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Dec 30, 2012 15:31:33 GMT
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I'm looking at building a Gibson/Epiphone-type double necked electric guitar. Kits online range from £150 to £180. Has anyone built one of these from a kit before? I'm told that the hardware will likely be sub-standard so will substitute inferior parts for known quality parts. Any/all input welcomed. Cheers guys Ian PS- I know there are guitar forums out there to explore but some of the 'experts' technical explanations and advice seem to be deliberately over stated and embellished with tech jargon in order to make themselves look more knowledgeable when a newbie has to ask what they mean. The guitar buffs on here seem more friendly and explain stuff in basic terms that a newbie can get their head round.
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awoo
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,506
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Dec 30, 2012 23:19:28 GMT
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if you have the means its probably better building one from scratch or at least buy a neck and maybe a body, then go from there.
ive built guitars from parts, its not difficult, kits are usually the same and youre required to do the finishing.
building from scratch is a lot harder, laying the frets and doing a good job of the neck is the hardest part. but you get exactly what you decide upon.
at under £200 the parts will be proper budget. just for a point of reference, good wood blanks cost a small fortune and pickups, machine heads etc of any quality are around £50+.
i would only do it again personally if i really wanted to build one for the sake of building one - or to make something strange which you cant buy. the last one i did was a baritone sitar guitar.
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Dec 31, 2012 16:53:48 GMT
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Got a link to the kit?
Gauging how well you do for your money depends on what the kit is like and whats in it.
I remember coming across fairly reasonable kits made out of the proper woods but all the hardware and absolutely all of the electrics were rubbish so you needed to spend the same again if not more on top of the purchase price.
But yeah, if its made of basswood i wouldnt bother going near it really.
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Here's the first one I saw- www.ebay.co.uk/itm/390414410242?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649Thing is, my brother lives in Houston, Texas and there's a shop there that sells good quality copies of the double neck Gibson. Some of his guitar playing work colleagues shop there and are impressed with the quality of them. He has them up for $275 so I'm considering going down that route as it might be more cost effective.
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awoo
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,506
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factoring in shipping and customs etc it would cost probably more but you would get a better guitar out of it, i would do that personally.
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Yeah that kit looks like it'd be cool to build, but the quality of it looks tosh. Its a multi piece basswood body, hardware and electrics look rubbish and even if you replaced those you'd still have a substandard body.
Obviously not to ruin the dream, but it'd be daft to spend loads of money on upgrading what is already a terrible starting point.
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Yeah, good point. Cheers. :-)
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adam73bgt
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,937
Club RR Member Number: 58
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I built a fender telecaster style guitar from a kit a couple of years ago, its a fun little thing to noodle about on for practicing and such like and it might be interesting to upgrade in the future to see how i can improve it, but i wouldnt go playing any gigs with it
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I've done a few guitar mods and almost went down the route of building my own, but the finishing is the hardest bit and back in the day I didn't have the kit to do a good job.
Warmoth do guitar parts to order and they come pre-painted etc. even neck-through if you want!
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you may be better off looking for one that needs a bit of work and upgrading some of the hardware as you go heres a couple of ebay "specials" I've modded just a bit of fun, although I never seem to have any spare strings when I've finished them!
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That's something to think about! I like the KISS logo on the headstock of the Le Paul. Nice job.
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That's something to think about! I like the KISS logo on the headstock of the Le Paul. Nice job. my take on the Ace Frehley prototype. Never going to be able to afford an original www.gruhn.com/features/acelp/eb5679.html
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ChrisT
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 1,665
Club RR Member Number: 225
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heres a couple of ebay "specials" I've modded just a bit of fun, although I never seem to have any spare strings when I've finished them! Brilliant, a Jay Pepper inspired guitar - was only yesterday thinking about doing a Pepsi Tate style bass
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Jan 10, 2013 22:45:15 GMT
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Glad you remember the mighty tailz. Saw them earlier this year Jay is still rockin
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