I am actually building an Explorer now!

[FlyingVFanatic]

I always hate starting new threads to ask my million questions >.>

Anyway, I have minimal experience with... well... DIY anything, so, just wanted to throw it to you guys, should i like, start something simpler like a BYO telecaster or.... something?

Id enjoy having a tele i think, buti really want a gibson style explorer without buying another gibson :P

[AxAxSxS]

What kind of tools do you have available?

There are some decent kits out there, you get what you pay for though with the more expensive ones being higher quality and the cheap ones often having more issues than its worth.

This one looks decent but I have not built one of their kits.

http://www.byoguitar.com/Guitars/Electr ... O-EXP.aspx

[FlyingVFanatic]

Oh, wow, that kit will do nicely... Welp, i suppose ill get that instead

In terms of tools, im sure i have a bunch in my dads garage.... But ill just get that kit instead :P

I never saw that kit before though somehow o.O

[Decibill]

Yeah, if this is your first build, a kit is the way to go. It will give you an idea of what it takes to assemble a guitar and will get you familiar with the in's and outs without having to make any of the actual parts. It's a great gateway drug for doing more full-on builds.

[FlyingVFanatic]

Okay thanks Well, hopefully somepoint in the next few months ill get back here with a nice new guitar i put together myself :P

[AxAxSxS]

My advice is dry fit everything before you glue, buy more clamps than you think you will need, (You will need them) And learn about shimming and using dowel to fill holes and redrill. Kits frequently are not so great as far as having correct measurements. All this will help you by learning to fix things.

Good luck!

[FlyingVFanatic]

Okay thank you! All advice has been noted, And ill make sure to buy a whole bunch of junk before i even get the kit :P

[FlyingVFanatic]

Ressurecting this thread cause i got the kit that was linked, and i have more QUESTIONS

But seriously, i will probably ask a lot. But i will pay you in crappy camera phone pictures, deal?

Question 1 - My gut instinct is the finish the neck and body separately, before glue-ing, am i good there?

[AxAxSxS]

that depends on what kind of finish you are planning on doing. I've done the stain seperatly and then shot clear after it was assembled with good results.

[FlyingVFanatic]

Hhhmmmmm okaay.... I just have three tins, primer, colour and clear satin... Which i think go on in that order. I think ill do em seperately :P Other wise i feel ill screw junk up

[Nelson Instruments]

As long as you make sure to mask off the areas that will be glued. Not only will finish ruin the fit of the neck to the body but if you are gluing in the neck you can't really glue finish to finish.
Unless you're attempting to build an Exploder instead of an Explorer. ;-)

[FlyingVFanatic]

Huh. I genuinely did not know that. Thank you greatly! That has saved me several hours of frustration :P aaaand given me some amuesment at the same time

As for updates, im trying to put the Gibson pickups from my V onto the pickup mounts just now.... the screws are fractionally too big -.-

[FlyingVFanatic]

daaang, had a dream about this guitar build yesterday.... Everyone, literally every single member of this forum, aggressively told me not to use the pickups from my old V cause the unnamed stock ones from the kit were apparently far superioir :P

[FlyingVFanatic]

So i got the Gibson pickups mounted on the pickup rings, cause its basically all i can do right now.

Screenshot (26).png (473.98 KiB) Viewed 4654 times

Aiming to get the primer layer done on wednesday if the weather is dry...

[Decibill]

That wood looks pretty nice. Did you consider leaving it natural...??