We built a HAND-PAINTED TELECASTER from a GUITAR KIT - Worth the trouble?
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- čas přidán 11. 07. 2024
- #guitarkit #kitguitar #telecasterkit
Ever thought of building and customizing your own electric guitar? My daughter Avalon and I discovered it's surprisingly easy when you start with a high-quality Guitar Kit. But there are potential pitfalls and hidden costs, and it's time-consuming...
So today, we explore the pros and cons of buying, building and customizing a kit guitar vs. spending approximately the same total amount on a pre-built guitar from a name brand like Fender or Squier.
AND we attempt to answer the BIG question: Is building a DIY kit guitar worth the time and money? Watch and listen, then YOU be the judge.
BONUS: Hear the final product in action - the one-of-a-kind "Lassocaster" from Avalon Cassard and AC Guitars!
▶ STEWMAC ELECTRIC GUITAR KITS ◀
www.stewmac.com/kits-and-proj...
▶HEADSTOCK DECALS ◀
stringkraft.com/
▶ BLACK GUITAR STRINGS ◀
DR Black Beauty Strings
amzn.to/3J4ZDR0
⏰ Chapter Timestamps
00:00 Lassocaster Blues (Excerpt)
00:24 Build a kit guitar? From which company?
01:13 Guitar Discoveries theme
01:26 Kits from The Fretwire? - No
02:58 Kits from StewMac? - Yes
03:42 Sanding the Body
05:23 Filling the Grain
07:10 Esthetic Decisions and Custom Painting
07:42 The "Lassocaster" and Custom Decals
08:01 StewMac Customer Service experience
08:55 Homemade Graphite Transfers for Line Art
10:20 360-Degree Spray for Clearcoat (Body)
11:24 Spraying the Neck and prep for decals
12:34 Custom-Designed Headstock Decals
13:09 Strap Buttons, esthetic choices and Tuners
13:54 Oiling the Rosewood Fretboard
14:05 Soldering, Final Assembly and Pro Setup
14:58 Bring it to my luthier for tweaks
17:05 Is building from a kit worth it? The final tally
18:39 Component Quality vs. Name Brand (Fender)
19:08 The answer to the BIG question
19:32 The Lassocaster and GuitarDiscoveries.com
20:10 Lassocaster Blues (Excerpt)
Robert Cassard shares guitars, gear and tips to make you a better musician.
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Hi, my name is Robert Cassard. Thank you for watching, liking and subscribing.
I am a lifelong guitar player, singer-songwriter, producer, and music fanatic. I create Guitar and Recording Discoveries videos to share the pure joy of music - shortcuts to help you play guitar, sing, record and sound great doing it. I learn the hard way so you don’t have to!
Learn more about me, my music and my videos:
www.guitardiscoveries.com/
Check out my band Cosmic Spin’s website:
cosmic-spin.com/ - Hudba
Ya got me, only 46 years playing. Building guitars is a lot of fun if you love them. And the pride and joy you feel when you hear it come to life.
Yeah, I’ve been playing a long time! Glad to be involved in a construction project after all these years…
I’ve been thinking about building a guitar since I retired last September. After seeing your video, I think I might go ahead and dive in! Thanks for the inspiration
Go for it, Walter! the investment in a StewMac kit is quite small, and if you budget for a pro setup by a luthier, you're almost certain to like the final result.
Found this video after ordering my own tele kit. I’d say this was worth it just for all the quality time sharing an interest with a family member. The amazing guitar is icing on the cake
Have fun building yours! Here's me taking the Lassocaster for its first ride: czcams.com/video/C24mMSAV7wM/video.html Yee-haw!
That’s so cool father and daughter project, don’t get any better than that ❤️
Exactly, Jack! Here's where I took it out for its first spin: czcams.com/video/C24mMSAV7wM/video.html
Yeah I really enjoyed seeing Dad and Daughter working together on this. I think most ladies wouldn’t want to mess with a guitar kit.
She’s a good Daughter. You can just tell.
Nice job guys ❤️
It looks great. You did a good job taping everything. I’ve wanted to build my own for a long time, but I don’t have the knowledge to do it. Thanks for sharing with us!
As you can see from watching Avalon's process, you can do it Michael! The kits make it surprisingly easy, and if you plan on taking the finished guitar to a luthier, then it's a low-pressure process.
I just ordered my Tele Style DIY kit. Loved all the personalized touches. I’m very pleased with your build. Thanks so much for the inspiration.
Have fun, copperhead! My daughter couldn't be happier. It's a guitar to play and hang on the wall as a piece of art!
Dang that’s really cool you guys. Great job!
It’s not cheap but the lessons learned are worth it. Very cool
Thanks so much, wyattsdad! It felt like a bargain for such a sweet and fully customized guitar.
Priceless!
Thanks, I agree! Here's a video of when I took the Lassocaster for a test run: czcams.com/video/C24mMSAV7wM/video.html
Best artwork I've seen on a kit guitar. Very cool.
Thanks, @RustyGunn7. I told Avalon what you said and she appreciates the kudos!
I love Tele's. Have always had one in my rig. I agree I think the personalised touches you have made make this guitar. Love the graphics! Great job!
Thanks! We had a lot of fun with the process, and such a gratifying outcome… czcams.com/video/C24mMSAV7wM/video.htmlsi=phiVk8LexWcQ1b0K
Stewmac is the best. I've been buying parts and tools from them for decades and they have always been fantastic. Be sure to watch their CZcams videos on repairing guitars. They literally have the best luthiers in the business and their videos are amazing.
I agree! Their videos are super helpful and their gear it high quality and often innovative. I love Dan Erlewine’s videos in particular.
Kudos to AC!! Very original and well done. I’m in the process of building a partscaster. I’ll have 500$ in it at least. I had purchased Fender custom shop 62’ tele pickups and then decided to do A Baja 60’s type build so ordered the 4way & S1 switch. I put the control plate together with CTS 250k pots 4way & S1 and dropped in my really cheap monoprice Tele my nephew bought me. I put the controls & pickups in so he could do a tone check and loved them. He had just bought a Squier 40th Anniversary Tele on Mocha and he said he’d like the pu’s and 4way switch in his Squier. So I did that the other day and sounds much better. I reordered the switch on Amazon and the pickups on eBay. Got the switch but pu’s are MIA. I think you’d like the 4way switch mod the S1 not so much. The 4 way gives you both pickups in series and boost the volume and tone. Job WELL DONE!!!
Thanks for the kudos. I’ll pass ‘em along to Avalon. Sounds like you’re doing so some cool DIY projects. Come back and tell me how they turn out, or better yet, make some videos!
If you’re into pedals next time the StewMac Ghost drive goes on sale build that pedal kit. Awesome Klon clone. I bought the fuzz pedal when it was on sale for Father’s Day and put in transistor sockets to try different NPN transistors, external trim pots and a digital voltage display to see how the controls ( mostly bias) control the collector voltage on Q2. However the smooth trim pot and tone pot also affect the collector voltage. That surprised me! StewMac has good products in my opinion
Thanks for the tip, @@222triple
Looks great. Love the 50s western vibe. I’ve built a couple myself.
Thanks 👍 I'll pass along your comments to Avalon! What kind of finish did you do on yours, Brian?
Howdy from Texas, I bought a kit a month ago and I got it off Amazon . It was $89.99 bucks plus tax under 100 dollars total.
I sanded and stained it with Tru-Oil because I had it laying around . and I had blue spray-paint for my car . so I didn't spend a penny extra . I plan on making my own water decals off my printer.. I took a week in a half because I only worked on it a tiny bit each day I set up my own guitars as I play them and see what they need. so I am very happy with the little kit. it was fun. nice thing about doing one yourself is as you want to make it better you can always tear it down and start over . sanding and sanding . again :)
Awesome…what a price! I’d love to hear your new guitar in action. Putting a kit together demystifies the whole building process, even if it does give you a big head start!
I've been a stew Mac customer for a long time. Been wanting to know about these. Could also pony up more money for the Wilkinson kit. Good to know the pickups sound decent on this one.
The kit we bought was such a bargain…and I’m very pleased with how playable the guitar turned out. I’d be curious to know exactly what items are upgraded in the Wilkinson kit.
@@RobertCassard Trev Wilkinson has a CZcams video where he goes through the whole process. .I'm pretty sure his pickups are alnico and accurate to Leo fenders specs
@@kirbonite I found that video: czcams.com/video/AcM54PJIIag/video.htmlsi=0r7cuwHiwoaD_hrs
That's enough to convince me that his kit is likely worth the extra cash...
Great job👍😀 good choice using StuMac too, I love the way you took full advantage of the opportunity to customise-brilliant!
It upsets me a little when I’m asked how much similar guitars I’ve made might be worth ... it really misses the point, for example a weekend introduction to luthiary course would not be cheap and you’ve completed one by taking this on, to say nothing of the chance to do a project with your Dad...priceless bonus! Well done Avalon and congratulations, whether you realise or not you have now learned so much about how guitars work/are made that for the rest of your life you will be able to recognise,assess and appreciate any guitar ( or other handmade thing) - again priceless, well done 👍🎸😀🇬🇧
Thanks so much, John! Interesting perspective as someone who’s hand-made some beautiful 🎸 guitars. I hadn’t thought much about the educational value of this process. But just yesterday, I was a on a prominent local guitar repair shop’s site. I saw they offer Guitar Setup classes for $300. When I was young, our family owned a cottage and I helped my Dad with countless DIY projects. Everything from digging post holes and building a split-rail fence, to paneling rooms with old barn wood 🪵, to building and wiring a garage. I also spent a Summer doing exterior and interior painting at the office building my father owned. I learned from the old guard how to prep, paint and clean up the right way. Those experiences were so foundational to me, and as you say, priceless. These days, what parents neglect in the way of experiential education for their kids, CZcams often provides. My children have seen me tackle hundreds of odd jobs, so it’s normal to DIY around here. I love seeing them do the same, with or without my help. But doing these projects together? Unforgettable. And in the case of the Lassocaster, Avalon gets to keep a magical souvenir along with the knowledge gained!
Totally agree! And thank you for the kind words ❤ As someone who’s never been afraid of the “I could do that myself” mentality, it’s allowed me to dip my toes into tons of cool and fun activities and get a great education along the way - the creation of this guitar included. It was really fun and informative to learn how to grain fill wood, apply custom decals, solder together all the components, and more. And now I’ll have a momento forever!
Fantastic! And to do this with your daughter, priceless! And she plays uke? Me too! Cheers from Cali!
Thanks, Joshua! I couldn't agree more. Here's the Tele's first test-run: czcams.com/video/C24mMSAV7wM/video.html
So cool , it sounds great obviously plays good and looks great , and
You had fun with it and can make music with it ! I need to build one !
Go for it, Jack! I’m becoming more of a guitar DIYer, and a project like this builds a lot of confidence.
Thanks, Jack! It was an awesome building experience (especially with the support and help of my dad ❤️) and a really cool chance to create something fun and unique that also has playable value.
@@RobertCassard I have recently done two frett levels for my self taking my time and they turned out very well , you guys have inspired me to build a guitar
@@ThePrinceavalon So cool to be able to pick up a guitar you have created and play it , iam researching kits now ( not fret wire )
@@Jack-zr2kv Love it, Jack. Responses like yours make doing this channel worthwhile! Can't wait to see what you come up with.
I’d be well pleased with this result!
Thank you, Prof. Rayle!
Beautiful work !
Thank you so much 😀
I’m in the middle of relicing a Harley Benton T-style. My third kit - first was a StewMac Lp. Second was Fretwire ES335. Going to to do an SG next.
Which kit brand is the highest quality so far?
@@RobertCassard I have not finished the Harley, but the StewMac LP is hands down a quality kit. I subbed new strings and pots , but everything else was 100% quality. I also subbed a three point jack, and wanted to use Seymour Duncan’s but the stock humbuckers were too good to replace. @darrellbraunguitar has the upgrade hardware. Oh, and a tusk nut.
@@theedgereport7383 nice StewMac endorsement, even if you are adding a few bells and whistles.
@@RobertCassard lol. Thanks. I made a video of the process and never edited it for CZcams.
@@theedgereport7383 If you edit and post, I'll watch!
Looks killer!
Thanks! I love what Avalon did with the line art.
Good day. I think it's worth doing. The guitar is very cool, in my humble opinion. It is also very inspiring watching the process. It's a custom Tele. Well done.
I like the way you put that, Lavender Jr. It IS a custom Tele! Glad you got inspired by watching the process. My final thought is that building guitars is a fun pastime, and you get a result that’s even MORE fun. Cheers!
Great job Avalon!!I was impressed with your grain fill and sanding prowess!!
You should do LPJr.
Thanks for the positive feedback and the suggestion, Chad. I'll pass your comments along to Avy. She's very meticulous about her "arts and crafts" projects!
@@RobertCassard hey Robert,she really is man!!I think she can do very well with attn to detail!!that is half of it
@@chadwilliams8583 I love that I don’t need to encourage her to “do it right”
Very nice video, but you didn't let us hear how it sounded...
You can hear it in the video that followed this one: czcams.com/video/C24mMSAV7wM/video.htmlsi=eQjNTaIx5ybMdScD
Tell me what you think!
the art makes it more than just another tele ; its a real work of art
I totally agree, Bob. Check out the Lassocaster's first test run: czcams.com/video/C24mMSAV7wM/video.html
@@RobertCassard sure will !
I like to build them
Glad to hear it, Paul. We sure had fun, and I do love the results!
Great build and video. I personally dislike stewmac as they don't offer lefty kits. Which is ridiculous.
Fair enough, Mike. I’m sorry they’re not an “equal opportunity kit maker.” In lots of cases, decisions like that are purely economic, and StewMac is a relatively small company. I hope you find a great lefty kit!
@@RobertCassard thanks! I did. Guitar kit world is great
@@MikeTheSith200 Glad to know about them.
it good thing t do with your kids
Yes! We had a lot of fun!!
It’s the little things that you do with your daughter and kids that will remain with them even when oh codgers like us are gone
So true, Moshe! I treasure any projects I do with my kids. I also treasure conversations where we get to hear each other’s opinions and learn intergenerationally!
Hmmmm....upgrade the pickups....switch and bridge and it will sound better than anything you buy in the store....use copper foil in the cavities....and put my name on the headstock....
Exactly, Doug! I love how easily you can build something utterly special and high-end...