Premium Partscaster

stimpsonslostson

Say you are going for the top of the line Partscaster... 
Who do you contact for parts? 

I'm building a Telemaster currently & am on a modest budget, yet I've managed to acquire:

Mighty Mite: neck 
Guitarbuild: 2 piece Walnut body
Oil City: pick-ups
Alegree: harness (& other bits)
Wilkinson: bridge & tuners

Money no object... What do you do? 

darcym

you want it done properly, give SVL a call custom built strats made out of high quality sourced parts (as you say, money no object)

mudslide73

I built mine with a one piece MJT body and a Fender EJ neck (from the Stratosphere ££). I used Callaham hardware, SD Antiquity and CS pickups (eventually) and Fatboy plastics. 

If I was building one again myself I'd go Musikraft or USACG for the body and neck. I'd get one of the UK finishers on here to do the paint. I reckon I'd choose the same hardware etc. then try a few sets of pickups until it was right.

If I was getting one built I'd get a Bravewood or a Mike Smith I think. Maybe a JDavey. 

stickyfiddle

Musikraft neck and MJT for body and finishing. Then pick specific hardware and pickups for whatever you want. That's how I did my JM build. 

dazzajl

Money no object..... Order a Rutters, wait impatiently 

m_c

It varies.
Somethings are planned, somethings are spur of the moment because I think they look good, somethings are because they're on offer, and somethings are just because it's what I can get when I need it.

I think most people looking to build their own will have their own idea of money no object. I know personally there are some parts where I'm happy to spend money, but other parts where even money no object, I'm not going to waste money.

Roland

Money no object you say. My philosophy is that money can’t buy you a premium guitar. So much is down to personal choice. It can buy you some excellent components.

Neck: @GSPBASSES. Graham makes the best necks for my style of playing. He also gets the best choice of wood from David Dyke. I’d get Graham to fret it with Jescar Gold fret wire simply because he’d finish the fret ends better than me.

Body: make it myself. No one makes a body with the outline and chamfering that I want. If I wanted it to look really pretty then I’d veneer the top. The veneer would probably come from eBay because then I can choose exactly the figuring that I’d want. If you’re forcing me to choose a supplier then I’d have to talk to one of the small UK builders. @skelf’s wood choice and finishing are impeccable, but I don’t think I could persuade him to supply a bare body to my design because that’s not his business.

Pickups: @OilCityPickups. Other manufacturers exist. Ash offered advice when I needed it, and I’ve used his pickups ever since. If money is no object then I’d pay him extra to let me help make them. There’s nothing like making something yourself.

Switch: whoever has a decent 5-way in stock
Pots: ditto. I no longer trust brand names
Capacitors and resistors: I have a lifetime supply from RS Components.
Wiring: solder it up myself. I’m still using the leaded solder which I bought in the 80s.
Knobs: I like oversize Tele style knobs with grub screws, so again it’s down to stock availability.
Scratchplate: none
Jack socket: Electro
Strap buttons: Schaller locking.
Nut: irrelevant because I’d go for a zero fret.
Control cavity cover: made from an offcut of the body, and attached with neodymium magnets

Tuners: for headless it has to be Hipshot. No one else comes close. For normal tuners I prefer higher ratio for more precise tuning, so it’s going to depend on who has stock. My current favourite guitar has tuners from a batch which Axetec had manufactured. Those will all be sold by now.

Bridge: I don’t have a favourite.

Out of this list the only item that I’d call expensive are the Hipshot headless tuners. 

stephen.wood125

I'm building a Partscaster Strat at the moment:

GSP Basses Neck
GSP Basses Body
Wudtone Trem
Sperzel Locking Tuners w/ pearloid buttons to match neck inlay
Oil City Masterwound Pickups
Fender Pickguard
Fabric Covered wiring
Orange Drop caps
CTS low tolerance pots
CRL 5-way switch
Puretone multi-contact jack
Bone nut
Fender Original Neck Plate w/Microtilt
Neck Threaded Inserts
Seafoam Green Nitro.

Hopefully be half decent!

Will post pics once the build starts.

Cheers,