GuitarAust Kits

AxlOz · 30th September 2009, 1:18 PM

Hey guys, just wondering if anyone here has bought and/or built a guitar from a guitaraust kit? Or even just a body or neck?

They seem really cheap for what they are but you can select what type of wood and fret board etc.. I'm sure the wood isnt the greatest but at least you know what species you're getting. And I'm sure the hardware is all yum-cha but thats easily replaced.

I'm thinking of building a mahogany bodied strat with a H-H setup then no inlays in a a maple neck.

I've googled but there's not a lot out there in terms of user reviews..

break · 30th September 2009, 1:59 PM

I've got a friend who picked up a kit from an American shop that does a similar deal and has had a good experience with the kit. Cost him around $200 landed for the kit.

This was the mob he got it from: http://www.onlineguitar.com/

Willybomb · 30th September 2009, 4:00 PM

I've never used those guys, but my Lesocaster is just a parts guitar. I got the body from AMS (fairly generic thing), the neck was one that an instructor at the shop I was teaching in was trying to get rid of, and everything else is just yumcha generic stuff, except for the pickups which are dimarzios.

I find that pretty interesting that you can spec out the kit. You can't spec the number of frets or a number of other things such as the trem, or neck profile but its definitely enough to get started on something pretty cool.

AxlOz · 30th September 2009, 4:16 PM

yeah i'm worried the neck will just be really dodge and bow when i even think about putting 11-49's or 12-52's on there...

I've emailed them with a few Q's so we'll see what they come back with.

AxlOz · 30th September 2009, 10:35 PM

well i got a speedy reply from them earlier.

They said the frets are generally all well finished and use this guage fret wire.
The mahogany they sell in the kits is sourced from asian countries such as indonesia, and the painting for their custom shop kits is done offshore to keep costs down.

I'm seriously considering giving one a go. More for the experience, but if i can do a good job of it I might drop some decent pups and hardware in it and have a cool gig axe for cheap.

I'm now thinking of getting a les paul style and setting the neck myself..

Marlborosmoker · 1st October 2009, 12:01 AM

I hear good things about these guys

http://www.kneguitars.com/

the necks are a new item so NFI, but I've heard excellent things about the bodies

Also keep an eye on warmoth - they occassionaly have really really cheap finished bodies and necks

sandwichamwin · 1st October 2009, 9:07 AM

I bought a neck from there a while back for my strat project because I was too lazy to make my own neck. It was truly a pile of crap. I ended up ebaying it and just building my own. Warmoth, Mighty Might etc would be a much better option imho.

The worst part is that during previous convos with the owner, he said the single necks were better quality than the kit ones! So yeh, I wouldn't skimp on the most important part of a guitar.

AxlOz · 1st October 2009, 9:38 AM

sandwich, I'm assuming you're referring to guitaraust when you mention the bad neck..? Not KNE from Marlboro's post above..? I agree that its the most important part too, needs to be finished and refined.

I've been keeping an eye on warmoth but so much of their stuff is just too exy, and once you factor in importing etc just isnt worth it.. Might as well buy a fender. Their LP bodies and necks are also pretty exy..

Marlboro, the KNE site seems to be not working too well atm so i'll try them again tonight/tomorrow.

I had a look through the guitarfetish site last night and they seem to be pretty good for strats and teles. Good range of finishes. And their necks can be had finished and with a graphite nut preinstalled, which is always good. Amazingly cheap too. Would prefer to buy locally though if possible.

I think a few people here have mentioned getting stuff from GFS before (marlboro, i think you were one of them actually..?) so i'll have a search through some old posts.

Willybomb · 1st October 2009, 10:07 AM

Quote:

I've been keeping an eye on warmoth ... Their LP bodies and necks are also pretty exy..

They only do bolt ons though.

Bloody hell, those GFS bodies and necks ARE cheap. Bugger me. Shame they only do RG style bodies with the floyd et al..

AxlOz · 1st October 2009, 11:09 AM

yeah i'd ideally want a set neck. actually i'd ideally want a neck thru, but set necks are good still. need that sustain!!!

for a partscaster i'm thinking it might be worth trying the gfs necks and bodies, just to see how they shape up. Not a lot of $$ at stake really.

Marlborosmoker · 1st October 2009, 5:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AxlOz

sandwich, I'm assuming you're referring to guitaraust when you mention the bad neck..? Not KNE from Marlboro's post above..? I agree that its the most important part too, needs to be finished and refined.

I've been keeping an eye on warmoth but so much of their stuff is just too exy, and once you factor in importing etc just isnt worth it.. Might as well buy a fender. Their LP bodies and necks are also pretty exy..

Marlboro, the KNE site seems to be not working too well atm so i'll try them again tonight/tomorrow.

I had a look through the guitarfetish site last night and they seem to be pretty good for strats and teles. Good range of finishes. And their necks can be had finished and with a graphite nut preinstalled, which is always good. Amazingly cheap too. Would prefer to buy locally though if possible.

I think a few people here have mentioned getting stuff from GFS before (marlboro, i think you were one of them actually..?) so i'll have a search through some old posts.

I can vouch for GFS for the following - pickups, tuners, electronics & bridges. (The TOM bridge and wilkinson tuners are from them on your g400) I've never bought necks or bodies but they seem to be ok if you are willing to work.

I highly recommend necks this guy if you're going off ebay
http://shop.ebay.com.au/500spxcash/m..._sop=12&_rdc=1

Optimus. · 16th March 2011, 2:33 PM

Bump!

So given the recent awesome guitar kit build logs, I'm keen on giving it a ago. I'm looking for an SG-style bass guitar kit and according to an email response from http://www.guitarworx.com.au, with enough demand these kits can be made to order.

Looking around various guitar kit sites, the 'Morris' branded kits at guitarworx.com.au look like they're the same kits which are also sold under the 'Saga' brand. Mind you, the guitarworx.com.au Morris kits are $100 cheaper than the Saga kits...

I can't confirm that this is the case but going off the pictures, the head stocks and available models are the same. Plus in one of the recent build logs, the Morris kit apparently came with Saga instructions (and the wiring was reportedly different; maybe Morris switches out the electrics to keep the price down).

In any case - I'm interested in knowing who the original kit supplier to both Morris and Saga is! Could go to them directly and ask for a small order of SG bass models...

Does anyone have any idea who the original kit supplier is?

nidz · 1st August 2011, 10:07 PM

Hi there. I'm also loking to get one of the kits at guitarworx.com.au. I'm only starting to get into playing but I think making one up from scratch will also help me learn about it. I'm just not sure if it's junk or if it will be worth getting one.

I'm looking at the Gibson Explorer style kit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpyiCVz8fvU

Anyone got any opinions on this type of kit?

Stewey · 2nd August 2011, 6:18 PM

The guitarworx kits are not too bad quality. You will end up with a guitar that is about the same quality as a Squire, how well it plays though will depend on how well you do the set up. But this can also be said of a Squire.

Have a search of this forum and you will find a couple of build threads where you can check out the quality.

petmund · 8th November 2011, 1:40 PM

Hi guys , i'm new to this site/thread...blogging in general!... so i'm not sure how to start my own thread ... for fear of hijacking someone else's!... so if someone can point me in the right direction , it would be greatly appreciated!

However ... just to chime in hear ... i just hinted to my wife and ended up with a tele kit from guitarworx ... and in doing some research after receiving the postal package i came across this site reading through Steweys bass build... and for a moment mistakenly thought it was a Saga kit .. and found it quiet reassuring to see he had mostly the same issues as i do... so guitar worx consistancy across their products is not so bad!

I had started looking into different finishes , and thought well i wont be doing this often so i will put some effort into it...I also have a 5 string fret less bass project i started about 5 -6 years ago and have left it at a similar stage at where these kits are in the construction phase....and in doing STACKS of reading and picture googling to find out how they did what look, and trying to source decent products locally instead of the normal automotive or hardware store furniture grade products , I have decided to put an order through with www.guitaraust.com.au for some nitro lacquer and stain.
I started shaping the head last night and put a coment on Facebook then a mate suggested i do a journal... so i will stat taking photos and copy all these rambling on to my own thread ... but in conclusion ... i would like to thank Stewey , Eagles 84 and Ravennoir for the inspiration

Cheers

30th September 2009, 1:18 PM	#1
AxlOz Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Sydney Posts: 1,014	GuitarAust Kits Hey guys, just wondering if anyone here has bought and/or built a guitar from a guitaraust kit? Or even just a body or neck? They seem really cheap for what they are but you can select what type of wood and fret board etc.. I'm sure the wood isnt the greatest but at least you know what species you're getting. And I'm sure the hardware is all yum-cha but thats easily replaced. I'm thinking of building a mahogany bodied strat with a H-H setup then no inlays in a a maple neck. I've googled but there's not a lot out there in terms of user reviews..

30th September 2009, 1:59 PM	#2
break Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Brisbane Posts: 7,130	I've got a friend who picked up a kit from an American shop that does a similar deal and has had a good experience with the kit. Cost him around $200 landed for the kit. This was the mob he got it from: http://www.onlineguitar.com/ __________________ Break Photography : www.breakphoto.org 59 Successful trades and counting

30th September 2009, 4:00 PM	#3
Willybomb Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Ballarat Posts: 6,270	I've never used those guys, but my Lesocaster is just a parts guitar. I got the body from AMS (fairly generic thing), the neck was one that an instructor at the shop I was teaching in was trying to get rid of, and everything else is just yumcha generic stuff, except for the pickups which are dimarzios. I find that pretty interesting that you can spec out the kit. You can't spec the number of frets or a number of other things such as the trem, or neck profile but its definitely enough to get started on something pretty cool. __________________ Rockstarguitar - Guitar lessons in the Ballarat area Looking to teach or learn guitar? Then you need my book! 30+ successful trades and counting Offical OCAU Musicians Guild Member #15 OCAU Guitar Players club

1st October 2009, 12:01 AM	#6
Marlborosmoker Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sydney Posts: 909	I hear good things about these guys http://www.kneguitars.com/ the necks are a new item so NFI, but I've heard excellent things about the bodies Also keep an eye on warmoth - they occassionaly have really really cheap finished bodies and necks __________________ Guitar Amps and Bass for sale- Fund my next amp purchase Last edited by Marlborosmoker; 1st October 2009 at 12:04 AM.

1st October 2009, 9:07 AM	#7
sandwichamwin Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Sydney Posts: 2,493	I bought a neck from there a while back for my strat project because I was too lazy to make my own neck. It was truly a pile of crap. I ended up ebaying it and just building my own. Warmoth, Mighty Might etc would be a much better option imho. The worst part is that during previous convos with the owner, he said the single necks were better quality than the kit ones! So yeh, I wouldn't skimp on the most important part of a guitar. __________________ flickr

30th September 2009, 4:16 PM	#4
AxlOz Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Sydney Posts: 1,014	yeah i'm worried the neck will just be really dodge and bow when i even think about putting 11-49's or 12-52's on there... I've emailed them with a few Q's so we'll see what they come back with.

30th September 2009, 10:35 PM	#5
AxlOz Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Sydney Posts: 1,014	well i got a speedy reply from them earlier. They said the frets are generally all well finished and use this guage fret wire. The mahogany they sell in the kits is sourced from asian countries such as indonesia, and the painting for their custom shop kits is done offshore to keep costs down. I'm seriously considering giving one a go. More for the experience, but if i can do a good job of it I might drop some decent pups and hardware in it and have a cool gig axe for cheap. I'm now thinking of getting a les paul style and setting the neck myself..

1st October 2009, 9:38 AM	#8
AxlOz Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Sydney Posts: 1,014	sandwich, I'm assuming you're referring to guitaraust when you mention the bad neck..? Not KNE from Marlboro's post above..? I agree that its the most important part too, needs to be finished and refined. I've been keeping an eye on warmoth but so much of their stuff is just too exy, and once you factor in importing etc just isnt worth it.. Might as well buy a fender. Their LP bodies and necks are also pretty exy.. Marlboro, the KNE site seems to be not working too well atm so i'll try them again tonight/tomorrow. I had a look through the guitarfetish site last night and they seem to be pretty good for strats and teles. Good range of finishes. And their necks can be had finished and with a graphite nut preinstalled, which is always good. Amazingly cheap too. Would prefer to buy locally though if possible. I think a few people here have mentioned getting stuff from GFS before (marlboro, i think you were one of them actually..?) so i'll have a search through some old posts.

1st October 2009, 11:09 AM	#10
AxlOz Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Sydney Posts: 1,014	yeah i'd ideally want a set neck. actually i'd ideally want a neck thru, but set necks are good still. need that sustain!!! for a partscaster i'm thinking it might be worth trying the gfs necks and bodies, just to see how they shape up. Not a lot of $$ at stake really.

16th March 2011, 2:33 PM	#12
Optimus. Member Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 2,984	Bump! So given the recent awesome guitar kit build logs, I'm keen on giving it a ago. I'm looking for an SG-style bass guitar kit and according to an email response from http://www.guitarworx.com.au, with enough demand these kits can be made to order. Looking around various guitar kit sites, the 'Morris' branded kits at guitarworx.com.au look like they're the same kits which are also sold under the 'Saga' brand. Mind you, the guitarworx.com.au Morris kits are $100 cheaper than the Saga kits... I can't confirm that this is the case but going off the pictures, the head stocks and available models are the same. Plus in one of the recent build logs, the Morris kit apparently came with Saga instructions (and the wiring was reportedly different; maybe Morris switches out the electrics to keep the price down). In any case - I'm interested in knowing who the original kit supplier to both Morris and Saga is! Could go to them directly and ask for a small order of SG bass models... Does anyone have any idea who the original kit supplier is?

1st August 2011, 10:07 PM	#13
nidz Member Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 288	Hi there. I'm also loking to get one of the kits at guitarworx.com.au. I'm only starting to get into playing but I think making one up from scratch will also help me learn about it. I'm just not sure if it's junk or if it will be worth getting one. I'm looking at the Gibson Explorer style kit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpyiCVz8fvU Anyone got any opinions on this type of kit? __________________ Photography - My Flickr Page

2nd August 2011, 6:18 PM	#14
Stewey Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Brisbane Posts: 462	The guitarworx kits are not too bad quality. You will end up with a guitar that is about the same quality as a Squire, how well it plays though will depend on how well you do the set up. But this can also be said of a Squire. Have a search of this forum and you will find a couple of build threads where you can check out the quality. __________________ I'd Rather Be A BASS Player Club Member #07 OCAU Guitar Players Club

8th November 2011, 1:40 PM	#15
petmund New Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 4	another tele kit from guitarworx Hi guys , i'm new to this site/thread...blogging in general!... so i'm not sure how to start my own thread ... for fear of hijacking someone else's!... so if someone can point me in the right direction , it would be greatly appreciated! However ... just to chime in hear ... i just hinted to my wife and ended up with a tele kit from guitarworx ... and in doing some research after receiving the postal package i came across this site reading through Steweys bass build... and for a moment mistakenly thought it was a Saga kit .. and found it quiet reassuring to see he had mostly the same issues as i do... so guitar worx consistancy across their products is not so bad! I had started looking into different finishes , and thought well i wont be doing this often so i will put some effort into it...I also have a 5 string fret less bass project i started about 5 -6 years ago and have left it at a similar stage at where these kits are in the construction phase....and in doing STACKS of reading and picture googling to find out how they did what look, and trying to source decent products locally instead of the normal automotive or hardware store furniture grade products , I have decided to put an order through with www.guitaraust.com.au for some nitro lacquer and stain. I started shaping the head last night and put a coment on Facebook then a mate suggested i do a journal... so i will stat taking photos and copy all these rambling on to my own thread ... but in conclusion ... i would like to thank Stewey , Eagles 84 and Ravennoir for the inspiration Cheers