Some common mistakes to avoid

While electric guitar kits offer a relatively inexpensive way to get into guitar building it can quickly become expensive and time consuming if you run into trouble. For one you may need to replace components or finishing materials and worst case scenario some electric guitar kits become so problematic you may be better of starting over if you want a top quality result. Let’s face it if you are going to the trouble of building your own electric guitar kit chances are you want an instrument you can be proud to call your own.

We have listed some common mistakes below (many mentioned by our readers in 2011) in the hope of helping others avoid some of the more common pitfalls.

1. Glue in Necks
   There are a number of things that can go wrong when setting your electric guitar kit neck. Most kits such as saga electric guitar kits are of the bolt on variety and this will help you stay out of trouble generally (although you do still want to make sure your alignment is set correctly). But if your neck is a glue in model you need to get your scale length correct and make sure you are using a suitable glue. Scale length is extremely important, we wont go into detail here re: getting the scale length correct but we do have a useful article that will explain the situation better. As far as an appropriate glue to set your electric guitar kit neck stick to Titebond or something of a similar nature and make sure you use timber blocks when clamping to avoid damaging the neck. Depending on the glue you use you should let the neck sit for at least 12-24 hours and remember to only use as much glue as you need. If you use too much glue there is a strong chance you will have residual glue in between the neck and cavity which can impact upon your sustain, you should be aiming for neck against body timber.
2. Cutting your Headstock
   Start with the end in mind. e.g. have a template ready to go and transfer the shape you desire onto the electric guitar kit headstock before cutting the timber using something non-permanent e.g. carpenters pencil. Make sure when you do start cutting that you stay well and truly on the outside of the marking as it is always easier to adjust inwards than repair a cut made too close to the edge. Once happy with your shape start sanding back using a rough gauge sandpaper of file and work your way down to a light gauge sand paper. Be patient and consider your contours not just the edge of the headstock and you will end up with a great result.
3. Grain Filling
   

   A woodgrain filler such as Crystal Lac will do a great job of evenng out the surface of your guitar kits body

   Depending on the type of timber your electric guitar kit body is comprised of you may need to use a wood grain filler to fill the pores of the timber which will then allow a much more even surface for the next stage of finishing. Loose grained timbers such as Ash or Mahogany will generally require some treatment. Tightly grained timbers such as Maple generally won’t require a grain filler at all. When applying work the grain filler into the timber first working with the grain and then against it until you are satisfied you have a good even surface to commence painting.

4. Undercoating
   If you are going for a solid colour finish you will be applying an undercoat. Remember any bumps or marks left at this stage will only become more pronounced with every coat added here after so make sure you leave yourself a blemish free surface to paint on and remove any dust before you commence by wiping the guitar down with a damp cloth prior to undercoating. It’s important to remember to stick to only 1-2 coats and don’t apply too thick. The purpose of the undercoat is to allow you a good surface to paint on and nothing more. The timber of your guitar is an important factor in your tone (even in electric guitar kits) and it’s important that the finish is strong and protects the guitar but isn’t applied to such an extent that the natural timber tones are masked.
5. Finishing (don’t overdo it)
   While finishing generally applies to both previous steps as well as your solid colour coat and clear coats it should be noted that when painting the guitar that you apply your coats gradually and build up the colour slowly. There are two reasons for this:
   • Firstly if you apply light coats you will avoid runs which can be a real nuisance to fix on the go.
   • Secondly applying light coats allows you to gradually build up the colour. If you apply too much paint you can definitely impact up on the tone of your guitar as mentioned above as well as bring about issues some of our readers have mentioned such as having trouble getting your volume, tone and pickup switch selectors in place due to the paint being applied too thick underneath.
6. Wiring
   Another huge area of trouble is getting the electronics wired correctly. Again many guitar kits such as Saga Electric Guitar Kits will avoid this issue due to coming preconfigured with simple snap in place connections. Some models e.g. most Strat and Telecaster electric guitar kits will come with most of the wiring already taken care of leaving you just a small mount of work to complete the job. However many electric guitar kits require you to be fairly capable with a soldering iron as you will need to handle the job from start to finish e.g. most SG style guitar kits. Our tip is to pick your battles carefully, if you are not at all competant with a soldering iron or following schematic diagrams make sure you choose an electric guitar kit that isn’t demanding or have someone you can consult with to get you out of a tricky situation. Generally most guitar kit manufacturers will be more than happy to answer a few questions up front and help you make the right choice of guitar kit. If you do end up with a tricky wiring job however there are plenty of resources online to help as most of the common styles of electric guitar have a fairly standard wiring setup that you can simply copy.
7. Drying Time
   Don’t expect to be applying a clear finishing coat and then playing the guitar the next day. Typically your new electric guitar kit will remain tacky for a number of weeks. Generally the rule of thumb is the guitar will take about a week to get to about 90% dry and then at least 1-2 months to become really hard.Please, whatever you do don’t start rubbing back with find grade steel wool when still tacky, the fibers will become embedded in your still tacky coat and you will have a very big job on your hands to repair the damge done. When assembling and finishing electric guitar kits you really do need patience.

Finally just a note on the storage of components you require for your electric guitar kit. While this again may sound fairly obvious it comes up time and time again…ensure you put aside any components you don’t immediately require and store them in a safe, dust free environment where you can easily find when needed. As mentioned above assembling and then finishing a guitar kit can be a lengthy process and it is easy to lose components you require later on which can then be time consuming to replace.We hope the information above helps you avoid many of the common pitfalls some of our readers have ancountered when assembling their electric guitar kits. We have really only touched on some of the potential issues you may come across which isn’t to say assembling an electric guitar kit is an incredibly demanding job but if you want a great result you do need to be patient and do the right things.

On a sidenote, since it is the start of a new year. We would like to take this opportunity to wish you a fantastic 2012 and beyond. We have really enjoyed getting to know some of the readers of the site in 2011 and have been more than happy to help out where possible. There are a number of plans in the pipeline for the site in the not too distant future, including a gallery of reader electric guitar kits and some more great tutorials and reviews as they come to hand.

Remember if you have any questions please leave a comment below or email us at support@eguitarkits.com We’d love to hear from you.