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Started By
Message
Building partscasters
Posted on 8/20/25 at 4:29 pm
Posted on 8/20/25 at 4:29 pm
Anybody here build partscasters? I'm going to attempt one. Doing a t-style because I imagine it's probably the easiest. Ordered an XGP body and neck. I wanted to go with Warmoth, but figured I'd better go cheap on my first one in case I screw it up. Although, I've heard XGP parts are hit and miss. I haven't ordered the rest of the parts yet.
I ordered Bootstrap pickups and their turn around is 4-7 weeks, so I'm not in a big hurry.
I ordered Bootstrap pickups and their turn around is 4-7 weeks, so I'm not in a big hurry.
4
Posted on 8/20/25 at 5:38 pm to rexorotten
Paging fretshack
Posted on 8/21/25 at 10:24 am to rexorotten
The best partscaster advice I can offer on this and/or future builds is to ALWAYS get your body, your neck and the pickguard from the same source, whatever that source may be, if at all possible.
If you don't, and if your handpicked-from-different-vendors parts come back even a fraction of a mm or so off each other in spec, you will create a lot more work for yourself modifying the parts to make them work together, from both fit and finish and functionality perspectives. In the case of the latter, yes, one degree of mismatched tilt in the body pocket, one extra or one missing mm of neck heel thickness, etc. can completely throw off the geometry needed for the guitar to actually play well.
And there will likely be not so attractive trace evidence of your making mismatched parts work together. Chipped paint around the neck pocket and poorly fit pickguards are the most common uh-ohs I see.
With XGP, you will likely need a pro fret leveling, recrowning and polishing to get best performance results, and gauged-file-cut nut slotting, so budget in farming that out if you can't do it yourself.
Segue into my most recent pickup demo build ... that's yummy candy tangerine thin-skin nitro ...
If you don't, and if your handpicked-from-different-vendors parts come back even a fraction of a mm or so off each other in spec, you will create a lot more work for yourself modifying the parts to make them work together, from both fit and finish and functionality perspectives. In the case of the latter, yes, one degree of mismatched tilt in the body pocket, one extra or one missing mm of neck heel thickness, etc. can completely throw off the geometry needed for the guitar to actually play well.
And there will likely be not so attractive trace evidence of your making mismatched parts work together. Chipped paint around the neck pocket and poorly fit pickguards are the most common uh-ohs I see.
With XGP, you will likely need a pro fret leveling, recrowning and polishing to get best performance results, and gauged-file-cut nut slotting, so budget in farming that out if you can't do it yourself.
Segue into my most recent pickup demo build ... that's yummy candy tangerine thin-skin nitro ...
Posted on 8/21/25 at 10:59 am to TheFretShack
Whoa, that looks amazing. Thanks for the advise. It's going to be a learning experience for sure.
Posted on 8/21/25 at 12:18 pm to rexorotten
Did you get a finished body, or will you finish it yourself?
I've got 1 telly body from XGP that I haven't put together. It's a natural ash with clear coat.
It looks great, but 1 of the neck screw holes was drilled off a bit, and that pissed me off.
Do you have a pretty good shop to work in? It's a pretty fun hobby that really doesn't cost much.
I've got 1 telly body from XGP that I haven't put together. It's a natural ash with clear coat.
It looks great, but 1 of the neck screw holes was drilled off a bit, and that pissed me off.
Do you have a pretty good shop to work in? It's a pretty fun hobby that really doesn't cost much.
Posted on 8/21/25 at 12:33 pm to auggie
I bought a finished sonic blue body. I have a shop, limited tools, but shouldn't need to much I don't think.
Posted on 8/21/25 at 12:45 pm to rexorotten
I've just been getting unfinished bodies and finished roasted maple necks from Supratone since then. They don't come with any of the holes drilled, but I have an old Bridgeport milling machine that is fine for doing that.
They have some really nice woods and all made in the U.S.
I mostly do colored stains to let the grain of the wood show, but I am practicing my painting and getting up my nerve to try it on a telly body.
They have some really nice woods and all made in the U.S.
I mostly do colored stains to let the grain of the wood show, but I am practicing my painting and getting up my nerve to try it on a telly body.
Posted on 8/21/25 at 1:20 pm to auggie
This is the body I ordered. No bridge mount holes and I'll have to install the string ferrules. The neck doesn't have mounting holes drilled either. I wouldn't ever wanna tackle one without any holes drilled.
Posted on 8/21/25 at 1:26 pm to rexorotten
Looks nice. Have you done a soft build?
Posted on 8/21/25 at 1:29 pm to auggie
None of the parts are here yet.
Posted on 8/21/25 at 1:37 pm to rexorotten
quote:
None of the parts are here yet.
Ah, OK.
Might want to check out this company too.
LINK
Also check out the StewMac kits, they have complete kits and the quality is pretty dang good.
I've got a LP junior that I built from their kit and it's great.
This post was edited on 8/21/25 at 2:34 pm
Posted on 8/22/25 at 9:08 pm to TheFretShack
That is so sweet
Posted on 9/3/25 at 7:21 pm to rexorotten
Here's what I have so far. 8mm string ferrules were supposed to fit this body. I ordered K13's directly from them as they said K13,14 or 15 would work. They were way too big. They must have drilled the wrong size ferrule holes in this body. I ordered some 6mm ferrules from Amazon and they worked great. I bought some locking tuners from Amazon and had to ream the holes out a bit to get the bushings to fit.
If you look at the top left side of the bridge pickup route, you'll see some body material there. It must not be routed quite right. No problem, I'm gonna dremel it. I don't think the nut is slotted right. The low E side is further away from the fretboard edge than the high E side at the nut. I'm going to replace the nut with a tusq one. I'm impressed with the fret ends. Very smooth, no rough edges whatsoever. I'm done for now until the pickups get here (Bootstrap Pretzels), which will probably be 2-5 weeks.
I still have to install the string tree, control plate/electronics, pickguard (tortoise shell), pickups and strap buttons.
I'm thinking the hard part will be trying to get it set up after it's finished.
If you look at the top left side of the bridge pickup route, you'll see some body material there. It must not be routed quite right. No problem, I'm gonna dremel it. I don't think the nut is slotted right. The low E side is further away from the fretboard edge than the high E side at the nut. I'm going to replace the nut with a tusq one. I'm impressed with the fret ends. Very smooth, no rough edges whatsoever. I'm done for now until the pickups get here (Bootstrap Pretzels), which will probably be 2-5 weeks.
I still have to install the string tree, control plate/electronics, pickguard (tortoise shell), pickups and strap buttons.
I'm thinking the hard part will be trying to get it set up after it's finished.
This post was edited on 9/3/25 at 7:28 pm
Posted on 9/4/25 at 9:22 am to rexorotten
I am really starting to think I need another strat... 
Posted on 9/4/25 at 9:55 am to rexorotten
I've only ordered 1 body from GFS. 1 difference I'm noticing between that body and yours: on mine, they drilled a hole with a very long bit, from the corner of the neck pocket, through the neck pickup rout to the control cavity for neck pickup wiring.
I haven't put it together yet, but I like that they did that. Sometimes the pickup wiring can be kind of short.
That looks really nice though. Are you going to put a pickguard on it, or go without one? It might look damn good without one.
I've never ordered a neck from them, but that headstock shape looks pretty cool.
I haven't put it together yet, but I like that they did that. Sometimes the pickup wiring can be kind of short.
That looks really nice though. Are you going to put a pickguard on it, or go without one? It might look damn good without one.
I've never ordered a neck from them, but that headstock shape looks pretty cool.
Posted on 9/4/25 at 10:45 am to auggie
Putting a tortoise shell pick guard on it.
Posted on 9/4/25 at 10:51 am to rexorotten
quote:
Putting a tortoise shell pick guard on it.
I have a classic vibe Mustang that's about that same color, it has a red tortoise pickguard and looks really good.
That guitar is for sale BTW.
Posted on 9/4/25 at 3:26 pm to rexorotten
How do you ensure that the bridge is mounted perfectly straight? There’s more room for error when putting the bridge over the string holes than there appears to be.
Posted on 9/4/25 at 3:32 pm to 45acp
I taped up the body so I could draw on it. Took a straight edge against both sides of the neck and drew lines all the way down the body Used a square to make sure the string holes were square. Found the center point and set the bridge down. The pre-drilled string holes were matched my measurements. Also, I measured the scale length with the neck on and the bridge in place to make sure the saddles could land at 25.5". Then I just marked the centers of the 4 bridge mount holes. Hit em with an awl and drilled them out.
Posted on 9/4/25 at 3:36 pm to auggie
The pick guard showed up today.
My pictures look like shite. I'm not sure why.
My pictures look like shite. I'm not sure why.
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