Average-quality electric guitars start at around $150, but is there a cheaper way to get yourself a half-decent sounding, playing, and looking guitar, such as building it yourself?
Let’s find out…
Is building an electric guitar yourself cheaper than simply buying one?
If we only consider the parts and materials cost then the answer would be, Yes! But only just, and if you take the cost of any additional tools and your time into the equation, then it’s a definite NO in most cases.
But that isn’t the whole story, we have to take quality into account, plus the opportunity to modify and customize your guitar (both as you build it and in the future), plus the incredible amount of fun and satisfaction you’ll get out of the build process.
Now that’s covered let’s take a look at…
How much does it cost to build your own guitar?
At the very, very cheapest, the unbranded generic parts needed to build a very basic electric guitar come to about $120 and are widely available from Amazon, AliExpress, etc.
But that doesn’t include the wood for the body or neck. You might be able to find those locally or use a slab of reclaimed wood you have lying around. However, if you need to buy a premade body, expect to pay around $60 and upwards, as for the neck, a basic maple neck starts at around $30.
Assuming you buy all the parts, that puts you at a minimum of $210 before allowing for shipping costs, stain/paint, sandpaper, polishing compound, etc., etc., which is well above the price of a basic guitar.
So, unless you already have the wood for the body and the neck (plus the skills to craft them), and all the tools you will need, buying a guitar from a shop is a cheaper option. This leads us nicely onto…
When is building your own electric guitar worth it?
Worth can be measured as financial, emotional, or both. A gift from a grandparent may not be worth much in monetary terms, but it could be priceless emotionally. It’s exactly the same with a guitar you build from scratch yourself, there is a part of you in it.
Quality is the Key
If you’re planning on building a low-cost guitar to save money, then don’t bother. The manufacturers have the market cornered with access to better quality parts at lower prices, and highly cost-effective labor, usually overseas. So, just go buy one, you’ll get a lot more for your money.
However, if you're going for a mid-range guitar, you can more than likely build an equivalent, or even better quality guitar for the same price. The difference between a $200 Squire Strat and a $1500 Fender Strat is the quality of the parts and the much higher attention to detail, and that’s where building your DIY guitar yourself can make a difference. You can buy high-quality parts from companies such as Guyker, and spend the time to get every detail exactly as you want it.
How to Build a Cost-Effective DIY Guitar
The three parts that I would splash out on to get the best bang for your buck are the pickups, the tuning machines, and the bridge. And what’s interesting is that if you compare the prices of the best premium pickups, tuners, and bridges (or any other parts for that matter) with the cheapest on the market, the difference comes nowhere near to the $1300 difference in price between a Squier and a Fender strat!
The Cost of Tools
Building a guitar requires a lot of tools, and they all cost money. You may well have quite a few of them, but more specialist tools, for example, those needed to shape and fret the neck (if you don’t buy a ready-made neck) add to the build cost.
If you’re planning on building a few more (or even a lot more) guitars in the future then the cost is negligible, but if this is the only build you intend to do, you really need to consider the additional cost of a tool you might only use for a day.
The Skills You’ll Need
Building a guitar requires both technical and artistic skills as well as a lot of time and patience. You (like everyone else, myself included) will mess things up if you’re a beginner, make mistakes, and generally get frustrated by the whole process. This is normal and should be considered part of the learning curve. If you think your first attempt at guitar building will produce a masterpiece, you may well be in for quite a shock. However, with practice, and by making mistakes, you will learn, and end up building an absolute cracker of a guitar!
That brings us nicely to the basic question posed…
Should you Build your own Electric Guitar or Buy one?
As mentioned, if you’re building a guitar to save money, it really isn’t worth it. Buying a good second-hand electric guitar is the cheapest way into the wonderful hobby of guitar playing.
Even, if you’re going mid-range where you can use premium components and spend the time to get a great-looking, sounding, and playing instrument, the tool cost alone could push you over the price of a premium guitar. Therefore, if it’s your only build, don’t bother, buy a stunning Les Paul or Strat instead.
However, in terms of fun, satisfaction, and reward, it’s hard to beat creating something, especially something as usable and beautiful as a musical instrument. Therefore, crafting your own guitar, either from a kit, from DIY parts, or completely from scratch is well worth the effort, frustration, head-scratching, and excessive cost.
It will be with you forever (after all DIY guitars have no significant re-sale value), it will make you proud every time you look at it and play it, and it could be the start of your journey into the world of Lutherie which could become a side-hustle or even a full-time career.
Some people spend a fortune on fishing equipment, days next to a freezing river in the rain, then when they do eventually catch something, gently release it back into the water. And there are tons of other similar hobbies which take a lot of money to get started in but seem to have very little reward. Building a guitar will not cost you a fortune, and the result might be spectacular. You’ll never know until you try, so why not give it a go? I promise that you’ll enjoy the experience, and what’s better than having fun building the best instrument in the world?
