Which company to make a guitar?

[HoosierDaddy]

Hey guys. If you were going to put together a guitar like the RG3XXV 25th Anniversary, but want to do so yourself, where would you buy the body and neck? Who does so with enough quality and yet not too expenisve? I just need the neck and body and I'll install the hardware and pickups.. I'll be using a Low Pro Edge if I do this and then I"ll probably use an EMG 85 in the bridge and an S or SA in the neck.. Otherwise, it will just look like the RG3XXV 25th Anniversary guitar which I just love the looks of. I don't want to buy the Ibanez one as I hate to say it, but I think I can build it to my specs better and although it will for sure be more expensive, I can do so a part at a time after getting a good supplier. It's hard to find anyone though that will make a neck similiar to the Ibanez headstock.. I want a reverse headstock too. I thought about buying used on Ebay, but too much time involved and never knowing what you're going to get. Now new on Ebay would be great..
Thanks for any advise in advance. Great forum. Just love this forum.
Tim

[j.arledge]

i have had bad luck doing what you are trying to do now.

I wanted a custom jem style guitar. So at the time legacy1 guitar was new and a few other were buying from them. So i bought a neck from them. Maple on maple with a blue vine inlay. I got the neck and it was terrible. Just bad all around, frets, finish quality.

I sent it back and never got a refund so i was out 215. I tried to get it back but short of going there to jack the guy up myself i wasn't getting my money back.

So i found chris woods. He had a neck and body already made. The body was on sale and so was the neck so i bought both from him. Well the neck pocket was cut too deep for the neck so i had to take a neck plate and drill through it to fit the AANJ. So i literally have a neck plate in the neck pocket itself to raise the height of the neck and the neck is still a touch too low in the neck pocket.

Whatever you do make sure you use the same person to make both the neck and body. Try to find some one with a good rep and be cautious about how much they are making you pay and the time line they give you.

I know it isn't an Ibanez but i would strongly recommend warmoth.com . They are excellent at what they do, make an outstanding quality product and offer a wide number of options including a wizard profile neck and custom headstock designs.

So i would say get a soloist body like this one (maybe not yellow)

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/Show...dy=2&Path=Body

and then get a neck with 24 frets. Here is the instock selection

http://www.warmoth.com/Pages/Classic...light&frets=19

[LonePhantom]

etguitars.com - will take a while, but Ernie does awesome work for a good price.

[Stealthtastic]

ET is backlogged and I've heard he is extremely slow to reply to people. Your best bet is probably LiveWire guitars. They are US based and I've had a great experience with LiveWire so far. He's a good guy and he seems like he pays a lot of attention to little details.

They are CHEAP too!

http://livewireguitars.com/

Also check out their Ebay account, he has a really good rep but just broke into the forum scene recently.

[AlaskaBat]

Nate Pearle of Pearle Guitars.
If I read you post correctly, you're not building the guitar--but assembling from premade parts.
You can also try Chris at MaiGuitar.

[D.M.RG7620]

You could just find a used RG565 and replace the pickups.

It's almost exactly what you're describing.

[HoosierDaddy]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the links. Thanks D.M.R7620, I was thinking of buying a used RG565, but I rarely see one that's cheap enough, and I want to get a custom neck that's thicker maybe, and a different radius, etc,.. and the old 4 bolt screw neck block instead of the AANJ maybe, etc,.. Thanks so much to everyone. Any other links please post them..
Tim

[worldrecordholder]

Tim, scabbing together a guitar from pre made parts isnt exactly like 'building' a guitar (*not that there is anything wrong with that, providing you can get parts that work together).

Basically what you SHOULD do is get yourself a routing table, make a template (*or pony for CNC) and start building your own.

I have built thousands (no joke) of guitars and basses. You would be surprised how easy it is to build solid body guitars from the ground up, plus.....the ladies go crazy for a guy that builds his own.

~JH

[j.arledge]

Originally Posted by worldrecordholder

Tim, scabbing together a guitar from pre made parts isnt exactly like 'building' a guitar (*not that there is anything wrong with that, providing you can get parts that work together).

Basically what you SHOULD do is get yourself a routing table, make a template (*or pony for CNC) and start building your own.

I have built thousands (no joke) of guitars and basses. You would be surprised how easy it is to build solid body guitars from the ground up, plus.....the ladies go crazy for a guy that builds his own.

~JH

it is true you dont need just a whole lot of tools to build a body yourself. I have a body that i cut out and need to finish myself.

The only issue is it does take a little skill and know how with using tools and being able to plan right.

the neck to me is the tricky part. Geting the right consistent profile on the back of the neck and the taper of the neck from nut to heel. That one i havn't figured out. Also installing frets(radius, leveling, crowning, ) requires a some specific tools.

[HoosierDaddy]

Hi, worldrecordholder.

Hey, I appreciate the advise. I thought about this, but right now I just don't have the time to do so. That said, I also want to make sure when I do build a guitar instead of putting one together like this project, I want it to be a neck thru.. So, if I were going to build a guitar now with the tools, etc, that I have at my disposal, it would definately be a neck thru body. I'd buy the neck from Carvin or online and then add the wings, etc, .. But, I'm wanting a quick dirty way to get a cool reverse headstock rg565 or whatever they are.. I love them.. and I want to be able to paint it myself, etc,. and not spend a ton of money, etc,. I hope to find the parts.. and I see a lot of folks on here gave me some good ideas.. I also thought about using one that is a hard tail.. for instance instead of a trem guitar.. etc,. etc.. I want a big thick neck like a wolfgang for instance which is my favorite neck. I want stainless medium jumbo frets if I can find them, etc,..
Thanks guys.. I appreciate it..
Tim

Originally Posted by worldrecordholder

Tim, scabbing together a guitar from pre made parts isnt exactly like 'building' a guitar (*not that there is anything wrong with that, providing you can get parts that work together).

Basically what you SHOULD do is get yourself a routing table, make a template (*or pony for CNC) and start building your own.

I have built thousands (no joke) of guitars and basses. You would be surprised how easy it is to build solid body guitars from the ground up, plus.....the ladies go crazy for a guy that builds his own.

~JH

[HoosierDaddy]

Thanks Alaska.

Yeah, I'm going to build one or put one together. It might end up being an RG instead of the RG565 model since I can't seem to find the parts for it. I can find standard RG parts pretty easy on ebay.. So, we will see. I'm dying to try my hand at some custom painting via your instructions sir with the Krylon. I think I can make it come out ok.. We shall see. It might take me a couple years as busy as I am, but that's fine too. Half the fun is taking my time and enjoying the process.. When your as old as I am especially..hehe..
Tim

Originally Posted by AlaskaBat

Nate Pearle of Pearle Guitars.
If I read you post correctly, you're not building the guitar--but assembling from premade parts.
You can also try Chris at MaiGuitar.

[HoosierDaddy]

Hey J,
Thanks for the advise. I've used Warmoth and they do have great stuff.. I built a custom Kramer once and it came out perfect. I bought the neck and body from them, and then used a FLoyd that came off an older Kramer from japan and it just dropped right in after I installed all the parts, etc,.. Was easy to setup and had no problems at all. Ended up selling it to a guy that took it and had it painted and it looks awesome now.. I wish I'd kept it..LOL.. Oh well, half the fun is trading and buying.. I have a terrible case of GAS and little money.. so I trade constantly.. LOL..
Tim

Originally Posted by j.arledge

i have had bad luck doing what you are trying to do now.

I wanted a custom jem style guitar. So at the time legacy1 guitar was new and a few other were buying from them. So i bought a neck from them. Maple on maple with a blue vine inlay. I got the neck and it was terrible. Just bad all around, frets, finish quality.

I sent it back and never got a refund so i was out 215. I tried to get it back but short of going there to jack the guy up myself i wasn't getting my money back.

So i found chris woods. He had a neck and body already made. The body was on sale and so was the neck so i bought both from him. Well the neck pocket was cut too deep for the neck so i had to take a neck plate and drill through it to fit the AANJ. So i literally have a neck plate in the neck pocket itself to raise the height of the neck and the neck is still a touch too low in the neck pocket.

Whatever you do make sure you use the same person to make both the neck and body. Try to find some one with a good rep and be cautious about how much they are making you pay and the time line they give you.

I know it isn't an Ibanez but i would strongly recommend warmoth.com . They are excellent at what they do, make an outstanding quality product and offer a wide number of options including a wizard profile neck and custom headstock designs.

So i would say get a soloist body like this one (maybe not yellow)

http://www.warmoth.com/Showcase/Show...dy=2&Path=Body

and then get a neck with 24 frets. Here is the instock selection

http://www.warmoth.com/Pages/Classic...light&frets=19

[HoosierDaddy]

Stealth.
Have you bought bodies and or necks from the guy at Liverwire? If so, did you really like them and did the fit togther ok, etc? Thanks man.. Send me a private message if you want and you don't mind telling me what you bought and how it worked out. I'd love to know. I went to his site, but it's a little difficult to use.. I will email him later..
Regards
Tim

Originally Posted by Stealthtastic

ET is backlogged and I've heard he is extremely slow to reply to people. Your best bet is probably LiveWire guitars. They are US based and I've had a great experience with LiveWire so far. He's a good guy and he seems like he pays a lot of attention to little details.

They are CHEAP too!

http://livewireguitars.com/

Also check out their Ebay account, he has a really good rep but just broke into the forum scene recently.