So I might take the plunge again

[renegadetele]

I bought a warmoth neck last year that I'm loving the HELL out of. It's the best guitar neck I've ever wrapped my hands around. My only issue is that I put it on a mim tele body. The big heel and lack of comfort contours annoy me and really can get in the way of playing (the heel that is). So, I was thinking, it would be cool as hell to get a warmoth tele body routed for a floyd rose that had the contours like I want them. My issue of course is cost. I'm trying to figure out how much this would all run me.

So far, I figure that with an alder body (160), the contoured heel (35), the comfort contours (30), the finishing (220), and the floyd rose trem (170), the bill would come out to $615 and that's just flat out too much $ for this. So, I'm wondering if there are some cost saving options out there for me in making this happen?

 

[Jay Davidson]

Are you planning on using your existing neck on this body?  Is it already prepped for a Floyd Rose locking nut?

 

[nathan a]

Do the finish yourself, save $220!

There are guys on this board who can really help you out with that.

 

[JR]

Build the whole thing urself, and do the finish urself. 

 

[givememytoys]

if your not in a hurry you can watch the showcase and find a deal on one there is a padouk one there now all you need is $15.00 worth of tung oil or you can even go without a finnish at all.  T725 Contoured Heel for easy access to high notes on the neck! Tummy cut and For...
Padouk, Rear Routed, X X H, Trem  5 lbs, 0 oz $385.00  this wood makes a awsome rock guitar heres a shot of my strat built with this wood

 

[Shmoopie]

sell a kidney, or grow the tree cut it down, carve one half into a canoe, and the other in to a body, paddle down the Mississippi, until you find a lost indian tribe, and learn to make paint from twigs and berry, or you could slip -CB- a picture of your wife and or girlfriend and or stripper and he'd tell you all you need to know and how to get it cheap.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Finishing_supplies.html
finish galore. 
three types of paint and stain, and cb will tell you how to get it cheap, but its $30 bucks for like 18 gallons (exaggeration) and you won't need that much.
all the tools and shtuff, and some videos to buy.

 

[jackthehack]

Two things to start with; do you really, really need the Floyd Rose tremelo??? Is the neck you bought set up for it as well? Think about going a more standard/less expensive tremelo system, that will save you over $100...

I'm assuming from the alder/$220 finishing quote you're thinking a burst finish; wouldn't recommend that as a first DIY project....

You can get a top-routed Tele body with an exotic laminate top for $225 + $65 for the contour heel/comfort cuts; and a vintage tremelo for raound $50 bucks, giving you a total around $330.

Another $30 dollars or so in finishing supplies and you've got a great looking body if you're willing to make those compromises; otherwise, just keep saving your cash....

 

[-CB-]

Really guitar finishing is no different from other wood finishing... especially cabinetry.  The only gotchas are things like masking the neck pocket... and not having finish build up there either (can be sanded away... no big deal).