JD
It looks good, but it is a poor kit
A major issue with the neck (trussrod installation to be exact), kept this kit from being fun and a decent experience. Failure to function results in a 1 star rating.
Overall, almost everything fit together. All parts were in the bags, all bags in the box. Pretty much went together without a problem - except for THE PROBLEM.
THE PROBLEM
As I was stringing the guitar kit up, I thought the molded plastic nut and string slots appeared very low, and my observation was correct. The nut slot was cut so deep the nut rested on the barrel end of the trussrod, and the the strings rested directly on the first fret. Imaging a Zero fret guitar...but this isn't a zero fret guitar kit.
Long story short, I popped the nut out of the slot to find the trussrod end was protruding slightly under the nut itself, and created a teeter-totter surface for the nut to sit on (bad).
As a temporary fix, I shimmed the nut up to get enough action over the 1st fret. Set the bridge height, tuned up and was able to get some decent sounds from the guitar.
The tuners in the kit I received are very poor quality, tuning accuracy and stability are almost non-existent. We need to remember this is a ± $80 US kit.
After noodling with the guitar a few days, I chose to tear it apart, only to find that the truss rod itself was cranked hard (stuck) to get the neck flat, as I loosened it, the neck didn't move, but the end of the rod where the Allen wrench fits in did move, a lot. So much movement that the nut would be popped out of the nut slot as the truss rod was adjusted.
I've since removed the fingerboard, removed the "STUCK" trussrod, corrected the end truss rod routing and will be putting the neck back together with a new fingerboard and frets soon.
Oh, the frets... Yikes, the frets were terrible on this kit.
Sad.
Overall, almost everything fit together. All parts were in the bags, all bags in the box. Pretty much went together without a problem - except for THE PROBLEM.
THE PROBLEM
As I was stringing the guitar kit up, I thought the molded plastic nut and string slots appeared very low, and my observation was correct. The nut slot was cut so deep the nut rested on the barrel end of the trussrod, and the the strings rested directly on the first fret. Imaging a Zero fret guitar...but this isn't a zero fret guitar kit.
Long story short, I popped the nut out of the slot to find the trussrod end was protruding slightly under the nut itself, and created a teeter-totter surface for the nut to sit on (bad).
As a temporary fix, I shimmed the nut up to get enough action over the 1st fret. Set the bridge height, tuned up and was able to get some decent sounds from the guitar.
The tuners in the kit I received are very poor quality, tuning accuracy and stability are almost non-existent. We need to remember this is a ± $80 US kit.
After noodling with the guitar a few days, I chose to tear it apart, only to find that the truss rod itself was cranked hard (stuck) to get the neck flat, as I loosened it, the neck didn't move, but the end of the rod where the Allen wrench fits in did move, a lot. So much movement that the nut would be popped out of the nut slot as the truss rod was adjusted.
I've since removed the fingerboard, removed the "STUCK" trussrod, corrected the end truss rod routing and will be putting the neck back together with a new fingerboard and frets soon.
Oh, the frets... Yikes, the frets were terrible on this kit.
Sad.
0
2
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EH
Fun and educational
This was my first time doing anything more than changing strings on a guitar, so I learned a lot.
The instructions were somewhat lacking, but youtubes helped me out with the electronics. You can't go too wrong, but I wanted to know what i was putting where.
I bought alot of tools to do fret work, but I didn't really need them.
The screw holes for the pickups did not align, but that wasn't really a problem.
Edit:
I spent alot of time on this guitar, most of it on trying to get the neck right. Sadly it never really became playable due to the neck bending at the slightest glance and its inability to hold tuning.
The instructions were somewhat lacking, but youtubes helped me out with the electronics. You can't go too wrong, but I wanted to know what i was putting where.
I bought alot of tools to do fret work, but I didn't really need them.
The screw holes for the pickups did not align, but that wasn't really a problem.
Edit:
I spent alot of time on this guitar, most of it on trying to get the neck right. Sadly it never really became playable due to the neck bending at the slightest glance and its inability to hold tuning.
0
0
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t
Kit Guitar
Don't bother - neck to body connection sub-optimal, almost impossible to adjust intonation afterwards, buy something else!
0
0
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MF
Good for a project
This is good for a beginner who is looking to create a guitar. The holes were drilled in the wrong place which has rendered this guitar unplayable. Wont be getting anymore
4
7
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