Things you'd ALWAYS do on a guitar build

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stubhead

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I know this is going to be more fluid - rules to be broken - but what are the ideal parts and attributes that you'd want to see before forking over the hard-earned cash? Setting aside the obvious like nothing broken, wavy fretboard, etc., mine are pretty easy:

Stainless steel frets
Straight string pull (at least nearly, on a 3+3)
Real tuners, not sheet metal ones
Something that bucks hum, in at least one position of a switch - those flickering neon beer lamps, ahhh
Biggish neck, at least +.840"
Volume AND tone knob(s)
 
BIG SS Frets without a doubt, and larger neck profiles.  I bought a Standard Thin used for CHEAP once, and it was awful.  I resold it to a forum member who likes it  and have only big necks in the stable now (SRV and '59).  I don't like "V" shaped necks at all, but I'm really interested in a Fatback profile.  Maybe one day, when I have money again, (college kinda blows in that regard) I'll get one.
 
Raw necks!

Also, hard, durable fretboards and fingerboards. Thin necks. SS frets, or none at all.
 
Dunlop 6130 frets.
Raw necks.
Planet Waves Auto Trim Tuners ... even with Floyds.
1 11/16" nuts.
If neck BTO - no inlays.
Standard thin.
Compound 10 - 16"
Warmoth Pro with side adjust.
No tone knobs.
Big headstocks.

And mostly:

Basswood bodies.
Humbuckers.
Rear routs.
Recessed TOMs og Floyds.
Solid colours.
 
Maple/Rosewood, fatback, 14 inch radius or the compound radius, stainless steel 6230s, stainless steel 6115s, vintage style tuners, Lollar/BKP pickups, a bottle of Blanton's bourbon, maybe a bomber of Imperial Stout. Obviously the last two are essential to any guitar build. Oh, and add a Tonar finish to the list. Not to say I would ALWAYS choose that style neck, etc, but they aren't things I would ever discount when planning out builds.
 
Apart from a few things, I can't imagine much upside to committing to ALWAYS doing something on a build.  I see no reason to ever use anything but stainless frets, and likewise locking tuners - but one of the amazing things about this hobby is trying stuff out that you couldn't possibly buy in a shop.
 
That's a good list. Probably the only "must have" thing I'd add is that the fretboard needs to be made of something really dense. My "go to" wood is usually Ebony, but Satine or Kingwood are also good. All of those are so hard and dense they're like plastic, so there's no build-up of fingernail spoonge and they don't develop grooves from use.
 
This is way cheesy, but I'll always do something different from the last time. I've never wanted 72 vintage white, S-S-S Strats. I'll take one of every kind of guitar, please.  :icon_biggrin:
 
I have yet to stray from the 'humbucker in the bridge' thing. but what I always do, ALWAYS, is use the best hardware I can find. that the only common thread. i wish I could say I only use thick necks or that I only use big frets, but neither is true, cause I can go with anythin
 
Other than using good parts there aren't a lot of thing that I feel I would do every time.  I like multiple neck contours, I prefer something akin to '59 roundback but standard thin doesn't bother me one bit.  As long as its not a wizard, those feel awful.  I also like different pickups combinations and try not to do something I already have.

And call me crazy but I've played a neck with SS frets, and its not that much better to me...I barely notice any difference.  Also I like finished and raw necks about equally...haha

Why limit yourself?  :dontknow:
 
I have to agree with sustainer, he pretty much nailed it, I'd add Seymour duncans to his list.

I've tried a bunch of boutique stuff, all garbage,
 
I try not to have much overlap tonally with each build, it helps me justify each guitar in my collection  :evil4:

Granted, there is some wiggle-room there; my HH strat sounds completely different from my HH Dot, and my JJ G4 has frets where my JJ Jazz does not, etc...
 
Tempest said:
And call me crazy but I've played a neck with SS frets, and its not that much better to me...I barely notice any difference.  Also I like finished and raw necks about equally...haha
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You have got to be kidding. Are you sure what you played were actually SS frets? To me, the difference is like used cat litter vs. cheesecake. I mean, it's not subtle, it's dramatic.
 
Aside from SS frets and a very definite preference for the Clapton profile (of the 3 I've tried), everything else is pretty much up for grabs.
 
I always get largish SS frets, damage the finish on accident, and get 1 11/16 nut width.
Aside from those three things (and scale length for now) that's all my two axes share.
 
SS Frets and something new to what I've done before!  Everything else is negotiable, though I have a preference for Raw necks & wood porn! :guitarplayer2:
 
I can't speak for others but I'll always put a neck on a guitar. After that, I can't really think of anything (other than just good build practices) I'd do on any guitar I built.  I tend to the what can I do different on the next one way of thinking. That's why the next build in my head is starting with a musiclander body which most likely is going to be safety yellow in color. About this color:



 

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locking tuners, straight string pull, a lack of string tees if possible, compensated nut of tusq or similar slipperyness if possible, compound radius fingerboard, stainless steel frets, trussrod access above the neck pickup MM style if possible, strap locks, fully independent action and intonation adjustment on each bridge saddle... i think that's it...
 
ezas said:
I can't speak for others but I'll always put a neck on a guitar. After that, I can't really think of anything (other than just good build practices) I'd do on any guitar I built.  I tend to the what can I do different on the next one way of thinking. That's why the next build in my head is starting with a musiclander body which most likely is going to be safety yellow in color. About this color:
Click to expand...

I agree: necks are important. That's where you live. You can change pickups, tuners, switches, etc. but if your neck isn't sexy enough you're gonna fight with it and eventually end up divorced.

I'm happy to hear I'm not the only one who wants a wildly yellow body. I don't know what attracts me about those things but I've wanted a hollow carved-top caution yellow Tele body for a while now. They had one in The Showcase for a while at a great price, but I waited too long and somebody snatched it.
 
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