The Sum Of The Parts - BYO Guitar vs Secondhand

randomhandclaps

Let's start with using a Telecaster as a simple build.

I'm currently have around £300 in my GAS fund and I am flirting with the idea of buying a good body and neck and piece by piece building my own.

Financially which do you feel offers more bang for buck - building your own from pre-cut parts etc. or purchasing second-hand and maybe upgrading?

Do the guys on here that put together their own do it solely for the enjoyment,  challenge and having something unique or do you feel you are getting a greater instrument for the financial outlay?

 

 

menamestom

If you can grab a bargain body on ebay (the guitar build ones are excellent) and budget for a decent neck, pickups and hardware, DIY is hard to beat.  As long as 1.  You budget for a pro setup and 2. You are happy with your own finishing skills.  I use tru oil on mine and they are all very nice but basic.  I like the stripped down feel and aesthetics but some might not. 

Resale value won't be as good, but for £300 you can get a very nice guitar.  Just don't get into the trap of it never being quite finished and tinkering endlessly.....

horse

I think you get the better instrument if you buy used, particularly in the current market. BYO costs add up pretty quick and used prices are low. I doubt you could better the CV tele in the classifieds.

That obviously ignores the enjoyment / learning of building your own.

Another option is to buy somebody else's home build used - you'll get the parts cheaper and can always re-assemble it!

ThePrettyDamned

horse;82514" said:

I think you get the better instrument if you buy used, particularly in the current market. BYO costs add up pretty quick and used prices are low. I doubt you could better the CV tele in the classifieds.



That obviously ignores the enjoyment / learning of building your own.



Another option is to buy somebody else's home build used - you'll get the parts cheaper and can always re-assemble it!

I agree with this. But it is nice having something you've pieced together.

If you want a quality tele for 300, scour the classifieds.

frankus

£300 is possibly enough for a neck and body from USACG.
£300 would probably pay for those bits to be relic'd by MJT or the same to have someone finish them.
£60 if you go the wudtone route.
Then there's the hardware (nut, tuners, bridge, control plate, jack, knobs, switch, scratchplate) say £80
(if you opted for relic'ing buy the bits in the US and have them shipped to MJT to match the rest of the guitar another £130)
Then pickups - a good set is going to cost £120 or there abouts.
Assemble and tweek, retweek, question some of your choices... etc.

If you buy a cheaper neck than musikraft or USACG it will need a fret finishing - for that reason I'd say it's a false economy.

I've made one guitar this way and am making another at present - I probably wouldn't if they made the guitars I want in left handed.

I've also modded lots of guitars and that's deeply satisfying as you can record and to an extent compare.

I had a Mexican Midnight Wine Tele - I tricked out to be reminiscent of a 60s coupe, very blingy - mexican teles have the right sized bridge spacing to drop in the vintage US ashtray bridge.

I had an 90's MIJ 62 Reissue Tele - I picked up for £260 and nurtured - sold eventually to fund the MJT .. in part, it's costs spiralled, the current build has gone over budget despite USACG doing a great deal and Wudtone giving me the finish I imagined at a price point I would never have expected - in fact I've been more adventurous in what I wanted to do because I found it really good to work with.

Making is a real mare - finding space, storing spares, waiting for parts, ponying up for import duties, reordering parts that don't match - getting beautiful parts then stuffing up the build some how... I might be a bodger but it happens a fair bit.

I reckon if you get a Tokai or an MIJ tele then modding them is profoundly rewarding. They're 90% perfect anyway and second hand... failing that the new Squiers are pretty awesome also.

fretfinder

What frankus said.

grungebob

Unless you are sure you can build/piece together a guitar you'll enjoy for a few years it doesn't make financial sense to build your own,buying second hand and up grading will give a better return when time comes to sell as you can flog the Guitar with original parts and flog the upgrades. And let's face it we all get GAS so you will sell it eventually, doesn't it make more sense to lose less money and therefore make the next one cheaper to obtain?

randomhandclaps

@Horse, thanks that good food for thought.

Thanks for the breakdown Frank. 

It was actually your Bass VI thread that got me thinking.  It makes perfect sense to me that left-handers are more inclined to build the guitar they want due to a woeful selection of available models. 

The two things that crossed my mind as long term considerations were firstly the cost spiralling as you see this project as the be-all and end-all so every part you go for is  the best possible and before you know it your racking up costs.  Second is finishing.  I see some Wudtone finished I think are wow and other are a I find a bit meh.  If I built my own it would want it finished exactly a I wanted and would undoubtedly be sea foam green.

I am quite choosy about what guitars become 'keepers'.  Another consideration is the ability to flog a pre-made guitar if I can't bond with it - which is one reason I rarely buy new.  Whereas I could sink a lot into a self-build, never quite settle with it but be stuck.

 

I don't really need another guitar (does that ever matter?) and I do like the randomness of what the universe may throw up for you - a guitar you never even thought of which you grab and bond with.  The £300 is just for starters and to be honest it's highly likely that if I were to buy pre-made it would be a fair whack dearer, which is cool but nothing is currently inspiring me.

fretfinder

I love this, from an ebay listing for a Warmoth neck:

"The neck itself is in generally good order - it is straight and has very little fret wear.  The headstock has had a previous decal removed and is partially sanded.  To complete it, it would need further sanding and re-varnishing on the front. There are also 4 holes as you can see in the 2nd photo, which looks as if a misplaced string tree has been shifted slightly, leaving two sets of holes.  These could either be filled with matchsticks and sanded down, or a new string tree fitted, which will pretty much cover them up anyway. The nut is cut slightly high for my taste, and you may prefer to have this filed down to give a low action."

I.e. it's in good order apart from the botched decal job, a botched string tree job, and the nut needs recutting!

frankus

Also it's worth noting in about 2004 I got a great offer from Suhr to make a custom guitar to my specs for a great price... I eventually did make it and there's a lot I learned about my idea guitar afterwards - it doesn't use the Suhr SSSC, have Jumbo frets or a volume/tone/blend configuration for starters ... also one piece is too heavy and I'd rather have 3 piece if it's light enough.

I totally love USACG - they must keep records because they knew I liked light swamp ash and as soon as I said I wanted the Bass VI they said "you like light don'tcha?" ...

If anything, the best bit of a self build for me is the people, Matt and Mark Jenny, Tommy and Rich at USACG, Marc at Rutters, Tony at Pickguardians, Andy at Wudtone, Ash at Oil City... it's really nice when people share a little bit of their expertise - it's inspiring

guitarfishbay

I have a different opinion to the BYO vs 'upgrade' route if you're concerned about financial best value.

If you want one now, buy a s/h one now, the best one you can afford.  If you want a better one later, sell it and buy a better one later.  You almost never get your money back on upgrades, and you're unlikely to know if 'upgrades' will have the exact desired effect unless you're a) experienced with upgrading or b) able to accurately describe what you want to achieve to an expert who can advise you or make/sell you the parts you want.

My experience is that the guitars I heavily modify I don't tend to keep.  A pickup swap makes sense if you know you're going from family A to family B of pickup tones, but anything further (bridges, routing changes for pickups/controls etc) is usually indicative that the instrument isn't right in the first place - again unless you know exactly what you're going for.  If you have an instrument of value (e.g. a Fender) you're probably best selling and starting again if there is something else available that ticks the boxes you want, if value for money is concerned.  I think resale is a big part of value for money personally.

YMMV/IMO

GuitarMonkey

guitarfishbay said:

I have a different opinion to the BYO vs 'upgrade' route if you're concerned about financial best value.

If you want one now, buy a s/h one now, the best one you can afford.  If you want a better one later, sell it and buy a better one later. 

A more expensive guitar isn't always "better". I recommend buying the better guitar before selling the first, just in case you actually prefer the cheaper one. It's happened to me once or twice!

guitarfishbay

GuitarMonkey said:

guitarfishbay said:

I have a different opinion to the BYO vs 'upgrade' route if you're concerned about financial best value.

If you want one now, buy a s/h one now, the best one you can afford.  If you want a better one later, sell it and buy a better one later. 

A more expensive guitar isn't always "better". I recommend buying the better guitar before selling the first, just in case you actually prefer the cheaper one. It's happened to me once or twice!

Totally agree, especially with part I've bolded.  If you can't afford to own both at once then I'd strongly recommend A/B testing before purchase to make sure it is worth it.

menamestom

I have built 3 now and all of them:-

No. 1 is an Allparts / Callaham / BKP / Glendale Telecaster.  Top Budget at £700ish but the only Tele's I like as much are CS ones.
No. 2 is a Strat, 1 piece Alder body, Warmoth Neck (got that in a sale), Kluson tuners, Oil city / SD Pickups, Bladerunner trem. £500ish 
No. 3, currently under construction, a 72 Deluxe Tele.  Fender Pickups and bridge, Guitar build body, Coming in less than £300.

All the guitars are nice and light and resonant.  I can see how costs can spiral, but the key for me is getting things cheap off ebay or in sales. The guitar build body I got for £40 is just as good as the Allparts one I have, these are now £200.

Things like this on ebay:-

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TELE-Lightweight-2-piece-Swamp-Ash-Guitar-Body-Only-2-0-Kg-/200984800439?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item2ecba0acb7

frankus

yep - when I upgrade I generally keep the older parts as spares for a while (5 years or so) retrofit if I'm selling it and sell the parts - usually don't lose too much money that way.

I usually keep an eye out for second hand modded guitars being sold too as they go for less than stock second hand ones.

menamestom

Here's a few of mine:-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/94951346@N08/10867926193/

chrisj1602

I have wanted to do a partscaster for a long time, one, because of the spec I want and two because I want a beat up looking Strat or Tele that isn't Custom Shop price.

jd0272

My BYO Esquire is probably standing me about £800 and I haven't even got it painted yet!!!

But, I've progressively bought the bits I specifically want, the body's what I wanted, and the neck (fortunes) is to my total spec. Not fussed about value as don't plan to sell it, just gig it.

andypwudtone

randomhandclaps said:

Let's start with using a Telecaster as a simple build.

I'm currently have around £300 in my GAS fund and I am flirting with the idea of buying a good body and neck and piece by piece building my own.

Financially which do you feel offers more bang for buck - building your own from pre-cut parts etc. or purchasing second-hand and maybe upgrading?

Do the guys on here that put together their own do it solely for the enjoyment,  challenge and having something unique or do you feel you are getting a greater instrument for the financial outlay?

 

 

At that kinda level, I don't see self build as the way to go. Self-build is the way to go when you want to create your custom guitar and for it to be as good as it gets. The most resonant / sustain tone handmade quality of hardware/ pickups. Your cost to do that with top wood is nearer 7-900 quid depending on spec.   etc IMHO this offers potentially a far superior instrument, max emotional value and years of more playing satisfaction for a lot less money than say a Fender Custom Shop guitar. Once you have experienced quality, light wood , handmade guitar you are never going back to mass produced , poly covered laminated American Standard's etc ( regardless of upgrades )  You can't put a price on the potential value of the skills/knowledge you will develop.  

TTony

It's not the £300 that you might spend on building the first one ... It's the £000s more that you'll spend building all the others once you realise what a satisfying hobby it is!

randomhandclaps

That had crossed my mind.  As well as finding myself spending more time tinkering than playing and actually earning a living.