Remember the Clarksonesque Challenge?

TTony

Octahedron said:

I don't know that there's many kits out there that would be set-necks? It's not something that seems particularly easy to do without experience and knowing how exactly to position everything. Think twice glue once!  

There are some set-neck kits available, and that might be a reason to have 2 separate challenges.

Option1; a simple bolt-on option, LPJ or Tele style perhaps

Option2; something more adventurous, perhaps a 335 or PRS style.

I'm going to order the samples this week.  I'll give a couple of the haven't replied suppliers another nudge, and if I get nothing, I'll have to go with the first one.

underdog

Could a bolt neck not be set if you fancied it?

WezV

underdog said:

Could a bolt neck not be set if you fancied it?

it certainly can, but its generally not a good idea 

to be able to set it in you need to know its free from any sealer coats, know its a tight fit, know the neck angle is spot on where you need it to be and have a solution for sorting the screw holes.    sort all that out and it will work, but still look like a bodge

underdog

WezV;260429" said:

underdog said:

Could a bolt neck not be set if you fancied it?





it certainly can, but its generally not a good idea 

to be able to set it in you need to know its free from any sealer coats, know its a tight fit, know the neck angle is spot on where you need it to be and have a solution for sorting the screw holes.    sort all that out and it will work, but still look like a bodge

I'm going to do it, it would look like a bodge anyway with me so sod it I have a bolt on junior so want a set neck now.

asimmd

Tony,do you have a delivery time for the samples once ordered?

TTony

They're charging $300 for "express" delivery, so it'd better be bloody quick.

DeeTee

Is this still open? I could definitely be persuaded to have a crack at it.

impmann

If its not too late, I am in.

Branshen

Could be tempted to have a go if it were a bolt on kit. I've never built a guitar before, so ease comes first, "correctness" takes a back seat.

mudslide73

I've "built" a few things in the past but I'd have a go at this.. could be very interesting to see what everyone comes up with.

steamabacus

I'm tempted by this as well, so long as the kit cost is kept low.

sunshinewelly

I am also tempted

TTony

Good to see all the interest!

My efforts to import-your-own-direct-from-the-factory-in-China have not gone well.  I am a failure.  I am sitting in the corner of the room, wearing a big pointy hat with the letter "F" on it.

Having selected 4 possible suppliers from Alibaba/Aliexpress, I asked for quotes for (a) a bulk order of 20-odd kits, and the cost of a couple of sample kits for QC purposes.  Got 2 quotes back.  One quoted $400-ish, the other $300, for the sample kits, delivered.  (The cost of the kits themselves varied depending on the style, but were around the same sort of range).

So, "thanks, but no thanks" to the $400 option, and went to order a couple of sample kits for QC from the other option,  Thought it might be advisable to take a look at a couple of kits before ordering 20 or more - and the price went up to $500.56.  Add 25% for VAT and import duty, and that'd be $600, or £400.

Given that I was going to be funding that personally, and that £400 was a lot more than any profit we'd have made for theFB coffers through doing it all, I've decided not to order from them - I could just put £400 straight into our coffers and avoid the hassle of Mr Chinese Factory, the risk of dodgy kits, HMRC's interest, et al.

Which is a bit of a shame.

When I queried why the price had gone up from $300 to $500, they explained that they'd not included the cost of kits on the original quote *by mistake* and that, of course, I'd have to pay the full price for the sample kits, plus the full cost of the express air shipping if I wanted to try them out.  If I ordered more kits, the price per kit would fall, and the shipping would be by - errr - ship, so that cost would be lower too, but if I wanted just 2 samples, I'd have to shell out the full cost.

So, as a fall back option, we could use something like these;

http://www.gear4music.com/Electric-Guitars/DIY-Guitars

You've got Strat. Tele, LP and LPJ options there.  The downside is that there's no scope for bulk-buy discount (I've asked them), so I can't see a way of making a penny for theFB's coffers (which was part of the original plan).  Unless "entrants" feel like voluntarily donating something to our funds (that option's always available folks).

I've been looking at this for weeks now.  So, any other ideas .... ???

asimmd

TTony,I have sent you a PM

sunshinewelly

What about andertons or thomann

sinbaadi

Has this slipped into unlikelihood now?  

I understand the costs to you in those situations are ridiculous TTony, but I still think this could be worthwhile and fun, and if we can at least make an educated guess as to which kits to buy and then agree on where to buy them (if possible), then we could try and help the forum make a drink from it.

TTony

sinbaadi said:

Has this slipped into unlikelihood now?  

I understand the costs to you in those situations are ridiculous TTony, but I still think this could be worthwhile and fun, and if we can at least make an educated guess as to which kits to buy and then agree on where to buy them (if possible), then we could try and help the forum make a drink from it.

asimmd (thanks @asimmd) sent me another link to try, so I'm waiting for them to get back to me - but I'm not holding my breath.

 

The original concept was that the forum would go out and find a suitable supplier, order the kits, get them imported, and then sell them on to the people who wanted to join in the challenge.  We'd make a bit of money for the forum (we don't make a lot), and we'd - hopefully - get some decent kits at a reasonable price.  Some of our "profit" would have gone into funding a prize for the winner.

Alongside that, we'd hoped to generate some PR for theFB, focusing on the competition and what people managed to make out of the kits.

That's not worked out. 

I'm unhappy at ordering a load of kits from a Chinese supplier without seeing at least a sample first.  Otherwise we could end up with 20 PoS kits, and be a lot out of pocket.  However, I'm not much happier about funding £400 for the samples - I'd rather just put just put another £400 straight into our coffers.

Maybe we just order kits individually from Thomann (kits are cheap, and returns should be easy if they're crap kits) or the G4M option that I linked above, and do the challenge on that basis.  The range is more limited (I'd quite fancied a 335-alike or even a Riccy kit that I'd seen from some of the potential suppliers), but it'd maybe still encourage a few people to jump in and try their first build - which would be a good outcome in itself.

We'd make no money for theFB (although donations are always gratefully received!) but it'd be an interesting challenge to see what people made of the kits.  Note the photo that I posted earlier on this thread though of one of the Thomann kits - hopefully they've changed supplier now and are selling kits that would actually be viable.

 

So, it's looking unlikely as something that we would "run", but there's nothing stop those who want to play doing it.

 

I suggest ...

• We use G4M as the supplier - link above
• You all order your kits by the end of the month
• We set a 2 month deadline for the builds & finishing
• I'll create a separate sub-section of the forum called "the Challenge"
• All participants create their own thread in that section and post plenty of progress pics, problems, etc.. Do that as soon as your order your kit so we know who's playing
• We "judge" in some way at the end of the compo
• The winner wins the satisfaction of being the winner!
• No budget limits, if you want to use expensive lipstick, liposuction and full plastic surgery on your pigkit, so be it, but you stand the risk of the pig still being judged as a pig ...

As I write this, G4M have got in stock

• Strat kits (46)
• Tele kits (22)
• Posh strat kits (6)
• Posh tele kits (2)
• LP Jr kits (11)
• LP kits (5)
• SG kits (18)
• JazzM kits (11)

Which should be enough for everyone who wants to play, to play.  Costs range from £65 to £95, which is cheaper than we'd have been able to do them anyway.  Perhaps all players donate £15 to theFretBoard@outlook.com, just as a gesture of generosity ... (not obligatory btw).

 

If you do order from G4M, you should add a comment somewhere that says "you should donate something to theFB for choosing your kits for all these orders" - and maybe (if nothing else), they'd give us something to use a prize.  I did ask them for a bulk order discount, but nothing doing.  They can contact me here, or via TTony@theFB.co.uk.

 

 

Who's in??

sinbaadi

Me.  I'm a total novice to it, I'll have to grab a soldering station from somewhere too, but there's plenty of threads on those so I'll find one.

WezV

TTony said: 

I suggest ...

• We use G4M as the supplier - link above
• You all order your kits by the end of the month
• We set a 2 month deadline for the builds & finishing
• I'll create a separate sub-section of the forum called "the Challenge"
• All participants create their own thread in that section and post plenty of progress pics, problems, etc.. Do that as soon as your order your kit so we know who's playing
• We "judge" in some way at the end of the compo
• The winner wins the satisfaction of being the winner!
• No budget limits, if you want to use expensive lipstick, liposuction and full plastic surgery on your pigkit, so be it, but you stand the risk of the pig still being judged as a pig ...

Who's in??

I am, I have just ordered the cheap tele kit.   would have gone for the 12 string if they had any in stock - but a standard tele will do

My plan is to do a basic assembly of the kit to show what they would be like with no extra work.  I will then try to cover basic set-up stuff to get the most from the kit - and i will try to keep the toolkit basic so anyone can follow it. 

.....

Then I am going to take it apart and mod the fuck out of it!!!   

TTony

Right then ...

GO !!!!

Start your own thread here ...

http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/categories/the-challenge