Comparison of DIY Guitar Kits by Price

          In the market for DIY guitar kits, or just checking out what's out there?  At first it can be pretty intimidating to compare the options, so I made an (excessively) simple chart to compare some of the options out there.

          Of course, quality varies quite a bit by maker, and there's a wide range of prices by each maker and distributor, but I took a rough average for a fairly simple (but not bottom-end) guitar kit by each distributor so you get the general idea of where to shop around for your budget.

          It is interesting to see such a strict divide between makers; a plethora of "low tier" kits $200 and under (most peak at about $200 for a semi-hollow or ES-335 style guitar) and the "high end" kits where body and neck each cost near $200, hardware and electronics excluded.  Whatever your budget or needs, this should help give a rough overview of the market, hope it helps!

"Gem" by Eric Johnson guitar cover

My cover of this awesome instrumental by Eric Johnson, enjoy!

More Frankenstrat build photos

Because it's pretty.

Old tunes played on a cheap vintage "Melodier" guitar

I thought a fun way to demo/introduce this guitar would be to play a few oldies on it.  It may not be the best sounding guitar but it definitely has some of that vintage vibe.

New Guitar Day: Cheap Japanese "Melodier"

          It's another NGD with a rather unusual find - one of those vintage Japanese guitars that were cranked out in all sorts of funky shapes from the 50's through the early 70's.  The most common brand was Teisco, and sometimes all guitars of the sort are referred to as such, but this guitar is labeled as a much less common "Melodier" guitar.

          While these guitars have never been praised for their playability or sound, it's been a very fun project fixing up this little oddball piece of history and turning it into a decent and quirky music maker.

Spanish Romance Cover

Here's my take on this timeless staple of classical guitar music, hope you enjoy it!