Building the PERFECT Les Paul Guitar Kit!! 

Awesome new LP kit build for you guys this week! Enjoy :)

I, for one, am a fan of More Paul

A tip I was once shown by a cabinetmaker is to drag the screw across a candle before inserting for first time, the small amount of wax is enough to stop the screwdriver tip rounding out the screw head and makes the actual screw driving a lot easier on the arm !

Darrell, you’ve gotta be one of my top 5 favorite RU-vidrs. Between the awesome content you put out, your constant uplifting positivity, and your enthusiasm for what you do, I can see you really put a lot of effort into making these videos and educating people about guitars. Just thought I’d let you know I love all of your content and I’m glad you make it!

Your content is the reason I love exploring alternatives to mainstream guitar brands and just the science behind guitars in general!

Thanks for filming builds for the person with limited money & tools, who's just starting out. Can't wait to see the rest 👍

I'm a huge Les Paul fan I went through dozens of different guitars before I pretty much went full circle and settled on Les Pauls as my favorite. I have four LP guitars but I may need to build this one because it looks BEAUTIFUL

Thanks for this post. I a father of 4 and on a tight budget. I saw another one of your videos about the Harley Benton HB-35 Plus. I bought it and it played and had great tones right out of the box. After that, I had to save my pennies to get a case. I went to the link you shared at Sologuitar and found a good deal on a hard shell case. Thanx for all your help.

Was looking at these Solo kits a lot lately, glad to see you were happy with yours.

Your timing for epic videos is perfect!! Never seen a LP kit and tackle one. Also like the new amp rack not surprised you get such amazing tone on a totally compressed RU-vid format. Thanks

I like the basic tune up you did on the neck. Thank you for teaching us the latest techniques Darrell

Love the content. Can't wait until its complete. We have Les Paul builds, Tele style builds, Strat style builds. Time for a V, ES style, Firebird, or something else completely different. Well done sir.

Yes finally haha I’ve been waiting for another build video 😀

I love Solo guitars. I've always had pleasant experiences with them.

Really excellent build video. As always you do such a great job explaining everything and inspiring people to step out of their comfort zone a bit. The idea of starting with the body pre-finished makes this build a bit less daunting. Thanks again.

These kits are cool. That’s a good way to discover the inside of guitars with fun. Plus you have a new guitar at the end !

Awesome work as always Darrell. That’s a great kit for a starter for sure.

The texture/grain on the fretboard looks gorgeous!

I as a builder and assembler have used Solo for several things a d have found gheir products to be quite good the service friendly helpful and knowlegable. Their products are priced competitively and their parts tools supplies department is vast. Good stuff.👍

I’m a fender fanboy but there’s just something about a Les Paul with a flame maple top.

Really happy to see you doing a Les Paul style build. That sure is a gorgeous body.

Love the new background and the amps look really cool.

So much fun, My luthier buddy put together a Gibson scale, ebony board, large headstock, natural finish Strat, tortoise guard with Seymour Duncan single coil size bridge bucker. Your channel is a blast.

Darrell thanks for always answering and reviewing the gear I dwell on.

Awesome Darrell I just love these kit guitar build videos.

This kit looks stunning Thanks for sharing it with us

Beautiful burst...Nice one! Thanks for the info. Looks like a very easy guitar assembly.

Great video, Darrell. I didn't know that they had pre-finished kits as this is always a stress point for me as well. I have to have it be perfect. As a person who has done a couple of builds, I suggest shielding the pickup pockets as well as the control pockets and sending that all to the ground lead. I find, in my area of the states, that it reduces that annoying 60 hz hum that we tend to pick up. Thank you, Sir. Love your videos.

excited for the part 2 and how it sounds!

Awesome kit, and the best video online. Thank you very much DBG !

I like the scarf joint and neck look after the finish was applied. Great video.

Very instructional especially your treatment of the neck - good tips for us all! It would be fun to watch you do an amplifier kit build next...

Excellent instructor, good training video.

Been looking at Solo kits for a while now. Great video! Thx!

I appreciate that you use the Canadian company, SoloMusic. Most other RU-vidrs use American DIY companies that we can't easily get here.

First 15 seconds I’m thinking, “oh, I hope it’s a Solo kit, I’d like to try one of those.’ 20 seconds in. ‘Yes!’

I've watched a lot of different guitar channels but DB is the Best. Always detailed and informative!!! 😎👍👌💯✔️✔️

Not watnting to deal across the US border with customs, credit cards, exchange rate, shipping etc, I decided to try Solo for some tools for a fret job on my mandolin. I needed help with some items and called the number and a person answers the phone. He is knowledgable and Padraig helped me to get exactly what I needed, being new at this. Being able to pay with e-transfer was another bonus, and shipping was quick with Expedited. In short - I trust Solo - not easy to say these days. I'm glad Darrell did this build or I would not have found Solo otherwise. Maybe I will build that Les Paul now and will remember to use your link.

Great video DB. Thanks man 😎👍👌💯

Beautiful kit

Can't wait to see it gets finished

Thank’s for this building video. They are amazing.

Excellent I want a lefthanded one like that. Great finish, good choice wipe on polly for the neck!

Very meticulous job Darrell. Very nice! Cheers from Indonesia.

I’m sure you already know but, those foam sanding that you can get from the hardware store are PERFECT for running down the side of your fret board!

your Talent is truly amazing!!! watching here from the 🇵🇭 PHILIPPINES

I live in Ontario and have been toying around with building a Warmoth guitar then I watch this video and see the solo guitar kits I didn't realize they were in Concord Ontario that's only 6 hours away from me I'll have to look into solo more now before I pull the trigger.its "local" to me and canadian made

I've been looking st getting one of these! Awesome video

i dont own a guitar.. but i have to say i very much enjoy your review style and thorough/thoughtfulness.... not to mention your excellent playing..

Awesome kit, I got a telecaster build kit from Grizzy industrial woodworking about 12-15 years ago had to paint it and contour the headstock super fun build learned a lot this look like a fun kit to build too nice

Very beautiful kit!

New subscriber, I love guitars happy new year

Currently building a Jackocaster, 61 years playing, disabled vet, plenty of time

Now that is an awesome kit.

Great build so far Darrell! Love your channel... really tempted to drop the coin for this kit, I don't have a LP style in my herd... I'll check to see if they have the body/w/neck hardware kit. Like you have done on pasts videos, have to upgrade!! Cheers!

Excellent. I learn a lot from your videos

Completed 2 tube amp builds in 2020 so far as well as some old audio amps to guitar use. One amp was an 18 watt marshall build. Fun stuff. Never thought of doin a guitar. Just might have to

The two solo kits I built needed a fret level. I love Birchwood Casey Tru-oil for necks. If you take your time it comes out awesome.

Cool video man😈🤘

Strings. Use the cheapo set to do the initial setting up then fit some decent one's. Always a good idea as denting and bending the strings in the wrong place is a natural part of setting up.

Man, I really want to get one these and build a "signature" guitar of sorts now Seems like it would be a nice little project I could do in my spare time

When you got ready to finish the back of the neck I thought, I’d bet Watco would be good to use. Then you just blew my mind when you pulled out the Watco. Awesome choice.

I Use the fretguru ultimate fret end file starting at the bottom of your fret push it up and over to the center 2 times on each side of the fret then take your neck and run 3M TriMite wet/dry polishing paper up and down the edge holding at approximately a 35° to 45° degree angle. You can feel it when it's correct. Starting with the coarsest grit which is olive green and work your way up through the color code is grits I usually go up and down about 8 times twice 16 times total per side per Grit. This will give you perfect hot dog/hemispherical shaped ends, very easy to do. I also use the 3M polishing paper to polish the frets and the fretboard at the same time. I do not waste time and tape taping up the fretboard. I use the polishingp paper on the Frets pressing mostly on the sides your finger will get a little bit over-the-top. This prevents you from wearing away on the top and maybe slightly knocking your Frets out of level when you do the left side and the right side of the Fret maybe for the first 3 to 5 frets you will have a little place in the center where your fingers do not touch you'll have to rub over that too. After the 5th fret or so the Frets are close enough together your finger overlaps in the center so you no longer have to do that little teeny piece in the center that doesn't quite overlap with your fingers when you're polishing. I do the entire length of the fretboard and then I do the sides like I was telling you holding it at an angle with each Grit. When I get done I have perfectly rounded ends and Fret that look like newly polished chrome. The Frets look like mirrors and the fretboard looks finished like a lacquered Maple fretboard. It's so shiny because Rosewood or Ebony is so hard it Buffs up like a polished Rock. Everybody's guitar that I have done this to asks me how did I get the Fret board to look like that. It looks like it's got to finish on it, but it doesn't, it's just that I've polish the wood to a mirror shine at the same time that I've polish the frets. This does not take any longer than polishing the frets because when you rub both sides of the Fret you're rubbing half or more of the space between the Fret if you don't tape it you're rubbing the wood and the Fred at the same time the only place that you have to rub a little bit more is probably the first five Frets where you have to rub an extra time in the center where your fingers don't overlap, but you save so much time taping it that it ends up not taking any longer than just polishing the Frets. If you cry this once you will never try it another way. If you try the Fret Guru ultimate fret in file you won't use anything else. They are expensive but they are perfect for creating binding nibs and filing fret ends. They have a mirror polished bottom so when you run them over your guitar they don't scratch anything. The sides are what cut. They're a Square file and the nose has been rounded over in case you slip so you won't get out A Great Big Gouge in the body when you're working on the portion of the Frets that are over the body. I get my 3M polishing paper from Rio Grande jewelry supply because you get two 9"× 11" sheets of each of the 6 grits, a total of 12 sheets for the same price that everybody else charges for 6 sheets when you buy the assortment pack. It's about $15 American the last time I bought any. Make sure you put a mark on the back of the last grit. The color is such a pale shade of green it looks White and you can't tell the front from the back. You can easily mix it up and you won't be doing anything by using the back side it's 8000 grit so you can't even feel the grit on it. I Mark the back of the paper in 4 places because I cut it lengthwise and crosswise giving me the perfect size 1/4 sheet little piece. When folded in a trifold it's just right for working on your guitar so I put 4 marks per sheet. If you tried this once you will always do this you will love the way it makes your fretboard feel. I also use fret doctor or bore doctor from doctors products. It's the same product with two different labels. It started out as a clarinet bore oil, but they realized how good it was for fretboards so they labeled some of it fret doctor. It's pricey but it's the best oil on the market it's a blend of tropical hardwood oils and does not clog up the pores of your fretboard like fretboard oil which is lemon scented mineral oil or seal up the pores of your fretboard like linseed oil products do which dry and give you kind of like a finish. This oil replaces the oil in Rosewood Ebony or other tropical hardwood fret boards with the same type of oil they had in them naturally because it's tropical hardwood oil with a little bit of antioxidants in it to preserve it. I have watched it penetrate completely through a fretboard all the way down to the neck. I recently ordered some I'm waiting for it to come in should be here any day now from Willcutt Guitars because they're the only place that I can find that still carries it in the 60 ml/ 2 Oz size and it's only a little more than the 30 ml/ 2 size. For a few dollars more you get double the amount. Nobody seems to have that size anymore except Willcutt Guitars. I hope this helps you God Bless!! Jimmy in NC....

Love them kit build videos.

your videos are a lot of fun to watch. thanks. i am trying to decide between PRS Pauls Guitar or Les Paul 60. I hope to make a good decision Haha

14:02 And make sure before you start sanding the frets, you put blue painters tape on each side of the fret so you don't scratch the fingerboards! I'm not a guitar tech but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night!!!

Was definitely going to mention you not doing the ground wire while watching the video....luckily I finished watching. I do like the finish on the guitar. Always wondered what they looked like

Wow beautiful unboxing.

Hey Darrell, I've been a big fan of your channel for years now. I think I'm ready to build my own LP....just wonder if they make any of these kit that will fit mini humbuckers or P90's. I have a set of vintage minis and the pots. Any thoughts? You've created a luthier monster here in Michigan. Thanks for everything you do...you are an inspirational teacher. Keep up the fantastic work my friend.

I'm a simple man, I see Les Paul, I click!

Great build👍

SOLI DEO GLORIA! Love it my Brother...

This is a really great RU-vid channel.

Man, it's the first time I noticed the "SOLI DEO GLORIA!" at end of the description! I'm a week late, but happy reformed day haha!

Thanks for the wipe on poly tip. I‘ve been using Tru Oil but looking to try something new for a change.

A couple of other finishes I like for the neck are Zinisser Shellac and Tru-oil gunstock oil. Both feel more vintage than poly.

Tuning "machines" ? That's a really nice kit! I did a Firebird kit and getting the finish nice is definitely a learning curve.

That's a very nice kit. The finish on the body looks very pretty. Could you have included some sort of transfer logo on the machine head before applying the finish? Maybe something like "Solo DBG" to give it a more personalised look? Also would it be better to exchange the dime pots with better quality pots? Looking forward to part 2. Thanks for posting.

beautiful fingerboard!

I've got a glary like that one Daryl and I love it although mine has the humbucker in the neck. And the color is translucent red. But I love that guitar plays great sounds great.

Thanks for doing this video

Can't wait to listen this bad boy!

The finish is really technical. I have butchered a few guitars with my own custom finishes. I did attempt a diy and the neck pocket and string action were seriously bad from the factory. That was the last one I ever tried. I am more of a composer/recording type player but I admire folks that can build guitars.

I like the show you make it fun to watch.

as a long time player and beginner builder this is awesome

Yeah, that's really nice, man! Good choices, that'll be a very pretty guitar when its done. The color on the fretboard was surprisingly pretty. Shoulda put you a little logo on the headstock man.

You mentioned in the second part if we would like to see another kit build absolutely. The same company. The strat solder less finished kit. I'm sure I am not the only channel subscriber here curious to see and hear how their kit sounds against an actual Fender strat. Looked like a decent kit even the alder body kit looked decent but absolutely curious to how it comes together and how it sounds put against a genuine strat. Loved watching the Les Paul come together. Any fret buzz or weird noises in the electronics you've found I know alot of these kits tend to have really lousy necks and fret buzz bad string heights had one that was what I ended up calling a cheese slicer and ended up on my wall as a decorative piece couldn't enjoy playing it at all enjoyed the build but not the guitar after the fact as I am sure alot of others here have had the same experience. As always awesome video really enjoyed this one especially watching the poly finish. I would love to see one of these kits come out in a warrior body and get to compare one to my Jackson Warrior 24m. Amplifier sounded great was curious what interface you were using cab sims etc Thank you for this video.

Bravo... clair et bien détaillé !

Love the kits, love to build a Les Paul or jr

You should definitely look into boiled linseed oil for your neck finishes. Its as easy a finish as wipe on poly, but looks and feels a lot nicer when it's done. Just wipe on coats til your satisfied with the color then let cure for a week or so (Japan drier can speed this up to a day or two). Leave as is for a satin look/feel, or wipe on a coat or two of tru oil for a high gloss finish. Personally i think it's the best looking and feeling neck finish you can do, and just happens to be one of the easiest.

I'm disappointed I was expecting you to take us to your garage for sanding the neck anyway, Another great video of yours Can't wait to see how the whole thing is going to turn out Thanks for sharing

This would be an ideal candidate for some GFS Kwikplug pickups and a wiring kit.

Darrell, kit guitars, prefinished to boot seems awesome! If you can, please continue this series! For those of us who don't have a soldering gun or soldering skills, are there guitar kits with actual electronic PLUG connectors to make it more convenient for folks like us?

Really excellent video Darrell I may attempt a build ...

Great build

Da4ell hi Doug again.I like the way you did the neck on the Les paul.groovy

Wow that’s awesome

Awesome build. I would love to see a build similar to the Aldo Nova Les Paul.

Wow looks good 👍

That's a nice finish