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I have been thinking of a kit build after I finish this bass I have tinkering on -- I want a Paul -- I could buy an Epiphone paul for $500 or make a kit for only $209??? And by the specs on this kit is as good a quality as the Gibson version??? What is wrong with this here? -- does the hardware fallapart?

http://www.guitarfetish.com/Solid-Mahog ... _1994.html

I hope that link worked but if not it is the Paul kit at Guitar fettish.

Thanks
Dick

All the hard work has been done: carving the body, fretting and inlaying the board, cutting the neck, drilling the holes. Even with cheap hardware, I don't see how they can sell these for $209 and make a profit.

But hey, you can buy an Epiphone and play it, but for $200 you can have a lot more fun and satisfaction building this. If it turns out to be a fine playing guitar, then upgrade some pickups and rock out. My suggestion is to buy a dual action truss rod from Stewmac (as long as the channel will allow such a rod ... you may have to modify it).

I'd buy one and try it out. Not much to lose.

J

Well I am wondering if the wood is what it says it should be. I read the item description states the "hardware" is not all that great. This says two things to me. #1 I am selling this thing -- the thing is good but you could make it better with some "bolt on" stuff -- Oh by the way I sell this stuff so I promise my better parts will fit. That way I can sell you a git kit and some stuff to make it better. ----- #2 Since the company admits the faults with the product I should expect a quality git but some shoddy hardware that is easily upgraded all while respecting the companys honesty -- However in a git build from scratch I could barely obtain the raw stock for the price -- Yes there is some integrity involved with making my own but I just want a paul guitar. I am Bass player to the core -- so for me building a bass is where it's at -- this guitar kit would be just saving money amd having some fun in the process.

You should beware tough.
I worked on a cheap Fender bass,
that was laminated with plywood, pine, and all kinds of little pieces of wood.
I couldn't believe how that body was pieced together.
Sounds good though!
Proof, it is the pick-ups, more than anything else.
P.S. I hated working on that thing,
but it was for a friend.

i dont want to be the debbie downer, but personally i would not waiste my time with one of these. they definately arent quality parts as already discussed, but there is also really low quality control on these bodies. i have seen them with the body routes all wacked up and out of alignment with each other. i helped a kid build a kit similar to this about a year ago and in my opinion its not even worth the effort of putting them together for the guitar that you are going to wind up with when you are done, but thats just me, do whatever suits you.

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~shad peters

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D Tester,

Guitar Fetish are in the business of selling pickups, and their pickups are like gold.

My guess is that these guitar kits may be seconds, again cheaply done. They are hoping that you will add some GFS pickups to the order. Maybe that is why they say the pups are not great.

Just a note on Guitar Fetish. I ordered a box of small parts from them and almost everything in the box is pretty good quality (bridge, tail, caps, etc). The pots, however, did not work ... ever. I bought four pots and all of them were dead. I have experience wiring guitars and I refused to believe I mis-wired four pots. Used the multi-meter and all four were .... DOA. Also, they claim these are Alpha pots, but no Alpha stamped on them.

So, buy GHS pups, but not their pots.

I also encourage you to try the kit. What's $200? The fun of putting it together. If you don't like it, sell it.

Well, it's just 200 bucks. I'd order one, check every single component to see if it will do what I want it to do (check truss rod, test electronics etc.) Then give us a review on it for future reference.

Says factory fresh and first quality. The wood is probably Phillipine Mahogany, like the epiphones.
I'd say it'll probably end up at least as good as an Epiphon, if you follow the advice and do your homework before putting it together, and also depending on the quality of your finish, but it'll be a LOT more fun.

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Old growth, shmold growth!

So I guess if i want to blow $200 then go for it -- I was really hoping that someone here may have tried one of their kit in the past. I might go for it -- I was thinking that if the wood parts are made properly and routing is correct etc... then all the bolt on parts could be changed out for better stuff if necessary. Honestly in a blind tast test could one really tell the difference between a gibson bridge and whatever comes in this kit?? I probably could not. Pick ups may be crap but who knows? Of all the parts that come with this my brain tends to lean to the machines -- I hate crappy tuning machines. I assume that good guitar machines are expensive since the Schaller ones I got for my 4-String bass seem expensive to me, retail was $185 -- I guess what I am thinking is good wood parts and upgradeable hardware might be a good thing for a reasonable price. If the wood is cut crappy and parts do not fit or pup routing is off then I have a bag of crappy hardware and sexy fire wood. I guess the uiltimate question is buy one or build one? Remember all of use like to tinker and make our own things for that inner satisfaction of a job well done. So I could save some some money and have some fun while doing it or I could take the easy way and buy an epiphone paul. One that someone else finished and assembled and soldered and "LOVED"?????? was the latest epiphone paul really "loved"???

Dick

Tell you what, 20 people send me 10 bucks I'll spring for the shipping and do a review on it as I build it. If it's crap we all lose 10 bucks except me I'm out a few dollars more.

MK

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I'm outside looking in, just farther from the window than most.

I bought NEW 18:1 Grovers on ebay for about $45 or $50. I don't think they were the imitations either. Good, solid tuners.

I agree; tuners are a must.

I find all pups have certain characteristics. I pulled a set of pups out of a cheap Chinese LP and replaced with Gibsons. These cheaper pups I wired in a 70s elDegas LP and I really like the sound of them. You can try the pups in there and you might like them.

I also agree, I don't think many people could blindly tell the difference between a Gibson bridge and a GF bridge.

Build it .. build it.

Hi guys, I'm new at this guitar building thing and wouldn't know good quality parts from junk other than buy price. I've bought stuf from guitar fetish a few times now and seemed to be ok stuff. tuners,bridges tail pices and a set of pups. I have no complaints on the quality, seems to be good stuf.

In my experience, anything from Schaller is top notch.