Challenge: what can you build for < $1,000?

[mrpinter]

I have a friend who has been admiring my Warmothcasters and now is thinking seriously about getting his own. I think his budget right now is pretty much limited to a grand. I perused the Screamin' Deals sections just for curiosity's sake, picked a body and neck, added up the hardware from selections on the Warmoth website, then built it in the body builder on the site. This is what I came up with: it would cost - according to my noodling - $967, not including shipping charges, but including a $200 allowance for a guitar tech to build it for him (he would follow my lead and pay a competent tech to do this).

What would/could you build for less than a grand? This could be fun. Here is my offering - I'm not sure if I'm sold on the black pick guard, but a white or cream one would cost the same:

 

[musicispeace]

Ya, I would probably opt for a white pickguard. What about a roasted maple neck in the showcase? Does that come in as less than a finished neck or adding a finish even from Screamin Deals? Another option could be an unfinished body and a few coats of tru oil which seems self do-able. That could shave some off the total. I think, even with paying for assembly and set up, I have averaged about $1200 each give or take for my three Warmoths. Looking at the Showcase I see a 1 11/16 roasted maple tele neck for $197, an unfinished alder tele body for $155, Tru Oil is around $12, Tuners $40 or so for Gotoh vintage, Gotoh standard tele bridge $40, your est $200 for your friend's tech, pots , jack, minor hardware etc $30+, $130 ish for two SD pickups, pick guard $25.....I get $829. Leaves room to get a finished body if desired. I have also spread the costs of my guitars over time by not purchasing everything at once.

 

[mrpinter]

I've had four Warmoth guitars built myself, and am pretty good now with my checklist of stuff to order. With the quality of Warmoth applied finishes being so good I don't know why anyone would want to finish themselves unless they just couldn't afford it. Personally, I am not attracted at all to the new roasted necks; to me they just partially obscure the beauty of the wood. Might as well paint it. But this would be for my friend, not me (unless in playing around with this I talk myself into getting another guitar  :sign13 so he might just like the roasted stuff. The already finished necks in the Showcase - and even moreso in the Screamin' Deals section - represent a considerable savings over buying unfinished and having to then order a finish, or even having to add frets and nut after buying an unfinished exotic or roasted neck that doesn't require a finish. So here's still my question: what would YOU come up with if you had this budget?

btw, here it is with a white pick guard. Not sure if I like that better than black. The mint green might be good but I'm told it's hard to judge that color by the pictures online.

 

[line6man]

With the quality of Warmoth applied finishes being so good I don't know why anyone would want to finish themselves unless they just couldn't afford it.

Some people want fininishes that Warmoth won't do. For example, an oil finish to keep a more raw feel.

 

[musicispeace]

Really pops with the white pick guard....just sayin  You are right though that a person has to go with what works for their vision of the guitar both sonically and visually.

 

[Great Ape]

With the quality of Warmoth applied finishes being so good I don't know why anyone would want to finish themselves unless they just couldn't afford it.

Some people want fininishes that Warmoth won't do. For example, an oil finish to keep a more raw feel.

And some people wanna DO STUFF to the body before a finish goes on!  :icon_biggrin:
(I second the white/parchment/mint pickguard)

 

[stratamania]

Another reason for people doing finishes is personal satisfaction and the experience of doing the work.

This is also why I do my own fretwork, assembly and so on. It adds to the experience.

I don't think either way is right or wrong. It's a choice not a cost thing as sometimes doing things yourself when you add up the materials and tools doesn't mean saving money.

 

[erogenousjones17]

Another reason for people doing finishes is personal satisfaction and the experience of doing the work.

This is also why I do my own fretwork, assembly and so on. It adds to the experience.

I don't think either way is right or wrong. It's a choice not a cost thing as sometimes doing things yourself when you add up the materials and tools doesn't mean saving money.

This. When my dad and I built my W, we did everything, including the finish. It's far from perfect, but hey, it's definitely DIY.

 

[KaiserSoze]

First thought:  blackmail.  If you can't do that:

The more you do yourself the better.  You can build an awesome guitar for less than a grand provided you want to do the finish, assembly, and wiring yourself and don't feel the need to spend a silly amount of money on ahem…boutique pickups that really aren't all that much better.  Something to consider too is that there is an ocean of used pickups on ebay from dopes like me that change them out all the time "just to see".  These can save you some $ also.  I don't think I've ever bought brand new pickups except my Roadhouse 65s.

Finish can be as simple as an oil finish and can look great.  Wiring isn't that hard if you spend some time on youtube first.  And theres nothing wrong with doing a basic strat hardtail or tele if thats your thing.  The fun is doing the stuff and learning what works and what doesn't anyway.

 

[MikeW]

Challenge Accepted! I'm assuming that I can use screws, threaded inserts and wiring that I already have on hand. I also have a couple jacks laying around that I could use for this project.

Body : VIP - Flame Maple on Mahogany - Pearl White - PRS controls : $565

Bridge Pickup : DiMarzio Tone Zone : $60

Neck Pickup : DiMarzio Super 2 : $45

Gotoh 510 Bridge : $70

Knobs : $5.50

Pots : $10

Strap Buttons : $6

3-way Switch + Tip : $12

Chrome Neck Plate : $5

Neck : Vortex Neck - Roasted Maple - Standard Thin - Carvin Pro Tuners : $190 + $15 shipping
(This neck is actually listed right here in the Gear For Sale section.)

Nut : Graph Tech TUSQ XL - Slotted : $13 at All Parts

Here's the total cost. I'm over by $10, but pretty close for what would be a really nice guitar I think. the colors are a bit off from what I would do if I wasn't limited by cost, and shipping for the various parts would add a bit more to the cost too, but still...

Body                $565.00
P-ups              $105.00
Bridge              $ 70.00
Neck             $205.00
Misc Parts        $ 60.00
----------------------------
$1010.00

I'm not good with Photoshop, but it would be pretty cool to see this mocked up if someone has the time.

 

[zebra]

First thoughts:

1) A lot of money can be saved by doing assembly and finish by hand...

2) but if your not tooled up for it already, then tooling up (if you don't have friends with tools or other access to tools (tool lending libraries or communal workshops) can be a big expense. 

3) There are definitely major efficiencies in terms of low-cost/well designed hardward and the screaming deals sections.

4) One of the keys to a good build is finding components that work well together, rather than just being flashy or top-shelf. 

I'll might pursue this question by posting what I would do, but I do have a very short attention span....but that leads to #5....

5) Depends what you want to do.  The more personalized, the more expensive.  The more willing you are to come up with something fun that agrees with your budget, the easier/cheaper it is.

I've found that - with regards to cooking - some of the best meals I've ever made where created while improvising with limited (and sometimes apparently contradictory) ingredients.  So it's a pretty cool concept you've presented here, with pretty interesting possibilities.....

 

[Cagey]

Another thing to consider is that DIY guitars, whether they use Warmoth parts or otherwise, typically have pretty disappointing resale values. Not that one pursues such a thing with the thought of making a profit in mind, but it does mean that the aftermarket can sometimes turn up some surprisingly good deals. Maybe buy something that isn't quite perfect, save 50% or more, then use the savings to change tuners/pickups/etc. as needed and still end up with a reasonably-priced instrument of high quality. May have to run it by a tech/luthier anyway for proper setup, but that's usually not terribly expensive.

 

[bagman67]

Just for grins, I put together a single-pickup CHUNKA-CHUNKA build (baritone 7-string), with the following specs -


Maple/maple neck, no inlays, graphtech nut:  $265
Solid-finished flat-top seven string body in poplar:  $370
Misc. chrome hardware, Floyd bridge, pickup, locking tuners, cavity cover, etc. from Carvin: $222
Heavy duty gig-bag (also Carvin):  $39


Capacitor and pot would come from my stock-on-hand, but even if I had to buy 'em, that's another seven bux.  I would tru-oil the neck and do my own assembly and setup.




That's it, the whole shootin' match.  Complete build (with a respectable case)  for  $896


There's room in there for an upgraded fingerboard, or maybe a second pup, and still you have a pricetag close to a grand, even with shipping, and sales tax for the Carvin stuff (since they're in California, like me). 


Of course, I would never in a million years expect to actually PLAY such an axe - it's completely alien to me.  But the seven-string Floyd's on sale at Carvin for 69 bucks, and I decided to do a build around it.  Wheee!

 

[mrpinter]

Thanks for playing, Bagman! That's legit - although it would go over a grand if you had a tech build it for you like my friend would do. And there is something of an apples to oranges thing going on here because I (being the unexplainably loyal Joe that I am) wanted to restrict myself to sourcing everything possible from Warmoth. So that meant Seymour's pickups, Gotoh tuners and so on. But I'll give you a little slack on the strings  :laughing7:

 

[rgand]

As an option, you may want to consider GFS Nashville or Liverpool Filtertron style pickups. At $35 each they're considerably cheaper than others. From the demo recordings, they sound pretty good.

http://www.guitarfetish.com/Nashville-Vintage-Filtertron-Style-Humbucker-Chrome_c_100.html

 

[mrpinter]

Those GFS pickups might just be worth consideration. Thanks. Here is a dual Humbucker Strat that would come in for right at $1.000, with a Screamin' Deal body on the site now, and GFS pickups (still paying a tech to put it together too):

 

[Cagey]

Do you know what kind of body style he's looking for? Or what kind of sound? or color? I might have something he'd be interested in if that Tele you photoshopped up is attractrive.

 

[mrpinter]

Do you know what kind of body style he's looking for? Or what kind of sound? or color? I might have something he'd be interested in if that Tele you photoshopped up is attractrive.

I've sent him several mockups, and he's liked them all. He really likes my Thinline so this is the first one I sent him, but it's not going to come in <$1,000.

He also said he would like just a regular Tele, so he's still thinking about it. What do you have?

 

[bagman67]

I'd let you have my double-bound black Bête Noire Telecaster body for a good price if it's for a friend of your'n, Mr. P.

 

[Cagey]

I'd let you have my double-bound black Bête Noire Telecaster body for a good price if it's for a friend of your'n, Mr. P.

Oh, that's a pretty baby! Do it!