there are a lot of options available and if one isn't entirely aware of all of them it's possible to regret making particular decisions over certain others later down the line when one's appreciation grows.  

EricTheWeary

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Given your relative lack of experience with guitar ownership I'd probably be wary of a custom job. Reason being that with limited experience it would be hard to define exactly what your 'perfect' custom guitar would be. There's such a massive range of different specs (neck radius, fretboard radius, fret types, pickup specs etc) that you risk ordering something you think will be perfect, only to find that you don't quite gel with it.

The benefit of buying "off the shelf" is you can head to your local guitar stores and try out dozens of different guitars within your budget to your heart's content. Then you can really get a feel for something that you bond with the most. Especially with it being potentially a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I'd want to try out first hand as many different guitars as possible before splurging your mother's cash rather than putting all the eggs in one basket with a guitar you've never even played before.

Nice little dilemma to have though! 

This really. 

Unless you are chasing something very specific then what you want probably exists out there somewhere. 

FelineGuitars

Realistically a new custom built Les Paul is going to cost you about £3000

But if it's a good one it will last you the rest of your playing days so hopefully something you'll bond with.

Are you looking for a flametop, quilt, plain, or a solid colour one?