Quote Originally Posted by Simon Barden View Post
I'd go for the Strat or a standard Tele for a first build as there is no binding to worry about, which the thinline Teles have. Of the Strat and the Tele, the Strat is probably the most hassle-free, as some of the Tele kits really require the bridge pickup cavity enlarging slightly for an ideal bridge position.

I think a pickup upgrade is worth it, but that's something you can do after you've built it and can decide whether it's worth upgrading. Locking tuners are worth doing on a Strat because of the trem, but as the standard kit tuners are pretty decent, don't really add much to a non-trem guitar except for making string changing just a little bit quicker.
This is pretty much what I am doing for my first build. I got the tuner upgrade because PBG have them at a great price if ordered with a kit. I am keeping the stock pickups until I get a chance to hear them for a while. I got a thinline because I have always wanted one but I sort of regret having to deal with the binding.

Once you have a well set-up and playable guitar, changing the pickups on a strat or tele is not that hard to do at a later time. For a full hollowbody the advice would be different, but I don't think anyone would really recommend one of those for a first build.