Should I build a Stew-Mac?

[Toenail-Tommy]

For 555 US Dollars I can get all the bits for a tele type guitar. Ash body, Maple neck, grovers, graphtech nut. All black hardware etc. Everything except the pickups basically, including shipping halfway around the world. All I'd have to do is assemble the thing.

Or i could get a new Highway-1 tele for 1000 bucks from the local dealer.

Apart from the fun of assembly and the "still to add Duncans", which guitar would be better value, sound, looks, playablity, component quality?



0025-B 
Tele Bridge - Black
 Yes
  $45.09 

 0035-B 
Pickguard Screw - Fender style, black
 Yes
  $0.46 

 0061 
Tele Pickguard - Matte black
 Yes
  $10.76 

 0131-B 
Neck Mounting Plate - Black, with screws
 Yes
  $7.05 

 0132-B 
Tele Style Control Plate - Black
 Yes
  $14.36 

 0138 
Wiring Kit for Telecaster
 Yes
  $24.14 

 0157-B 
Dome Knob - Black, 1/4" shaft
 Yes
  $4.45 

 0196-B 
Guitar String Ferrules - Black, 3/8" dia., set of 6
 Yes
  $7.05 

 0246-B 
Dunlop Straplok System - Black
 Yes
  $13.69 

 0427 
Tele Body - Ash
 Yes
  $162.90 

 0911 
Grover Mini Rotomatics - Black, 6-in-line
 Yes
  $38.98 

 1866 
Graph Tech Nut - Fender style, pre-slotted, universal
 Yes
  $6.53 


 1870 
Graph Tech String Retainers - Set of 2, mounting screws included
  $4.78  

 5719 
Replacement Neck for Tele - Maple fingerboard

  $114.95 

 

[casblah]

Re: Should I build a Stew-Mac?

I didn't have good luck using Stew-mac's bodies & necks. Things didn't line up quite right with them. I think you'd be better off going with Warmoth, if your gonna build.

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: Should I build a Stew-Mac?

The Older Stewmac necks (made in Canada) where great! But I think they
got busted by the fender headstock police? The 21-fret necks they offer
now (I think?) are Mighty Mite or asian made? The 22-fret Blank peghead
may still be the good ones? I don't know if your up to cutting your own
headstock,And I would Inquire if there canadian made B4 I bought it. I have
a stewmac Thinline tele body,And I love it!! Some of the Hardware they
offer (Anything NOT brand name) is El cheapo garbage. So shop around
Do your homework. You can build a great Parts-0-Caster for around $500.
Also check www.musikraft.com

 

[Toenail-Tommy]

Re: Should I build a Stew-Mac?

Thanks guys! Wow "warmoth" looks top notch!

 

[tone?]

Re: Should I build a Stew-Mac?

Also look at USAcustom guitars. they are amazing. of what i hear they are better than Warmoth. better quality stuff.
i recently got a body and neck from them and i didnt expect for them to be THAT good. then neck is amazing and so is the body.
i got a one peice Mahogany body and a Maple birdseye one peice neck. great frets and great job in general.

check em out.

oh they had the most amazing service as well. too cool

 

[Jocelyn]

Re: Should I build a Stew-Mac?

yeah I too wld advice going throug h USA custom :
http://www.usacustomguitars.com
Check them out

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Should I build a Stew-Mac?

The Older Stewmac necks (made in Canada) where great!

Yes they were. My favorite Strat I own was made from Stew Mac parts. But I bought those parts several years ago and they were made in Canada.

If I were you I'd buy a Jimmiy Vaughn MIM Strat for $500 or 600 and put some Duncans in it.

Lew

 

[Jeffrec]

Re: Should I build a Stew-Mac?

If I were you I'd buy a Jimmiy Vaughn MIM Strat for $500 or 600 and put some Duncans in it.

Lew

That's a great idea. The JV Strat is nice. Although, it would be fun to put together a kit guitar and maybe take a stab at spraying it.

 

[Toenail-Tommy]

Re: Should I build a Stew-Mac?

Yeah, i'm partly interested in the resulting guitar, and partly in the assembing, measuring, guessing, finishing refinishing etc. But why waste time on crappy parts, when if done right the guitar will be more than the sum of the parts....

again thanks guys

 

[MikeS]

Re: Should I build a Stew-Mac?

USACG and Warmoth are great choices for the body and neck. I've never heard anything bad about USACG and the parts I got from Warmoth are top notch - great wood and great fit.

But, for hardware, you can't go wrong with Stew Mac.

 

[FretFire]

Re: Should I build a Stew-Mac?

I generally try to stay away from Stew Mac as often as possible for parts, they are generally a bit higher in price than most other places. I'm wrapping up a Strat build right now, and the two places I used most for small parts (wiring kits, knobs, tuners, etc) were:

www.guitarpartsresource.com
www.guitarelectronics.com

 

[Toenail-Tommy]

Re: Should I build a Stew-Mac?

will check em all - the shipping is a killer though - 100+ dollars to get it to me, more then for customs (25%) - ouch. Maybe i should get a saw and an old fireplace plank ;> ? Or i can plan a specific international holiday, based entirely on parts acquisition (won't the girlfriend just love the romance of such a trip)