I am jonesing for a parts guitar project bad....BUT.....

[tonemonster]

I have got the hankering to do a J/C guitar project, but dang, the cost is kind of a deterrent. I have been scouring ebay for months looking at parts to do a guitar project. bodies, necks, Floyds, pickups, etc..... and dayum, everytime I add up the cost of the parts, I am further ahead to just buy a guitar. its kind of a bummer. I really want to do a USA production charvel tiger stripe san dimas, and I would also like to do a so cal in seafoam green. but its more costly to buy the parts than to just buy a guitar and do a refin on it. I was hoping to score a body that was damaged, scratched, botched refin or something that would make it cost effective but havent found anything. I was hoping to get into a project for about $500 total, but I dont think thats gonna happen. its looking more like $700 and then refin it.

some concerns are mixing different brands, such as warmoth or mighty mite necks, charvel bodies, vice versa. or fender body, charvel neck, etc..... or mixing san dimas stuff with model series charvels just based on neck/body compatibility. I dont want to get into heavy modification with routing neck pockets or shiming necks etc.... I would prefer to stay away from that if I can. I would prefer a neck that would just bolt up and be correct height for the floyd, etc...


Any ideas or advice????

[Rich#6]

I would reconcider the sanding the neck pockets and start with bodies painted already.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ESP-Ltd-George-Lynch-Model-Tiger-Striped-Guitar-NICE_W0QQitemZ140356493235QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item20ade61fb3

I know no floyd and not quite seafoam-

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tom-Delonge-Signature-Stratocaster-Surf-Green-Fender_W0QQitemZ320435232584QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item4a9b6d9f48

do a non recessed floyd and shim the neck-

http://cgi.ebay.com/MIGHTY-MITE-BODY-FITS-FENDER-STRATOCASTER-SEA-FOAM_W0QQitemZ230394317450QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item35a4924a8a

This one maybe good since the neck pocket is wider-

http://cgi.ebay.com/STRATOCASTER-GUITAR-BODY-SEAFOAM-GREEN-NEW_W0QQitemZ360196557934QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item53dd634c6e

Even with J/C parts you maybe shimming the neck pocket. I had to when I used a 2005 charvel body with 2008 promod parts.

I can't complain with the results though.

[tonemonster]

Wow!! nice copper snake job there!!!!

Dang nice! I like it!

I am really most interested in a San Dimas production model. I am betting thats the way I am going to end up going. I like the pickups that come with them, I just want to do a cool refin on one. something different than they come with stock. I have always wanted to do a tiger stripe job. I was also thinking hot rod flames, but I have a soloist in red ghost flames already, so thats kind of redundant I guess.

[Grandturk]

The problem is in getting cheap parts. These days, when they part out a guitar, they just value it at xx% of the whole guitar. To me it should really be xx% - $y where y is the cost of labor to build the guitar.

It used to be that putting parts together was not something that everyone could do and so parts were a lot cheaper... now... well...

[Axewielder]

Yeah everytime I try one of these projects, my costs spiral out of control! You really get nickel and dimed HARD. The only way I'll do it now is if I already have some of the big-ticket parts sitting in the closet already.

[warlok]

Parts are certainly not cheap. I've got about a month and a half before I'm ready to assemble so I'm keeping my eye out for some parts reasonably priced.... it's not looking good!!

[tonemonster]

yea, its just crazy. parts cost alot. I dont mind paying $500 for parts and then I paint and put together, but it dont work that way. the neck and body will exceed $500 easily if its USA.

[Trem]

Here's a sweet Mirage body, Oh and neck, but yeah about 500 bucks.
Has tuners and neck plate + knobs - looks pretty nice.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ESP-THE-MIRAGE-BODY-NOT-LTD-W-HD-VIDEO-DEMO_W0QQitemZ260500285827QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item3ca706e983

http://cgi.ebay.com/ESP-THE-MIRAGE-REVERSE-LEFTY-NECK-W-HD-VIDEO-DEMO_W0QQitemZ260500285869QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar_Accessories?hash=item3ca706e9ad

[jonasaberg]

parts

I wanted to do a custom graphic on a guitar myself but the cost of putting together a guitar from parts was way to high. Then I happened to come accross a guy who had collected parts for a project and wanted to sell the whole thing.
Bought it, had the body painted and ended up with this

[tonemonster]

OH that is WAY too cool!!! Nice job!!