Have you ever built a guitar and then years later parted with it?

StratTom

StratTom

New member
About 10 years ago, my guitar teacher at the time was getting into building his own guitars. He had a series of classes in which some of his students could build their own guitar. I ended up building a semi-hollow based a 175 or a Guild Starfire. In the end, the class and experience was fun, but I never play the guitar. The neck is too wide, electronics messed up, barely stays in tune. This guitar has spent more time in its case, and when it's been out of its case, it has been to show someone that I built it, usually because some one is like "Hey, I heard you built a guitar!"

I know that many here have built guitars, and wonder if you still hold on to your first build or any of them if they end of not being what you want in the end. Anyone care to share their experience?
 
Re: Have you ever built a guitar and then years later parted with it?

If you built it, and it's as poor as you say - are you going to get much if you sell it? I doubt it. So why sell it?

Couldn't you just revamp it a bit, and make it something worth playing? Electronics in a guitar aren't that hard to do as you'll know. Stick in some Wilkinson EZ Lok tuners.
Sort it out, and play it! ;)
 
Re: Have you ever built a guitar and then years later parted with it?

:picture: :scratchch
 
Re: Have you ever built a guitar and then years later parted with it?

diocletian said:
if you built it, and it's as poor as you say - are you going to get much if you sell it? I doubt it. So why sell it?

Couldn't you just revamp it a bit, and make it something worth playing? Electronics in a guitar aren't that hard to do as you'll know. Stick in some wilkinson ez lok tuners.
Sort it out, and play it! ;)
Click to expand...

+1
 
Re: Have you ever built a guitar and then years later parted with it?

Back in the early 70's I built a guitar using mahogany body and maple/rosewood neck, which uses the Dan Armstrong removable pickups.

Got divorced, never saw that guitar again...

I would love to find out who has it, just to get it back and also give the SOB who has been holding it a difficult time. (This is one time I would use services from COPS)...
 
Re: Have you ever built a guitar and then years later parted with it?

Yes. I'm Irish, so I always wanted a green "fishboat sparkle" guitar with gold hardware. I had an Ibanez RG570, then I found a Ibanez RG body on ebay in the green sparkle I wanted. I saved the neck on mine, replaced the body, and replaced everything with gold hardware- Floyd Rose Pro, gold covered JB/SSL1/Jazz combo.

After spending $1200, I didn't like the feel of the Floyd Pro, the next was too thin for me, and the pickups too shrill in that particular guitar, so I gave the guitar away to a friend that was just starting to play.
 
Re: Have you ever built a guitar and then years later parted with it?

i HAVE A jACKSON THAT i DIDN'T BUILD, BUT CUSTOMIZED HEAVILY, AND i'M SHIPPING IT OUT TO MY BROTHER IN LAW THIS WEEK SO HE CAN PLAY SOMETHING.

HE HAS KIDS AND CAN'T PLAY BANJO ANY MORE WITHOUT DISTURBING THE WHOLE HOUSE
 
Re: Have you ever built a guitar and then years later parted with it?

I built this black beast (3rd one in).
axes2.jpg

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I made it out of ASH it was a thick heavy beeoch for sure!
Designed and cut it myself.
routed it and matched it to the neck I bought off ebay.
Spent about a hundred bucks building it I figure.
Had a duncan detonator in it.
Thing actually sounded pretty darn good!
finish was ugly and porous, but eh well.

Sold it on ebay for $200 I think.
I don't miss it all that much, but it did Look pretty wicked.

What I did learn is that **** is hard work matching it all up and getting lines straight etc.
Luckily my dad is a design engineer/machinist, so he helped me with the finer things.
From now on, off the shelf stuff for this boy ha ha.
 
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Re: Have you ever built a guitar and then years later parted with it?

Yea! The tele clone with reverse headstock ziricote strat neck and humbuckers I built for my son.
 
Re: Have you ever built a guitar and then years later parted with it?

jmh151 said:
After spending $1200, I didn't like the feel of the Floyd Pro, the next was too thin for me, and the pickups too shrill in that particular guitar, so I gave the guitar away to a friend that was just starting to play.
Click to expand...

$ 1,200.00? OUCH!

Thank God for beginners... :naughty: :joke:
 
Re: Have you ever built a guitar and then years later parted with it?

I would think it has some sentimental value to you...doesn't it?

If you think there's a chance you could like it, I would start modding. If it's a lost cause, I would keep it just the way it is, for the sake of having something you built yourself. It's still a cool thing to have, IMO.
 
Re: Have you ever built a guitar and then years later parted with it?

That Black Beast was/is totally awesome! I can't believe you sold that!
 
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