I want to do a build from a kit for my first build. Want to build SG style ss. Any one have a better kit than others? Found a kit from PitBull in Australia. Any thoughts?
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Build kits
- Thread starter Steve-D
- Start date
From what Ive seen of the Pitbull kits, the basic woodworking is sound, but they cheap out electronics and hardware. Expect the tuners to be serviceable but mediocre. Same for the electronics, about what you'd expect from a low end Chinese or Indonesian bass. All that is upgradeable, but the price for parts can add up quick, especially for pickups. It could still be a fun project if your expectations are realistic, but shop around. Pitbull is just one vendor that imports and resells the same Chinese kits sold By others, but its a lot less sketchy than places like Aliexpress and Tradetang. Is it this one? Note that the body is multi-piece, which is fine if your are doing a dark red classic stain, or painting it, not sure I'd go clear. BTW it says they are out of stock on it.
Pit Bull Guitars AGB-30 Bass Guitar Kit (Short Scale)
Pit Bull Guitars AGB-30 Bass Guitar Kit (Short Scale)
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Pitbull is fast and good to deal with. A friend of mine did an explorer and also the SG style you're looking at. Explorer was nice and didn't take much to make it look and play nicely. The parts and pickups were good enough for his noodling around purposes.
The SG on the other hand is not so good. The body is really meant for a guitar, but it has a 30" scale neck, so the nut is a far reach and it just feels weird. Not terrible, its actually pretty fun, but definitely weird ergonomics. The pickup locations due to being guitar-based are really close to the bridge relative to a real EB bass. It has a pretty good sound, but if you're looking to cop anything close to the feel or tone of an EB bass, this will not do it. If that's what you're looking for, I'd recommend a used Epiphone.
If you're looking for a project to get your feet wet, this may fit the bill - Pitbull from what I've seen are not too bad, despite cheap parts and electronics as Gilmourisgod mentions above.
The SG on the other hand is not so good. The body is really meant for a guitar, but it has a 30" scale neck, so the nut is a far reach and it just feels weird. Not terrible, its actually pretty fun, but definitely weird ergonomics. The pickup locations due to being guitar-based are really close to the bridge relative to a real EB bass. It has a pretty good sound, but if you're looking to cop anything close to the feel or tone of an EB bass, this will not do it. If that's what you're looking for, I'd recommend a used Epiphone.
If you're looking for a project to get your feet wet, this may fit the bill - Pitbull from what I've seen are not too bad, despite cheap parts and electronics as Gilmourisgod mentions above.
I hope i didn't come off all Debbie Downer, as an amateur builder, I'm in favor of anything that gets people into building their own bass. It's an addictive and consuming hobby, and TB is a great place to do it, there are some seasoned Pro Luthiers and spooky-talented amateurs ready and able to help you through a build. Pitbull has a builder's Forum of like minded kit builders, thats probably your best bet for an honest and thorough review of any specific kit. I've considered buying one of the violin bass kits, that looks like a lot of fun, as Im not sure I have the patience for a real hollowbody build from scratch.
Pit Bull Guitar Forums
Pit Bull Guitar Forums
I haven't used any of the kits, so take this with a grain of salt.
I think it's totally subjective. Some people love certain brand kits, some don't like that one and love others. I'd say that the cheap stuff you see on Ebay and Amazon is just that, cheap. But does it mean they are junk? No, not really, because ultimately it's a place to start.
I've heard good things about PitBull. I've heard good things about Crimson. You'll find that some of them are a lot more expensive than others, the difference is gonna be in the hardware and electronics. The cheaper kits will have cheaper electronics and questionable hardware, especially tuners. But again, it's not the end of the world either for someone just starting out, because you can swap that stuff out later on down the road.
You'll need to assess what you are comfortable spending vs what you expect to get out of it, and then go from there. But I'm with @Gilmourisgod, just pick something and start building, don't let the details swamp you. This is a great place for my mantra of "Don't let the perfect get in the way of the good."
I bought a semi acoustic bass from pitbull, and a Mockingbird-copy from Ali Express.
Even though the Pitbull kit isn't the best bass i have, it's better than the copy from AE. Yes, it has cheap-ish hardware but it works. Except for the strings: they were awful on both.
I would not hesitate to buy from Pitbull again.
Even though the Pitbull kit isn't the best bass i have, it's better than the copy from AE. Yes, it has cheap-ish hardware but it works. Except for the strings: they were awful on both.
I would not hesitate to buy from Pitbull again.
I'm building a kit now; it's a Les Paul Florentine, not a bass, but close enough to apply. First off, I'd like to mention that a project like this can be more effort than one might expect. I hadn't worked on a guitar for several years, so this was a cold start. The kit sellers usually warn the consumer that sanding is necessary, but not how much. Supplies like sandpaper, varnish, solvents, and tools like an airbrush, fretwork tools (you'll generally have to do all your own), etc. added up faster than I'd guessed they would. Plus a few jigs and templates have been necessary. Also the aftermarket parts I plan to use, and a case.
The kit itself will yield a pretty little guitar if I ever finish it. It is well made, and was reasonably priced.
Except for one thing, in my case. I've been working 4 months on it, in what time I can spare (20 - 30 hours), have it sanded and mostly finished. I haven't glued the neck in yet. 4 days ago, the wood joint where the body halves are joined, behind the neck pocket, began to crack apart. It's been cold and dry here in Central New York. That place where it split had been covered with a contrasting color filler, and had obscured the nature of the crack. Inside the pocket it was not visible until the joint split open. I didn't mind that they'd used an almost white filler on mahogany, it wasn't too obvious a patch. But there was either no glue or too little glue in the last 1 1/2" of that joint in my opinion; a manufacturing defect. I'm not naming the company, we're still discussing the matter.
So there's one guy's story. It's turned out to be more work than I expected so far, but that's OK. The hidden defect will be a pain to fix, though.
Tom
The kit itself will yield a pretty little guitar if I ever finish it. It is well made, and was reasonably priced.
Except for one thing, in my case. I've been working 4 months on it, in what time I can spare (20 - 30 hours), have it sanded and mostly finished. I haven't glued the neck in yet. 4 days ago, the wood joint where the body halves are joined, behind the neck pocket, began to crack apart. It's been cold and dry here in Central New York. That place where it split had been covered with a contrasting color filler, and had obscured the nature of the crack. Inside the pocket it was not visible until the joint split open. I didn't mind that they'd used an almost white filler on mahogany, it wasn't too obvious a patch. But there was either no glue or too little glue in the last 1 1/2" of that joint in my opinion; a manufacturing defect. I'm not naming the company, we're still discussing the matter.
So there's one guy's story. It's turned out to be more work than I expected so far, but that's OK. The hidden defect will be a pain to fix, though.
Tom
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I hope you find it. It's pretty satisfying work. Don't let my experience put you off, it ended as well as it could.
Tom
This kit impressed me, even after about 45 years of playing, fixing, modifying guitars, etc. Fits and alignments were near perfect, and I'm a machinist/troubleshooter by trade. Parts quality looks to be OK. Overall, a good buy. They aren't offering too many bass instruments, unfortunately.
Tom
Tom
Ok, I keep hearing that I shouldn’t start out making a set neck bass for my first build. While I see where a bolt on would be easier to get the alignment right I wonder how hard it is to get the set neck right. Any thoughts?
JeezyMcNuggles
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- Feb 23, 2018
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Buy a body from rosser guitars on ebay. Best 100 dollar body you'll ever find. Then, get parts. Kit instruments, while playable, are trash. You'll end up swapping out everything on it anyway, and still have with an instrument that is more trouble to play then the price difference. And, took you just as long to build. Plus, you can have him route it anyway you want. For any electronic options. And, his wood selection is on point. Micheal rocks.
If you do your homework and research building a set neck you should not have a problem.
