Project:
I wanted to build my own guitar and chose a Telecaster Thinline style – in my opinion, the most beautiful of all Telecasters, even though I already own one 🙂. My goal was to make it fully playable, ready to rehearse or even play gigs with. You're starting from scratch here – just a pile of wood and scattered metal parts when you open the box (which actually arrived opened, by the way…).
Assembly:
No major issues during assembly, but the bridge wasn’t aligned properly, so the strings were off-center. I had to fill and redrill the holes to get it aligned, and while I was at it, I converted it to a string-through-body setup. The neck was great – just needed a light fret leveling. For the headstock, I copied the design from my G&L – very pleased with the result. I did the finish myself using Leclerc paint and Action varnish – cheap stuff, but it gets the job done!
Parts quality:
This is where you can tell it's an entry-level kit – which makes sense. The tuners are basic, the electronics too (but at least the soldering is clean), and the pickups don’t have much character. The bridge is decent. The wood is soft but acceptable; in my case, the body had a nice grain pattern. The thin clear coat lets the grain show through, which looks great visually. The top of the body could’ve used more layers of varnish for a smooth, mirror-like finish – I skipped that part and slightly regret it.
Final result:
I’m really satisfied! But you do need to know how to tinker and set up a guitar – otherwise it’ll be almost unplayable out of the box. That’s normal for a kit though: it’s designed to teach you some basic lutherie, it’s not a Lego set.
Conclusion:
A great project for guitar lovers who enjoy working with their hands. Good value for money, and a rewarding experience – as long as you know what you're getting into!
