In my dream i walked into a boutique guitar shop, weird boutique lighting, strange boutique smell and standing at their boutique salon chairs were Don King, Bob Dylan, Cosmo Kramer and Jack White......
I went with a partcaster, because it allowed me to get exactly what I wanted in body, neck shape, pickups, colors, etc without the $3k price tag. I did everything myself and paid for a pro set up. It's the best decision I've made for me. However, no matter how good it sounds or plays, I'll never be able to sell it for what I paid. That's just the way it is.
I also went with a partscaster, and ended up finding a guy not too far away who makes roasted maple, compound radius, stainless steel necks for a steal of a price. Didn't do it myself, but still all together I've paid probably $1500 Canadian for a Jazzmaster with that neck, Mastery bridge, Descendant trem, PRS and TV Jones pickups (HSH), 10-way Freeway switch. This guy I talked to recently was so proud of his $2600 (also Canadian dollars) offset Tele he got from a boutique maker. It was a Tele: bridge pickup, neck pickup, 3-way switch. $2600. That's why I have a partscaster 🙂
When you think about how much an average Warmoth build costs vs what a Nash costs, I think it's a fair markup...about $1000 for a nitro finish, +relic time, +wood selection time, +assembly time, +fixing-little-issues time and +setup time (and you get a case and better resale than a pure DIY Warmoth build). I will still 100% do a Warmoth build in my life, but this video did help legitimize Nash pricing in my eyes. Keep up the great content guys!
They were using off the shelf parts for years, but I do believe they shifted gears a year ago or so. They've gone back n' forth a couple times, so the truth is somewhere in between. Same thing was true for Kelton Swade, and he makes one of the best Fender style relic out there. I've never played a Nash that didn't play, feel and sound like a Fender Custom Shop. He knows the formula of what makes a guitar great.
I'm that guy with ten more in the trunk. I appreciated the shop's viewpoint. I've built seven this year, put two Strat-styles up for sale. The one with the wooden pickguard generated lots of interest and sold in a week, the one with a plastic pickguard no movement after four weeks. Pausing to reconsider next moves. I know some folks think this vid is clickbait, but I found it informative, and would love more on the subject of hobby builders. Thanks
I’m making my first wood pick guard for a late 60’s Matsumoku SG and I gotta say the custom pick guard is a classy touch that really does make the instrument stand out.
@@richsackett3423 Not trying to argue, so I hope this question conveys my tone here. Wasn’t the ability to change out a neck easily, manufacturing etc. all part of the cost analysis that Leo did when designing the guitars?
@@hogie1259 Yes, along with George Fullerton. That’s all part of the recipe for their enduring products. It’s one of the reasons their guitars were as good as Gibson’s for a fraction of the price. Can’t remember what the other guy was saying but I’m sure it was silly.
A partscaster can be as good as you want it to be. What is a Fender? A neck taken out of a pile put on to a body taken out of a pile with machine made so-so pickups and it's done. Put a different neck on your guitar and you will see how big of a difference it makes. I build partscasters for myself that go through several necks, pickups, and different bridge saddles (because they all sound different) to end up with a proper sounding/playingTelecaster or Stratocaster.
I’ve got an Olympic White Nash JM-63 and a Shell Pink Nash T-63 and feel that they are some of the best playing instruments. Like you guys said, it’s more about just liking the feel of the instrument!
@@joebryant8500 I guess the value of not doing the reasearch, curration, assembly, and set-up is worth it for those folks. For example if I tallied up the hours of research I did for my partscaster it would probably total of 5 hours between deciding on the exact pickups, bridge, neck and body I wanted. Then add in the 5 or so hours it took to carefully drill holes, soldering, and setting up and you've got a total of 10 hours of labor. At $50 an hour it makes sense to add $500 to the parts of the guitar that already cost me about $1900. So a couple thousand bucks isn't exactly crazy if we are talking premium parts, not just standard Taiwanese Fender parts.
My favorite guitar is a partscaster. I decided to stop trying to find my dream guitar, and just ordered the parts and built it myself. The color I want, pickups I want, neck profile..,etc...
That's exactly like I'm doing for my next guitar. To buy my perfect guitar I'd have to spend thousands, so I'm doing a warmoth build and painting it myself as I'm not into fancy finishes at all
I did this too. I played several American Original 50s Teles, new and used, as that's what I wanted. But I just don't care for the gloss neck. The best price I could find on a used one was about $1,400. So I took a blonde Classic Vibe body, sanded the gloss off, put on an AllParts satin finish U neck, sanded it back a little, rolled the frets, added Gotoh vintage tuners, a Gotoh bridge, CTS pots, cloth wiring, and Fender Vintage Original pickups. All in about $1,150. And it sounds and plays as good as one of those AO 50s. Without the nitro finish body, of course. Of course, I know I couldn't sell it for half of what it cost, but so what? It's an absolute beast, I'm keeping it. It's getting buried with me.
Thank you for adding the most important part at the end. It’s what you do with your fingers. Partscaster is not a bad word. As you stated, Clapton’s Blackie, Brownie, and Gilmour’s Black Strat were all partscasters. EVH played many parts guitars. Prince played a fake tele bought at a gas station. Eric Johnson’s strats were partscasters. It’s all in the hands.
Nothing wrong with a partscaster. The issue is passing off a guitar you assembled from pre made parts and selling it as if it were made buy you, a "boutique hand built" instrument.
I like building my own partscaster. I pick the finish, pots, pickups, neck profile and fret size. I also love the process of choosing all those items as I build the guitar.
Agree! If you build a partscaster you're taking the hobby to a whole new level. I've spent hours doing research and learned more about guitars from that.
I feel like the big thing is wood selection since most guitars over $1k use branded hardware. Like I honestly think that Kiesel is the same level as WMI but just use tremendous woods.
@@MaestroJericho I can agree and disagree. Wood has no impact on tone, but weights of wood vary and can be balanced body and neck for a better overall feel. With that a bass body balanced with another piece of bass, feels perfect. Ash balanced with bass, amazing, etc. It just comes down to assembly.
I’m a guitar builder, I build the everything from lumber and shape the necks by hand. This allows me to build guitars using a verity of woods for laminated necks and create something unique and beautiful. I personally love the craftsmanship behind boutique guitars, but I encourage more people to build their own parts caster for the experience and pleasure.
It's cost me thousands of dollars ultimately but what I've learned in the last 6 years trying different things is invaluable to me. I can now confidently build truly nice guitars. Maybe I should try to sell some...
i tell people who want to start building guitars, they better get ready to build more jigs than guitars and get used to breathing saw dust. but once you button up a build youve spent 80 hours + on it is very rewarding
I really like Lucky Dog out of Cleveland, TN. Anthony creates all his bodies, necks and even mill his hardware and has a nearby pickup guy make his pickups. For the price of $2500-$3500 I feel it is a real deal. Totally one of a kind guitar for the money
TheGtrjim I’ve followed Lucky Dog for a couple years now, always a little surprised at his guitars’ cost being less than most Fender CS, and he uses insane flame maple and relic hardware
I've always wanted a pink paisley Crook guitar. I never got to buy one, but I contacted Bill Crook back many years ago a couple times and he was very friendly and was a pleasure to contact. Maybe Ill get to order one some day.
Currently having a guitar made by Frank Grubisa out of Sydney, Australia. Too many crappy fender custom shops out there for my liking, and not enough easy access to try a lot of them. So, decided to have one made, 60s style. It's the best guitar I have ever played in my life, including real 63, 58, and a 62. Cheaper than a custom shop and better than any custom shops that I have ever played. It is absolutely incredible.
I’m a name snob for resale reasons. I just learned over the years that if I want to unload a piece of gear, it has to have a mainstream name on it that people will buy in a heartbeat. I could easily love a small builder guitar or amp, but, if I cross that line and buy from an independent builder, I have enough experience to know I may be stuck with it or take a huge financial hit because the masses aren’t educated or willing to pay for the quality I might have been.
dibuccio 100% correct my friend! Same here! I also use that philosophy for car purchases. Resale value should matter to guitarists seeing how many times we trade em in.
I get the same way as not losing money when reselling is a priority so I go name brand. My exception is Warmoth parts. They hold their value when I go to resale, either as a whole guitar or just taking it apart and reselling the neck and body. For people who end up with my old Warmoth guitars they get a good deal. I spend a good 6 hours on reshaping the neck, rolling the edges, leveling the frets with proper falloff, and setup.
I bought a Nash t63 knowing it’s a partscaster. It’s the best tele I’ve ever played and the nitro fiesta red is perfect. I’ll probably never part with it 10/10
I'm okay with both. I've done 100% parts caster, but I also do hybrid where I make the body from scratch per my own requirements and then source select hardware and neck to fit. As a hobbyist and enthusiast I personally dont have the time to make my own necks and pups however the final products are truly unique and at the custom shop level. Branding is not important to me, only quality, sound, playability and obviously looks.
I've got one of Rick Kelly's "Bowery Pine" Teles, made out of the joists of Jim Jarmusch's Bowery loft, which was originally a warehouse, built around 1800-1810. That old growth pine, from trees that were hundreds of years old when they were felled in the 18th century and then compressed and dried in that building for over 100 years makes for one amazingly resonant and alive body. Rick does everything, and he does it mostly with hand tools. if you see the documentary, you can see him using his grandpa's draw knife to shape necks. His guitars are works of art. Mine has a reclaimed Padauk neck (IIRC it was originally going to be turned into marimba bars) that has a shape that can't really be described beyond, "every position is perfect." Only a hand-shaped neck is going to be that way. Mine's got some grain filler and whitewash on it; a bunch (like my old one) just have shellac finishes. Utterly amazing stuff. Additional shoutout to Chihoe Hahn- he and Jim Campilongo collaborated on a T-style sig model that's fantastic. The "Model C" is pine, all handmade (including Chihoe's own rolled steel and lacquered hardware), plays like a Custon Shop Tele, and sell for $1500.00. Bargain of the century, if you're patient. Oh! And Charles Whitfil is making Tele-type guitars that are lightweight, resonant, and have these amazing "Usual Suspects" pickups in them. He's also great a doing a relic that doesn't feel overcooked- you pick one up and you think, "where the hell did I leave this guitar for all these years?" They just feel *right*, you know? The guy just knows wood, too. Like Paul Reed Smith, he's got "the touch" for finding wood that has its own musicality. Oh, and his hardware is amazeballs.
I know this videos are but i really appreciate the conversation about them. I recently ordered a hand built boutique and while im waiting on it ive been watching these videos a ton. For me it was a spec thing that made me end up going with a hand built there is no guitar on the market that has the specs I wanted so I had to go hand built. Anyways i really appreciate you guys giving me something to watch during my long wait.
If they're assembling pre-made parts, yes, it's a partscaster. But I'm a fit/finish and set-up guy, so it doesn't matter where the parts come from as long as they work and the builder is honest about the provenance of said parts.
In Key West we had hurricane Wilma a few years ago. Lots of our Honduran mahogany trees were blown down. We cut them into giant logs and stumps and put them out for the trash... I started thinking, grabbed the latest issue of Vintage Guitar and started making phone calls. I wasn't even trying to make money, but Not One shop was interested. So, they went in a landfill in Hialeah. (Kelly included).
My FrankenTele is a 2007 MIM Fender 50’s Classic Esquire body; a MIM Fender RI rosewood ‘62 neck with clay dots. A 3-compensated brass saddle bridge. A ‘repro ‘53 wiring harness, Gotoh top load gold tuners; a 3- ply tortoiseshell pick guard; a Seymour Duncan Antiquity P-90 in the neck, and a Fralin Broadcaster flat pole 2% overwound p/u in the bridge. It is a great guitar as good as any ever made...
I can't justify building my own bodies and necks. So many great parts are available cheaper than I can build my own. It's putting the right stuff together the right way that counts.
I just bought a Nash JM-63 from a guitar store in CT. It was the best guitar I played in the shop that day, including guitars from Gibson, Fender, PRS, and Suhr. I couldn’t let it walk away, so I picked it up. Maybe one day I’ll make my own partscaster, but I’ve never gone beyond extremely basic guitar maintenance, so there’s value to me in having a guitar that plays and sounds incredible, regardless of where the parts come from.
I bought a “partscaster” from a “boutique” builder, for my son. It was cheaper than an actual hand-built “boutique” guitar. My guy does both. This strat is an absolute beast. Best playing strat I’ve ever played. Best sounding strat I’ve ever played. I did get to pick the neck from a handful he had, selected a US body, out of several on hand. Also picked electronics and plastics. Actually used a MIM neck, over a US neck because it really was a better neck (out of the lot on hand). I think the answer to this question is just that. Make sure you know what you’re getting, and more importantly, paying for.
It's a great point that USA Fender wood parts don't come from special trees that are magically superior to Mexican Fenders. And those small builder guitars can be total deals!
@@kalkidasofficial Try a Tom Anderson. I've owned three and still have two. They are without a doubt the best boutique or custom guitars I've ever played. I collect vintage guitars and build my own "partscasters". I've been playing professionally over fifty years and currently play 65 to 100 shows per year. Try a Tom Anderson.
Disagree. I’ve owned 2 Nash guitars, S63 and S57. Nice guitars at a decent price point especially used. Fender Custom Shop are on a different level IMO. Sold the Nashes and still have my 60 NOS Relic.
Greg S I own a fender custom shop stratocaster that I love but for teles I couldn’t find a single fender that worked for me I wanted less tension which Nash provided me. Plus I wanted a humbucker in the neck which Seymour Duncan that’s in fender i definitely didn’t want the lollar on the other hand sounds amazing also the back of the neck is really nice on relic . So for me nash worked better fir the tele in my experience but not with a strat.
I don't consider someone who can assemble parts - regardless of how well they can do that - to be a 'boutique' guitar - its a Partscaster assembled by someone who knows what they are doing. If anything, its a professionally assembled Partscaster - not a boutique built guitar! Someone who builds the guitar from RAW materials - even if they don't make their own hardware - to be 'built' by the 'brand' name. I don't care if they use CNC to get the basic shape before finishing by hand OR uses nothing but hand tools (no power tools) - they can use a trained beaver for all I care, its the fact they built the guitar themselves. As far as I am concerned, the only difference between Boutique or not is the 'scale' of the operation and does not mean a boutique build is 'better', just means they make 'fewer' guitars that are perhaps not as readily available. Boutique has come to mean 'better' when in reality its more about 'scale'. There is nothing stopping a larger scale builder putting in the same time and effort to ensure that each instrument is the best it can be, not worry about making their quota for a paycheck. If someone is good at parting parts together, then I don't see any reason they shouldn't get paid for their time in doing so but they should really be classed as a 'professionally assembled partscaster' to separate them from some 'hobbyist' who put a partscaster together and then selling it on... Its maybe a bit pedantic but at the end of the day, the final instrument is what matters but how someone just assembling parts without making any of them themselves can call themselves 'boutique builders' and charge the money they do is absolutely ridiculous!!
Well said. To add though, it’s really the buyer’s responsibility to know what they are buying. There is enough information out there with anyone with half an interest to figure this all out. I’ve owned ‘expensive’ boutique strats, custom shop, and ‘brand partscasters’. At my age it has come down to - when the feel, tone (and for me the greatest of these is tone, and feel is close second) , look, and price work for you, buy it. Forget brand. Btw, not plugging brand, but I just got a Nash S-57 that has blown me away. And I have a tele from a guy who is not well liked on forums, but it is the best tele I’ve ever played, after about 5 teles or so, it was just head and shoulders above - for me. I know what my ears and hands tell me. I can look past the rest. Now if I could switch both for a FCS at the same price point, I’d do it in a heartbeat :-). I’m a child of the 60’s and Fender and Gibson brands are just formative for me.
I got all my parts for my tele a little at a time and I couldn't be happier...other than the body wood it's all fender ..62 reissue bridge...tex Mex neck.,and I it's absolutely perfect to me.....I would not trade it for a factory because I built it to my taste....great video guys...rock on
I have built two MJT guitars. Amazing reliced nitro bodies, necks that I have installed high end components into at a third of custom shop prices. But I also know that I might be lucky to get half my money back if I sold them.
Please do not forget the craftmanship and the mojo that Mr Nash adds to the assembly of these guitars. I have an S 57 and I am looking for a T 52 or T 57 now.
The majority of popular Gourmet guitars use all off the shelf hardware and PU's. The bodies and are made with a CNC machine.Where do you draw the line?
Yeah look at brands that aren't doing "clones" of existing models, but doing their own thing like Novo or Jennings, and it's not like they are winding their own pickups. They're not making their own hardware either. But then there's guys like Swope who have also ventured into that. So it's a mixed bag.
I agree with Jonathan, if I connect with the guitar, that's what's important to me. Doesn't matter if it's Fender Squier Gibson whatever. There's apparently a great builder here in Europe that a TH-camr called Dave Simpson uses called Oswald. Dave absolutely loves those things and I have to say, I've almost been tempted a couple of times. But it's difficult to order a guitar without actually geting your hands on one first, especially if you are spending boutique prices.
I notice that a lot of these terms- "Boutique" "Partscaster" etc are marketing terms. So, I think it depends upon why you have the guitar, in the first place. If you are just after having the tool, for a musical goal- none of this matters, because all that matters is if the tool "works". If the guitar is an investment, in a collection, then, yeah, it matters a lot. Me? I'm kinda out of the loop on this: I'm a lefty, so most of my guitars aren't marketable to the majority of players.
Never met a lefty guitarist, but I have always wondered: why didn't you just learn to play righty when you started? I mean it isn't totally unprecedented; there are no "lefty" cellos, violins, or violas, for instance, and every player who learns those instruments has learn them as a "righty." Obviously cellos and guitars are quite different instruments, but it just seems like it would be so much easier for everything if you just started learning as a righty. You go into any given guitar shop and there _might_ be one or two lefty guitars there, and any other guitars that you would have to order always cost a little more as a lefty model, so I have just wondered about this. There just seem to be way more pros to start learning as a righty than there are pros to start learning as a lefty, and since your hands can't do anything to begin with when you first start out learning anyway, why not just take the easier route of learning as a righty? Obviously whatever works for you works for you, but it would just bug me to not be able to play 99% of guitars that I see lol.
@@STSGuitar16 I did start start on right handed. But apart from cowboy chords, couldn't progress at all. A friend noticed and had a left handed guitar. Within a week, I made more progress on that. So, I guess it's just how I'm wired.
You are correct that it is a tool and as long as it works, it works. But there are many people who believe that there is something inherent within handmade objects that reflects the Creator, perhaps kind of a delusional belief that there is good Juju within those items. Kind of like as a carpenter, I enjoy a good handmade tool. Something I can really connect with. But I think the most important factor is simply that there are too many cookie cutter CNC guitars out there these days, and it's important to still support smaller creative individuals. Having a one-of-a-kind item is something special especially in musical instrument
I have a core PRS and I have built a few partscasters with Warmoth and Eden parts. My newest partscaster sounds just as good as my PRS and it is actually more comfortable also. The Wolfgang neck profile you can get from Warmoth is the best neck I have played out of any guitar I have ever owned.
Great discussion. I have owned 4 Nash guitars, I still own 2 but I miss the other 2 that I sold. All of mine have great fret dressing, set up perfectly and are resonant. I love the way they vibrate and feel part of you when you play them. I did not realize until last week that none of my necks had a head stock truss rod adjustment because I have never had to make an adjustment on any of them. My latest tele which I bought in 2012 arrived in tune and always stays in tune. That says a lot. The fact you get Lollars or Fralin pickups puts them over the top. Their resale values are great as the prices keep going up on the used market. The great thing about a relic is if you ding it at a gig you don't care because they are already beat up. MJT seem cool as well. You can order the guitar custom the way you want it though you really need to spend time studying your favorite necks. Their are so many choices and you need to understand all the options and what they mean before pulling the trigger. If you are an experienced player and know what you like you can pretty much order the perfect guitar.
Partscasters are awesome as long as they are set up properly. That goes for all guitars. Every part you get is gonna need some tweaking and adjusting and shaping. Its fun as hell and its very satisfying playing and enjoying a guitar you put your ideas and work into.
I ordered a Ron Kirn T type last month after a good phone call with him. He orders the necks but then does a good bit of tweaking to them. He builds the body himself. He will use any pickups you want but also winds his own which is what I chose. And now I wait....
I own two Tele style parts-casters, I love them! One is modeled after Rory Gallaghers 66 tele crossed with Chrissy Hynde’s 65 telecaster. My other is modeled after a 52 but it’s what I call an antique honey burst finish and the neck on it is incredible. I do like Brand made guitars primarily Fender but boutique or partscaster, it does not matter to me as long as I get along with it. I buy to keep not to resell.
I have a PRS Silver Sky, I have a partscaster that everything is Fender except the neck and body. I have played Suhr's and Fenders. You just gotta find what you love and damn it all.
I like well built partscasters, that really have a sound, play nice, and just work. No problem. So did Ry Cooder have a partscaster built the way he wanted? Just sayin'
I recently sold my favorite parts caster that had an MJT body and a Warmoth neck. I miss it so much. I had gotten a bad case of GAS for a partscater Blacktop Strat, I am mid build on it currently but man I miss that MJT/Warmoth Strat, she was gorgeous had great tone and sustain. I know her new owner is taking good care of her but I’ll always regret selling. That being said I have a highly modded Fender Highway One that is my current #1. It’s so resonant the whole guitar vibrates with every strum. So I would have to say I like both Factory and partscasters. Although I will say be very hesitant and thorough when buying a used partscaster that someone has built themselves. Do you due diligence and everything should be fine.
I have 2, one Strat & one Telecaster... The Strat in all Fender(except the bridge) with a Players Series neck, MIM body, and C.S. 69 "Abby" pickups. The Telecaster has a "Nashville" neck, Wilkinson bridge with brass compensated saddles, and Seymour Duncan Antiquities pickups. They are both amazing playing & sounding guitars, and set up with the preferences I wanted... the only way I could afford to have them!
I've never played a Nash I didnt love....but the fender MOD Shop might be my next adventure...( strums his amazing 179.00 Grote from Amazon)... love you guys.
I have never played a boutique build guitar. I have a PRS wood library CU24, Fender CS Tele I also have the least expensive Gretsch that you can buy, brand new it was just over $300 ( I did upgrade the p/u’s) I have a 40-year-old Yamaha acoustic that my parents bought me, it’s still fun to play. I love them all.
For the first time, I'm beginning to look at my '67 Telecaster, and my "91 Telecaster, were Parts casters, I changed the pickups, and tuners, even drilled strings through the body.= Parts casters?
I have both. Have a fully custom built Jazzmaster from MJT and a bunch of production line guitars from other major manufacturers as well. They all serve their purpose for me and play well, regardless of build and where they came from.
I own a Nash strat with ash body and two lollartron pickups, bridge and neck and a lollar single coil in the middle. It sounds and feels amazing! The neck shape is fantastic. It’s heavily relic’d which I wish wasn’t so pronounced on the maple neck. But when I’m playing it it sounds great and feels great! Also a unique combo of pickup configurations.
USACG went belly up. Was bought by MJT. I heard the guy who used to program the CNC machines for USACG is now at Sound Guitar Works in Tacoma, WA. There are a lot guitar manufactures in the Greater Seattle area, like Warmoth, TV Jones, Jason Lollar, Bill Nash. We have a lot of trees.
I have to say as an owner of a Nash T63 and S63, the t is beyond amazing feeling, better than Fender CS. The S63 is kind of meh more just a run of the mill American strat okay, but the Lollar specific pickups are beyond amazing.
Partscaster version of a "Boutique" amp? I have two Brian Cox tweed amps and these things are incredible. The components are streight out of the catalog and he'd tweak it for you with upgrades. But, what makes these amps is the immaculate workmanship. The wire dressing is a work of art. The amps sound incredible. He passed away several years ago and I count myself lucky to be able to have him build a Deluxe and a Champ for me.
I like partscasters. For example, you can take the pickups you like from one year strat, use the bridge from another year, add locking tuners, a bone or graphtec nut, a great switch, your favorite knobs, etc, and get EXACTLY what you want!
There's a lot to be said about inexpensive guitars with upgrades and partscasters. My T-style guitars are FGN by Fujigen. I'm putting a Bare Knuckle Flat 50 set in one of them. Eventually, I will put CTS pots in both of them.
We have a guy in town who frequents all the pawn shops in town, to buy old worn and unloved chinese/indonesian guitars and rebuilds them with better parts and finishes, and puts his Phoenix waterslide decal on the headstock. They're fully disassembled, frets redressed or replaced and polished, and sometimes he makes new bodies with cool butcher block, chessboard or live edge woods. He also makes pickguards from old vinyl records. I'm sure he doesn't make much money at it, (he is retired with a pension though) but I did buy a strat from him and its a permanent part of my collection now, and a real workhorse. My point is, these builders are all subjective to your liking, but even the luthier's intent can be a catalyst for something new and different, not just the boutique nature of its new parts and assembly.
I've done both building guitars from hunks of wood and "making" a guitar from parts. They are both challenging to do well and which way you might choose to go depends on the tools you possess. If you can make sawdust and spray paint then go for it. If you are a guy building in an apartment where dust and paint are a no go then learn to build from parts. Tools for building your own partscaster are -- Hand Drill or small drill press, fret tools, nut tools, setup tools, digital caliper, strobe tuner, clamps. You can do it with less but kinda hard to get it all the setupp right without these tools. ON the topic above-I agree, my only issue is when they say "handmade in usa" when it's really cnc import. But if they're straight up about it, I aint mad at cnc import parts. Unfortunately like they say, resale is not strong for unbranded. It helps to use either a genuine Brand body or neck then it may fair better
My ‘85 Kramer Pacer has an ESP neck and schaller parts with an original Floyd of course...so, yea, it’s basically a partscaster with the Kramer logo on the headstock....but that guitar is a freakin beast...after all these years!!!
A couple of my favorite guitars are parts casters that I put together from pawnshop buys, and other cheap buys to use for parts. It’s in the eye or in the hands of the beholder for sure, people who judge a guitar player on a parts caster just don’t understand the joy that comes from assembling a bunch of misfit parts together to become everything you wanted in a guitar that you can’t get any other way… it’s also derived from the outrageous price tags some of the guitars are demanding these days… that said, it’s a love and passion for me, and that’s a big part of it other than necessity…
When buying a Fender Masterbuilt guitar, do the bodies and necks come of the CNC machine like all the other parts? Does the master builder even control the CNC machine? Seems like they are doing the same job as some of the"partscaster" makers. The finished piece is what really matters. However, I would want the builder to mention of they also carved the wood, and price it accordingly.
I'm betting the bodies and necks come off the same CNC all of their stuff comes from. Seems like its just a way to charge you extra for a guitar assembled by the non-beginner employees. Seems to me all of their pricey americans should be custom shop quality, they just lower the bar on the majority of the guitars to make the custom shops seem extra high end.
I have a pat-II pagelli signature cort made guitar originally 24.75 scale and put an 25.5 scale Eart neck with stainless steel frets on it because I love the neck and the humbucker pickups with split coil pull tone knob sound amazing, it’s just amazing to me , chime, and a darker 70s custom tele sound with the strat neck come on who wouldn’t do this to a guitar after a few 🍺
Many of the famous Fender custom shop builders are sourcing their parts from Fender. The parts caster is a derogatory term that all shops like to throw out there to make their Fender stock look better then it is. EVH partscaster that was just what he wanted. I've owned true boutique hand crafted,and just like vintage guitars they are not perfect, ever. Sorry but machines are more precise then humans. It is what it is.
I have put together 2 MJT partscasters, 1 strat, 1 tele. It's super fun to spec out all the parts and choose the look to the finest detail and both guitars are great. I also have a hand crafted Strat from a boutique maker which is great too but not better than the MJT's. One boutique guitar I have though that is better is my Hahn 228 model C. That guitar is flawless.
I don't really care where the parts come from. I built a Strat using all Fender parts. I really like the shape of the MIM neck so I used an American Special body, MIM neck...then put Seymour Duncan and Eric Johnson pickups in it. It's not a boutique or a custom shop but to me, it looks, feels, plays, and sounds amazing and the total cost was around $800. Hard to beat it
I think if a builder is doing quality control and won't let anything loose that he wouldn't be thrilled to play All good But have to say I'm building a Tele Flame top w Warmth strat neck and so far am super happy Something about doing it yourself set up and all that makes it special Cool vid guy's
I have a partscaster, and I absolutely love it. I also don’t think of it as “less than” swamp ash body, warmoth roasted maple neck with reverse headstock, gotoh locking tuners, graphtech nut, string tree, and saddles. HSH with coil splitters. You’d need a thick wallet to get that from fender.
I guess it would depend upon whether the luthier putting the parts caster together can make it really come to life with all the touches of fret work, rounded fingerboard,pickups, bridge etc. etc. etc.
Next video: Is your hairstyle boutique, or did you really just wake up.
It's a relic-ed 'piece...
It's the exciting all-new Fender Same As Last Year line of professional haircuts.
In my dream i walked into a boutique guitar shop, weird boutique lighting, strange boutique smell and standing at their boutique salon chairs were Don King, Bob Dylan, Cosmo Kramer and Jack White......
hahahaha!!
hahahaha.....that was great.
I went with a partcaster, because it allowed me to get exactly what I wanted in body, neck shape, pickups, colors, etc without the $3k price tag. I did everything myself and paid for a pro set up. It's the best decision I've made for me. However, no matter how good it sounds or plays, I'll never be able to sell it for what I paid. That's just the way it is.
How much did you pay? Also did you get a nitro finish body?
I also went with a partscaster, and ended up finding a guy not too far away who makes roasted maple, compound radius, stainless steel necks for a steal of a price. Didn't do it myself, but still all together I've paid probably $1500 Canadian for a Jazzmaster with that neck, Mastery bridge, Descendant trem, PRS and TV Jones pickups (HSH), 10-way Freeway switch.
This guy I talked to recently was so proud of his $2600 (also Canadian dollars) offset Tele he got from a boutique maker. It was a Tele: bridge pickup, neck pickup, 3-way switch. $2600.
That's why I have a partscaster 🙂
@@destroso In all around $1200-1300 I think and yes to Nitro
@@rockstarguitareffects where did you get you nitro body?
@@destroso try MJT guitar body's
When you think about how much an average Warmoth build costs vs what a Nash costs, I think it's a fair markup...about $1000 for a nitro finish, +relic time, +wood selection time, +assembly time, +fixing-little-issues time and +setup time (and you get a case and better resale than a pure DIY Warmoth build). I will still 100% do a Warmoth build in my life, but this video did help legitimize Nash pricing in my eyes. Keep up the great content guys!
Totally agree! Thanks for watching.
I agree there!
if you want nitro, go with MJT.
Agreed.
and the toooone of my Nash man!
I've heard my Nash T63 is a partscaster. Best tele I ever played!!
exactly - assembly and setup are EVERYTHING.
They were using off the shelf parts for years, but I do believe they shifted gears a year ago or so. They've gone back n' forth a couple times, so the truth is somewhere in between. Same thing was true for Kelton Swade, and he makes one of the best Fender style relic out there. I've never played a Nash that didn't play, feel and sound like a Fender Custom Shop. He knows the formula of what makes a guitar great.
I don’t care if the builder made the neck and body. I care that the neck and body are of high quality and the finished guitar plays and sounds good.
@@reverb508 exactly!
SRV’s number 1 was also a partscaster. That’s the most famous one that comes to my mind.
I'm that guy with ten more in the trunk. I appreciated the shop's viewpoint. I've built seven this year, put two Strat-styles up for sale. The one with the wooden pickguard generated lots of interest and sold in a week, the one with a plastic pickguard no movement after four weeks. Pausing to reconsider next moves. I know some folks think this vid is clickbait, but I found it informative, and would love more on the subject of hobby builders. Thanks
I’m making my first wood pick guard for a late 60’s Matsumoku SG and I gotta say the custom pick guard is a classy touch that really does make the instrument stand out.
Buddy of mine just orderd a few wood pick guards and i have to agree 100% they add a certain flavor
Kinda strange premise in that the Stratocaster/ Telecaster was designed very deliberately to be a “partscaster “
Great point!
@@davidkellymitchell4747 That's wrong. It was for ease and cost of manufacture, like Ford's Model T. Get so sick of revisionistic BS.
@@davidkellymitchell4747 OK, you're old. Doesn't magically change the incorrectness of your statement.
@@richsackett3423 Not trying to argue, so I hope this question conveys my tone here. Wasn’t the ability to change out a neck easily, manufacturing etc. all part of the cost analysis that Leo did when designing the guitars?
@@hogie1259 Yes, along with George Fullerton. That’s all part of the recipe for their enduring products. It’s one of the reasons their guitars were as good as Gibson’s for a fraction of the price. Can’t remember what the other guy was saying but I’m sure it was silly.
That is the most elaborate comb over I have ever seen.
I hope he shaves his head.
Bob Ross regularly used a pick to make his hair look good
@@scottklandl488 what has Bob Ross’ ways of styling his Afro/perm got to do with this guys comb over?
He should shave his head and glue it to his chin.
Some guys have a hard time letting go. I shaved my head a long time ago and made me a lot happier. It was liberating as hell.
A partscaster can be as good as you want it to be. What is a Fender? A neck taken out of a pile put on to a body taken out of a pile with machine made so-so pickups and it's done. Put a different neck on your guitar and you will see how big of a difference it makes. I build partscasters for myself that go through several necks, pickups, and different bridge saddles (because they all sound different) to end up with a proper sounding/playingTelecaster or Stratocaster.
I’ve got an Olympic White Nash JM-63 and a Shell Pink Nash T-63 and feel that they are some of the best playing instruments. Like you guys said, it’s more about just liking the feel of the instrument!
Just got my Olympic White S-63 and I love it.
I really don't care who made it or how they got the parts. If it plays good and sounds good....it is good.
Kinda the bottom line, I agree. Thanks for watching!
@@joebryant8500 because you are happy with it. Who cares what it costs if it sounds good and plays good and you are okay with the price tag?
@@joebryant8500 I guess the value of not doing the reasearch, curration, assembly, and set-up is worth it for those folks.
For example if I tallied up the hours of research I did for my partscaster it would probably total of 5 hours between deciding on the exact pickups, bridge, neck and body I wanted. Then add in the 5 or so hours it took to carefully drill holes, soldering, and setting up and you've got a total of 10 hours of labor. At $50 an hour it makes sense to add $500 to the parts of the guitar that already cost me about $1900. So a couple thousand bucks isn't exactly crazy if we are talking premium parts, not just standard Taiwanese Fender parts.
exactly
My favorite guitar is a partscaster. I decided to stop trying to find my dream guitar, and just ordered the parts and built it myself. The color I want, pickups I want, neck profile..,etc...
That's exactly like I'm doing for my next guitar. To buy my perfect guitar I'd have to spend thousands, so I'm doing a warmoth build and painting it myself as I'm not into fancy finishes at all
I did this too. I played several American Original 50s Teles, new and used, as that's what I wanted. But I just don't care for the gloss neck. The best price I could find on a used one was about $1,400. So I took a blonde Classic Vibe body, sanded the gloss off, put on an AllParts satin finish U neck, sanded it back a little, rolled the frets, added Gotoh vintage tuners, a Gotoh bridge, CTS pots, cloth wiring, and Fender Vintage Original pickups. All in about $1,150. And it sounds and plays as good as one of those AO 50s. Without the nitro finish body, of course.
Of course, I know I couldn't sell it for half of what it cost, but so what? It's an absolute beast, I'm keeping it. It's getting buried with me.
Thank you for adding the most important part at the end. It’s what you do with your fingers. Partscaster is not a bad word. As you stated, Clapton’s Blackie, Brownie, and Gilmour’s Black Strat were all partscasters. EVH played many parts guitars. Prince played a fake tele bought at a gas station. Eric Johnson’s strats were partscasters. It’s all in the hands.
Nothing wrong with a partscaster. The issue is passing off a guitar you assembled from pre made parts and selling it as if it were made buy you, a "boutique hand built" instrument.
I like building my own partscaster. I pick the finish, pots, pickups, neck profile and fret size. I also love the process of choosing all those items as I build the guitar.
It's like the Masterbuilt process without the Masterbuilt. :-)
👍🏼
Agree! If you build a partscaster you're taking the hobby to a whole new level. I've spent hours doing research and learned more about guitars from that.
No mention of LSL? They make all of their parts in house and sell new, reliced, Fender style, original designs. And their quality is excellent.
LSL is superb, too many excellent choices out there.
Another shout out for LSL, they make outstanding instruments
Also surprised no mention of Whitfil.
+1
CNC machine doesn’t know what factory it’s in.
^^^^^
I feel like the big thing is wood selection since most guitars over $1k use branded hardware. Like I honestly think that Kiesel is the same level as WMI but just use tremendous woods.
@@MaestroJericho I can agree and disagree. Wood has no impact on tone, but weights of wood vary and can be balanced body and neck for a better overall feel. With that a bass body balanced with another piece of bass, feels perfect. Ash balanced with bass, amazing, etc. It just comes down to assembly.
This is the most interesting guitar video I've seen from any guitar channel. Bravo!
I’m a guitar builder, I build the everything from lumber and shape the necks by hand. This allows me to build guitars using a verity of woods for laminated necks and create something unique and beautiful.
I personally love the craftsmanship behind boutique guitars, but I encourage more people to build their own parts caster for the experience and pleasure.
It's cost me thousands of dollars ultimately but what I've learned in the last 6 years trying different things is invaluable to me. I can now confidently build truly nice guitars. Maybe I should try to sell some...
i tell people who want to start building guitars, they better get ready to build more jigs than guitars and get used to breathing saw dust. but once you button up a build youve spent 80 hours + on it is very rewarding
Clapton guitars where from 4-5 different stratS from what they said at what is formally known as EMP. That’s where Brownie is.
Great video. Thanks for posting. Proud owner of a Nash or two and have made 4 or 5 parts-casters as well. None made for profit...all made to rock.
I really like Lucky Dog out of Cleveland, TN. Anthony creates all his bodies, necks and even mill his hardware and has a nearby pickup guy make his pickups. For the price of $2500-$3500 I feel it is a real deal. Totally one of a kind guitar for the money
TheGtrjim I’ve followed Lucky Dog for a couple years now, always a little surprised at his guitars’ cost being less than most Fender CS, and he uses insane flame maple and relic hardware
He’s awesome! I’m on the list!
Just checked them out...Beautiful!!!!
I just ordered a custom barnbuster from Ron Kirn this week.
Frankenstrat my Dudes, Frankenstrat. RIP King EVH
Amen.
Amen. Preach! A well thought out parts caster beats many, many manufactured “boutique” bolt ons.
Damned straight. I don't think Fender would even paint a guitar as ugly as my faux wood grain tobacco sunburst Frankenstrat.
@@mattburch9873 I wish I could hit the thumbs up button more than once......
Eddie's definitely carried the torch from his friend Les Paul!
Dude's brushing his hair with a balloon!
Jack ~'()'~
Canada
:-)))))
😂😂😂
Are you sure it’s not cum like in the something about Mary movie lol
I was thinking he brushed his hair with a firecracker.
@@AdventurePunk :-)
I've always wanted a pink paisley Crook guitar. I never got to buy one, but I contacted Bill Crook back many years ago a couple times and he was very friendly and was a pleasure to contact. Maybe Ill get to order one some day.
Do it! Bill’s work is top notch.
You’ll never regret it. Bill is the man!
Currently having a guitar made by Frank Grubisa out of Sydney, Australia. Too many crappy fender custom shops out there for my liking, and not enough easy access to try a lot of them. So, decided to have one made, 60s style. It's the best guitar I have ever played in my life, including real 63, 58, and a 62. Cheaper than a custom shop and better than any custom shops that I have ever played. It is absolutely incredible.
I’m a name snob for resale reasons. I just learned over the years that if I want to unload a piece of gear, it has to have a mainstream name on it that people will buy in a heartbeat. I could easily love a small builder guitar or amp, but, if I cross that line and buy from an independent builder, I have enough experience to know I may be stuck with it or take a huge financial hit because the masses aren’t educated or willing to pay for the quality I might have been.
dibuccio 100% correct my friend! Same here! I also use that philosophy for car purchases. Resale value should matter to guitarists seeing how many times we trade em in.
I get the same way as not losing money when reselling is a priority so I go name brand. My exception is Warmoth parts. They hold their value when I go to resale, either as a whole guitar or just taking it apart and reselling the neck and body. For people who end up with my old Warmoth guitars they get a good deal. I spend a good 6 hours on reshaping the neck, rolling the edges, leveling the frets with proper falloff, and setup.
Yes, but conversely, buying used non-mainstream guitars is a great way to go if you know exactly what you'd like.
I bought a Nash t63 knowing it’s a partscaster. It’s the best tele I’ve ever played and the nitro fiesta red is perfect. I’ll probably never part with it 10/10
GREAT GUITAR
I just want to know about that 2020 shirt! I need that! Also R.I.P. EVH king of the partscaster. Even SRV ‘s #1 was technically a partscaster.
I'm okay with both. I've done 100% parts caster, but I also do hybrid where I make the body from scratch per my own requirements and then source select hardware and neck to fit. As a hobbyist and enthusiast I personally dont have the time to make my own necks and pups however the final products are truly unique and at the custom shop level. Branding is not important to me, only quality, sound, playability and obviously looks.
I've got one of Rick Kelly's "Bowery Pine" Teles, made out of the joists of Jim Jarmusch's Bowery loft, which was originally a warehouse, built around 1800-1810. That old growth pine, from trees that were hundreds of years old when they were felled in the 18th century and then compressed and dried in that building for over 100 years makes for one amazingly resonant and alive body. Rick does everything, and he does it mostly with hand tools. if you see the documentary, you can see him using his grandpa's draw knife to shape necks. His guitars are works of art. Mine has a reclaimed Padauk neck (IIRC it was originally going to be turned into marimba bars) that has a shape that can't really be described beyond, "every position is perfect." Only a hand-shaped neck is going to be that way. Mine's got some grain filler and whitewash on it; a bunch (like my old one) just have shellac finishes. Utterly amazing stuff.
Additional shoutout to Chihoe Hahn- he and Jim Campilongo collaborated on a T-style sig model that's fantastic. The "Model C" is pine, all handmade (including Chihoe's own rolled steel and lacquered hardware), plays like a Custon Shop Tele, and sell for $1500.00. Bargain of the century, if you're patient.
Oh! And Charles Whitfil is making Tele-type guitars that are lightweight, resonant, and have these amazing "Usual Suspects" pickups in them. He's also great a doing a relic that doesn't feel overcooked- you pick one up and you think, "where the hell did I leave this guitar for all these years?" They just feel *right*, you know? The guy just knows wood, too. Like Paul Reed Smith, he's got "the touch" for finding wood that has its own musicality. Oh, and his hardware is amazeballs.
I know this videos are but i really appreciate the conversation about them. I recently ordered a hand built boutique and while im waiting on it ive been watching these videos a ton. For me it was a spec thing that made me end up going with a hand built there is no guitar on the market that has the specs I wanted so I had to go hand built. Anyways i really appreciate you guys giving me something to watch during my long wait.
If they're assembling pre-made parts, yes, it's a partscaster. But I'm a fit/finish and set-up guy, so it doesn't matter where the parts come from as long as they work and the builder is honest about the provenance of said parts.
Love my nash s67. Great sound, plays SO well.
I just found this channel I love listening to you guys talk about gear and music!
In Key West we had hurricane Wilma a few years ago. Lots of our Honduran mahogany trees were blown down. We cut them into giant logs and stumps and put them out for the trash... I started thinking, grabbed the latest issue of Vintage Guitar and started making phone calls. I wasn't even trying to make money, but Not One shop was interested. So, they went in a landfill in Hialeah. (Kelly included).
i saw this video post and immediately thought - I can’t wait to hear about Tom Anderson. :)
Built a few partscasters. They Play great and are far cheaper than something of similar build coming with a brand name.
Disappointed to discover my Harley Benton isn’t boutique.
Harley Benton and disappointed in the same sentence? It can't be! I love HBs. I would put my SC450 up against a Gibson Les Paul any day.
@@simontemplar3359 Lol. I actually don’t own any today. But I have two coming across the pond for me to try.
@@simontemplar3359 I bet you haven’t played a les Paul before to make that comment!!
@@joebryant8500 Don't know, did the 8 year old that put together the electronic you are typing sign the inside of it?
@@joebryant8500 You really should find out where they are made. Hint, it's not China.
I agree with your t-shirt, Baxter. But great video - just the job over in lockdown NE UK. More, please.
My FrankenTele is a 2007 MIM Fender 50’s Classic Esquire body; a MIM Fender RI rosewood ‘62 neck with clay dots. A 3-compensated brass saddle bridge. A ‘repro ‘53 wiring harness, Gotoh top load gold tuners; a 3- ply tortoiseshell pick guard; a Seymour Duncan Antiquity P-90 in the neck, and a Fralin Broadcaster flat pole 2% overwound p/u in the bridge. It is a great guitar as good as any ever made...
Ron Kirn makes an incredible guitar.
I can't justify building my own bodies and necks. So many great parts are available cheaper than I can build my own. It's putting the right stuff together the right way that counts.
I have a Melancon (stunning boutique) and a Crook (parts but great tone and finish). Love both. Dont care how they are made.
I just bought a Nash JM-63 from a guitar store in CT. It was the best guitar I played in the shop that day, including guitars from Gibson, Fender, PRS, and Suhr. I couldn’t let it walk away, so I picked it up. Maybe one day I’ll make my own partscaster, but I’ve never gone beyond extremely basic guitar maintenance, so there’s value to me in having a guitar that plays and sounds incredible, regardless of where the parts come from.
I bought a “partscaster” from a “boutique” builder, for my son. It was cheaper than an actual hand-built “boutique” guitar. My guy does both. This strat is an absolute beast. Best playing strat I’ve ever played. Best sounding strat I’ve ever played. I did get to pick the neck from a handful he had, selected a US body, out of several on hand. Also picked electronics and plastics. Actually used a MIM neck, over a US neck because it really was a better neck (out of the lot on hand). I think the answer to this question is just that. Make sure you know what you’re getting, and more importantly, paying for.
It's a great point that USA Fender wood parts don't come from special trees that are magically superior to Mexican Fenders.
And those small builder guitars can be total deals!
Fender MIM is making some of the best necks Fender has made in its entire history right now.
There’s a lot of famous partscasters out there. But Nash makes easily just as good as fender custom shop
Oh man I love nash. I’d argue they’re better than fender custom shop most times. Just in my experience. Suhr Guitars are also incredible!
Didn’t know about it. Good to know!
@@kalkidasofficial Try a Tom Anderson. I've owned three and still have two. They are without a doubt the best boutique or custom guitars I've ever played. I collect vintage guitars and build my own "partscasters". I've been playing professionally over fifty years and currently play 65 to 100 shows per year. Try a Tom Anderson.
Disagree. I’ve owned 2 Nash guitars, S63 and S57. Nice guitars at a decent price point especially used. Fender Custom Shop are on a different level IMO. Sold the Nashes and still have my 60 NOS Relic.
Greg S I own a fender custom shop stratocaster that I love but for teles I couldn’t find a single fender that worked for me I wanted less tension which Nash provided me. Plus I wanted a humbucker in the neck which Seymour Duncan that’s in fender i definitely didn’t want the lollar on the other hand sounds amazing also the back of the neck is really nice on relic . So for me nash worked better fir the tele in my experience but not with a strat.
Where does Anderson and Suhr fit into the boutique landscape. Figured you would mention them before Kirn and Senn.
Concerned Citizen they have their own video coming down the pipeline:) thanks for sharing!
I don't consider someone who can assemble parts - regardless of how well they can do that - to be a 'boutique' guitar - its a Partscaster assembled by someone who knows what they are doing. If anything, its a professionally assembled Partscaster - not a boutique built guitar!
Someone who builds the guitar from RAW materials - even if they don't make their own hardware - to be 'built' by the 'brand' name. I don't care if they use CNC to get the basic shape before finishing by hand OR uses nothing but hand tools (no power tools) - they can use a trained beaver for all I care, its the fact they built the guitar themselves.
As far as I am concerned, the only difference between Boutique or not is the 'scale' of the operation and does not mean a boutique build is 'better', just means they make 'fewer' guitars that are perhaps not as readily available. Boutique has come to mean 'better' when in reality its more about 'scale'. There is nothing stopping a larger scale builder putting in the same time and effort to ensure that each instrument is the best it can be, not worry about making their quota for a paycheck.
If someone is good at parting parts together, then I don't see any reason they shouldn't get paid for their time in doing so but they should really be classed as a 'professionally assembled partscaster' to separate them from some 'hobbyist' who put a partscaster together and then selling it on...
Its maybe a bit pedantic but at the end of the day, the final instrument is what matters but how someone just assembling parts without making any of them themselves can call themselves 'boutique builders' and charge the money they do is absolutely ridiculous!!
My thoughts exactly. I would feel cheated if i thought i was buying a ‘boutique’ instrument and it was just assembled parts!
Well said. To add though, it’s really the buyer’s responsibility to know what they are buying. There is enough information out there with anyone with half an interest to figure this all out. I’ve owned ‘expensive’ boutique strats, custom shop, and ‘brand partscasters’. At my age it has come down to - when the feel, tone (and for me the greatest of these is tone, and feel is close second) , look, and price work for you, buy it. Forget brand. Btw, not plugging brand, but I just got a Nash S-57 that has blown me away. And I have a tele from a guy who is not well liked on forums, but it is the best tele I’ve ever played, after about 5 teles or so, it was just head and shoulders above - for me. I know what my ears and hands tell me. I can look past the rest. Now if I could switch both for a FCS at the same price point, I’d do it in a heartbeat :-). I’m a child of the 60’s and Fender and Gibson brands are just formative for me.
I got all my parts for my tele a little at a time and I couldn't be happier...other than the body wood it's all fender ..62 reissue bridge...tex Mex neck.,and I it's absolutely perfect to me.....I would not trade it for a factory because I built it to my taste....great video guys...rock on
I have built two MJT guitars. Amazing reliced nitro bodies, necks that I have installed high end components into at a third of custom shop prices. But I also know that I might be lucky to get half my money back if I sold them.
MJT is making my 3rd body now. Solid stuff.
Please do not forget the craftmanship and the mojo that Mr Nash adds to the assembly of these guitars. I have an S 57 and I am looking for a T 52 or T 57 now.
The majority of popular Gourmet guitars use all off the shelf hardware and PU's. The bodies and are made with a CNC machine.Where do you draw the line?
Yeah look at brands that aren't doing "clones" of existing models, but doing their own thing like Novo or Jennings, and it's not like they are winding their own pickups. They're not making their own hardware either. But then there's guys like Swope who have also ventured into that. So it's a mixed bag.
I agree with Jonathan, if I connect with the guitar, that's what's important to me. Doesn't matter if it's Fender Squier Gibson whatever.
There's apparently a great builder here in Europe that a TH-camr called Dave Simpson uses called Oswald. Dave absolutely loves those things and I have to say, I've almost been tempted a couple of times. But it's difficult to order a guitar without actually geting your hands on one first, especially if you are spending boutique prices.
I notice that a lot of these terms- "Boutique" "Partscaster" etc are marketing terms. So, I think it depends upon why you have the guitar, in the first place. If you are just after having the tool, for a musical goal- none of this matters, because all that matters is if the tool "works". If the guitar is an investment, in a collection, then, yeah, it matters a lot. Me? I'm kinda out of the loop on this: I'm a lefty, so most of my guitars aren't marketable to the majority of players.
Never met a lefty guitarist, but I have always wondered: why didn't you just learn to play righty when you started? I mean it isn't totally unprecedented; there are no "lefty" cellos, violins, or violas, for instance, and every player who learns those instruments has learn them as a "righty." Obviously cellos and guitars are quite different instruments, but it just seems like it would be so much easier for everything if you just started learning as a righty. You go into any given guitar shop and there _might_ be one or two lefty guitars there, and any other guitars that you would have to order always cost a little more as a lefty model, so I have just wondered about this. There just seem to be way more pros to start learning as a righty than there are pros to start learning as a lefty, and since your hands can't do anything to begin with when you first start out learning anyway, why not just take the easier route of learning as a righty? Obviously whatever works for you works for you, but it would just bug me to not be able to play 99% of guitars that I see lol.
@@STSGuitar16 I did start start on right handed. But apart from cowboy chords, couldn't progress at all. A friend noticed and had a left handed guitar. Within a week, I made more progress on that. So, I guess it's just how I'm wired.
Well said
You are correct that it is a tool and as long as it works, it works. But there are many people who believe that there is something inherent within handmade objects that reflects the Creator, perhaps kind of a delusional belief that there is good Juju within those items. Kind of like as a carpenter, I enjoy a good handmade tool. Something I can really connect with. But I think the most important factor is simply that there are too many cookie cutter CNC guitars out there these days, and it's important to still support smaller creative individuals.
Having a one-of-a-kind item is something special especially in musical instrument
I have a core PRS and I have built a few partscasters with Warmoth and Eden parts. My newest partscaster sounds just as good as my PRS and it is actually more comfortable also. The Wolfgang neck profile you can get from Warmoth is the best neck I have played out of any guitar I have ever owned.
Great discussion. I have owned 4 Nash guitars, I still own 2 but I miss the other 2 that I sold. All of mine have great fret dressing, set up perfectly and are resonant. I love the way they vibrate and feel part of you when you play them. I did not realize until last week that none of my necks had a head stock truss rod adjustment because I have never had to make an adjustment on any of them. My latest tele which I bought in 2012 arrived in tune and always stays in tune. That says a lot. The fact you get Lollars or Fralin pickups puts them over the top. Their resale values are great as the prices keep going up on the used market. The great thing about a relic is if you ding it at a gig you don't care because they are already beat up. MJT seem cool as well. You can order the guitar custom the way you want it though you really need to spend time studying your favorite necks. Their are so many choices and you need to understand all the options and what they mean before pulling the trigger. If you are an experienced player and know what you like you can pretty much order the perfect guitar.
Partscasters are awesome as long as they are set up properly. That goes for all guitars. Every part you get is gonna need some tweaking and adjusting and shaping. Its fun as hell and its very satisfying playing and enjoying a guitar you put your ideas and work into.
I ordered a Ron Kirn T type last month after a good phone call with him. He orders the necks but then does a good bit of tweaking to them. He builds the body himself. He will use any pickups you want but also winds his own which is what I chose. And now I wait....
Some of my favorite guitars are parts casters, the trick is the enjoyment of playing it and the process of the build.
I own two Tele style parts-casters, I love them!
One is modeled after Rory Gallaghers 66 tele crossed with Chrissy Hynde’s 65 telecaster. My other is modeled after a 52 but it’s what I call an antique honey burst finish and the neck on it is incredible. I do like Brand made guitars primarily Fender but boutique or partscaster, it does not matter to me as long as I get along with it. I buy to keep not to resell.
You made a huge omission by not mentioning Novo. My opinion of course but I'm a huge fanboy.
I have a PRS Silver Sky, I have a partscaster that everything is Fender except the neck and body. I have played Suhr's and Fenders. You just gotta find what you love and damn it all.
I like well built partscasters, that really have a sound, play nice, and just work.
No problem.
So did Ry Cooder have a partscaster built the way he wanted?
Just sayin'
I recently sold my favorite parts caster that had an MJT body and a Warmoth neck. I miss it so much. I had gotten a bad case of GAS for a partscater Blacktop Strat, I am mid build on it currently but man I miss that MJT/Warmoth Strat, she was gorgeous had great tone and sustain. I know her new owner is taking good care of her but I’ll always regret selling. That being said I have a highly modded Fender Highway One that is my current #1. It’s so resonant the whole guitar vibrates with every strum. So I would have to say I like both Factory and partscasters. Although I will say be very hesitant and thorough when buying a used partscaster that someone has built themselves. Do you due diligence and everything should be fine.
I have 2, one Strat & one Telecaster...
The Strat in all Fender(except the bridge) with a Players Series neck, MIM body, and C.S. 69 "Abby" pickups.
The Telecaster has a "Nashville" neck, Wilkinson bridge with brass compensated saddles, and Seymour Duncan Antiquities pickups.
They are both amazing playing & sounding guitars, and set up with the preferences I wanted... the only way I could afford to have them!
I've never played a Nash I didnt love....but the fender MOD Shop might be my next adventure...( strums his amazing 179.00 Grote from Amazon)... love you guys.
I have never played a boutique build guitar. I have a PRS wood library CU24, Fender CS Tele I also have the least expensive Gretsch that you can buy, brand new it was just over $300 ( I did upgrade the p/u’s) I have a 40-year-old Yamaha acoustic that my parents bought me, it’s still fun to play. I love them all.
For the first time, I'm beginning to look at my '67 Telecaster, and my "91 Telecaster, were Parts casters, I changed the pickups, and tuners, even drilled strings through the body.= Parts casters?
I started out planning a partscaster but had a o learn from scratch to get the guitars I want with the woods I want. It is incredibly fun.
yes, my Nash tele is a poartcaster, and it can not be better, i am so in love with that guitar
I have both. Have a fully custom built Jazzmaster from MJT and a bunch of production line guitars from other major manufacturers as well. They all serve their purpose for me and play well, regardless of build and where they came from.
You should ask your John to give you one of his masterbuilds..!
I own a Nash strat with ash body and two lollartron pickups, bridge and neck and a lollar single coil in the middle. It sounds and feels amazing! The neck shape is fantastic. It’s heavily relic’d which I wish wasn’t so pronounced on the maple neck. But when I’m playing it it sounds great and feels great! Also a unique combo of pickup configurations.
USACG went belly up. Was bought by MJT. I heard the guy who used to program the CNC machines for USACG is now at Sound Guitar Works in Tacoma, WA. There are a lot guitar manufactures in the Greater Seattle area, like Warmoth, TV Jones, Jason Lollar, Bill Nash. We have a lot of trees.
I have to say as an owner of a Nash T63 and S63, the t is beyond amazing feeling, better than Fender CS. The S63 is kind of meh more just a run of the mill American strat okay, but the Lollar specific pickups are beyond amazing.
Agree on the T style. They're awesome. My local shop is a dealer and I haven't played one that wasn't fantastic
Partscaster version of a "Boutique" amp? I have two Brian Cox tweed amps and these things are incredible. The components are streight out of the catalog and he'd tweak it for you with upgrades. But, what makes these amps is the immaculate workmanship. The wire dressing is a work of art. The amps sound incredible. He passed away several years ago and I count myself lucky to be able to have him build a Deluxe and a Champ for me.
Mine won't be. 25.5-28" multi scale Fanned Fret 7 string split output.
I don't always boutique, but when I do I go to CHC guitars/Chris Cordova in Austin, Texas. Get in touch with him. You'll thank me.🤙🏼
100% AGREE! I will second that on CHC Guitars. They are handmade, custom, boutique. I own several. 👊🤠🍀🎶
I like partscasters. For example, you can take the pickups you like from one year strat, use the bridge from another year, add locking tuners, a bone or graphtec nut, a great switch, your favorite knobs, etc, and get EXACTLY what you want!
There's a lot to be said about inexpensive guitars with upgrades and partscasters.
My T-style guitars are FGN by Fujigen. I'm putting a Bare Knuckle Flat 50 set in one of them. Eventually, I will put CTS pots in both of them.
We have a guy in town who frequents all the pawn shops in town, to buy old worn and unloved chinese/indonesian guitars and rebuilds them with better parts and finishes, and puts his Phoenix waterslide decal on the headstock. They're fully disassembled, frets redressed or replaced and polished, and sometimes he makes new bodies with cool butcher block, chessboard or live edge woods. He also makes pickguards from old vinyl records. I'm sure he doesn't make much money at it, (he is retired with a pension though) but I did buy a strat from him and its a permanent part of my collection now, and a real workhorse. My point is, these builders are all subjective to your liking, but even the luthier's intent can be a catalyst for something new and different, not just the boutique nature of its new parts and assembly.
I've done both building guitars from hunks of wood and "making" a guitar from parts. They are both challenging to do well and which way you might choose to go depends on the tools you possess. If you can make sawdust and spray paint then go for it. If you are a guy building in an apartment where dust and paint are a no go then learn to build from parts. Tools for building your own partscaster are -- Hand Drill or small drill press, fret tools, nut tools, setup tools, digital caliper, strobe tuner, clamps. You can do it with less but kinda hard to get it all the setupp right without these tools.
ON the topic above-I agree, my only issue is when they say "handmade in usa" when it's really cnc import. But if they're straight up about it, I aint mad at cnc import parts. Unfortunately like they say, resale is not strong for unbranded. It helps to use either a genuine Brand body or neck then it may fair better
Great shirt Baxter.
My ‘85 Kramer Pacer has an ESP neck and schaller parts with an original Floyd of course...so, yea, it’s basically a partscaster with the Kramer logo on the headstock....but that guitar is a freakin beast...after all these years!!!
A couple of my favorite guitars are parts casters that I put together from pawnshop buys, and other cheap buys to use for parts.
It’s in the eye or in the hands of the beholder for sure, people who judge a guitar player on a parts caster just don’t understand the joy that comes from assembling a bunch of misfit parts together to become everything you wanted in a guitar that you can’t get any other way… it’s also derived from the outrageous price tags some of the guitars are demanding these days… that said, it’s a love and passion for me, and that’s a big part of it other than necessity…
When buying a Fender Masterbuilt guitar, do the bodies and necks come of the CNC machine like all the other parts? Does the master builder even control the CNC machine?
Seems like they are doing the same job as some of the"partscaster" makers. The finished piece is what really matters.
However, I would want the builder to mention of they also carved the wood, and price it accordingly.
I'm betting the bodies and necks come off the same CNC all of their stuff comes from. Seems like its just a way to charge you extra for a guitar assembled by the non-beginner employees. Seems to me all of their pricey americans should be custom shop quality, they just lower the bar on the majority of the guitars to make the custom shops seem extra high end.
I love the 2020 t-shirt! 😂
Thanks a bunch! My wife found that somewhere for me and I would say it sums up the year pretty well:)
Thanks a bunch for watching!
I ordered an MJT, because they make them 10 miles from my house, in Missouri…..Excited to get it.
I have a pat-II pagelli signature cort made guitar originally 24.75 scale and put an 25.5 scale Eart neck with stainless steel frets on it because I love the neck and the humbucker pickups with split coil pull tone knob sound amazing, it’s just amazing to me , chime, and a darker 70s custom tele sound with the strat neck come on who wouldn’t do this to a guitar after a few 🍺
Many of the famous Fender custom shop builders are sourcing their parts from Fender. The parts caster is a derogatory term that all shops like to throw out there to make their Fender stock look better then it is. EVH partscaster that was just what he wanted. I've owned true boutique hand crafted,and just like vintage guitars they are not perfect, ever. Sorry but machines are more precise then humans. It is what it is.
I have Squire Esquire it's the best playing guitar I own.
I have put together 2 MJT partscasters, 1 strat, 1 tele. It's super fun to spec out all the parts and choose the look to the finest detail and both guitars are great. I also have a hand crafted Strat from a boutique maker which is great too but not better than the MJT's. One boutique guitar I have though that is better is my Hahn 228 model C. That guitar is flawless.
I also put some of the boutique builders on par with Fender with regards to how I feel looking down at the name on the headstock.
I don't really care where the parts come from. I built a Strat using all Fender parts. I really like the shape of the MIM neck so I used an American Special body, MIM neck...then put Seymour Duncan and Eric Johnson pickups in it. It's not a boutique or a custom shop but to me, it looks, feels, plays, and sounds amazing and the total cost was around $800. Hard to beat it
I kinda' sorta' know what I'm doing and I build Partscasters. Nash, etc. really know what they are doing. Positively boutique.
I think if a builder is doing quality control and won't let anything loose that he wouldn't be thrilled to play All good But have to say I'm building a Tele Flame top w Warmth strat neck and so far am super happy Something about doing it yourself set up and all that makes it special Cool vid guy's
I love these convos so much
Kishan Patel thanks a bunch! Sincerely appreciate your kind words and thanks for watching!
I have a partscaster, and I absolutely love it. I also don’t think of it as “less than” swamp ash body, warmoth roasted maple neck with reverse headstock, gotoh locking tuners, graphtech nut, string tree, and saddles. HSH with coil splitters. You’d need a thick wallet to get that from fender.
I bought a Barnbuster from Ron a few months ago. Best telecaster style guitar I've ever played! You lads should consider getting some in.
I have been fortunate to visit Ron Kirn's shop. I can attest that he works alone and creates a magnificent product.
I guess it would depend upon whether the luthier putting the parts caster together can make it really come to life with all the touches of fret work, rounded fingerboard,pickups, bridge etc. etc. etc.