My first build - Enikoy's ES-3

[enikoy]

Hey Enikoy, that is just beautiful. Please cut the string ends, take 3 more photos (body close up, back of the guitar and a headstock shot) and then enter it into our May 2016 Guitar of the Month Competition.

Hi Adam, the kit is actually a DIY Guitar refugee, so I assume ineligible. Though your kit ES-3 appears very very similar so imagine the same great result can be achieved with it.

[enikoy]

Really great result. How does she sounds? I bet she sounds sweet plugged or unplugged!

cheers,
Gav.

Yep, very happy with the sound she produces. Great to have something that I can mess around with and have 75% the volume of an accoustic or plug in and have something that easily rivals my Gibson ES335 (the kit has Tonerider A2s installed).

[Alkay]

Nice one, she looks great.

[wazkelly]

Hi Adam, the kit is actually a DIY Guitar refugee, so I assume ineligible. Though your kit ES-3 appears very very similar so imagine the same great result can be achieved with it.

Hey buddy, maybe yours could be the first entrant in the Non Pitbull GOTY thread I started......here's the link for you to post your shots for everyone to drool over http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ead.php?t=5621

[enikoy]

Just thought I'd check in a few months later to show that this ended up a great guitar that gets played a lot. Not something that gets hidden in the back of the cupboard

After a few months settling in I noticed why the guitar had tuned up a bit weirdly a few times. The plate on the tailpiece had bent! While the original looked nice, the thin sheet metal just didn't have the strength to hold against a set of 12-54 strings!

So off with that and on with a more sturdy and traditional tail piece. Did this at the same time as a few tweaks and fixes to the set up and electronics. Even more happy now. Sounds great and huge fun to play unplugged. Plugged in takes it to another level, those Tonerider pickups certainly rival the Gibson originals. Definately a few things I'd do differently build wise if I did it all again, but I'm settled for the time being.

Hell, the thought of selling my long term Gibson ES-335 has passed my mind several times. Hard to keep $3.5k parked in the cupboard when my custom $500 is doing the job so well.

[Andy40]

Enikoy. Tailpiece looks great. so does the guitar. Interesting point regarding the 335, never owned one myself, but I most certainly understand. I find it hard to see myself wanting to buy/play any of the big name brands over my builds too.

Which Toneriders did you go for?

[enikoy]

Tonerider Alnico II Classics, I'd happily put them in my 335.

[stan]

a nice result, and great to see it gets plenty of use

[Andy40]

Tonerider Alnico II Classics, I'd happily put them in my 335.

yeah i got those in my LP-1SS and they are awesome!!

[enikoy]

I think it is worthwhile showing the continued life of these kit guitars. I keep learning from and messing with it in ways I would never on my production guitars.

From the get go the plastic nut on this was a problem that needed attention. Way too high affecting playability and the intonation on open chords. Also the string routes were cut way too deep and the wound strings caught up and it caused tuning problems.

So I finally bought a bone nut that was all pre cut and ready to drop in. All it need was some reduction in the overall height. The original plastic unit knocked out easily enough. I cleaned out the recess and put in the bone nut. Comparing the string height to first fret on my nice playing ES335, I needed to remove 1.25mm on the wound side and 1mm on the other. Using a few grades of sandpaper I reduced the height, re-installing and checking along the way. Once installed, it completely improved the play-ability of the guitar. Open chords now easy and spot on with good intonation. The lower nut height also reduced the action down the fretboard improving play-ability.

Overall a very cheap upgrade that has had a huge positive effect on the guitar. Highly recommended, if not mandatory!