Who Makes The Best Guitar Kits?

[@CANNIMAGINE]

I built 3 Harley Benton kits during covid lockdown. They are inexpensive and of decent quality, especially for folks like me who use my own pickups, tuners, etc to finish the kits. I did a PRS style a LP style and a Jaguar style.

[@bernardo9202]

Do you know from the guitar kit on the LP style of guitar, what is the comparsion on their line up, is it a lower grade like the 200 or 400 or like mid tier 450 or 500 kit or even the higher tier 550 and above?

[@SkipBrown-o7d]

Thank you for you Brad for recommending Solo Guitars I am about to get a 335 kit from them and I agree with you on Solo one place I would recommend to you would be Guitar Kit World

[@BradAngove]

Thank you for the recommendation

[@danandratis]

Very informative video, thank you Brad - Cheers

[@chantzarcher4807]

No mention of war moth?

[@BradAngove]

Those aren’t really kits per se, but there has been a lot of discussion about them in the comments.

[@chantzarcher4807]

@@BradAngove true I didn’t think about that.

[@kathleenwalton3311]

Looking for a lightweight guitar body. Anyone know of any ?

[@BradAngove]

Basically anything made of pine or paulownia. There should be quite a few of those around.

[@jimmyjoe1871]

I just finished a Korina Explorer from precision guitar kits. It is a fantastic instrument. I didn’t cut any corners though. Hide glue, nitro finish, faber tonelock hardware, OX4 pickups. Easily rivals a custom shop Gibson.

[@flobeeonekinobee2353]

Did you find the glue?

[@nowherebrain]

the following are just my opinions: (les paul body there)spalted wood is just ugly to me...but, it takes all kinds... stew mac is super overpriced....never buy them. vote with your money. that engineered wood is ugly AF...and it's engineered...a guitar should have character, not be over engineered...so no bad cat either... I'm not part of the crimson guitars cult..they are the modern edition of stew mac....also overpriced. I am very curious about the Harley benton kits....only because they are so cheap...any thoughts??? I am a woodworker and could fix just about anything, but I'm no luthier..I'm only now thinking of making a guitar. I feel that everything you cover here is kinda elitist....not really any offbrand kits...there are certainly deals out there to be had....

[@1-eye-willy]

"stew mack ovrcharges for evrything" is an understatement😂

[@christophercarroll]

Hey Brad, I just got one of StewMac’s offset kits. Definitely worth picking one up while they are on sale for $185. Cheers!

[@BradAngove]

Nice!

[@ChrisWilliams-cb9kt]

Only done one but Crimson Guitars did an excellent custom kit for me. My spec throughout. Quality woods, accurate neck pocket, frets, inlays etc. all spot on.

[@BradAngove]

Awesome!

[@ChrisWilliams-cb9kt]

@@asimhussain8716 it wasn’t cheap but it was custom spec.

[@jake-gk1jy]

My strat style Muslady kit I bought through Walmart of all places arrived in great shape and was a two piece mahogany body. The neck pocket was very good although I did have to drill my neck bolt holes but that's ok. The CNC work was very clean for a kit guitar and overall the quality was very good for 100 bucks. Would buy again

[@rturney]

Precision Guitar kits are great. You'll get very high quality wood and precision NC machining. Their fretwork is top notch. I've built two of their Les Paul Jr kits.

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

They're pretty much all built on precision CNC machines. Nobody's sitting around with hand saws and chisels building any of these things. Including the vast majority of the Big Name Brand guitars. The fretwork, binding if applicable, and wood is where the real differences are, for sure.

[@BradAngove]

There are definitely different levels of CNC machining out there though.

[@heres2ya]

they have some great kits, but i can't see spending $600+ on a body and neck, when you can actually buy a USA strat for about the same money as doing one of their builds.

[@hkguitar1984]

Precision Guitar Kits are the only brand I'd even consider. What is a person's time worth? I've repaired enough cheap-o kit guitars that its obvious that most cheap-o kits are a waste of a person's time and efforts. I'd place the Precision Guitar Kits at the quality level of Fender or Gibson concerning materials used and fret work.

[@hollierthanthou83]

As an Aussie, and the cost of international postage, it's difficult to try a lot of manufacturers out there. But we do have Pitbull Guitars, and they are very nice quality, great service, and the customization options are great!

[@franknicastri9201]

As a fellow Aussie I also love Pitbull. Great quality and great customer service!

[@scottbegg7459]

Being from New Zealand I too have tried Pitbull Guitars and was well pleased with the quality of these kits. Service was unbelievable . from Australia across the sea to NZ to my door in less than 48 hours everytime

[@tsikoutsikou]

I've bought from Pitbull, currently living in Poland, especially because of the customizations that they offered, as you mentioned. Found out that they're really nice people as well!

[@woodskid4ever]

Are Pitbulls made in Australia?

[@franknicastri9201]

@@woodskid4ever manufactured in China I believe but everything else is here.

[@darylhudson777]

I watched several of the Crimson Guitar videos I love the expert attention to details. He doesn't skimp and in today's modern world I appreciate it so much more. I usually try to buy all American-made products so Crimson Guitar is an exception because they are top-of-the-line.

[@tombruno3969]

Hey Brad! I feel like Warmoth definitely needs to be mentioned here, they have so much customization and basically you can piece together a kit

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

Yeah, and end up spending two grand on a guitar nobody else will ever want.

[@KeganVanSickle]

@@dogslobbergardens6606 Yep. You buy a Warmoth, you buy it for life, or take a huge hit.

[@rodneywatkins4731]

@@dogslobbergardens6606 why.? Whats wrong with Warmoth?

[@BradAngove]

Yeah, warmoth was definitely worth mentioning. High quality for sure. And of course high price point.

[@tombruno3969]

@@dogslobbergardens6606 not sure where you are getting 2 grand from, I spent $600 for my mahogany Flying V body and maple neck w/ ebony board.

[@thedude7450]

I have built 2 kits from Solo. 1st one was pretty decent and I posted a positive review and they put it on the website within hours. The 2nd guitar not so good. It seems like I was sold a B-Stock item for regular price. The headstock looks like it was dropped and broken in half. You can see where they glued it back together. Also, on the back of the body, at the neck joint, a piece was chipped off and they filled it in with non-matching wood. Unfortunately, there is no option here to post pictures. Since I am using wood filler and intend on painting it a solid color I’m gonna build it anyway, but I definitely feel the company was being dishonest by allowing this to go out the door at full price. And when I posted a not so stellar review on the site they refused to post it. My review has been “awaiting approval” for about a month now.

[@juliengoguen17]

Same here. I've built the double neck telecaster and one of the LP's kit.

[@Torgo63]

Thanks for the video, it's just what I needed. I just finished a 335 kit from Stewmac, and am looking at my options for my next build. I agree that Stewmac's prices are a bit high, but I ordered when they were having a $90 off sale, so making the purchase was less difficult. The 335 turned out beyond my expectations, both by how it looks, and how it plays. I also learned a whole lot (by making mistakes). I had never painted a guitar before, not to mention doing a 3 color burst.

[@pugforce8315]

what kind of finish did you use? was it too difficult for a first time?

[@Torgo63]

@@pugforce8315 It wasn't too difficult at all. I made mistakes due to lack of experience it being my first time. I learned things like that overspray can go all the way to the other side of the guitar, gotta mask off everything. Also, you can't fix paint defects when it's still wet, let it dry then fix it. For the painting, I didn't want a Tobacco sunburst, so I got the Cherry Sunburst paint kit from Stew Mac. I also wanted the sides to be Gloss Black, so I got a can that, and a can of Sunburst Black (to fade in from the edge). I made a YT slideshow video if you want to see the kit progress (it ends before I set the intonation and final polish which I will update soon). If I do a guitar again like this, I will get an extra can of Clear Gloss, because if you make mistakes you are going to need more.

[@iamanovercomer3253]

I was thinking about a Stew Mac Wilkinson 50s Vintage-T Guitar Kit for $500 . But I don't have the place to paint it. By the time I pay someone, I can get a Mex Fender and modify it for the same price As for anything from china, no thanks ‼️ Stew Mac for 🇺🇸

[@BradAngove]

That’s a pricey kit, but I assume it’s good. I don’t for sure; I buy most of my stuff from Solo Guitars rather than stewmac. Maybe it’s because I’m not America haha.

[@joncaradies3155]

Not really a kit per say but I've bought a couple unfinished bodies and necks from Warmoth and thought they were great !!! The roasted maple necks are especially beautiful in workmanship and the way they feel .

[@davidspeller4344]

I built a Strat using a XGP body and Neck from Guitar Fetish. the quality and fit was far better than I expected. The body was Alder and the Neck Maple. fret ends were rounded and polished. I only wish they offered medium jumbo or jumbo frets. I found that they are often out of stock on items. (the hardware I used was from Solo Guitars - a Xmas gift from my son) I recommend at least the body and the neck from them!

[@jjulch]

Precision Guitar Kits in Canada makes the best. Hands down. No fretwork needed, neck fits like a glove.

[@stu-j]

Crimson kits are fantastic and super top end quality and a great company and who uses the crappy hardware anyway? I built a hardtail strat for a friend from guitar build uk and it was top quality stuff and turned out great.

[@BradAngove]

Excellent!

[@TaxPayingContributor]

Finishing my second Muslady. Learned a lot from your channel and created a beautiful looking green flame gold burst LP. After another hundred dollars for upgraded parts, she just ain't the first one I grab. My Tele is green birds eye maple with edge bindings and gold hardware. Kits are fun to do and marginally pleased with these two experiences

[@christopherhester2845]

I built my first LP kit from Stewmac. I immediately replaced all the hardware. I would say it took it from playing like a $300 to a $600 guitar. It is not my Les Paul, but it sounds great and stays in tune.

[@Heartwing37]

Got a great TS from GKW! Beautiful, but I did my own upgrades and customization!

[@christopheraaron8299]

I've built 2 strats, one from random parts I ordered and one from a kit. I ended up not using most of the hardware from the kit because I wanted some upgrades, like locking tuners, roller saddles, roller trees and a bone nut. I also got a nice blue pearl pickguard (I painted the guitar blue.) The kit guitar was from a company called RSW and it's rather nice quality. Basswood body, maple neck, maple fretboard, Fender shaped headstock. I'd say it's about the same quality as my Squier Affinity Strats.

[@richsackett3423]

The ES-175 kit I got from Guitar Kit World was excellent. The rest of the catalog was appealing quality stuff. Got sick and tired waiting for Solo to restock (4+ months). A couple phone calls saying "soon" then I bailed.

[@BradAngove]

Yeah, they had a real supply chain issue for a while there. Especially before they built their new bigger warehouse.

[@michaelknight4041]

There's a 175 KIT?? 😳. Oh man! I got to get one! Or two

[@landofahhs_1]

Nice job covering kits you have used and are familiar with. I thought you were fair and honest in your discussed points. I appreciate reviews where the reviewer doesn't appear to be rehearsed, but just frankly speaks their mind...thank you!

[@BradAngove]

Thanks Paul. You may have noticed this over time, but for better or for worse my videos are never rehearsed haha.

[@thomasowens5824]

Very interesting, what about bass ?

[@BradAngove]

Good question. I’ve never done one. Dan from Guns and Guitars could probably give you a better idea of who Does a good bass.

[@TiagoGarrinhas]

Pitbull is great! I’ve built a few kits, they were awesomely well built. Highly recommended 😉

[@BradAngove]

Good to hear!

[@nicokarsen6131]

Warmoth, I have 4 now. These guitars are the best guitars I have ever touched let alone owned.

[@BradAngove]

Nice

[@mind140]

I've bought 3 or 4 Precision kits and they are the best I've come across by far.

[@randynicholsonsr560]

I built a Telecaster from Solo and was very impressed.

[@BradAngove]

Glad to hear it

[@hatintec]

BYO is my choice. Both their Import and Made in USA Custom Shop kits are great quality. Custom Shop Kits are some of the best, and they can be ordered with the options the builder selects. That are not cheap, mass produced. They are best-quality, USA made. Try one of each, you’ll fall in love.

[@BradAngove]

Thanks for the tip.

[@heartofoak4503]

I'd highly recommend BYO guitars, I have 2, a Jazz bass and a Jaguar...awesome kits and great support

[@johnpecoraro1720]

I worked for them years ago, their custom kits are very high quality.

[@boogrbear788]

Haven't used them yet. But got my eye on a body they have. Great site with a lot of options. I recommend anyone looking at guitar kits to have a look.

[@briw4647]

ive found sometimes its not just the quality, its the finishing. ive bought some cheap kits and very expensive kits. the only difference the expensive kit was finish sanded

[@markgordon4368]

I agree with musiclily but you need to know how to fix stuff, don't buy their mahogany as it is soooo heavy lol.

[@claudevieaul1465]

Funny enough everyone (well, at least every American...) keeps bashing basswood as being "cheap" in every sense. Ask Steve Vai what his signature Ibanez Jem is made of... Ask John Petrucci what his Music Man signature is made of... Guess what?? Yep - basswood. I've built several kits, most with basswood bodies. One, a 12 string Tele kit (Gear4Music in Germany) and it's amazing! The neck and body are perfect, neckpocket nice and tight, the bridge (fully adjustable for all 12 strings!!) is great! Cheap as chips too. Mind you, I only buy either from China or within the EU and haven't been disappointed yet. As a European I never ever buy from the US: everything is far too expensive for the quality you get.

[@alanwalker1698]

I love my Precision Double cut Jr kit

[@xXGamerGod20Xx]

Just recently built a leo jaymz guitar. Got the BC beast style. And it wasn't bad for the price. Definitly didn't use the strings that came with it.

[@markusbe.musicfromtheunder2497]

I just completed a Harley Benton kit. I'm surprised how well it came out and how well it plays. Vey good quality. The more work you put in the greater the reward! I got cool guitar, that plays and sounds pretty good. Going to try a StewMac next. * * * * THANKS BRAD.... for the inspiration and sharing your expert knowledge with us new builders. Cheers! Markus

[@BradAngove]

Cheers Markus. I’m glad it came out well.

[@markusbe.musicfromtheunder2497]

@@BradAngove Thanks to you!!! You ARE a great teacher! Love your channel. Gonna try a SOLO branded one as well....

[@Rjaekwangl]

I'm about to build my own Harley Benson Les Paul style, but I'm using my own tuning pegs and whatnot. To be honest, I'm building this just as art and design (custom American Idiot paint job!) and I am not expecting this to be on par with performance from let's say, an Ibanez or an Epiphone. If you yourself are buying these guitars to use it as your main guitar, spend a couple extra bucks and buy a decent Squier or some sort of Epiphone pack.

[@ebandcamp]

I have the same spalted maple LP that turned out outstanding from SOLO from your recommendation ! Thanks . I trashed all the chrome hardware and went with gold , Emerson electrics with a treble bleed I added , Lumberbucker p/ups ( sound amazing and fairly inexpensive ) Gohto locking tuners with amber pearloid tuners , I found amber knobs that go to 11 , stained and oil neck and gold mirror rear covers . Polyurethaned the top and head stock walnut stained the sides and back . Sounds and plays amazing .

[@BradAngove]

Nice! That sounds like an awesome project.

[@bengordon7635]

I also just picked up a fade Gibson 60s 8.10 lbs solid body ,,,,, going to add the studs for a real Abr-1 .. Spray a thin coat of Period correct thin Nitro gloss . and put real aged celluloid inlays ...... the 60s faded series you can shave the binding on neck for a real vintage feel ,,,, so many options with the Gibson faded series . lots of light weight ones ,, The neck angles on kits are the problem for a Gibson style guitar they cannot copy gibson angles copy write protected

[@briansimpson8116]

I said out loud that StewMac was overpriced a half second before you did. I've been trying to find a very inexpensive kit to build. GO CANADIA!🇨🇦

[@dnate697]

BTW, I play bass and Dabble with the Guitar. I love Warmoth but if you are not a pro and your Axe isn't making you money, hey! Stew Mac sucks a big one. At least the end product at Warmoth is worth every penny.

[@meldeer6253]

i did not use pore filler, i did not get a squege, i did not get copper ground tape still weighting on S.M... i did sand the body first befor sealing it i could not get the nuts on thread on machine tunners iv got about 12 cote's of clear i did not use 360 sand paper i started off with 400 wet then went stright to 1000 then 2000 grit wet or dry .. the body is mohagny neck is maple the wood and routing im very happy with the quality of the wood i think is top shelf the frets them self are not jumbo frets hoping this is not going to be a big deal.. just wish they had a beter quality control on missing item's ...every thing i read about the kit said you probably have most of the tool .. well i did not expect to buy a hammer to knock the frets in, or a Nut file set or expencive fret files... they are very expencive and a one time kit build i could not see buying expencive tools ... i kust wanted a quality guitar like a gibson or fender to play.. pant and kit was over 300 dollars.. then pay to have it set up ... thanks

[@Johnny.D]

my first kit was a solo way back in 2011. then a guitarfetish LP which wasn't too bad but I had to shim the neck pocket.

[@matthewotremba9230]

A ghetto paint helper A 3 foot bed slat , screwed to neck pocket with a small shim in the pocket , so paint don't pool A half a brick at the end for balance An eye hook on boff sides of the bed slat at the balance points Hang some cord from a 10 foot point above your head dropped down to about 5 ' off the ground Walllllah , ya got a universal paint rig

[@NickSelfridge]

I’ve built precision guitar’s single cut Junior and currently working on their double cut Junior kit as well, for the price and quality, like $350 after shipping, the single cut is my best guitar and I have a good feeling about the double cut.

[@BradAngove]

They seem quite reliable for quality. I’m sure the double cut will be good.

[@gregkelly9732]

Hi Brad, I wanted to mention Guitar Kit World. They make very nice looking kits. I recently purchased 2 from them. They had a BOGO sale. Great opportunity to get them. I haven't built them yet because I've been in the hospital. But I do look forward to building them soon!

[@BradAngove]

I hope your build goes well once you get it.

[@acecomet]

Solo are really good, i m building my second one tomorow🤙

[@LeslieDevoe]

Trevor Wilkinson, Stew Mack, Grizzly.

[@spoddie]

No mention of Warmoth. I haven't bought one of theirs yet, I like the way they do a rear route of guitars that normally top route - I hate covering beautiful wood with an ugly piece of plastic. I'm planning to get a rear route batter boxed J bass soon.

[@jburtonca]

I 2005 I bought a Warmoth J bass body. It was alder with a AAA quilted maple top and rear routed. Putting a pickguard over that beautiful top would not make sense. I finished it using ruby red aniline dye from Lee Valley and nitro clear coats. I put a graphite neck on it and installed a 2TEK bridge. The neck fit perfectly and I attached it with stainless steel machine screws and inserts. The electronics were a John East U-Retro with EMG pickups and 18 volt power. It is a beautiful bass.

[@TommySG1]

I’m surprised Warmoth wasn’t mentioned as well here but maybe because they aren’t really a ‘kit’ type of seller. You of course can purchase everything you need from there but they don’t really sell kits. It’s more of a special piece by piece and I’m not sure if I’m explaining this very well either ahah! Warmoth is outstanding quality and I put their quality right up there with an American made Fender if not even better than…..

[@spoddie]

@@jburtonca Sounds like a nice bass! I put EMGs in my J Bass and the battery is squashed under the metal control plate, not optimum. So I'll probably get the same as you, alder with flame maple top, but get them to do a tobacco burst for me. Korina seems nice too with a tobacco burst.

[@clarkbabin9799]

I've priced Stew Mac and do agree they are a bit proud of their products and its reflected in the prices. Your better off buying a whole kit they suggest for what ever style your interested in. To go in and select parts individually your getting into new assembled guitar range.

[@kevintaylor5079]

Warmoth parts are so expensive you might as well buy a nice high end guitar .I have great playing guitars that cost less than a Warmouth neck .

[@kevmac1230]

I've built five or six kits, mostly basses.Two were Solo and they're pretty good.

[@wonicles]

Precision kits all the way. Built a Korina Flying V and a Korina explorer from precision. Both are amazing, and I would gladly put the quality of wood, fit, and frets/fretboard up against anything out there.

[@AntmanFelix]

Man I see their kits and have been tempted in ordering a V. One day I will pony up the cash to do a build. The customizations that they offer seem endless!

[@dogslobbergardens6606]

I wish they'd offer rear-routed models. I love the V and Explorer shapes, but I hate having to use a pickguard to cover up that big rout on the front. Looking at their prices, you're also getting real real close to a point where you could just buy something pretty decent (maybe used) and simply paint the thing.

[@BradAngove]

I think you can order them rear-routed. Picking up a used guitar is always an option. Not quite like a kit build, but some people prefer that.

[@cc5053]

My PGK made-to-order M7 just arrived. The leather dye for staining will be here this week. I'm looking forward to the build.

[@cc5053]

@@dogslobbergardens6606 Look at the "made to order" section of their website. There is a drop down menu that shows various options.

[@crush3095]

cannot afford a name brand guitar that has a much tone as a Warmoth made a handful of telecasters from them

[@lucentguitars]

Pitbull have some good stuff and great customer service. I'm not a fan of veneered kits because of glue spots but plenty of choices for paint grade stuff

[@r.llynch4124]

Hard to beat Warmoth necks and bodies

[@BradAngove]

True.

[@ricksigurdson2016]

To me an uncut kit means a trip to the lumberyard. Solo's templates are good well done using mdf.

[@the_algorithm]

No mention of Warmoth?

[@finnancahill2644]

They don’t really make kits, just parts

[@Shoda0197]

Since solo guitars changed their single cut body style i lost all interest in them 😭😭 I really wish they still had the traditional shape without the swoop on top.

[@BradAngove]

Probably didn’t want to get sued.

[@anyamarie42]

could you give please links to all of these kits you talked about

[@fitofficial6510]

I found the same part on daraz in Bangladesh. Are you selling there ?

[@CartoonerAnimationist]

Bargain Musician is the only one I've done and I love it. Flying V kit sub $200 usd

[@BradAngove]

Nice. That sounds like solid value.

[@JebHowell]

Precision Guitar Kits are fantastic! I've got one of their 59 kits with the carved heel and it's just wonderful. What model are you going for?

[@loscrimefighter1899]

Agreed. I built a PGK LP jr maybe 3 (?) years ago, went together beautifully, turned out fantastic. Bought a really nice hsc for it, but ironically, the guitar has barely been in it!

[@BradAngove]

I’m looking at an AX carved top.

[@JebHowell]

@@BradAngove Can't wait to see what you do with it!

[@jean-francoisdavid3694]

I have a strat from Precision guitar kit on it’s way that I expect for Tuesday. Not expensive for something that should be super great quality. Will see

[@jean-francoisdavid3694]

Brad, i received my Strat from precision guitar. The neck is insane! I had a kit from Bian Xuebin and PGK makes it look like a toy. These guys do serious work.

[@leftyo9589]

i did a fretwire double cut flame maple top last year, junk.

[@paulknox706]

Low end hardware, terrible customer service experience.

[@BradAngove]

Damn. Sorry to hear that.

[@mattsaunders7207]

Didnt know draisaitl played guitar

[@randynicholsonsr560]

Stewmac is way over priced and quality sux

[@che2335]

Bian Xuebin real flame tops

[@BradAngove]

Yes, I have definitely heard of that guy. Or is that a company?

[@che2335]

@@BradAngove idk if hes a company but you go thru FB to contact him.

[@bobbydrex5268]

I've done a jazzmaster kit from harley benton and it was pretty good for only $80

[@BradAngove]

Nice

[@rodpederson4566]

I: bought a Les Paul kit from Solo. The drilling associated with the bridge and tailpiece was impossibly out of whack. So, I sent it back. Solo sent me another Les Paul kit with corrected drilling but with a neck-to-body fit that was was 1/2 inches out. I sent it back with a request to cancel the order and refund the purchase price. Instead, Solo returned the same kit to me with a piece of scrap glued to the neck to make it fit ... sort of. They would not refund the purchase price. So I was stuck with a very poor guitar kit. Buyers should stay away from Solo. After a thorough check of the available kits I bought a Precision Guitar kit, and the product was well worth the higher price I paid. My only reservation is that the binding is quite thin compared to most others.

[@muyeikasamurabi1602]

Solo is not that interested in rectifying known issues despite leading you to believe otherwise. Had a similar experience where promises to help ended in norhing more than offering 25% off my next purchace. There were no more purchaces. KZbinrs likely get better service.

[@BradAngove]

My experience with solo has obviously been good, but that may not mean much. I can tell you this is the second time I’ve received negative feedback about solo customer service. One other guy said he had a really bad experience as well. I still recommend them though because, as you can see from the other comments, 99% seem to have really good things to say about the kits and service. I’m quite excited to hopefully try out a precision kit soon.

[@jonathanray4598]

I took a stock 2011 Gibson les paul 60s tribute guitar ( mostly hollow) put it face down and routed out every hollow space in it and filled it up with steel run off tabs from work...this added 10 extea pounds plus the pounds of pennies I put on the top ( 3D effect ). I filled the neck pickup, and toggle switch area with steel too. Then I installed a single gibson bridge mini humbucker ( new ) with a single volume knob, all wired with vintage braided wire and painted the guitar black ( the body ) before added the pennies to the surface on the top. I plan on adding a gibson t6 fine tunning tail piece in time. This guitar blows les paul customs and standards out of the water now! This cannon weighs in at 18 lbs now and has massive chords and sustain.

[@BradAngove]

18 lbs! Wow. Might as well strap a piano to yourself haha.

[@PoohBear31184]

Maybe not the same category, but any thoughts or experience with Warmoth?

[@michaelmoran7416]

I've gotten two of the nicest necks I've ever encountered through Warmoth. They can get expensive fast if you start stacking customizations, though. The bodies I've gotten from them are also excellent (as is the fit between their necks and bodies) but it was their necks that really impressed me.

[@BradAngove]

As far as I know warmoth stuff is fantastic. It’s just way more expensive than even the pricy ones I mentioned. Not really a kit per se, but you can put together a top notch warmoth partscaster.

[@gilbertromero514]

ask for John Reuter, and give it hell luthier

[@terryshrives8322]

Stewmac is out. Way to big for their britches

[@shanefoster2861]

Look into BYO.

[@kmalcolm5352]

Worth noting that shipping and currency plays a part in this. I’m in Canada so a $300 kit from the states becomes a $400 kit with duty and exchange. Solo has pretty much filled the stewmac market in Canada as they’re in Ontario and have almost as many cool tools and parts. Importing from the UK or Oz is another matter. But generally the mass-made Chinese kits are all the same. Solo does good quality control and offers seconds and a really good customer relations program. But I’d never pay exchange and duty for a MIC anything.

[@BradAngove]

Makes sense

[@sleddinstummyt.v.7908]

Leon Draisaitl plays guitar?!?

[@michaeladamcaira9174]

Get a clue,Wilkinson makes the best ,especially the hardware for about 450.00-550.00

[@nauticul1999]

What about leojaymz?

[@fgoindarkg]

I would never recommend solo guitar kits. I tried one. Everything about it was junk. Worthless junk.

[@BradAngove]

Ok, well I’ve tried about 9 of them and I recommend them.

[@wfqsfg]

Warmouth out of Washington is quite reputable and expensive. I bought a body from them and I had neck on hand from a Squire Strat. I subsequently changed my mind and ordered a new neck. The old yellowed maple neck didn't look good with the new body. When I got the new neck, either the neck pocket was too small or the neck was too big. I had to send the body back to widen the neck pocket after arguments and back and forth on the phone and email. I then had to use a luthier to finish the neck and get it lined up properly costing more money. It wasn't perfect when it was returned to me. I didn't have the tools to work on the neck myself.

[@BradAngove]

That sounds like quite the process. Yikes.

[@bendriggs8595]

Hi Brad. I want to make an acoustic guitar for my daughter. I want high quality and am willing to pay extra for that. (It will be a sentimental gift, but sentimentality only goes so far. I want a quality finished product!) On the Choosing A Guitar Kit episode I just watched, you mentioned three high quality kit companies and made one comment important to me. You said Precision did more of the work. For me, that’s essential because I am completely inept at DIY stuff, have no tools, etc. So, having a high quality kit that I could assemble without tears and swear words is very appealing. With that note, do you think Precision is a good voice? Another manufacturer? I’ll be sure to click on your link or whatever so you get your deserved credit for the lead.

[@BradAngove]

Precision is a great choice, but I don’t know if they do acoustic kits. It’s certainly worth checking though.

[@CalebEllisComedy]

Made the mistake of buying an ES 355 style kit from a Chinese company, and the kit had zero reviews….. ended up getting a bum guitar that’s practically unusable and the company wouldn’t even refund it🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ did all this before I found this channel, I know better now😂😂

[@BradAngove]

Yeah I unfortunately had a similar experience.

[@jackcrowl7553]

Solo makes good guitar kits however if you want to buy upgrade options they are limited as Solo has there own way of building their kits. Fender style necks wont fit, the bridge selection is limited, and you can add different pickups but you will have to modify the body. Also they ship with Fedex and i have had alot of problems with getting my parts from them in a timely option. If you are going to buy their kits buy them from other vendors and dont get them directly from the factory in Canada. Imho. But they do play decent and are great for beginners.

[@BradAngove]

Thank you for the helpful input. I think in general you’ll have difficulty finding a kit that you can slot a licensed fender neck into without modification. I’ve always upgraded my solo kit pickups and haven’t had to modify the bodies unless I’m changing to humbuckers from single coils. What kind of kit did you get?

[@mitaku2287]

I feel like most kit brands don't really have a lot of variety at all. If all you ever want to build are ES335s, Teles, Strats, SGs, Les Pauls. Then every last maker under the sun makes those in every variety ever but say you're someone like me looking to make a mockingbird with no trem then the amount of brands is very restricted. At some point I'll want to make replicas of Hide's Fernandes guitars and those have white binding on the fretboard, the only maker I've seen make this kind of kit is Pango and they've got an awful rep. Variety to me is more about diversity of body shapes than the veneer on the 30 different Les Pauls they make.

[@BradAngove]

Fair. The problem is they presumably need a new CNC program/set of jigs for every shape, so unless there’s reasonable demand for a kit shape they’re unlikely to carry it.

[@APK-pn4qh]

I bought a BYO Guitars Custom Shop "Shredder" kit - a pretty accurate 5150 build with the body shape almost perfect and the proper longer Kramer 84 / 5150 style banana headstock - not the shorter Baretta type "beak". 400 bucks plus delivery and taxes to Ireland so a little over 500 bucks all in. I've wanted a 5150 since 1984 so I bought it and built it. Turned out amazing but was a lot of extra unforseen work because the predrilled holes were not perfect, and the neck needed a shim to get the Floyd to sit right for adjustments etc, the whammy claw screws were too short.... A good few little things that needed fixes and replacing here and there. Not a great kit but a good kit and saved me about a grand on buying an EVH Striped 5150 here in Ireland. Would I recommend it? If you live in the States (far cheaper delivery obviously) and know your way around building a guitar then yes, but otherwise probably not.

[@philrohtla6458]

I did the Shredder kit as well, and it is quite good. The neck is thicker than I normally like, and their fret choices are odd (e.g. the jumbos aren't as tall as the mediums). Overall, however, the quality is good, and you can buy just the body and neck of you want to add your own hardware. The base hardware was gatbage, and is now all Gotoh on mine. Lastly, their Eruption pickup is the cheapest good Brown Sound pickup that I have met.

[@APK-pn4qh]

@@philrohtla6458 I upgraded to their Tonerider Octane and I was really surprised at how good the pickup was for the price. Overall a pretty good kit.

[@marccarter1350]

I Buy Epiphones, then kit them up to the slandered of a Gibson counterpart. Its like i guess a high end guitar kit.

[@BradAngove]

Makes sense

[@surfrby8876]

How about BYOGuitar in New Hampshire ? I’m thinking of using them for a carved top

[@BradAngove]

I’ve heard good things about them but never used them.

[@billsmith5054]

Are there any guitar kit companies that have the SET NECK option. I am not crazy about BOLT ON.

[@BradAngove]

There are lots of set neck options

[@dekion261]

what I can't understand is why a company will have some kits routed for the floyd rose locking trem, and another on the same site will be routed but not have the pivot holes drilled for the mount inserts. same company i believe, not a site acting as a vendor.

[@BradAngove]

That is a bit odd. Do you recall which site?

[@alyssa2242]

Got a tele kit from Pitbull. The quilted maple veneer was horrible, the glue from the binding went deep into the guitar and messed up the finish, binding wasn't trimmed properly around the neck pocket and needed to be filed down, pickguard didn't fit around the neck pocket and needed significant filing to fit, screw holes for neck pickup were so horribly misaligned that you couldn't actually install a pickup, 2 of the tuner peg holes were poorly aligned and the nut on the output jack literally broke in half while installing. Would not recommend.

[@BradAngove]

Wow. That sounds brutal.

[@karlcarpenter771]

Built a Solo PRK-1, and for the most part it was a complete breeze to finish and assemble. Used leather dye for the back and sides, and an indigo burst with Rit dye on the flamed top. Finished with tru-oil and a paste wax finish. My previous experience included neck refinishing because poly necks are horrible, and regular maintenance of my own guitars.

[@Noah-gq7pq]

what about bogart there on e bay

[@6806goats1]

Any options for left hander kits? Cutting from blanks is my current option.

[@BradAngove]

I know Solo had some lefty kits. I would think some of the other suppliers would as well.

[@narvul]

Building with a kit is like building with IKEA and pretend you're wood working.

[@BradAngove]

So don’t pretend you’re woodworking then. Just build the kit, enjoy it, and call it what it is.

[@Zues42208]

What about leo jaymze?