Kit Basses - Comments & Advice

[getBAK]

I'll +1 the Glarry thing. I bought a P-Bass from them for ~$70 that was functional but needed a ton of finishing work.
By the time I was done - I had less than $150 into it including set of strings and some fretwork tools. It was a pretty good playing instrument. Ended up giving it to a friend as the project was done and I don't' really play 4 strings anymore.

 

[Basslice]

I don't know how hard you've looked, but deals are available if you're not it a hurry. This is an affinity P, not a PJ:

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As to your example, people can ask whatever they want. NOBODY is going to pay $400 for a used Squier.

Totally agree. Even $400 for a NEW Squier would be pushing it. I usually search CL in W. Mass and Cape Cod. Like I said, nothing like the ad you found has popped up around here. Nothing like that on Reverb or TB classifieds either.

 

[Dan_reeves]

I have three basses, two are Squiers that I heavily modded and one is a semi-hollow kit from the Fret Wire.

The Fret Wire is the best sounding bass of the bunch, and I used the stock electronics from the kit. I must have got a good one. On the Squiers, very little is still stock. On one, it is still has the neck, body and pickguard. On the second, body and pickguard only (the neck was bad and unfixable for what it is). Everything else has been modded/tweaked to how I want it. One, that is a Jazz bass, has been through three pickup and wiring configurations until I got it where I finally wanted it. All three are super playable and I love them.

I went into this for the fun of it - I knew that I would never recoup costs or even be able to sell any of them. I think if cost and resale are on your mind, I would not do any of what I did. I did it for me - for the experience. That is really the only attitude you can have with approaching it like I did. I learned a ton about setup also - which I had already dabbled in a bit.

 

[edencab]

my kit bass from Solo Guitars worked out nicely IMHO . going for the '57 Chev look....added the ashtray and thumb rest myself...I swapped in Dragonfire pups just for the look/cool factor, the kit pups were just fine..it kicks butt, band loves tones etc etc

 

[2saddleslab]

I've had success w/ part bass builds [2 middle basses in pic]. As mentioned many times previously in this thread, it can be very rewarding, and nothing beats your own sweat equity. Although it can be habit forming.

 

[scuzzy]

I've had success w/ part bass builds [2 middle basses in pic]. As mentioned many times previously in this thread, it can be very rewarding, and nothing beats your own sweat equity. Although it can be habit forming.
View attachment 4058872

Where did you source those bodies from?

 

[scuzzy]

These are my kit builds.

 

[2saddleslab]

Where did you source those bodies from?

The black body is from Warmoth, which I added binding. The silver semi hollow was made by a friend back in the 90's.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Decent review of a Solo kit Les Paul, which may or may nor be indicative of the quality of their bass kits, but the fit and finish on this one looks pretty good.