Chinese LP kit review and eventual build

vale

DannyP said:

The one I built was actually quite a bit smaller than a standard Les Paul.

The headstock was sort of less elongated at the nut end, meaning a Gibson style TRC extended right up almost between the A and B machine heads. I had to make a smaller one to stop it looking silly. The 'forehead' above the D and G machine heads was not as long either.

The body was slightly under size too, meaning I had to make a little wedge for the strap button area to set the bigsby back a bit, as you can see here.

i've been following your 355 kit build which seems to be uphill work for you at the moment (i hope you manage to pull it around), but this looks amazing for a kit build.

it seems a smart and decently spec'd guitar anyway, but the fact that you built it yourself must really make you feel pround and motivated to play it. it's really 'your guitar'.

DannyP

vale said:

DannyP said:

The one I built was actually quite a bit smaller than a standard Les Paul.

The headstock was sort of less elongated at the nut end, meaning a Gibson style TRC extended right up almost between the A and B machine heads. I had to make a smaller one to stop it looking silly. The 'forehead' above the D and G machine heads was not as long either.

The body was slightly under size too, meaning I had to make a little wedge for the strap button area to set the bigsby back a bit, as you can see here.

i've been following your 355 kit build which seems to be uphill work for you at the moment (i hope you manage to pull it around), but this looks amazing for a kit build.

it seems a smart and decently spec'd guitar anyway, but the fact that you built it yourself must really make you feel pround and motivated to play it. it's really 'your guitar'.

Yes, I'm bit fed up with the 355 at the moment - but the cycle goes:
- set-back
- sulk
- regroup and get on with it
And I'm sure I'll be coming back to it shortly!!!

WezV

Burst practice

Andyjr1515

You know, @WezV - that's pretty nice veneer and well applied!  Impressive at that base cost!

Nice burst, by the way...

WezV

yeah, quite happy with the veneer.   Its very thin though.

Adam_MD

That looks like a really quality job Wez.  

WezV

pottering away on this one between other stuff.

I added a tint to it today which has toned down the red and added some richness.   Its also got rid of that stark white binding

Legionreturns

That looks loads better Wez! What did you use? 

WezV

I added equal amounts of tobacco and amber to some clear nitro.  Probably 5% of each for the tint.

i didn’t use analine stain for the red on this.  It’s from a bottle of chestnut spirit stain I have had for years and mixed with the lacquer.  It won’t fade like analine, but the tobacco tint adds a bit of that character.   My theory is that this is closer to the colour they left the factory in 59, and I want it to stay that way.

WezV

coming along nicely

WezV

Blast from the past.


I stuck a cheap bigsby clone on this and it was a mistake, because I never wanted to touch it after that.

Anyway, pulled it from the pile today, rebuffed, and think I will rebuild with some old dimarzios and put a stop tailpiece on it

Every picture i take looks like a tomato soup burst, but its a lot more subtle in the flesh, this phone just isn't capturing jt

normula1

Paf & Super Distortion by any chance?

Flip

vale said:

thank for creating a thread for this @WezV

there seems to be a gulf between inexpensive/modestly priced kits like this (£100ish for all in) and fancy kits warmoth etc (£300 just for neck and body).

i'm probably like you in that i would rather inexpensive kit makers offered kits without hardware but just a little more attention paid to details like that binding and the glue. or maybe they do but i have just not digged into it enough. but the impression i get from things i see on the usual sites.

but if (highly likely) you can get something nice out of kit (which doesn't look too shabby at all, frankly, mahogany etc) perhaps those details are worth the new learning and fiddle time.

will watch with interest and good luck.

I finished a PRS style kit just before Christmas and at not much more than your kit I was very happy. I had none of your problems. I wish you luck and feel sorry that you've got such a bummer to start. Mine is so satisfactory I'm waiting for a short-scale bass guitar to arrive (currently stuck on a ship with a broken engine but that's not the company's fault. In fact, the company is the best thing about the deals - even things that went/go wrong are put right the right way). 

My kit had a thin veneer on the top of the body like yours and that proved to be my biggest problem with the kit - the glue smears/runs are invisible until you put on the stain. 

My construction blog is at Building a guitar (kitguitarbuilder.blogspot.com)  if you're interested. 'Final' pictures going on tomorrow.

Best of luck.

WezV

normula1 said:

Paf & Super Distortion by any chance?

Yeah, a nice early pair

usedtobe

Looking great, as always!

LastMantra

Looking good. 

Could imagine it might be a bit disappointing though (the kit) if you've not got your skills and tools?

WezV

Got it together... Still a few bits to sort as the pickups are not quite sitting level and I have lost the truss rod cover somewhere.   It's playing nicely now, better than it ever did with the cheap bigsby style trem.

Parts are all good spec, nothing from the kit remains except the body and neck.






Quite nice for a bit of burst practice.

There is lots of crazing going on, both razor and freezer, but its hard to capture in the pics.   I also kept the bigsby and bridge re-drill scars visible as part of the relic look.  There is a very slight bigsby shadow too


Weighs 8lb.   

Andyjr1515

Looks nice, @WezV ;