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Thick top layer of AAA Flame Maple, Stainless steel frets, full size electronics (Alpha Pots, Switchcraft PU Selectors), Alnico 5 pick ups (maybe SD or similar)?
I would definitely be interested in building something special that would last forever and not need an upgrade out of the box.
I feel like I've seen a lot of posts recently where people have been struggling with glue spots on thin veneer (although that might just be me, as I'm thinking of building an SCCM-1F next.
I'd certainly be interested in a kit that has a thicker veneer / cap, so there's no problem with glue, and no/minimal risk of sanding through. It seems like Chinese factories are turning these out, as you can find them on ebay, albeit it a higher price point as you'd expect.
I would be keen on a premium veneer body. For me, quality in the neck and body is the priority. All of the other components are generally something that I would source based on preference and overall budget. Also these are things that can get swapped out, so having cavities that are sized to standard sizes is important. I'm not sure about pre-drilling of bridge holes, etc. My kit was out of alignment and I would probably prefer to measure and manage that myself.
Speaking only for myself, a 24-fret PRS style with a thick veneer or cap in figured wood would be nice.
Ideally with some sort of straight-pull tuner arrangement headstock.
I don't need or want a trem, but a string-thru and TOM bridge.
Maybe a neck-thru setup with a rectangular body blank?
There was a few premium kits trialled from Korea but the price point was fairly high in comparison to the current kit offerings. One was a PRS and I think the other was a strat possibly.
yes, I built one of the Strat kits. It is a beautiful body and neck, okay electrics but junk machine heads.Quote:
Originally Posted by vh2580
If you look around you can find kits with full thickness maple carved top, but your paying $500-$600.
Just have kits with standard cut outs, premium wood grained bodies, solid necks, leave the crap components out and maybe just offer suggested spec parameters. I am new at this and jumped straight down the rabbit hole with 4 kits, 1 Fretwire, Viola bass,2 PBG’s, TB4 & IB4, and an Amazon body and neck. The 3 kits were various levels of junk parts and mediocre wood pieces with zero instructions. I like the fact that you can go back to the kits websight to gain additional knowledge, but a basic manual should be a minimum requirement in the box. Then there is the wiring diagrams, who gave the kid a crayon and half assed instructions on what to do. Just be clear and concise. I would rather pay for a kit that has a quality neck and a solid component selection with options to build your own body.
Have seen similar comments on this site and I think people have to understand what these guitars are all about. You get a kit that with a little bit of money you can produce a playable guitar as long as you have basic tools and skill set. Will it play like a $4000 guitar? Not while your posterior points south will it be close but there is also a custom order ability. The wood and kit quality is still the same but you can get what you want at a slightly cheaper price than a full kit.
After seeing some of the recurring problems with glue spots and people sanding through thin veneers I would never buy a kit from here with a veneer so I don't. I only order custom kits with a blank body and neck supplied and I make my own channels and cut-outs. The other thing is if you don't see what you want then you are quite within your rights to look elsewhere. Could they up their information about building a kit as in assembly and wiring? They probably could but just use Google and Youtube and I am sure you will find what you are wanting. I have only used the hardware that comes with these kits once as I wanted to see what it was like. The pickups made a noise as did the pots so I replaced it with better quality items and so I buy custom kits with no hardware.
I have recently bought 2 kits that had problems with quality and I got them as seconds. Thankfully the problems with the kits were over emphasised as when I got them they were, to me, not worth worrying about as they were easy fixes and they didn't effect the sound produced. From what I have seen the Pitbull guys are very reasonable about replacing parts that don't meet what you expect and I think that is one of their biggest qualities and is why people keep buying from this site.
That is what these kits are all about, price. You can get everything from other websites with the quality you want, made from the woods you want and you will pay a much higher price and that is why this website exists as they supply a kit at a very good price. I have looked at other websites and found parts that are of a much higher quality but when I looked at the prices and then compared the parts list with a finished guitar I was better off buying a finished product off the shelf.
If they were to produce premium kits then most of the people, me included, would have to look elsewhere to find a kit that matches our income. If my income matched my ability then I would probably buy a finished Gibson or Fender than build my own. I for one am always thankful that Pitbull exists so I can expand my growing collection, 20 and still growing and my favourite guitars that I like to play are the ones I have made from Pitbull kits.
Premium kits cost premium money..in most cases more than a finished instrument.
Great idea, but where do you draw the line.
Even the choice of pickups in such a kit would be one man's SD would be another man's D'M and so on.
To put some insight into this. I build kits as I have specific things I want to make. I research all the parts I need and purchase accordingly, knowing i will not use most of the stuff that comes in the box.
When I scratch build, the wood for the body can cost $300- $400 alone. That is just the 2 or 3 bits to join myself. When you add a flame veneer or cap add another $75 - $200.
I have given up trying to find good value material for necks as it is getting harder and harder to find at reasonable prices. A neck and fret board blank will probably see no change from $250.
The Crimson kits are about $1000 to bring to Australia and that is with no hardware.
I would say anything premium (without hardware) under $500 would be a bargin.