Building Guitars from Parts

Do you love the classic shape and sound of a Stratocaster or Telecaster®, but wish you could customize it to your specifications?

Or perhaps a Jazzmaster® or Mustang® may be more your style.

Do you want a guitar that is made with high-quality materials and craftsmanship, but without breaking the bank? 

Are you looking for a guitar that’s truly yours and reflects your personality and musical tastes?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you need to consider building a guitar from parts. Bodies and necks are readily available not just from Fender, but also companies such as Warmoth and Musikraft.

A guitar or bass made from parts such as this is often called a partscaster.

Assembling a guitar this way makes it possible to let you choose every detail, from the body wood and finish, to the neck shape and frets, to the pickups and hardware. You can build your own dream guitar from scratch, or decide from hundreds of ready-made options on a website such as http://www.warmoth.com. You can create a guitar that looks vintage or modern, simple or flashy, traditional or exotic.

A Warmoth stratocaster, for example, is not just a guitar for hobbyists, though. It’s also a guitar for professionals who want to have complete control over their tone and playability. Premium woods and components that ensure durability and stability can be selected. Furthermore, it’s compatible with any standard Strat® parts and accessories that can enhance your performance. It’s backed by Warmoth’s reputation as one of the leading custom guitar builders in the world.

To give a rough idea, the cost of a Warmoth “Stratocaster” at the time of writing depends on the options you choose for your guitar. You can use their online body builder and neck builder tools to see the prices for different combinations of woods, finishes, shapes, and features. The prices range from about $300 to over $1000 for a complete body and neck. You also need to add the cost of pickups, hardware and accessories, which vary depending on your preferences. You can find some examples of ready-made guitars made from Warmoth parts on Reverb, where they sell for around $1000 to $2000.

A great resource if you want to get started is Unofficial Warmoth Forum where the forum members including myself are available with help and advice.