My first build

[Music Wolf]

Well, assembly really. I built a Partscaster, with the aid of my teenage son. I already had the pickups and tuners left over after upgrading my US Standard Strat several years ago so I bought the rest of the bits from Northwest Guitars.

A little bit more setup work trequired but already playing nicely (and sounding very 'Stratty').

[Folderol]

Looks very pretty

[RichardT]

Looking good!

[zenguitar]

[blinddrew]

Very nice. Like the headstock logo!

[Dave.P]

Love the headstock too - very nice!

[Wonks]

You've done those decals very well, I can't see any outline at all.

[resistorman]

[BobTheDog]

looks very nice.

[adrian_k]

We’ll done, very nice

[Ben Asaro]

That looks great!

[S2]

Looks really good.

You’ll be getting the bug to do more. Get over to Pitbull Guitars. Great community over there.

[Music Wolf]

Looks really good.

You’ll be getting the bug to do more.

Definitely not. This build was fun, and I've learned a fair bit (this was the first time that I've needed to cut nut slots), but the reason I made this guitar was that I already had about 40% of the parts by value.

I may take more care over the assembly, because it's my guitar, but I don't think that makes me any better than somebody working in the Fender factory who does this for 7 or 8 hours every day with access to the correct tools and jigs.

What counts is the setup so it doesn't matter whether I assemble the guitar myself from bits (which I can't source for less than Fender can) or whether I buy a budget ready made Fender and do a decent setup. In the case of the latter at least it has a resale value.

[S2]

Looks really good.

You’ll be getting the bug to do more.

Definitely not. This build was fun, and I've learned a fair bit (this was the first time that I've needed to cut nut slots), but the reason I made this guitar was that I already had about 40% of the parts by value.

I may take more care over the assembly, because it's my guitar, but I don't think that makes me any better than somebody working in the Fender factory who does this for 7 or 8 hours every day with access to the correct tools and jigs.

What counts is the setup so it doesn't matter whether I assemble the guitar myself from bits (which I can't source for less than Fender can) or whether I buy a budget ready made Fender and do a decent setup. In the case of the latter at least it has a resale value.

I totally understand that. For me it's partly about the challenge of building but mainly the opportunity (in the case of my present one) of getting a (bass) guitar shape that I wanted but I couldn't actually obtain because it doesn't exist.

And of course, it's fun!

But you're right, budget gear is so good these days.

[blinddrew]

Indeed, there is precisely zero financial reason to build your own guitar I reckon.
Unless you're a luthier!