DIY Kit: What would I need in order to be able to put this guitar together?

[ACfireandiceDC]

Hi,

I've been a guitarist for 7 years. I'm good at playing but I want more experience building/painting/finishing and such.

All the parts and screws are there, including the back plates and such. What would I need in order to be able to put this guitar together?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/176145...gn=music_mid&gclid=CK-J5prus70CFTMV7Aod_VwAjw

I'm thinking I will need a drill, a soddering iron, and stain/finish/etc.

Anything else?

 

[Demiurge]

In some of the close-ups, it looks like the body will need some fine-sanding prior to finishing. So, yeah, sandpaper, gloves, eye protection, and a mask to cover your mouth & nose (safety first).

It looks like a fun project, but at the price point you may be working against the quality of the parts to make it adequately playable.

 

[ACfireandiceDC]

Okay. So you're saying that a drill, soddering iron, and painting stuff will be sufficient?

 

[Suho]

The listing is inconsistent as fu(k. Mahogany neck and maple neck are both stated in different places, and it says the bridge is a fixed trem?

Hard to see if the neck is pre-drilled, so you may not need a drill. Probably just finishing/sanding materials, soldering iron, and a screw driver or two.

 

[asher]

And fret dressing tools, most likely.

 

[djentbojangle]

And a good stiff drink when you realize this is a shit kit.

 

[Syholl]

The paint will probably cost more than the guitar....!!!

Once its finished hang it on the wall. Whatever you do. don't try and play it....

 

[cardinal]

To the extent you need a drill, I'd think you'd need a drill press to ensure that any holes are drilled at the correct angle (eg, 90 degrees to the surface of the body). Doing any of that free hand with an electric hand drill will not work out well.

Otherwise, soldering iron, basic hand tools, and finishing supplies (read up on Reranch or something to see what you'd need) seems like what you'd need at the least. If you want it playing well, you'll probably want a router/dremel tool (with drill press) and fret leveling supplies because I wouldn't expect the fit and finish of that kit to be particularly great.

But it could be a fun project. Personally, I'd start buy buying RG7X2X parts off eBay and refinish, mod, etc those parts. The fit and finish will be better, etc. That can be challenging enough when just starting out. Getting a kit like the one in your link sorted out into a nice playing guitar might actually take significant skill.

 

[morethan6]

Lol at getting a drill press for an £85 guitar project .

Seriously, if you're really into the idea, get the tools and some good parts - if not, I'm pretty sure you can assemble that kit with a screw driver, handheld electric drill and some allen keys. I really wouldn't bother unless it's just for the experience though, I'd get an allparts body blank, a ready made neck, the proper tools and start learning!

I think that kit will mainly teach you how bad incredibly cheap stuff is

 

[Lickers]

I think the name of the company says it all, really.

 

[Dcm81]

I think the name of the company says it all, really.

But dude....it's even one better than a birdy!!

 

[Kriegnerv]

But it could be a fun project. Personally, I'd start buy buying RG7X2X parts off eBay and refinish, mod, etc those parts. The fit and finish will be better, etc. That can be challenging enough when just starting out. Getting a kit like the one in your link sorted out into a nice playing guitar might actually take significant skill.

I agree that you should just start with a nice guitar and modify it as you see fit. I got into messing with guitars by beating an old beat up RG570. I took it completely apart the day I got it and eventually completely stripped it down, repainted it, leveled the frets, swapped the pickups and added a pickguard. Doing so taught me a LOT about guitar maintenance, building and how trems work. The best thing about it is that you can find guitars like the rg570 for not that much more money than the kit and they are nearly professional level instruments.

One thing about that kit is that the bridge is going to be 98% unusable. It will not stay in tune and all of the screw will strip from light use.

 

[Señor Voorhees]

I bought two kits in the past for around the same price, if not cheaper. Mainly because I was working on a set of guitars, and wanted certain matching finishes. They were intended as decoration, so if they worked or not meant nothing to me. As it turns out, they were actually okay. The fret ends weren't sharp, and there were no dead spots. Holes were drilled accurately and whatnot. The only oddity about one of them was that I needed to shim the neck pretty heavily towards the front of the pocket. (Read: a quarter at where the body met the neck joint.)

I like custom finishes and guitars as decorations, so I haven't ruled out getting other kits. That said, I wouldn't expect them to be a main or great playing guitar. They have the possibility of being one, but the QC is nearly non existent. For the experience, it's worth it though, IMO. Sandpaper, a drill, soldering equipment, and screw drivers are required. Other tools are possibly needed, including stuff like masking tape or whatever.

Edit: I should also mention that if you want a custom finish, it's actually beneficial to snag any number of other guitars and sand them back for painting. I actually just got done refinishing an RG7421 last week. If you have a guitar you don't mind parting with, it ends up at just the cost of paints. If you want to buy a new/cheap guitar, getting one of the non-agile Rondos is a safe bet. I refinished an old Douglas scope from them. That guitar actually plays really well too. Probably more worth it than the kit.

Edit edit: buying a guitar to disassemble might be the most experience-laden journey. It's essentially the same as the kit, only of better quality, and you have to sand it back. (I usually only scruff the gloss so paint will stick, but you can go all the way back to wood if you want.) Disassembling gives you a "what it looks like/does before and after" kinda thing. (Not that guitars are terribly complex. Just make sure you have a divided tray so you can label/separate parts.)

 

[7stringDemon]

My mind is still blown that Etsy has a 7 string kit.

I thought they were just an outlet for plugs, hipster art, bowls/bongs and other weird shit.

I say buy it and good luck! Make it the coolest decoration in your house! It's going to be a hunk of shit for sure! But hey, you might make it playable. No sense in denying a challenge! I say bombs away, man!