Affordable Custom Guitar Builders

[Maggot]

This may be a pipe dream, but I have a couple of guitar ideas and I want to see if it would be possible to get them made. Does anyone know of any relatively affordable custom guitar makers who are willing to try someone else's ideas for a one-off.

One would be a guitar that uses the materials & construction style of an Ibanez lawsuit-era Flying V in the shape of a Gretch Bo Diddley Dutchess guitar (recently reissued as "Billy-Bo" guitar). I.e. Maple set neck w/ rosewood fingerboard, swamp ash body, flat top, fake korina finish, tune-o-matic, string through body, low output buckers.

Another would be a flat top based on a Danelectro U2 (single cutaway) shape. Flat top, bolt- on neck at the 14th fret or so. Minibuckers, hardtail Strat style bridge, hourglass headstock.

Anyone know any builders?

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: Affordable Custom Guitar Builders

Call Fazio's in St. Louis. They have about ten builders from around the U.S. that build just for the store (the kind of guys that only make like ten to twenty guitars a year) They are works of art and relatively reasonable. I had seen some in the store for approx $3K. But if you find one that will do it, it will still be cheaper than Jackson

I just had a quote done and I won't even get into too much, but it was about 2K more than is should be and that was with the fact that wouldn't even do what I wanted. SO I took the $$ I had for the custom and bought four Charvel Model A's for less which are made exactly as I was wanted concerning woods. The only things the Charvel don't have compared to the custom Jackson quote are the things Jackson wouldn't do (stainless frets and a sustainiac). Go figure...

 

[jeremy]

Re: Affordable Custom Guitar Builders

my partner mark and i built lots of one offs but i wouldnt say they are cheap. they start around $1500.

 

[sosomething]

Re: Affordable Custom Guitar Builders

my partner mark and i built lots of one offs but i wouldnt say they are cheap. they start around $1500.

$1500 for a custom 1-off is definitely cheap, at least, assuming we're talking about something with premium woods and parts.

 

[fingerace]

Re: Affordable Custom Guitar Builders

www.guitarandpickup.com

There was a thread about them a while ago...

They seem to be quite good. The reviews say that they compete with $3K guitars. I don't believe that they are THAT good but they must be at least very decent.

I emailed them asking for some prices... They asked for $850 for a LP with a hard case.

I haven't ordered anything from them, and I really don't know about their quality. They do build completely customs I believe...

 

[sosomething]

Re: Affordable Custom Guitar Builders

They certain have a low-budget hand-made website. It's still loading.....

 

[sosomething]

Re: Affordable Custom Guitar Builders

Ok, say what you will.......

THIS is BAD ASS:

 

[fingerace]

Re: Affordable Custom Guitar Builders

Yeah, their site is very very slow for the first visit...

The pictures are worth it though...

 

[Maggot]

Re: Affordable Custom Guitar Builders

my partner mark and i built lots of one offs but i wouldnt say they are cheap. they start around $1500.

Well it's definitely not expensive. I'd say that anything under $2000 isn't that expensive for any custom guitar other than a mix & match partscaster. Do you have a website?