$100 Build Contest - Updated with Final Rules

[whyachi]

Updated due to lack of interest and problems with rules:

OFFICIAL RULES:
1. Try to build a bass / guitar for under $100. Do it however you wish. Post lots of pictures.

Inspired by Talkbass, I propose a build-off. Winner gets.. prestige! or something.

In the Luthier's Corner forum on Talkbass they started a contest to see who could build the best bass for under $125. They allowed use of existing parts without counting in the total - so if you happen to have a Warmoth neck and body blank, they don't count that for the total - which I thought was lame. I was talking about this on Facebook and Marko suggested making this unOfficial, so we'll see if y'all dig the idea. I think us UW guys might be a little more creative with a little less money, so I'm changing it up a bit.


CONTEST:
One month to build a guitar / bass using $100 or less. Have it strung up and playable by Labor Day. I'm modifying this from Talkbass to say if you have wood, use it, but no prefab pieces. No bolting your old 7ender back together and calling it custom. $100 includes shipping, taxes, finishing, strings, ferrules, whatever you use. It has to be electric and it has to be playable, but besides that I don't see the need to put extra rules on it. If you want to enter a 2x4 with a pickup nailed on, do it if you must, but the community will pick the winner so consider that when designing. To make it more fun, post pics of your build process for all of us to see!

What you'll need to qualify:
Strings
Pickup(s) and a jack
Some sort of tuning thingies
Running total of your expenses - $100.00 USD is good, $100.01 fails.
Lots of photos


Who's interested?


----


RULES:
Must have strings, some form of pickup(s), and be tuneable and playable. Due date is Labor Day (9/5).

You can use pre-existing hardware / pickups if you can find the actual retail value for us - I'm not expecting everyone to drop $100 cash, but this isn't a way to fudge the numbers. So if you happen to have a $60 pickup sitting around, hope you can build the rest of it with less than $40 in materials.

Pre-made bodies are not allowed. Necks are (Warmoth or otherwise), but will be scored separately.

/endrules

 

[Patrick]

that sounds like creativity at its best. i think this is a really cool idea.

 

[DangerousR6]

So you're saying that you can't have pre-fab parts. Does that include the neck and the body...I don't get that part.... :icon_scratch:

 

[back2thefutre]

Im going to play :glasses9:

 

[m4rk0]

As I said. I'm in!

I would say 100$, not including the neck...
ik we have to build our own neck, that would not leave a lot of people to participate.

 

[DesmoDog]

Well... it seems the way to shine on this one is lots of horse trading.

Is $100 the final outlay? So hypothetically I buy a guitar for $100, then part it out and get $95, but I still have the neck and tuners... so I'm in for $5, right???? But what if I part it out for $150? In other contests like this I've seen, you can't make money on re-sale. If you buy it for $100 and part it out for $200 but keep the neck, the neck is free but you don't have a $100 credit too.

I'm not sure I'll play or not, lots of irons in the fire already... bt I have to admit, I've got a few ideas bouncing around in my head.

 

[tfarny]

Can I make a lap steel instead? Cause I could absolutely do that in my dad's shop.

 

[koshersteel]

I'm in. This should be a lot of fun.  

 

[pabloman]

I'm in.

 

[whyachi]

Lap steel works. For the necks, shall we put it to a vote? I was going to make my own, maybe figure $20 of the cost for a pre-slotted board or something. I was thinking of cutting an ash ball bat in half and fretting it, actually.

 

[whyachi]

So you're saying that you can't have pre-fab parts. Does that include the neck and the body...I don't get that part.... :icon_scratch:

No Warmoth, Squier, Fender, whatever bodies, and I'd also like no necks to push the creativity bit but if there's not a good response we might allow necks... I'd like to see what we can come up with using a pile of scrap instead of a pile of scrap + a $300 neck.

 

[Dan025]

sounds interesting, what are the rules for the neck, i have a MIM fender neck lying around with bad frets that i scalloped it  is not on a current guitar and has basically no resale value so it's not like i took my fancy purpleheart warmoth neck off my telecaster or something. how do we assign a value to that? could i use it as free but lose style points? im trying to be fair about this and want to know what others think before i start something.

 

[whyachi]

Easy way to do this, just thought of it. Two categories. One for pre-made necks, one for DIY necks. Problem, solution.  :doh:  Any objections? The other option is putting everyone together and maybe the DIY people will get extra style points during the voting.

This forum has an amazing ability to rule fun things to death, so I'm trying to keep this simple and fun here.

 

[Dan025]

none here. but i just thought of a personal solution if there is any objections, ill make a fretless if prefab necks are turned down

 

[whyachi]

none here. but i just thought of a personal solution if there is any objections, ill make a fretless if prefab necks are turned down

Since this is just for bragging rights and the enjoyment of the spectators I don't really see a problem using necks and not counting them, as most people don't have the tools to make one. Just as long as its clearly labeled come voting time.

 

[pabloman]

Or you could allow pre-fab necks and not award points for the neck at all. I'd say most of the points should come from creativity ingenuity etc. That would kind of level the playing field.

 

[whyachi]

http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=13417.0
^--- Poll

 

[whyachi]

It was a tie, but both winners were in favor of allowing prefab necks so I'm casting the deciding vote.

Necks are allowed, not counted in the total (hardware is), and those with pre-made necks (Warmoth or otherwise) will have their own category come voting time.

Now get scrounging! You've got a bit over 30 days to see what kind of awesome you can make out of nothing!

 

[bob7point7]

I am really considering building something for this, but I have a few questions. Do we have to buy all of the hardware and electronics? I have a lot of old pots, knobs, caps, strap buttons, etc. that I would like to use. Are these fair game or do I have to actually purchase everything? What about pickups? I have an old set of Duncan Designed humbuckers - are they fair game? Finally, what about lumber? Is anything we already have fair game as long as it doesn't already resemble a body or neck? I just want to understand how this all works so I can start planning. This is going to be a blast!

Thanks,
-Bobbie

 

[whyachi]

This isn't about re-using what you've got, its about making something out of less than $100.01.

Shipping and taxes (yay!) not included in total $100 figure. I realized after I snagged a $7 pickup - from China, without noticing - on eBay exactly what kind of damage shipping can do to a $100 budget, and this had been requested a few times.