Gear4Music cheap bodies, any good?

TTBZ

Thinking of replacing the body on my parts strat with something a bit newer (guitar sounds/feels quite dead and my kids have drawn all over it!) - I noticed Gear4Music sell these basswood ones for very cheap

https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/Electric-Guitar-Body-Black/15S1

Anyone tried them and are they any good or will I still be left with a cheap dead sounding guitar? If it's worth a shot, what's the best method for lining up a 6 saddle bridge to drill the screw holes?

poopot

Wouldn’t bother personally… looks like a good way to lose £40 and gain a lot of grief…those bodies are only 40mm thick… 6mm short of what it should be… trem block and springs will hang out of the back…

but. It you do go for it… measure the position lots and use a pillar drill for the holes…

Flip

There's no doubt that the basswood stuff from this company is inexpensive but my experience is that it's a false economy unless you're very handy with wood. Obviously, I'm not and I was also concerned about the cautions expressed around regarding the troublesome effects of inhaling basswood dust when sanding. I also read in Guitarist recently that 'basswood' in China can mean anything.

My advice is to buy decent wood. Everything else in a kit you can replace if you wish. My current preference is for Guitar Kit Fabrik and Coban but sadly Coban's getting very pricey. On the plus side, Coban's kits generally have pilot holes for the bridge though I have had one terrible experience with them when the neck was badly cut and the bridge mount holes were in the wrong place, Eventually, Coban supplied a different bridge but I had to butcher the pup mount and still the guitar was almost impossible to intonate. Mark at Coban is very helpful but the company refused to accept their kit was a dud.

Finally re the bridge, assuming you don't have pilot holes. My understanding of guitar measurements gives this: Measure nut to 12th fret and set the centre of the saddle adjustment range at that same distance from the 12th fret. If the kit body's been accurately routed the bridge pup cavity should be correctly positioned. (and if none of this appeals why not sell it as a primitive 'art' guitar?

TTBZ

Ah I didn't realise it was 40mm thick, totally useless then! 

Ddigger

Northwest Guitars do good, painted, 2 piece, alder bodies for £175.  They do hardtail, SSH and SSS style.

Ddigger

Or for unfinished bodies, try guitarbuild. 

TTBZ

Yeah I was looking at those Northwest ones before as I'd love a hardtail strat.

guitargeek62

@Alegree has some lovely nitro-finished bodies for a very good price. You’ll need to drill them to fit your hardware of choice, but otherwise they’re very decent!

TTBZ

guitargeek62 said:

@Alegree has some lovely nitro-finished bodies for a very good price. You’ll need to drill them to fit your hardware of choice, but otherwise they’re very decent!

I didn't realise Alegree sold bodies! Hmm now I'm looking at that black double bound tele as a project...

eviljoe

Try

https://www.boobooguitars.co.uk/
too
I got a really nice swamp ash Tele there for £60