Help finding a guitar kit

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Scott Culver
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2013 8:18 am

Help finding a guitar kit

Post by Scott Culver »

I am looking to make a solid body guitar.
I am wanting a Les Paul shape, but am having problems finding a kit.
Actually, I'm good with a kit or buying separate parts.
Stewart Mac doesn't have Les Paul shapes.
I'm seeing kits online, but they have questionable reviews.
I'm wanting a curly (tiger, flame, whatever you want to call it) maple top.
I can, but don't really want to build from scratch.

Can you all direct me to a place with quality but not too expensive kits / parts?
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Alan Peterson
Posts: 127
Joined: Sat Jan 07, 2012 5:32 pm
Location: Washington DC USA

Re: Help finding a guitar kit

Post by Alan Peterson »

Hoping for a fancy maple top while still keeping things on the affordable side might be tricky.

His name might have inspired frowns and furrowed brows once upon a time in this forum, but (the late) Ed Roman has a fairly decent LP kit with maple top available out in Vegas (http://edroman.com/parts/kit_guitar_1singlecut.html). I'm not sure who the supplier/manufacturer is.
Alan Peterson
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Dave Locher
Posts: 155
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2012 2:56 pm

Re: Help finding a guitar kit

Post by Dave Locher »

Guitar Fetish also has Les Paul-style kits. The flame maple is a veneer, but they claim the body is mahogany not basswood. (I personally hate basswood bodies, but maybe you don't care?) Their prices are very reasonable especially if you just buy the body and neck and not the whole kit.
I have never touched one and can't vouch for the quality, but at least one other user on this forum has said they were good.
Scott Culver
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2013 8:18 am

Re: Help finding a guitar kit

Post by Scott Culver »

Thanks Dave. I'll check it out. Yeah, I'd probably rather have mahogany. Just as a woodworker, I consider basswood as a carving wood and not a building wood.
Scott Culver
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2013 8:18 am

Re: Help finding a guitar kit

Post by Scott Culver »

Thanks Alan. I'll check that out too.
Art Davila
Posts: 292
Joined: Wed Jan 23, 2013 12:07 am
Location: Chicago, Il U.S.A.

Re: Help finding a guitar kit

Post by Art Davila »

A lot of strats are built from basswood.
I never had one myself but have heard other players that had good sound from it so, it has its uses.
But it your looking for the LP sound build it from the same stuff LP are made from.
I have a lot of experience on how "not" to do things.
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Mark Swanson
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Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan USA
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Re: Help finding a guitar kit

Post by Mark Swanson »

In spite of its plain looks, basswood is one of my favorite solid body woods. I think it makes a great sounding guitar. And it looks great when painted a solid color! :P
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Dave Locher
Posts: 155
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2012 2:56 pm

Re: Help finding a guitar kit

Post by Dave Locher »

I know there are basswood lovers out there. I just don't care for it. I don't like the sound or the feel of it compared to mahogany and/or maple, or even ash. But if everyone agreed with me there would only be about 4 kinds of guitars in the world and most of them would be black and that would be a really boring world.
Mark Wybierala
Posts: 469
Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2012 10:14 am
Location: Central New Jersey

Re: Help finding a guitar kit

Post by Mark Wybierala »

I've seen a few kits from Guitar Fetish and they've been decent. I've seen them up close from father and son teams who bring then to me for a final setup. So far there have been no sad stories.
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