Left Handed STRATOCASTER (!) build questions

themeinside

Bearing in mind this is a first time build...

I am planning to build my dad a left handed Telecaster for his upcoming big 5-0, and although I'm obviously not expecting custom shop quality, I'm looking for something that balances quality and expense. Can anyone point me in the direction of a fairly easy kit, or if it's easier to source bits separately, for a better price/quality ratio, then please go right ahead with those suggestions too!

Thank you

jd0272

I'll watch this, I'm a righty but hey ho. Really nice sentiment fella. Do a build thread, we does love those.

Megii

Would help if we had some idea re your budget?

themeinside

@jd0272 Thank you! I shall endeavour to document my progress!

@Megii You're absolutely right! Good point- I'd say sub-£200 if possible; I am a poor student, so I can't afford TOO much, unfortunately

jd0272

themeinside said:

@jd0272 Thank you! I shall endeavour to document my progress!

@Megii You're absolutely right! Good point- I'd say sub-£200 if possible; I am a poor student, so I can't afford TOO much, unfortunately

Christ, I don't even have any parts I could donate to ya, flamin' Leftism gone mad!!!

Come on chaps, lets have some donated Lefty bits and bobs to @themeinside.

Megii

themeinside said:

@jd0272 Thank you! I shall endeavour to document my progress!

@Megii You're absolutely right! Good point- I'd say sub-£200 if possible; I am a poor student, so I can't afford TOO much, unfortunately

Hmm - I understand. If I'm honest, all my builds have come in at around £400 to £550-ish total spend by the time I get to the finished guitar. The thing is, I usually get the neck and body bought, at which point I might be comfortably under £200, but then it is amazing how much all the other parts - hardware, pickups, finish, tools and materials can add to the whole thing. But not wanting to say it can't be done - perhaps a good kit is the way forward. Sorry I'm not so much help, and do hope some others on here will have some good suggestions. I would say that it is a good exercise to list every part needed on a sheet of paper, right down to the screws for the pickguard, and tot up the total cost - that at least will give you a good idea about things, and what might be possible. Best of luck with the whole thing, I think it's a lovely idea.

jd0272

Looking at a £1k per build here, which includes fck ups, but not skimping on top drawer parts, i have to say. It's all about the fun at my end, not the cash, hats off to them that does it on the economical side!!!

themeinside

@jd0272 I really didn't say the 'poor student' bit for that reaction, but it is absolutely and hugely appreciated ^-^ I'm glad I stumbled upon this forum, it really is the most friendly and informative one I have come across

@Megii I'd love to do this PROPERLY properly, but I can't afford to buy top range stuff and make the mistakes with it that I'm sure I will! I'd rather hope for his 60th that I will have gained the expertise and the income to do it as well as the builds on here, but fairly 'budget friendly' will have to suffice for now. He already has a US Strat, so this is more for sentimental value than to provide him with his best guitar! xD

jd0272

Nah it's perfectly doable chap, even more so with a bit of collective help from this Mob. I couldn't do it cause I like spending money on shit I do not need! "It's Special...." fck it, where do I pay?? Shallow, I know.

themeinside

@jd0272 I would if I could, trust me :P

jd0272

themeinside;407804" said:

@jd0272 I would if I could, trust me :P

Nah fella, more important things to spend money on! Like booze. Women. Mortgages.

themeinside

...and tuition fees... xD

frankus

Could get a Squier and upgrade the pickups.

I'm a lefty and made a few guitars. You'll need to know the spacing on the bridge routing matches the bridge.

The wiring on the pots needs to be different.

Make sure the neck fits the neck pocket

Also lefty tuners are tricky to come by.

themeinside

I could indeed get a Squier, but although a Squier quality guitar would be fine, I wanted to try and finish it with some Wudtone, and personalise it a bit more than a modified off the shelf. I can't expect much for £80, but I wonder if this would be worth a go, even just for a trial run?

http://www.kitbuiltguitars.co.uk/left-handed-guitar-kits/bass-wood-left-handed-tele-style-kit.html

NPP

I've been thinking about doing this for myself. I currently think the cheapest possible build would be an Esquire (saving on one pickup), natural finish (do it yourself in oil and wax) and the cheapest good quality neck you can find (I wouldn't mind a righty neck - reverse headstock!). I think that would be doable at about 300 all in. 200 is a challenge unless you get a lot of 2nd-hand parts.

DrBob

Would you/your dad go for a right handed neck flipped over . Just thinking given that a Tele is a single cutaway the body would pretty much have to be left handed but as long as you/he could live with a reverse headstock it really opens up the pool of available necks which may in turn bring the price down a bit.

frankus

The next question is where is this work to be undertaken? Wudtone is good for indoor work as it doesn't smell too much.

Although if you got a squier you colud probably get a great price from Raygun Relics to treat the guitar.

I might be being harsh - but I don't think you can make this guitar all things on the budget you've got - you could make a beautiful guitar your dad wants to keep but might upgrade the pickups - that's not a big thing.

themeinside

@drbob That's a very good point, and something I hadn't considered. I'll try and surreptitiously drop the idea of reverse headstocks into conversation and see how it goes down. He's rather a traditionalist though, so I'd have to assume he'd prefer a 'normal' way round stock.

@frankus Well, dependant on weather, I would do some of the work outside, but due to the secrecy of the project I'll be completing it at my Grandma's and she has an indoor workshop-y area that I could use, so either or really. Away from human habitation anyway! But I love the finish the Wudtone gives- obviously it necessitates a prettier piece of wood for the body, but there are worse things. 

And I completely agree, this project is more for sentimental value than anything, and it has the added bonus of being upgradable upon subsequent birthdays and christmases! So yeah, bog standard, nothing special hardware and pickups are perfectly fine for now! Just want something functional. 

frankus

Okay -there's this one: http://www.diyguitarshop.co.uk/kits.htm

That plus wudtone will probably leave you some money for other mods.

Maybe a Rothko and Frost custom decal for the headstock?

Make sure the body has no filler in it, if using wudtone... also test it out on the cavities first because that stuff takes to different woods very differently.

themeinside

@Frankus That was the first one I gravitated towards, but they're sold out, unfortunately

Custom decals are a great idea, and I shall DEFINITELY whilst charting my progress will be asking for tips on Wudtone!

ThePrettyDamned

I might have some parts to donate. For example, I have some good pickup rings should you want to go scratchplate free and gold, I probably have some other bits and bobs too.

Actually, I have a one pie e flamed strat neck with gold gotoh sd91 tuners. I could sell it very cheaply, seeing as it's for such a nice cause. Then get a strat body from guitarbuild on ebay?