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KRhat · 10-20-2011, 11:43 AM

I'm thinking about a new project and am considering a Tele kit from Guitarfetish. Has anybody here ever tried one of their kits. I rebuilt my Bullet Strat with some pretty good results. Now, I'd like a Tele platform that I can mess with. I was wondering how the basic quality of one of their kits compares to the quality of my Bullet? For the price, if it has any kind of quality at all, seems like a reasonable deal. It doesn't have to be fantastic, because it's will probably be something to abuse with when I'm not beating on the Bullet. Thanks Kevin

stratphobic · 10-20-2011, 01:15 PM

i've heard nothing but bad about the kits. if you're looking to do something on the cheap, they sell finished bodies and necks pretty cheap.

sfcmark · 10-20-2011, 02:01 PM

I've read some not bad reviews of the Grizzly kits. The basic components are supposed to be pretty good, and the body is solid alder. You'd probably still want to upgrade a few things like pickups and tuners.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Tele...itar-Kit/H8068

It does, however, seem to be on back order right now.

KRhat · 10-21-2011, 12:36 AM

OK, what kind of bad stuff? Kevin

ghostwolf · 10-21-2011, 01:05 AM

well, for a start, parts that don't fit right, and need severe re-working to be made useable, crappy necks that may be twisted, have poor fretwork, if any at all, pickups that make the cheapest ceramics in a squier sound really good, crap tuners, and so on. then there's the occasional bridge that's drilled too far back, or too close, making proper intonation all but impossible....
if you want a kit that ill do what it's supposed to, contact member rjhalsey at Strat-talk. his company, rhfactorguitars.com, sells kit guitars assembled with Allparts wood, and decent, and upgradeable parts. several members on different forums i belong to have built them ,and swear by them, too. they're a bit more that gfs kits, but everything is guaranteed to fit....
(no affiliation with said enterprise)

LauraMarie · 10-22-2011, 10:55 PM

Squier is the way to go over any kits you could could buy at a comparable price. I would suggest anyone our purchasing a Squier over a MIA or even a MIM, you will come out ahead with a custom at a much reduced price at least IMO

D34dBaWx · 10-22-2011, 11:01 PM

I am having a hard time finding a squier standard series for much less than a MIM. But I do agree with you completely.

czook · 10-22-2011, 11:08 PM

Kits cost more than off the rack guitars of better quality.

I sense you want the experience of putting together a guitar. No better place to start than here, ebay, amazon...

Buy a body and a neck. Choose the tuners, bridge style, and pickups, wire up a switch and then learn how to set it up. Not that hard once you've gotten to that point and read the Fender site setup guide for the basics.

KRhat · 10-23-2011, 12:51 AM

So, you guys are saying that quality of the bodies and necks in kits aren't as good as buying them individually. I've read some favorable comments about Saga kits. I'm not trying to cheap out of buying individual components or get another Squire but now I'd like to build one. I thought if the quality of kit parts were comparable to individual parts and the price was close than why not go that route. I'm planning on changing all the hard parts anyway. Kevin

czook · 10-23-2011, 03:10 AM

I have had a couple kits. One is still not finished.

I build bodies, mostly Jag and Tele style, I mix and match components from other guitars or the components bins, but I still use pre-made necks. I like most Squier necks and I also had a source where I bought Tele and Strat necks direct out of China.

The kits are most just screwing together all the parts to a premade body and neck. Buy a couple old guitars and build a good one out of the parts. But I am very partial to partscasters.

Mike S. · 10-23-2011, 04:43 PM

I'm a big fan of many of the pups, guitars and such that GFS sells. However, I WILL say that I would NEVER choose or recommend poplar as a suitable wood for making a tele body.

Might as well be balsa as far as screw retention, resistance to denting etc. is concerned.

KRhat · 10-23-2011, 09:23 PM

Didn't Fender use poplar for a while? Kevin

overt1 · 10-23-2011, 09:49 PM

Check these out too: http://precisionguitarkits.com/telec...plemaple-neck/

I've never heard anything about their tele kits, but their set neck kits get a ton of rave reviews. I did a SG Jr. kit from them and it was great.

rompo420 · 10-23-2011, 10:47 PM

I can personally speak volumes about the awesomeness of Grizzly Kits. I love them.

Kid Klash · 10-24-2011, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rompo420

I can personally speak volumes about the awesomeness of Grizzly Kits. I love them.

Although I've never built a Grizzly kit, I've always heard great things about them, such as the well-formed bodies and excellent necks. There's probably a reason that their Tele kits sell out quite often...