Kits are an awesome way to learn the workings of guitars. I built 2 and it's sent me on a journey that has enriched my life! I've since modified both kits with homemade bone nuts and new pickups. They've both become my go to guitars when I want to play. I recently picked up a Strat style guitar at a yardsale for $15! I've used the knowledge I've gained to turn that pos into an incredible player. I highly recommend building a kit if you want to get into guitar building. It's a great way to start!👍😎🎸🎶

@cugir321

4 жыл бұрын

One of my favorite guitars is a silver peavey rockmaster (no super hero painting on it)....I got for 25.00....added a neck - single coil humbucker. Routed it out with a drill. The pick guard was perfect to add the neck pickup. Refretted it with jumbo's....sounds like a les paul. Put the three way switch between the vol and tone....worked put perfect. The pick up's have power and hair! The stock tuners hold well. I have maybe 40.00 in it....used chinese jumbo frets.....2.00 for a set. They're fine if you don't play it every day.

@angeredcheese1332

4 жыл бұрын

Great to hear man, as a lefty I see allot of Chinese kits for lefty versions of guitars that don’t have left handed counter parts, I’ve always considered trying one and you drive me to really consider it.

@jeffbeck6501

4 жыл бұрын

$15? ... okay. you win. I came in at $61.50 and was proud of that. Now I feel shame.

@74dartman13

4 жыл бұрын

Lol...$61.50 is still a great price for a good playing guitar!👍😎🎸🎶

@jeffbeck6501

4 жыл бұрын

@@74dartman13 Bought it back in 2002. I'm still making payments.

not even planning to buy a diy strat but this is very fun to watch takes me back like watching your dad build your biggest fav lego set

@bassfishingwiththeantichri2921

4 жыл бұрын

Christian Enmon - I never got to build my Dads pinewood derby car but he had fun so that was all that mattered.

Awesome video. Ive seen a lot of this information, but its almost always in videos broken up by the specific step. Kudos for putting everything in one place. Ill be rewatching this video quite a bit as I start my tele kit build.

I'm closing in on 60 and am not handy but when I started learning guitar I picked up a cheap strat and took it apart to try to understand it. This video really helped me understand MORE. I love learning about things so thank you for being a good teacher.

@kevdean9967

4 жыл бұрын

I'm really good at taking things apart. Putting them back together I'm not quite so well versed!!!

I am really considering building my own guitar. This video is one of the most informative videos I have ever seen. While this is 3 years old, it is still incredibly pertinent. With this, I feel I can actually do this at 50 years old! Thank you so much for sharing this experience!

@deananderson8871

11 ай бұрын

Will is awesome. He got me into it 3 years ago. You can do this.

@TomASwift

11 ай бұрын

My daughter and I built a Stratocaster (HSS with a hardtail configuration) 2 weeks ago. We went with some selected parts from Amazon and Guitar Fetish. Came out really good.

@rolandk2403

6 ай бұрын

And you can still find strat kits on the bay for $65 plus tax. I just picked one up myself to practice using a mini HVLP gun I bought. Going to try to move away from aerosol cans. They work okay and lacquers forgiving but I have a hell of a time keeping the nozzles clean between coats. The first one has a nice fan pattern and then by the third or fourth coat it's just a circle. You can actually buy one of those HVLP touch up guns for the cost of a can of aerosol nitro. It's not the best thing in the world but it's got to be better than a spray can.

Thanks for this. My daughter is building pretty much the same kit, but hers came with all the holes predrilled. The neck was way out of alignment but I filled the holes with dowel and re-drilled that for her. These set up tips are fantastic! Great video.

Good video Will, thank you for taking the time. I have built a few guitars, Cigar boxes and a banjo, and all played well, but that was just sheer luck. these kind of straight forward no nonsense explanatory videos is what's needed out here with the increase of DIY'ers becoming a new thing. You sound professional and knowledgeable. well done.

I watched your videos several years ago. Since then I've been fixing up pawn shop finds and even made my own Tele that's a cross between John 5 and Jim Root's guitars. I have a wall of guitars that all cost less than $200 each. Last weekend my friends came over and played a lot of them saying they play just as good as their expensive guitars and even offered to pay me to build a kit explorer for them. Thank you for the knowledge! You have saved me hundreds if not thousands and now I might actually make some money off it. I've never met you but I consider you a friend.

Thanks, Will. An excellent view. Made my day and not a minute wasted!

This is by far the best kit building video on KZread. I learn so much about the guitar building. You Virginia what you are talking about which makes it easy to believe every word you said. Thanks for taking the time to explain everything.

I've been watching your videos for the past four years. This is one of your best on so many levels... especially in terms of explaining setups.

@Adipsia1

5 жыл бұрын

You're a star Bill.

I've been playing since I was 12, I'm 64 now. I always learn something from your videos. Great job man, very professional.

I know you mentioned that this was the 'Cliff Note' version, but OMG! did I learn so much! Thank you!!!

@OslerWannabe

4 жыл бұрын

Hey, don't disparage Cliff's Notes. Most everyone with extensive experience taking literature classes in college has a lot more experience with Cliff than with the actual books. I mean, YOU try to read Finnegan's Wake and then try to write something coherent...

Good Teacher, with all the main points to building your own.

This video is probably the best when it comes to explaining and breaking down each part of the intonation process. There are ones I've seen that go way more in depth but with those they sort of lose the forest for the trees, where as this has the best overhead view for any beginner to find out.

Thanks for the great video, Will! Also good to hear you sounding upbeat and in a good mood. Hope everything is going well for you!

Really been looking forward to this one! Thanks again, Will.

Great video, Will! I really liked this one. Very practical advice about a build, and I am going to try some of your setup tips next time.

Thanks for explaining the setup process in a very simple way.

Your channel is great dude. Been watching as I have a great old Strat style guitar that needs some TLC. I was going to send it to a local guitar doctor at great expense. But having watched your videos I decided I'm definitely going to do all the work myself. It's so helpful to see what tools I might need and hear all your tips and hints. Thanks dude!

What an awesome video. I bought a kit LP and muddled my way through building it. I made a lot of mistakes, this has told me what they were. It's also taught me a load of stuff about pickups & nut cutting. Thank you very much. I learned loads from building the kit and would recommend anyone interested in building or repairing guitars to give it a go.

They made cheap guitar kit in about five minutes for amateur users You make it like one million dollar for pro players. With so much passion I appreciate your time , work and so much experience. Thank you very much. I have Washburn guitar my dad bought me before 28 years ago, I made it to keep her and not throwing her, the condition isn't that good, now it's time to work on her, I will order from China the stuff I need, but will try to keep her in the same original as she was, for my dad's memory With that teaching filming, you helped me a lot. Well done

Great job, Will. Ben watching your videos for *_such_* a long time. You were one of my first subs on Utube and you taught me a lot! Thanks again.

Thank you, I just ordered one like that, one hour before I found your video. Perfect.

I love how detailed and informational this is. Thank you!

Another great guitar video, especially for the beginner. Keep 'em coming Will.

That was the best crash course in guitar building, repairing, modifying, on the internet by far. Thank You Very Much. I've been a finishing carpenter and cabinet maker for years. I dabble in playing the guitar and a few years ago I lost my home to fire. My Fender Telecaster was salvaged but had been floating in the basement that was full of water from the fire trucks. I kept the guitar and put it out in my shop for years totally ignored until lately. I decided to take a look. There were some cracks in the finish on the backside of the guitar but the entire thing was intact. I plugged it in and everything worked except the buzz from the strings hitting the frets near the nut was unbelievable. The high strings up by the nut were hitting or resting on the frets. I played with the bridge to try and make a difference with no luck, the neck, amazingly enough, was straight. No back or forward bow. The nut, however, was in bad shape. I've ordered a few different nuts to try and fix that issue but for now, It's just sitting until some parts come in. I have never set up an electric guitar before so I was looking for some videos about what do I need to know. I went through a few and today I came across this video. This video has answered every question I had and more at this point to get a grip on what I need to go over on the Telecaster in order to make it play again. The guitar has sentimental value. It's a Squier, so it's not a valuable guitar however the story behind it is what makes me want to resurrect it from the dead. I can't thank you enough for posting this video. It is absolutely the best one-hour long video to explain and shows the workings, the setup and the fundamentals of this style of electric guitar. I have subscribed to this channel to continue to learn more and perhaps take up a new hobby fixing and building guitars. I have every tool imaginable munis a few specialty guitar tools to build anything from raw wood as I own a sawmill, I have a fully equipt woodworking shop, mechanical shop where I build hotrods and custom motorcycles, a metalworking and welding shop FANTASTIC VIDEO AND KNOWLEDGE FROM A PROFESSIONAL WITH A GREAT DEMEANOR. THANKS AGAIN.

Thanks for the thorough explanations on everything, another great vid! Thanks Will!

Wow Will, one of the quickest hours of my life. I hung onto every nugget of wisdom and experience - not that I am going to build one of these (I go the second hand guitar route) - but just to listen to the way it should be done. I have an old sports car I am starting to rebuild and watching you at work confirms that I really need to step up to get the quality I want. Thanks.

Thanks for making these videos. I appreciate your slow and concise explanation of your observations and methods. I have done my own work on my own guitars in the past, but have never had the expertise to scrutinize the original work or how to fix issues I did find. These videos are a really cool supplemental education.

@bubbie3533

4 жыл бұрын

I just found this channel - goal mine.

I like the color. Quality stuff as always. Thanks Will!

I just started watching this video, and thought I had to comment on your qualifications statement. In my honest opinion, based on watching (and thoroughly enjoying) quite a few of your videos, I have to say that, for me in particular, I have no doubts as to your qualifications to comment on the quality (or not) of any guitar you review. Keep up the great work!

@WillsEasyGuitar

4 жыл бұрын

i made that comment for those that this will be the first video of mine they watch. most people dont know about the history of my channel and what not. thanks for tuning in.

It’s so much fun to put these kits together. Did 4 of them in a years time (2 I kept, the other 2 were presents for my son).

Great video. I am a guitar tech and I wish a video like this was around when I started years ago. This is probably the best video I have seen for beginner guitar set ups and even an old dog like me can learn something new. like setting up the guitar nut. Thank you

Great video, Will. Covered a lot of basic repair and setup as well. Good to see you're back.

Been playing guitar since I was a little kid, and I’m looking at building my own from scratch, but I’ve never soldered pickups or any guitar electronics. I’ve been looking at these diy kit things just to get some experience with the soldering, and building it. This is a great and very helpful video!

@d3nn771

2 жыл бұрын

I would suggest you learn how to solder as i belive it might be the easiest part of build the guitar once you get a little familiar with it. If not then try looking for obsidian, mojotone etc pre-wired electronics. Good luck bud!

Great video Will. I love these long informative videos they really help

55:20 I can’t believe I never thought to use string clippings as nut files; that’s absolutely brilliant.

@Muzikman127

3 жыл бұрын

Absolutely! The tip with the string for gauging neck bow was great too, it seems so obvious now he said it. I'm not actually doing a parts build (yet!), but there's a lot of tips in this video that are going to help me get a stellar set-up on a strat I've had sitting hardly played for years because it's never played quite right.

Thank you for a very nice tutorial video, it certainly filed some knowledge gaps I had. I have never used a DIY kit, instead, I started from the beginning with my own design and build it from scratch just a while ago (I released the first one around Jan. 2020) and enjoy every minute of it along the long process. Thanks

Been wanting to get into luthiery for a long time, this seems like a good place to start, really grateful for this video

Will, you’re quietly closing in on 120k(!) subscribers. So great to so you continuing to grow the channel.

Very interesting and informative. Thank you ever so much!

Great video. I recently started a kit myself and have seen A LOT of videos. Still there were many tips in here I havent seen mentioned. Thanks!

That was so good, Will. I'm a professional woodwind technician and just learned a whole bunch of information that's going to make setting up my own guitar much better. Really; well done. All the information on 'orange peel' and to be extra cautious sanding the edges (I've been there, in another scenario), the quality of the components (and why)...very well presented. Thank you.

Your vids are great! Thanks for showing the process.

Although I'm not a master guitar builder, I've moded my own for some time now and I am so glad you referenced bondo and auto materials. I grew up in a body shop with an uncle teaching me and have transferred that to 🎸! It works fantastic for refinishing a guitar to ... thanks and just subbed.

Thank You for being a professional. Being a custom solid wood furniture designer/builder for over 40 years, as well as an ameteur guitar player, I really appreciate the facts you pointed out about how the guitar was built, the type of wood and what to look for in the routing of the body and the feel of the neck. You are a credit to KZread videos. I just watched DIY Gene and was so disappointed in the build of a $100 Stratocaster where he obviously had no woodworking skills or details about the kit and how to go about laying out, setting up or even playing the end product which he said, would make a nice wall hanging...?????

I used to tech for numerous guitar greats myself but that was just so I could keep working towards my main goal of building a DIY guitar kit. Mark my words, "Someday I'm gonna reach that goal!" Righty tighty, lefty loosey. (Most of the time) Got it! Thanks!

Great video. Thank you for putting it together. I've been looking at ordering an SG kit from Solo Music in Canada where I live. They look to be very good quality kits. It would be my first build so the instruction you've provided here, especially with the setup is invaluable to someone like me.

This is the longest youtube video I’ve seen on youtube, learned too much from it one billion thank you sir !!! Youre the best guitar builder on the Internet

Very very great job Mr.Wills !!! you have open my eyes !!! Thank you so much for this building a very good e guitar !! i want to buy this beast right now !!!

Thank you for posting! This is amazing. ❤️

I bet this is one of the best budget "beginners" guitars after you build it. Learned so much. Thank you!

Putting together a double cut soon. I have tons of wood working, painting and finishing experience so that wont be a problem. Excellent tips for doing all the neck/fret work. I do build quality furniture also so I am used to working with most of these tools but I am sure I will have my share of challenges when I start the project. Thanks for all the great stuff!

love the Howard feed-n-wax I use it as a final coat on high-end wooden table tops.

@gerardcollins1767

4 жыл бұрын

great for wooden coat hangers as well.

looking forward, hope I can catch it live

Wow, great video! Learned a lot about setups that I will use on my current guitars. Thank you.

@tedpoland7650

4 жыл бұрын

I want that guitar

@tedpoland7650

4 жыл бұрын

Nice guitar dude I to buy the guitar

Great video, an hour just flashed by. I have been given "semiau coustic " - really-5 string bass kit and it's a bit of a dog. Rough as hell and no holes for wiring, bridge, strings and it's right handed, I'm a lefty. Despite this I'm looking forward to do it, I will know a lot more about construction and I will (probably) be able to drill a 20cm deep hole through wood. This vid. Is invaluable , thank you very much.

I enjoyed the video and learned a lot about setting up a guitar. Certainly helped me out with improving the touch and tone of a guitar … especially an in expensive one. Great tips!

Excellent tutorial. I'm very grateful for this. Thank you.

This IS the quintessential guitar building video. I’ve learned a lot of this stuff on KZread including some of your other videos but this is the best video I’ve saw.

@OslerWannabe

4 жыл бұрын

Hey, look - if your going to use a word like "quintessential", you got to get you're syntax right. "The best video I've saw?" Holy crap! Everybody knows it's "The best video I seen," or alternatively "The best video I done saw" (or done seen. Theirs surprising flexibility, ref. "The Elements of Style", Strunk and White). Your even beginning to see the formerly acceptable "I have see'd" being increasingly relegated to the status of archaic, accept in small pockets of you're Ozark Southern Standard English. Them people been talking funny since before Jesus played shortstop for Paducah AA.

@mountainmanmusic3846

4 жыл бұрын

Robert Barnes yeah.....

Really great video. Valuable insights and really helps to raise awareness of what quality means. Thankyou

Very good job bro! Most of us tgat have been playing for a long time will say, I would have loved a guitar like this when I started out! No question about it! Thanks!

Fantastic! Tons and tons of great information! Also loved the magic iron and wet cloth trick!

i LOVE THE STRAT BODY IMPRESSION ON HIS BENCH.

Best explanations I've ever watched. Great job. Thanks

You did a nice job there, the blue colour looked very good. Thanks for posting.

This is super cool. Thanks so much for doing this!

Really great video! New guitar player here. This is easily the clearest and most accessible setup guide I have found. Subscribed!

@shannonoverton6752

4 жыл бұрын

Agreed and subscribed as well

Ive watched a few of your videos over the last year or so, and i think you know what you're talking about. So i just subbed! Ive never built a guitar from scratch , but some repairs Ive done might be considered building from scraps. lol Ive been looking at kits to build a guitar but wanted a different body style. But those all seem to go really quick, and no one leaves any knowledgeable reviews if any reviews at all. You do point out a lot of good areas of concern when building these kits. Ima share this with my guitar friends they could use some pointers. Thanks for sharing!!

Super comprehensive, learned a few new tricks! Best one of these type vids I've seen yet. You Sir, 4 sho know what your talkin about, Thanks!

Really clear explanation! MANDATORY video if you want to put a guitar kit together! It's not just a big 3d puzzle, it's correcting all the little imperfections the cheap manufacturing proces left behind.

man, what i would give to have a fraction of your knowledge and experience, the fretboard/neck on my epiphone lespaul warped from being in storage for too long and i'm anguishing on how to deal with it. awesome video very informative.

@donbailey6600

4 жыл бұрын

A buddy of mine had a rickenbacker 4001 with a warped neck. Took it to a guitar shop in town and he put the neck in a "heat press" overnight and straightened it. That was 35 years ago. I now own it and its still straight as can be. Don't give up. Let someone who has dealt with that issue handle it.

This is not only a wonderful start to finish video but a really good set up video

will defenetly do this on my stagg aswell! Thank you for the video man! Great job

Highly informative video brother; as an industrial mechanic I can really appreciate the attention to details, technical jargon and whatnot. Dude, I subbed as soon as you said you're not a chump off the streets! 😂

Thank's for info. So many awesome details!

I like that you mention the tools to use to work on and set up the guitar, that would work when not having the correct tools the professional would use, because that is whats going on most of the time.

" I'm gonna hit it with a bit of air PFFFFFFF (using mouth) " cracked me up

@awangkuaiman

4 жыл бұрын

i damn thought he was gonna use that air pressured gun thingy

@unclefreddieDied

4 жыл бұрын

@@awangkuaiman I'm sure he did off camera

That was fun and entertaining. Love that blue.

Awesome video bro! I do all my own set ups and guitar work myself, There are not to many places to go around my area unless I drive 45 minutes to Boston. So around 30 years I read a few books and learned how to do that kind of work... Now that I'm in my mid 40's I wan't to build my own from scratch and maybe work on some friends guitars (Little part time hobby/business) And a guitar I've always wanted is the SG double neck (6&12 Jimmy Page style) Solo company up in Canada has the SG double neck kit for 300 bucks! I know it's probably a cheap piece of crap but for 300, I can't even find the Epiphone version of this guitar for less than 900... So I figure what a better way to learn more than to build a double neck kit! And like you said, slowly over time mod the pickups, tuning keys the nut and whatever else needs it. Thanks again for making this vid and sharing some skills bro!! 🎸🎸👍

yo will, poppin in to say what's up man. I see your channels been gaining momentum, absolutely love it. Hope everything's goin well in life, and as always, appreciate your insane amount of knowledge you put forth in your videos. Much love dude

Outstanding video!!!! Much appreciated!

I'm probably not building my own guitar anytime soon, yet I'm new to guitars and am learning about the electric guitar. This answers a lot of questions I wouldn't even know to ask. I get to see the guts without tearing up a good guitar

Really enjoyed this . Thank you Will .

Very good information. I’m learning guitar but have been a wood worker for many years. It will be fun to build my own from scratch.

This was the guitar video I was looking everywhere for. Thanks.

Great video. I'm a professional player who is loving learning how to work on guitars. Also to save money as I'm not working a lot right now. So far (because of videos like this) I've gotten good results. THANK YOU!

Loved the video and your insight!

I don t usually do the commenting thing. But nice job on giving the straight goods. I appreciate it as a beginning guitar builder!

Very Good I built three of them, and upgrade three more. You always keep Learning.

I enjoyed the video. And that guitar turned out really good. I subscribed im immediately after watching that video. It was very entertaining and informative. Thanks for sharing this with us.

Great video, Will! I fall in behind the previous posts of celebrations. I have been fiddling with guitars since the 70's, and if this had been around then, gosh! Today's kids just don't know how lucky they are to have people like You/these videos to get info from. A superb basic instruction/tutorial video for anyone with with a will and basic capabilities to built a kit-guitar. And if one fails the first time and You feel like You are not up to the job to correct it, so what! These kits are cheap, just learn and start all over with a new kit. Save the messed up ones though, because parts can always be used for other things and they are excellent to practice on when one gets in to repairs and more serious stuff.

@connorclose3084

4 жыл бұрын

I'm 17 years old and I've been playing guitar for 6 years because of youtube. I'm taking formal lessons now, but if it weren't for youtube videos I wouldn't be nearly as far as I am today. I completely agree that so many kids my age just don't understand how much great information there is out on the web. If they spent half as much time trying to learn a new skill as they did watching pointless videos or playing video games, the world would be a much more interesting place. I'm starting to do research for a guitar build I'm hoping to start with my father early next year, and I have found information about every aspect of building a guitar, it's incredible.

Best kit video on you tube by far 6 out of 5 stars

such a well done tutorial! great stuff!

Great tutorial for first time builder simple and easy to follow and in simple terms without being blinded by science hi do them for my daughter to raffle off at are local school to raise money for the pta to raise money for equipment for the kids

@bassfishingwiththeantichri2921

4 жыл бұрын

steve - Why not just raise money for the kids equipment? The PTA can get a job like everyone else.

awesome video. Thanks for taking the time.

Great video I'm a woodworker/ cabinetmaker by trade so the woodworking and painting is no problem. I just didn't realize all the adjustments and setup that was involved.

Will, excellent video. You seem much mellower than in the past.

Thanks a bunch, Will: I've followed you for a long time, and I'm really glad you're back & giving some great advice. Peace!