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Hoffman Amps Forum image Author Topic: DIY KIT GUITARS  (Read 12222 times)

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Offline TIMBO

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DIY KIT GUITARS
« on: February 16, 2015, 12:04:33 am »
Hi guys, thought I give one of these ago http://www.diyguitars.com.au/product/les-paul-style-guitar-kit-glp-25/
I'm a carpenter by trade so I sharpened the chisel and ready to go. 

Offline Ritchie200

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2015, 12:47:07 am »
Timbo,

Didn't you look at these guys a few years ago?

http://pitbullguitars.com/

It looks like DIY is in Australia?  No horrible shipping charges?

Jim

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Offline TIMBO

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2015, 02:03:17 am »
Hey Jim, Yeah a mate just bought a (dare I say it, a "TELE") and it look pretty good for a $120 local. I splurged on this one at a $179.
So far it appears to be OK.
Flamed maple veneer (super thin) has lifted in a small area near the front pickup, If I had a surgical syringe I could inject some glue under it.
Basswood, whatever that is  :dontknow: is quite dense and sands to a glassy smooth finish.
 

Offline plexi50

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2015, 09:57:01 pm »
My friend is bringing by a completed 57 junior kit he got off ebay /china. Set neck. Finished in lacquer of course. I think it's TV yellow.
I have a NOS Pullman Perkins Gibson font size ink stamp for the final touch. I'll show pic' later tomorrow.
He had bad communication with the seller. It didn't get shipped for 30 days.
« Last Edit: February 16, 2015, 09:59:50 pm by plexi50 »

Offline Platefire

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #4 on: February 19, 2015, 10:34:59 pm »
Well I'm awaiting some kind of Status Report! You guys just left me hanging!!  :offtheair:
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Offline EL34

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #5 on: February 20, 2015, 12:50:04 pm »
That's cool stuff
I had no idea you could buy kit guitars


Anyone have a good source in the US?

Offline TIMBO

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2015, 02:23:21 pm »
Well I'm awaiting some kind of Status Report! You guys just left me hanging!!  :offtheair:

Things are progressing, and the good news is hafe mnm,sjudn koiamu jduyhdbnk okamaa.................





and that is where we are at. Thanks

Edit; Untangled quote, Willabe
« Last Edit: February 20, 2015, 03:52:50 pm by Willabe »

Offline Platefire

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #7 on: February 20, 2015, 02:47:15 pm »
TIMBO

dhelcd, deppned ds las jfhe sa!
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Offline MakerDP

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #8 on: February 20, 2015, 03:09:55 pm »
Quote from: EL34 link=topic=1826 :laugh:6.msg186672#msg186672 date=1424458204
That's cool stuff
I had no idea you could buy kit guitars


Anyone have a good source in the US?
http://www.carvinguitars.com/kits/
I've been wanting to do a Carvin Bolt kit for years. I'm hoping this is the summer I finally get to it.

They aren't as cheap as the other ones posted here but you get an extremely high quality instrument when you are done. They are the exact same components they use in their custom shop guitars and as an ownerof two Carvin guitars I can  tell you they are fantastic guitars!


Offline TIMBO

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #9 on: February 20, 2015, 04:11:09 pm »
Hi Plate, I agree.  :w2:
FUNNY story,the batteries were dead in my camera, so I got some new ones, but the camera didn't work. I then realised that the contact spring in the battery compartment was missing,so I bodged it up and put the new batteries in and still no go, tested the batteries and are good, the clincher to the story, DEAD CAMERA............................

Using TRU OIL for finish coat and its a sloooooooooooow process. :icon_biggrin:

Offline MakerDP

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #10 on: February 20, 2015, 08:04:49 pm »
Can't wait to see how your kit turns out!

Offline TIMBO

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #11 on: February 20, 2015, 09:40:04 pm »
Me too

Offline TIMBO

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #12 on: February 22, 2015, 02:40:01 am »
Plate, I was looking for a match to your avatar, but qualities not great in the wood.

Offline Ritchie200

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #13 on: February 22, 2015, 08:06:18 pm »
Ya know.....that Corona may be impeding your progress.....

Jim :icon_biggrin:

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Offline TIMBO

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #14 on: February 22, 2015, 10:58:30 pm »
Hey Jim, The boxes make great storage and with lots a soldering, sanding, tweaking and so on, means lots of storage boxes.  :icon_biggrin:

Offline sluckey

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #15 on: February 23, 2015, 08:37:49 am »
Back in the '80s and '90s I was heavy into woodworking. So much that I was buying lacquer in 5 gallon cans! Drying time between coats was exactly one beer!   :laugh:
A schematic, layout, and hi-rez pics are very useful for troubleshooting your amp. Don't wait to be asked. JUST DO IT!

Offline Ritchie200

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #16 on: February 23, 2015, 10:42:16 am »
So the beer is an essential tool in the manufacturing process.  AND, like sandpaper, stain, and other finishing materials - it's a consumable!  I'll have to remember that one... :laugh:


Jim :d2:

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Offline Platefire

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #17 on: February 23, 2015, 05:45:16 pm »
Alright! Thanks for the update. The tint looks pretty close. At present stage looks like a satin finish? How do you get it to a gloss finish? Also what kind of glue will you use for the neck joint? If you need any more questions, just let me know!!
Platefire
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Offline TIMBO

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #18 on: February 24, 2015, 01:53:30 am »
Hi Plate, I don't think that I will get a great gloss finish, cause the TRU OIL dries quickly and doesn't even out like gloss paint.
This one has a bolt on neck, The price you pay on a impulse buy.

Offline Platefire

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #19 on: February 24, 2015, 06:32:08 pm »
TIMBO

Bolt on neck is fine. I just didn't see any bolt holes for it and thought it was a glue joint. I would think building a guitar is kind of like building an amp, all the effort you put into it makes it a little more special than something just purchased off the shelf. How many coats of finish will you put on it and do you do any finishing between coats? Platefire
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Offline TIMBO

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #20 on: February 24, 2015, 11:29:35 pm »
Hi Plate, I lost count after about 15 coats. This stuff doesn't go on thick and it took quite a few coats to just get a shimmer.
My biggest problem was just trying to get a descent finish as it looked like brush strokes through the finish.

Offline TIMBO

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #21 on: February 25, 2015, 11:24:33 pm »
Starting to look like a guitar

Offline MakerDP

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #22 on: February 26, 2015, 11:30:50 am »
Lookin' good!  :thumbsup:

Offline Platefire

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #23 on: February 26, 2015, 01:31:09 pm »
Good! I like the cream trim and gold knobs. Just don't mount the neck pickup like that with the pole pieces in the wrong direction :l2:
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Offline TIMBO

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #24 on: February 26, 2015, 10:57:08 pm »
Good eyes Plate.
I did put it in that way on purpose, after reading an article on Peter Green's (the "greeny")
I can always spin it if it sounds crap.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxgY9eEFiYM

Offline Platefire

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #25 on: February 27, 2015, 08:21:53 pm »
Well can't say that didn't cross my mind when I saw that but again I thought "Naw" surly not! Didn't Moore the Blues Rocker that recently died end up with that guitar? But Hay, it's worth a try, would be easy to put back. Seems like having the poles closer to the bridge might give it more treble bite?? just guessing! Platefire
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Offline Willabe

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #26 on: February 28, 2015, 02:25:23 am »
There's a whole BIG ol' can-o-worms on Greeny's LP and it's wiring.

Some say he flipped the bar magnets under 1 of the PAF's so they were out of phase, others have said that just turning the 1 PAF put them out of phase.


                      Brad    :dontknow: 

 

Offline tubenit

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #27 on: February 28, 2015, 03:19:44 pm »
Guys, I've built 20+ guitars and 2 bass guitars ...........................

And yesterday, I bought a semi-hollow body electric guitar kit.  Never used a kit before.

Will let you know how this unfolds .....................

Jeff

Offline TIMBO

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #28 on: February 28, 2015, 04:39:12 pm »
That's great T.

Offline Platefire

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #29 on: February 28, 2015, 11:45:22 pm »
Wow! This kit stuff is growing. tubenit--is it a 335 type? I'm not sure I ready for a kit project yet :w2:
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Offline tubenit

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #30 on: March 01, 2015, 06:15:24 am »
Yes, 335 type. 




Offline MoparWade

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #31 on: March 19, 2016, 04:39:22 pm »
Any consensus on whether it is worth it to build a guitar or where is best to buy kits/parts?
Fast Cars and Loud Guitars

Offline HotBluePlates

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #32 on: March 20, 2016, 01:00:05 pm »
I did put it in that way on purpose, after reading an article on Peter Green's (the "greeny")
I can always spin it if it sounds crap. ...

... Some say he flipped the bar magnets under 1 of the PAF's so they were out of phase, others have said that just turning the 1 PAF put them out of phase. ...

Timbo, you probably figured this out already, but...

Just turning around the pickup does nothing to alter the sound. That's because the pickup magnet's relationship to the slug and screw poles (and therefore, the magnet's relationship to the start & finish of the coil winds) has not changed.

To get the out-of-phase sound of Green's guitar, you have to flip the magnet in the pickup. The long, thin edges are the N/S poles of the magnet. One side is presently facing the screw poles, while the other side is facing the slug pole pieces. You flip the magnet so what was facing the screw pole pieces is now facing the slug pole pieces, and you'll have set up that pickup to be out-of-phase with the other pickup.

Makes no difference for either pickup played singly; you only hear an effect when both are being played.

If you have a pickup which is not like an old Gibson (which had a single conductor inside a braided shield), then you can just swap hot/ground wires for one pickup in the control cavity. But to do that, you need the pickup to have 2 conductors inside an insulated jacket, or a 4-wire arrangement, or you have to add sleeving over the existing pickup's braided shield (because its Hot with then be on the shield, and grounded by the other pickup's grounded braid).

Offline TIMBO

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Re: DIY KIT GUITARS
« Reply #33 on: March 20, 2016, 02:15:03 pm »
Thanks HBP, The guitar sounds pretty good and it has been given at rating of about "6" by a seasoned player.
To MoparWade, There are plenty of kits on the web and think they are much the same. If you are OK to invest a few hundred bucks and time, they are a great knock around guitar.
I use mine for when I'm tweaking my amps.

 


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