DIY $65 eBay Stratocaster guitar kit (Step by Step) 

The painting method is interesting and I plan to try it, I use shellac and silica dyes. The tremolo claw doesn't need to be screwed down all the way, it is designed as a way to adjust tension. Also never use just one spring unless your only using one string. 3 to 5 is normal, 2 occasionally.

You've got the patience and good instincts to get the job done properly, and you exhibit a sweet & gentle spirit. Cheers and well done on a high quality finished product. It was a pleasure to watch you work.

why the hell am i watching this there's no way i'm gonna build a diy guitar anytime soon lol. however, this is a great video. i find it interesting to watch :)

Loved how you did the acrylic stain on the body... old school, effective, and no spraying

never know you can paint solid like that with acrylic water and mutiple tru oil , finish is good ! learn alot from your videos , nice

That color is great. I've never seen anyone take that approach to finishing a guitar body. Thanks for showing me something new.

Some things I'd like to add to people who's trying to get one of these kits: - Use Aluminum or copper foil tape on the pickup cavity. It will reduce the hum these guitars have - That plastic of the bolt plate where the neck goes, just remove it. It kills the sustain - Isn't thaaat necessarily to mount the backplate where the springs goes, some guitar players takes em off. In fact, Fender sells some guitars that actually don't have that cover at all - Put a bit of foam between the bridge springs. It causes some annoying hum as well - Don't glue the nut unless it's extremely necessary. Someday you will have some issues with your tuning stability and that might require remove your nut and replace it - If you understand your electronics, replace them if you want Your video is pretty good and the results are magnific!

Like someone else mentioned, I’d be very hesitant to drill the bridge mounting holes until the neck was secured to the body. A misaligned bridge will result in one of the E strings falling off the side of the neck when you play. You can be more precise by stringing both outside E strings first, then moving the bridge left to right, seeing where they appear over the neck. Have a look at David Fletcher’s professional guitar build videos on RU-vid for how he does it. Your paint job on the body is fantastic, and a great alternative to using spray paint. I’ve used Tru Oil on guitar necks, and also the back of an acoustic guitar body, but never as a clear coat over paint. Excellent. I would have used wood glue for the nut, and only a very small amount. You only need just enough glue for the nut not to fall out when the strings are being installed, and to keep it moving side-to-side. Too much glue can make replacing the nut in future a bit of a pain. The nut also looks a bit high, but it’s difficult to tell from the video. I prefer to use a light amount of almond oil on rosewood fretboards as I can’t bear the strong smell of linseed oil. Other people use lemon oil. Great work. :)

i’ve just been scrolling through these comments and it’s really cool to see you talking with all of the people in the comment section. you don’t see that a lot. this is the first video i’ve seen of yours and i’m excited to watch more

1st time I came across a guitar finish using water-based color and tru-oil. Nice job!

Decals would be one of the most important parts of this! I would love to see that video! If the logo looks cheap the guitar will look cheap! The scariest part would be mounting the bridge and the strings lining up also! You made it look easy can’t believe just using the pickguard actually worked!

I love how well you explained each step. I have several guitars, but I'm going to get this kit and have a friend of mine that is a professional carpenter put this together for me. I have a home recording studio and I think it would be cool to have a guitar with my studio logo on it hanging on the wall.

I wish i was a kid this day an age, my first guitar me and my dad built and im lucky i stuck with it the thing played really bad but then again neither one of us knew a damn thing about guitars. This would of been awesome as a kid to build with my dad. Specially for $65. man that would of been a great birthday gift

Enjoyed watching this video . The attention to detail is what makes it yours . No matter that the kit is $65.00 or $650.00 , it looks amazing 😎

Someone has probably already mentioned this but glueing down the bridge with something like gorilla glue Wil be extremely frustrating if you ever need to remove it, a couple of drops of super glue or a small amount of hide glue is removable later. It looks fantastic, I really like the customer headstock logo

19:28 I actually really laughed at "fifty million screws"

I watched this specifically to see the paint job. The thumbnail looked amazing. I was really surprised with what I saw. I didn't expect acrylic paint, I didn't expect to see it applied with a towel, and I didn't expect a tru oil clear coat. I didn't think it was possible to get results like that with such a simple method. I'm very impressed. Nice work.

The idea of using a level to the fret work is great an also a money savior if you don't do that usually! Thanks for sharing it and btw nice job Gene! Cheers! 👍

I currently have a build I haven't started yet, and I'm loving the way you filled the body and used acrylics rubbed on like that. No more hoping for a windless day of perfect temperature and humidity! Gonna' have to try that with this one. Very much enjoyed this!

Looks absolutely amazing. Gonna try follow your lead for my next project! Thanks for uploading these videos, they're very clear and to the point.

The tru-oil is one of the best finishes available. I have found the spray cans give a much smoother and thicker finish which self levels out much better than hand rubbing it in. It not only cuts the time and number of coats but also gives a near mirror finish when lightly buffed with 0000 steel wool between coats, just enough cut the glaze. After 6 or 7 coats, all the grain lines and minor pits totally disappear giving me a truly smooth and professional finish!

I'm not a DIY person but I watched the video because I had never seen anyone do anything like this before. I thought there was a strong possibility that I would be bored and/or mystified even though I have playing various electric guitars for more than a decade. None of that occurred. I watched the entire video and enjoyed it immensely. That is a tribute to you as a person and as a craftsman. God bless you 😊👍❤

Luthier of 41 years doing a fly by. I can not say I have ever seen a guitar build in such as manner. To make a Master Strat takes me 10 months. working in increments of half a human hair. All and all I appreciate what you are doing. Anytime we can get people to use their imaginations and hands its a great thing. I have given 10 times as many guitars away than I own. I have been a mentor for kids for 30 years. I may just set aside a little time and offer a class this summer for people interested in building a kit guitar. Keep up the great work!

Usually you don't want to screw claw screws to the dead end. They usually unscrued to 1/3 or even 1/2 and you use them to adjust the tention.

What a nice looking instrument! Nice job. Btw, worths of good quality guitars are between $150 and $250 (neck and body), but we can see that when they sell these for over $2k, there is a reason, and you showed us why. There is a lot of works behind all those colours, hardware installs, adjustments, etc. Again, nice job. And I'll be happy to see you get a LP or PRS kind of glued neck, and see what you can do.

Great video! I took a side road while building my high-end archtops, and made some quick Strat-ish guitars. Removed that big block of a heel, added a headstock, and backstock veneer, custom wood and shape of the body, graduated neck radius.... Overall they were exceptional guitars, especially when you consider the price for materials was about $100. I wasn't able to build my own necks. The cheap, knock-off necks were of a pretty decent quality, and it actually cost more in materials to build my own necks. These cheap builds can be a lot of fun, and can result in a pretty decent guitar.

I saw one of these kits and was hesitant to try myself. After watching this video I am definatley giving it a go! Thanks for the inspiration!

The way you've painted that is amazing love it gonna try it so soon

"the 50 millions screws off the pick guard" I liked that haha.

Hi Gene just bought the very same DIY strat kit. I am having knee replacement surgery soon so I'm saving the project for my convalescing period,so I will be using your video for reference. Cheers Gene and stay well

Hi, Gene. A quick up to make it a lot easier to install those tremolo springs is to put the 90° bent end into the tremolo block hole first, then slide a long, narrow, flat head screwdriver through the loop end. Then, while PUSHING DOWN on the bent end, slip the screwdriver tip over the claw tab you want it captured to, and lift the screwdriver. If you keep the bent end pushed into the trem block, the loop end of the spring will slide down over the tip of the screwdriver, and into the tab of that claw. Much easier!

Grain-filling has always been a bit of a mystery to me, depening on the application. In this case with a painted finish, you could seal the bare wood with thinned shellac, prime and then apply autobody putty (no to be confused with autobody filler or "Bondo") to fill the wood grain. Then the surface would need to be sanded to 400-grit and another coat of primer applied over the putty, then sanded again to 400-grit.

Nice looking guitar. Couple tips for ya. Single coil pickups are very noisy ( our nastry 60 cycle hum curse) and using copper tape or copper leaf (or the conductive paint) you can shield the cavities and the back of the pick guard to reduce the noise they generate. For those that may want the cheap route, no aluminum foil is not a cheap replacement and it's a myth that it reduces hum. Fret sprout (those sharp edges you can feel on the sides of the neck at times) is do to the wood shrinking but the metal frets do not. Literally you can shred your hands if you don't take care of those. There is a fret file (single cut) that stewmac sells (and actually single cut files are not something you can really find. I know, I've looked). Sand paper does work as you demonstrated, but sometimes that might not be enough. You still can run the risk of cutting your fingers while sanding the sharp edges. Glad the sandpaper worked for you. Another tip comes from a book I have called Electric Guitar and Bass Design (gotten at StewMac) by Leonardo Lospennato. In there in there the author explains that the bridge ground wire should not be used without an inline fuse (applies only to single coil pickups). The reason is that if you were to use a faulty microphone (say you are a singer/guitarist) use a faulty amp (might be pluged into a improperly earth grounded wall outlet) and come into contact with a piece of metal you can electrocute yourself and could die. The strings actually become like live wires (electricity takes the shortest path to ground, and your body is a great conductor). A fuse will blowout first and thus save your life. People would be amazed at how common guitar electrocution actually is, and yup I have experienced it in my 30 years as a bass guitarist. It's not pleasent I assure you. Companies like Martin and PRS add a fuse in their guitars for gounding. To be honest this should be standard practice. You can remove the bridge ground altogether; however, it might be a bit too noisy. Though could say it's part of the charm. All of these things apply to guitar kit builders and those who build guitars from scratch.

I haven't looked all comments through but have to mention that the clamp for the whammy springs on the backside is not supposed to be screwed all the way in to the wood. The screws are for making a balanced tension according to the tension of the strings you chose. On the front side you should be able to put a MasterCard or similar paying card under the mounting plate, between the plate and the surface of the body. Then tension the screws until the card falls out. Then you have the right setting of the whammy system to the strings. This I have learned from a Fender setup guide and it works. I have been building several guitars and basses from Harley Benton DIY-kits and upgrated them with genuine Fender and Gibson pickups and hardware. All were insulated with copper tape and it works! (My builds are not for sale but for my personal use. just to let out any bad thoughts about trying to cheat people) Cheers, JohnnyH-DK

Gene, Pete over the pond here, used my true oil on my cigar box guitar project and I am really pleased with the finish, sharing your experience has been so very helpful best regards Pete 😊👍

I have just bought an old tatty Strat I want to change the color of so Im going to use your technique. I have my colors and Tru Oil you get an amazing finish with it. Many thanks, take care.

This was really cool! I can't believe how good the finish comes out doing it like you did

My GF got me a 12 string DIY kit for my birthday and this video will be helpful. I'm going to start on it today after work with help from a friend. Thanks for the video and all the info you provide!

After watching all the steps, labor and craftsmanship that goes into a guitar build, I will NEVER again complain about the price of guitars.!!!

Thank you Gene. This was a delight to watch and you're a great teacher. Looking forward to my (first) build from scratch guitar!

Great video man. Shows solid foundations of what could be. Thanks. I'm considering building my own guitar and the products and technique you used for the finish on the body and neck seems a lot easier and hassle free than other methods that require a spraying paint and clear coat etc. Plus swapping the hardware that came with the kit to better quality stuff would seem less daunting now you've shown us the basics of it. Love these types of DIY videos. Keep up the great work 👍

Just a quick comment/clarification that may have already been posted. First up - this is a brilliant demo. Absolutely brilliant. I've built a number of guitars myself but never tried a solid coloured finish - which is why I ended up watching this vid. In this demo Gene mixes acrylics to a desired colour which then act as a stain - which is clearly stated. I had a pot of acrylic paint already the correct colour for what I wanted and went to apply that over my basecoat. If you're applying colour using a store-bought pot of acrylic paint - add a portion of it to water to make it (effectively) a wiping stain. Otherwise (as in my case) the paint will be too thick and you will end up with drag marks that don't completely cover the base coat while wiping on. Out with the sandpaper.... lol! Thanks again Gene - all the best....

I learned few tricks with your project. There is few tips that I can give you from other channels, like put the neck before you drill the holes for the bridge and use a file for crowning the frets. Other things to consider are to replacve the hardware of the guitar for something with better quality. Thanks for your time on bringing your video online.

Best 26:29 of my life! Thank you so much for this! This was also uploaded on my birthday!

That was impressive Gene. Thank you for sharing. You've inspired me to build my own strat someday soon. Gotta watch your headstock decals first though.

My dad was a cabinet maker-joiner, a very good one, true tradesman. I was going to use lemon oil on my Strat rosewood board neck. He told me lemon oil is for furniture, so it shines and smells nice. But for musical instruments, a 50/50 mixture of linseed oil and turpentine, is the way to go. This would have been 50 years ago. I'm still using that today, a few drops once a year, rub really well into the wood, wipe any excess away. Dispose of rags carefully, they can self combust.

It's amazing, water-based colour could act like spray finish, and the tru-oil could be applyed on the paint, I've never seen it befoer, great master.

From Leo: You did a great job, the finish is very nice. You were very lucky fitting up the neck/ bridge alignment. 2 degrees misalignment and the guitar would be unplayable. Temporarily clamping the neck and using two strings in the outside positions is a good way to align the bridge/neck relationship , especially if the kit manufacturer is a little sloppy with the neck pocket fit. They are very difficult to refit once the holes are all drilled. I am glad your kit turned out so good.

You're the man!!! I loved every part of the video and how you explained everything so well. +Rep And thanks so much now I can set up mine without tools worth 2000$

I really hope somebody does not watch this video as a guide on how to put together a DIY guitar kit. Also, I'm glad this was just a super cheap $65 kit you pretty much destroyed.... I"ll say this, the acrylic based paint is a neat idea, and I'd follow your direction on that no problem, and some of the basic things you did like installing the tuners, and pickguard were fine. Nothing fancy or hard about doing any of that.... But I read somebody mention you should of installed the neck before installing the bridge, and that is a must. Also, speaking of the neck installation, I'm VERY surprised the kit did not come with those pre drilled as I can tell your neck is not set exactly where it should be set. I'm going to go out on a limb and say this guitar does not intonate at all. It was good practice, and I'm sure you learned a lot and I hope your next guitar project turns out better as you now have more knowledge on what to do. Good luck.

Great video! Thanks for sharing and using the parts included. So frustrating to watch videos of inexpensive build where the builder replaces nearly everything the kit included. You clearly showed what is possible with an affordable kit, some patience and quality skills.

Great job, this video was really well made. Lots of work went into the video. It shows. Cheers

A couple of things; you straightened the neck based on a straight edge laid on top of the frets, except if the frets weren't flat to begin with, you don't know of the neck is truly straight. Your straight edge should be notched so it straddles the frets and sets directly on the fingerboard. Bridge should be set relative to the position of the neck, not the pick guard. Once everything is assembled, you need to set the string height, pick-up height, intonation, etc. These are important for both the play-ability and sound (avoiding fret buzz, etc).

Very nice work! My favorite "mod" for a Strat is to cut a plug, and fill in the jack hole on the face, and drill and mortise a mount for the cable to connect through the side of the body - like a Gibson.

I’m an old fart that’s been playing guitar since childhood and enjoy fixing up guitars but have never tried a kit build. I watched this video and was feeling a little snobby about the set-up being ignored during assembly until you said “what a Great Wall hanger!” I had to quietly swallow my snobbiness (Lol) obviously, it was me who wasn’t tracking properly, then a link pops up about setting it up so double whammy in less than 60 seconds. So I’m off to watch that one now. This was a good video and I enjoyed it very much, thumbs up sir!

Beautiful guitar,love the color! Looks like you got a pretty good deal with that kit! I really enjoyed your video and the way you explained everything about building it. Sounded pretty good too! Keep the videos coming,and I’ll keep watching lol!

Thank you very much for making this video, this is what I am going to do, yes I noticed the shakes, and hopefully, your health stays good so you can enjoy your hard work.

Nice. At 77 and having two left hands, this project is way over my head, but you did a wonderful job of making it look possible. I guarantee you that if I were young and looking for a nice axe, this is something I certainly would try. I did get a couple of nice tips from this video which has given me the incentive to at least attempt some fret work. This is an excellent video. Thank you for taking the time to share truly valuable information. John Paiva

This is real DIY…. No expensive fancy stew-mac products. Good job.

I would recommend using a drop of wood glue for the nut.

"Stay tuned" never has a pun gotten past me.

I just received my Ebay Telecaster kit, i will be using this video as a guide. I am using glow in the dark orange acrylic paint.

Thanks for the great video! BTW, my wife and a good friend both have essential tremors, she’s a nurse, and he’s an air traffic controller in the FAA. It’s just a minor thing, especially when you’re informed and know it’s not the big “P”. Cheers bud!

Gene, that was very informative and I learned a lot. Thanks. I have some general idea now and won’t be winging my Strat build. Your finish came out very nice and I was wondering what to do with the neck on mine paint wise. Makes it so much easier just using tru oil. Now I need to figure out how to make those decals you mentioned. I’m subscribing. Thanks.

How i would do this Step 1: Buy Kit Step 2: Build Kit Step 3: Realize you can't Build it Step 4: Buy a Fender Strat Step 5: Enjoy your Guitar

I am impressed by the paint job, didnt expect it to come out so good

Awesome job with that guitar kit. Pretty cool paint job as well especially being that the paint was rubbed on. You got to love tru oil. I have used it on ash bodies and it worked great. All in all, for $65 you made one hell of a guitar. Great Job!

I just happen to find this video. It is one of the best videos I have seen. (I know you made it look easy.) But most of all. You made it look very doable. Great video. I joined your channel. I look forward to other videos. I hope you have a Blessed Week.

Good job!! Small potatoes comment... The springs under the whammy bar should be parallel. That way all three springs will be exerting the same pull. When the outer springs are at an angle, they are pulling harder than the center spring... (Not a big deal) Also the screws that are used to tighten the "claw" that the springs attach to don't need to be screwed in all the way... Use them to djust how the whammy bar works...They may end up being "proud" by 1/4" to 3/8". It's a personal preference, but it will affect how the whammy bar works...... But you did a great job finishing and "fine tunng this instrument...

Pops taught me 3 things, detail, detail and Oh yeah details. Nice job Gene.

Thank you for your time and detailed report, Gene. Two minor things: I'd love to hear more of the playing in order to understand how it sounds plus, imho, the cheap stock pickups have to go anyway if you do such a labour of love that thoroughly.

dude, this was awesome!! I'm so glad I watched. Inspired me to do my own. Know where I can get a cheap garage?

24:00, whenever I leave my cordless drill with a small bit in it standing upright like you have, I always knock it over and and it falls forward breaking the bit. Now I lay it down on its side :-) Other than that great video, my biggest takeaway is the acrylic paint and Tru Oil...genius!

I like the colour of that guitar. You should consider adding some shielding (e.g. copper tape) under the pick guard or in the cavities used for the electronics. When you drilled the hole for the green wire I noticed there was another small hole in the area for the pickup cavity. Regarding the ground wire I think it would be better to run it so it goes under the strings and not over them. Less likely to get pinched by the springs. After soldering it in place you could pull the slack up in to the top side cavity. All in all, looks like you it would make for a good beginner guitar for someone.

Totally agreed you can't go wrong for this kit only cost you $65, I like your paint job efforts and best of all, making your own logo, yes you have room for improvement on everything else, say put on the neck first, then measure the scale length for a 25.5" instrument, adjusting the truss rod again at playing position with string on etc., yet it is fun to learn at this cost.

Really. Cool video ive. Been wondering about those kits for years and was always a little intimidated because of having no guitar building experience but over 20 years as a Woodworker ? Your video and some of your techniques make it look like it might be a doable project especially if i can find a kit that has A lot of the components already. Pre wired like yours had btw i do like the final color and finish and to me it really does look like a older Strat factory finish

This was such a great and relaxing video! Can't wait to build my own!

Awesome! Did a kit for my daughter following these steps. Wish i could post a pic. Antique white, ruffed up to look worn. skull vol knobs. Slide decals were easy. Came out great! TY!

Good work! The Tru Oil is a good tip. Thanks for posting this.

Thnks for this video! Ordered one... Should be a fun adventure!

Looks really nice! I'm amazed at the beautiful finish you got with rubbing the paint on! Also a little oil on a rosewood fretboard does wonders! That looked great too! As I was watching you install the pick gaurd, I thought...oh no, he forgot the ground wire! You're first time is rough, especially without instructions. I think you did a great finish and did great on the whole job! I just bought a ukelele kit at a yard sale for $10...brand new! My previous builds I sprayed the paint and clear coat. Think I'll go and buy some acrylic paints and a bottle of true oil! It'll be good paractice for my next guitar! Thanks for all the tips! They're very addictive! You'll probably find yourself wanting to do another!👍😎🎸🎶

that fret leveling tool was genius! I have to try that now. Great vid!

I loved your idea of using the water soluble acrylic paint along with the True oil for the finish. It looked great. I plan on using this method on a 12 string Tele kit I ordered.

Absolutely beautiful work Gene thanks for sharing

Cheaper than a squire and sounds just a good

Really enjoyed your video...I assembled a guitar from bits a couple of years ago ,I call it a Partscaster...the satisfaction i got was awesome...I'd recommend anyone to have a go yourself. With the help of your videos it makes the experience a lot more fun...good job

I just bought the Glarry @ $69.00 shipped. Put together and set up with meh string. Add your favorite brand of strings and set it up for that yourself. Add $5.45 plus your labor. I hand brush painted a custom artwork costing $14.99 in acrylic enamel(fingernail-polish) and time. My friend did similar with dollar store spray cans. It lo.....the both looked great and sounded very good. Rock$Roll.

I was pretty impressed by this. Very good point-by-point instructions. But then at the end you said it would make a killer wall hanging. OK … but how does it play? You should have someone who plays pretty well give it a workout as part of your video. Thanks.

Hi, great job on the paint, however, the fret leveling was a huge mistake. There is supposed to be a curvature to them, 7.25" is the radius of a vintage strat or 9.5" for some modern ones. It is not supposed to be flat and level. Also, the bride saddles should also be set to match that radius.

Killer video man, super humbling to learn about classic techniques; I'm 24 years old with a passion for guitars and basses and I look up to luthiers and guitar builders, and especially DIY builders. Much respect to you and keep the videos goin'!

I know I mentioned it in my reply to your reply, but the job you did on the body staining is really nice. The guitar was shining and reflecting while you were applying the stain and the finished product is absolutely beautiful. For a $65 kit, you really made it look like a $1k guitar. I'd love to hear how it sounds. Just one suggestion: You said you mark your drill bits so you don't go too deep. I recommend you purchase a set of self centering hinge drill bits and use a drill with at least a bubble level on the back so you get those pick guard and other body screws in as straight and centered as possible.

Aren't you supposed to line the pickup cavity with copper foil to guard against unwanted hum or buzz?

I think you did a good job.

Maaaan I've been always struggling with the guitar finish....Since I have watched this video!!! This is awesome! Thanks!!!

I like that this was done without luthier's tools..... just general tools. It's a good idea to shield the pickup cavities with copper foil tape to reduce noise.

Talking about this being a wall hanger: Did you make sure your neck is inserted straight? Meaning, is there the same distance from each e-string to the edge of the fret board? I couldn't get good look at that but it seems your way of determining where the bridge needs to be using the pickguard is unorthodox to say the least.

Hey! How did that finish hold up in two years? I was about to try that method myself on a guitar build I'm starting but I would like to know how durable it really is... thanks!

You've taken kit building to the next level. WAY more involved than any kit I've seen, almost like a plane or boat kit. No one will believe what the kit cost, when they see your version.

Nice! I'm a nut for seafoam. Speaking of nut, I would agree with some of the other comments made. The nut is quite high. A simple fix is the hold it against sandpaper on a flat surface and sand to a more appropriate height before one glues it onto the fretboard. Some will want more action, some want less action. But that is a preference. That said, not important if it is for a most cool wall hanging.😎

I bought plans from woodprix and I made it very fast.