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$100 4 string challenge

#103
I have a guitar build in progress, the neck was originally for a customers build where the neck fell of the table and broke the fret board overhang off. The neck has been salvaged by sanding the heal down and making it a 20 fret neck. Since this is a salvaged neck, and otherwise would have gone unused, how would that factor into the overall cost of the build?
 
#105
mapleglo said:
I'm going with these:

1) All building materials that a builder would normally use, such as glue, sand paper, wax paper, gloves, etc do not count toward the build price.
2) All tools that would normally be used in subsequent builds, such as jazz pickup templates, router bits, drill bits, files, blades, etc do not count toward the build price.
3) Items that do count toward the build price would include (but are not limited to) tuners, bridge, pickups, wood, truss rod, nut, output jack and jack plate.
4) Finish is included, but like all other items, only the cost of what is used, is counted toward the build price, e.g. $5 can of spray paint, used half the can, $2.50 is the cost.
5) Using parts in a builder's stock is ok, as long as an estimated value is used toward the build price.
6) I'm suggesting June 30, 2015 as the finish date.
7) Most importantly, I think we should just keep the build in the spirit of the challenge. If someone is at $99.99, and they use a $1.00 part from their personal stock, that's going to be ok. This challenge is for fun, and to perhaps find new ways to do a process of find a part at a cost effective savings. I certainly won't be requiring receipts. Perhaps at the end, we'll post a poll to determine a winner.

Others may feel free to make additional suggestions, and/or override any of mine.
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Looks fair to me, just maybe as asked above, end of August for finish time, as some don't have an indoor/heated shop area.
IMO strings should be excluded from cost, as they are an item that's pretty even across the builds, unless it's hollow-body and/or piezo with strings from the yard edger.
 
#106
JustForSport said:
Looks fair to me, just maybe as asked above, end of August for finish time, as some don't have an indoor/heated shop area.
IMO strings should be excluded from cost, as they are an item that's pretty even across the builds, unless it's hollow-body and/or piezo with strings from the yard edger.
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I agree, strings aren't included in the build. I'd add that neither is a strap, should once be purchased for the build. I'm ok with the end of August.

Hopkins said:
I have a guitar build in progress, the neck was originally for a customers build where the neck fell of the table and broke the fret board overhang off. The neck has been salvaged by sanding the heal down and making it a 20 fret neck. Since this is a salvaged neck, and otherwise would have gone unused, how would that factor into the overall cost of the build?
Click to expand...

HaMMerHeD said:
Salvage = Free, I think.
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I'm going to agree as well.
 
#109
Just a bystander's $.02 but I agree that strings should not be factored into the final cost tally. It seems to me that only parts meant to be permanently affixed (i.e. screwed and glued) to the instrument should apply.

Stuff designed to be removed and replaced regularly by the end-user (not a professional technician or luthier) shouldn't count. So strings and preamp batteries and the like should be a "gimme."
 
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#110
CosmoReverb said:
Just a bystander's $.02 but I agree that strings should not be factored into the final cost tally. It seems to me that only parts meant to be permanently affixed (i.e. screwed and glued) to the instrument should apply.

Stuff designed to be removed and replaced regularly by the end-user (not a professional technician or luthier) shouldn't count. So strings and preamp batteries and the like should be a "gimme."
Click to expand...

This seems pretty sensible.
 
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#111
Jake72 said:
Are we each running individual build threads or is it a community thread? If it's going to be a bunch of individual threads, is there central location where these can be hosted?
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It appears that those who have started their builds, myself included, have each made separate build threads. I think this one would get too cluttered.

I agree that strings will not be factored into the cost. Straps too, because those can be used for other basses.

Additionally, I just cut a small piece of aluminum left over from a previous build. I think the sheet (12" x 18" ?) was about $15? The piece I cut (for the nut) is 1/2" by 1 3/4". Does that even come out to 1 cent? I'll suggest that bits and pieces like this should also not be included. Short pieces of wire from pickup to controls, shielded wire from output jack to controls, shielding tape, etc all seems to be small items that most builders would have a bunch of laying around. It seems like more trouble to add up the pennies than what it's worth. Perhaps we'll all just add a couple of dollars to cover these small parts?
 
#113
I'm in. I'm planning a hollow or semi-hollow short-scale, probably fretless since (1) I don't have one, and (2) it will be easier for a first-time build. The body will have simple hourglass lines and will make extensive use of scrap plywood, hopefully in an artistic way, with a natural finish.

I'll really be needing guidance on neck construction and will start researching that online.

I've already squeezed my budget just a bit with a slight extravagance: $19.94 for a trapeze tailpiece. I also went in for an Artec soapbar pickup at $22.99, for a total of $42.93 spent. Except for the neck wood and truss rod, I have everything else in scrap and salvage.
 
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#115
So I like thrifty builds and I have this;

Half finished dano/coral leftover neck (from when they liquidated back in the day)
3/4 mdf stock (for the body)
Guitar tuners (these may or may not work)
A few different bridge options including making one
Flatwound strings from the sixties
Screws pots jack ect..
A can of lacquer
Just need a pickup, a big muddy one

So Idk I'm still on the fence (mostly due to time issues) but I'm considering this.
 
#116
Question, what say you all in the way of cheap magnet wire?
I want to make a pretty big single coil (sort of ebo ish) and have everything else.
I found searching around that the thicker stuff ( [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] ) is much more affordable but will it work ok?
I guess it would help to know that I'm going for very high output and very muddy in a general sense.
 
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#117
SamanthaCay said:
Question, what say you all in the way of cheap magnet wire?
I want to make a pretty big single coil sort of ebo ish like and have everything else.
I found searching around that the thicker stuff ( [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] ) is much more affordable but will it work ok?
I guess it would help to know that I'm going for very high output and very muddy in a general sense.
Click to expand...

I have zero experience winding pickups, so take my opinions with a salt block. With your stated goal of high output the 24 AWG wire is going to be challenging.
 
#119
SamanthaCay said:
Question, what say you all in the way of cheap magnet wire?
I want to make a pretty big single coil (sort of ebo ish) and have everything else.
I found searching around that the thicker stuff ( [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] ) is much more affordable but will it work ok?
I guess it would help to know that I'm going for very high output and very muddy in a general sense.
Click to expand...

This is as inexpensive as I have found as far as coil wire goes. One spool will do quite a few pickups.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007TUQW1K/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
 
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#120
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