Category: Customer Builds

Hey there Phil, I finished up my kit a few weeks ago and haven’t been able to put it down since. This guitar truly was a piece of art before I did anything to it. So satisfied with this guitar. The fret work is the best of any of the guitars I own or have played for that matter.  Definitely learned a lot along the way and made my fair share of mistakes but I wouldn’t change a thing about my first build. Loved every step of the process. My new favorite guitar, I plan to build another one before too long!

Here’s the specs on the thing:

• Non Chambered – Two piece body
• Plain maple cap – Mahogany back and neck
• 60’s Neck
• Ebony Board
• Cream bound body and neck
• One switch (where I like it), one volume, one tone, no bull sh*t
• Body Top finish – General Finishes java gel stain
• Neck – Minwax jacobean
• Back and sides – Just try oil, all finished with tru oil 
• Tuners – Sperzel trim-lok
• Nut – Graph tech tusq
• Pickups – Neck – Gibson 496R/Bridge – Gibson 500T
• Bridge – Gotoh with Titanium saddles
• Tailpiece – Gibson TP-6
• Pots – CTS 500k
• Cap – Paper-in-oil
• Pickguard – WD music

Gotta be the best line I’ve heard in a while…:)

Hi Phil

I wanted to drop you a line to thank you for the superb “bones” you supplied that have now become my weapon of choice.

She’s a dark cherry burst with tonepros bridge and tuner hardware..quite a looker. When unplugged in this guitar is so resonant and well crafted its almost as loud as an acoustic…

And plugged in, the pair of raw nickel unpotted bare knuckle mules make her snort like a wild hog!

The nitro finish is superb thanks to Greg in Modesto for his artistry – have a look at that gloss.

regards

Andrew

Hi Phil,

finished it less then 1 hour ago, i love it!!

It resonates like crazy and the tone is awesome!

Broke a string during the first test run,  but i wanted you to see it fresh so here are some pictures.

Named it Catch-22 from the famous book, if I’m crazy for building a guitar, or sane for completing it…..?

“There was only one catch and that was Catch-22. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn’t,

but if he was sane, he had to fly them.

If he flew them, he was crazy and didn’t have to; but if didn’t want to, he was sane and had to.”

-Joseph Heller

when i first got the kit i hated the baseball neck and saw an opportunity to do some custom work.

Shaped it medium asymmetrical from 1:st to 5:th fret and a chunky C the rest of the way. it came out 0.94″ 1:st fret-1.07″ 12:th fret. Its really comfortable.

The goal was to build something i wouldn’t find in a store, love the simple shape, and that its much lighter then a regular Les Paul 🙂

i knew right away that i didn’t have the skills or patience to do fancy burst, this was going to be a bad as player that could take a little beating.

It was a fun experience and it came out awesome!!!

some specs for the geeks:

Grover Sta-Tite 18:1

Home made mahogany covers

Bone nut

Neck pickup Arcane/Echopark Gold Coil

Bridge pickup Arcane PX-100

Cts 500k pots

Emerson Pio cap 0.47

Treble bleed circuit on volume

Switchcraft switch

Gotoh bridge/Tailpiece

Thanks for the “bones”

now I’m finished and i wondered if i can make the builders page 🙂

I’ve been doing some tweaks and its coming together nicely, did a scorching effect on the covers that I’m really pleased with.

was a little bit anxious about the finish but its held up, its just one rattle can of ebonising laquer, super thin finish. the top was so smooth out of the box that the laquer melted over it and i haven’t even sanded it after paint, its perfect.
love the rough look and and glad i didn’t grain fill the back.

Did a slight relic on the hardware with muriatic acid, its just right and sets the mood.
The neck is awesome 0.94″->1.07″ with my custom shape.

i can’t say enough good thing about the pickups, both made by arcane and they are fantastic.
The bridge is a overwound P-90 that is crystal clear, and the neck is a reproduction of the japanese Teisco gold foil. It just blows my mind every time i pick it up i find a new shade of super sweetness 🙂

I’m glad i decided to buy this kit, the build has been fun experience and the finished product feels, looks and sounds like a sweet grilled marshmallow wrapped in barbed wire and sent trough rock n`roll bootcamp 😉

Thank you, i will enjoy this one for many years.

Emil Eklund

 

Hey phil,

I am attaching some photos of my recent build of the 54 TV yellow Junior-it is my first build and I’m quite pleased with the result-thanks to your amazing kit !-the finished guitar is not perfect,but perfection is boring right…..

here is a list of some components used…

250kCTS pots,orange drops,switchcraft jack,gibson nut,gibson vintage style wraparound tailpiece,seymour Duncan Antiquity P90,sperzel locking tuners-(i have vintage style klusons on order)-

it was fun,educational,frustrational,emotional and spiritual…..

the quality of the bones of the kit has shone through-when a novice such as myself can produce a guitar of this caliber… tone wise …it is amazing-intonation is dead on without any adjustment(that was amazing to me) the guitar unplugged, rings and vibrates and resonates louder than my  other guitars.

i will enjoy it for years to come and will definitely build another with one of your kits!-I’m thinking ’59 LP burst- or Goldtop!-

Thank you Phil&Crew! sincerely,

Don-niantic,CT

Aloha from Hawaii!
Well, it took a year but I just got my Carved Top back from Robert @ Lapidary Dreams, slapped on hardware on and the Midlife Crisis Guitar is pau! (my 50th birthday present to myself) Now I gonna get MLC #2 (the Explorer) ready for painting. The instrument came out stellar

 

and then…

 

I made your webpage, I feel famous now! Realize I didn’t take a photo of the whole instrument with paint, so here’s one serenading the crowd at the last weeks gig:

Here are some pictures of my ’58 Jr. double cut.  I rubbed on oil-based artist paints for the color (cadmium red deep hue for the body and lamp black for the headstock) and a Tru Oil top coat, which I rubbed down to a matte finish.  I’m very happy with the way it came out.  I have absolutely no prior experience with anything related to woodworking, finishing or soldering, but it seemed like it would be a really fun project – and it was. There are some battle scars here and there, but nothing noticeable from more than one foot away.  Pick up is a Lollar P90.  Tone Pros 3-on-a-rail tuners and a Tone Pros wrap around bridge (with an invisible lightening bar in there somewhere).  CTS pots, a Switchcraft jack and an Orange Drop cap round it all out.  After a little playing around, intonation is spot on.  Super happy with the way it plays.  The P90 has a really great clean sound with the volume rolled back a bit, and then gets nice and mean with it turned up.  Surprisingly versatile for a one pick up guitar.

Since this was my first build, I have nothing to compare it to.  But, from reading about all the issues people using other kits seem to have, I’m glad I started out with the best kit out there.

 

 

This is my first guitar kit that I have built. My Precision Telecaster kit was very well done. The grain in the wood is just stunning. It would have been a shame to paint it. I tried to keep the lines in the wood as natural as possible. I sanded it with 800 grit paper. I sprayed several coats of sealer on it. I then started to spray the Translucent Blue on to it. Just want to get this in before I continue. The next time I build one of these I will for sure use wood filler next time. I sprayed  8 layers of the Translucent Blue , The last 2 coats of the blue I sprayed I was trying to get it darker on the outer edges. I left the neck untouched with anything other than lacquer. The neck itself is just a beautiful piece of wood. I sanded it with 12000 grit pads to get it silky smooth. After spraying 10 coats of lacquer. My Translucent Blue body turned to a Plum color. Don’t know why that happened. I sent it off to the guitar shop to get a professional setup done. The intonation on this is perfect.It came out awesome. I plugged it in to my Amplitude 3 used the Supro Amp with a Leslie speaker and it sounds just like Good Times Bad Time. This guitar sounds amazing. I have been nervous about it coming out good. It came out better than I could have hoped for. And the scary thing is, it sounds better than any brand name guitar that I have. Did it cost more to build this than buying a brand name guitar. Yes. Was it worth it, You bet, every penny of it. My next one I build will be an SG.

Thanks so much Phil

This awesome Telecaster Guitar Kit made by PRECISION GUITARS

Parts

Rodeo Pickups Are custom made in the USA made by ManliusGuitar.

Locking Tuners Are Sperzel Proffesionals. Made in the USA

Switch Harness is Custom Made BY JonesyBlues made in the USA.

All paints are from Guitar ReRanch.

Earvana Nut

Ernie Ball Super Slinkies.

Patent Fender Compensated Bridge

Setup done by Rush at Buchanan Music. Mesa,Az

 

Phil,
Thanks for the wonderful kit! Sunburst over ZPoxy with your hardware, Emerson kit and Lollar Imperials. It sounds GREAT!
Thanks again.
Chip

I finally had some time to finish this kit looks and plays so good I think I will do another one soon

Phil:

Took some pics yesterday, here are a few of them.  might have to send in a few emails to “meet quota”.  Use what you like.  Thanks again.

Here’s my first Precision build- actually my first ever build!  I like Jerry Garcia’s Wolf- but not a big fan of the body shape.  However I love SGs, so why not…?  I sent Phil a slab of purpleheart for the body blank and PGK did a knockout job adding the beautiful quilted maple cap and shaping the body.  They gave me a “swimming pool” pickup rout and larger control cavity.  I was really impressed with the quality of the wood and the construction.  The neck was particularly well made and a treat to play.  I took a chance on the “59 a bit less” neck cut and am really liking it (I’m used to thinner necks).  My first time gluing in a neck and it went without a hitch.

The thing sounds great both acoustic and plugged in.  It rings and sustains like a grand piano!

Specs:

Lefty SG Jr, quilted maple over purpleheart, mahogany neck
Wudtone finish (amber neck, Goldenrod with a little amber body, clear on the back)
Schaller M6 tuners
Gibson 57 Classics neck and bridge, Dimarzio Super 2 in the middle (coil cut)
Custom tailpiece and pickup switchplate by Scarlet Fire Guitars
Brass pickup plate and nut by Rusch Custom Guitars
Waldo buffer and GGG Blaster (switchable)
On Board Effects Loop (signal out to effects and back to guitar before master volume- switchable)
Freeway 6-way switch
Callaham ABR-1 bridge
Cocobolo knobs by Archipelago Glass

I’ve already ordered my next kit- this one will be a plain vanilla SG Jr rocker- one P-90 and two freekin knobs!

 

Grin. We went for a minimalist approach. 14 coats of clear lacker, gold wolfetone pickups and gold goto tuners. You can still smell the fresh paint! And thanks to nice wood and good pickups, it rocks. We also put in a switch to get single coil sounds out of it too. Its awesome and it may not be the last guitar I order from you guys 😀

MJ

 

Julien’s all the way from france most awesome guitar….

Hi Phil !

I’ve finished my Jr ! It’s ASWOME !!!

Great, nice, funky, blues !!!

Best guitar !

Better than my les paul Jr gibson lol !!!

Thank’s for all, long life at you and your kit !!!

Beautiful wood, sublimous !

Je suis super content ! Merci Phil !

• Bone nut
• Sperzel lock tuners
• Pigtail wraparound bridge
• 61′ pickguard simple ply black
• Alpha pot
• Emerson PIO cap tone
• Custom shop seymour duncan
• Paf 9k Alnico II

The BEST guitar !!! Really, ttoday it’s … Mistergooddeal lol

No chance with others

God bless you phil, you are the best for me !

Phil,

As promised, here’s my completed white limba Vee.

The specs:

• PG Kits Korina Vee (pickguard from PG Kits too)
• Sperzel locking tuners with ivoroid buttons
• Bryan Gunsher Green Lizard pickups in creme
• Tone Pros TOM bridge and stop tail piece
• CTS Pots, Orange Drop Cap
• V-V-T control config
• Switchcraft switch and jack
• Green abalone UFO knobs from Q-Parts
• Dunlop Straploks

I finished it in Emerald Isles from Wudtone without doing any additional sanding or anything – just right out of the box. Glue -> finish -> wire -> rock!

All I can say about the quality of the kit and the experience is that my daughter asked for a single cutaway we can build together for her 13th birthday and we already ordered it and started finishing it together. Great project for a father and child to take on together.

Keep up the great work.

Derek

Hey Phil, here are a few pics of the 2 guitars I got from you. First off I have a total of 11 guitars, and these 2 are by far the best guitars I own, they beat out easily any of the 3 LP’s I own!

I am still not quite done yet, I have to get  truss rod covers and cover for the back of the Junior, cant decide if I’m going to make them myself or not.

The Blue Guitar has Bill Lawrence split coil 1981 picks I bought in Palm Springs when I was down there for a holiday, they are autographed by Bill Lawrence. They really sound amazing! All the other parts except for the  nut came from you, and I cant find better parts anywhere.

The black Limba Junior I kind of cheaped out on the parts and am regretting it, and will be replacing the crap parts I got, so expect my order very soon for your top quality parts Phil!! Both guitars absolutely play like butter! I’ve gone into guitar shops and checked out guitars that sell for thousands and they just don’t compare!

So for the finish on both guitars I use a post cat 90 degree lacquer for the top coat and for the sealer I use a special sealer that is also post cat as well. The blue guitar is a mixture of custom colors that I made to get the blue and the purple burst on it. For the Black limba is a special mixture that I put right in the lacquer so I didn’t disturb the grain They both came out really well. After the final coats of Lacquer a lot of wet sanding with 1500 grit and then 2000 grit and a lot of buffing with some commercial buffing compound I use.

I must say though, after being a cabinet maker and wood finisher for 30 years, it is not quite the same finishing a guitar compared to  finishing standard wood work. You certainly need a lot more patience! One advantage I do have is being able to buy commercial grade lacquers and other finishing products, but even with that, I still have a few flaws in both guitars but I am still very pleased.

Phil,

As promised, here are the pics of my Double-Cut Carved ’59.  I was originally inspired by one of the customer builds on your site (Keith’s Carved ’59, 28-APR-2012).  I love the way the burst brings out the flames in the quilted maple.  I also love that the double cut is a more unique shape… its less of a tribute to other great guitars, and unashamed to stand alone.  Everyone talks about the quality of your kits, and this one was no exception.  You make it easy to get a great looking and sounding guitar.

I decided on a custom headstock shape to try to go with the curves of the body, and was able to have a template CNC routed.  I used that with my router table to cut out the headstock.  I sealed off the edges of the headstock and the faux binding on the body before staining with water-based dyes.  I brought the grain out on the body with Red Mahogany stain then sanded it back a little.  I blended Bright Red and Yellow for most of the burst but added a couple of drops of black to the red to help darken the outside edges a little.  The headstock is straight black kept a little light to let the grain show through.  All the mahogany is unstained.

The entire guitar is finished in Tru-Oil.  I lost count of the number of coats, but there are well over 40…some really thin, some pretty thick.  Nitro would have given a better shine, but I have alot more experience with rubbed finishes on furniture.  I sanded in the Tru Oil on all of the mahogany to fill the grain.  I like the brown tint that the Tru Oil gave to the guitar.  It makes it feel a little vintage, a little like sepia tones in an old photograph.  It also helps make the burst a little less flashy, which suits me well.  I buffed out the top to a pretty good shine by hand, but left the back and neck a little closer to matte to help hide scratches.

The electronics cover is from a test piece for the body I did early on.  It is mahogany dyed black in an attempt to get the grain to show through on the body.  I just couldn’t get the mahogany to go any darker than a dark brown, so I abandoned that idea for the body but thought it was nice for the electronics cover next to the natural body.

I added a Seymour Duncan SH-1 ’59 4-wire pickup at the neck, and an SH-12 Screamin’ Demon at the bridge.  Everything is wired to a 6-position Freeway switch so the coils on both pickups can be split.  I added push-pulls to the tone controls to select different capacitors for a little extra versatility.  The bridge is a Hipshot Baby Grand and the tuners are also Hipshot.

The sound is awesome.  I could tell it would be nice before I even plugged it in because the body really resonates when its played.  A really solid guitar.  Before this, I was a little skeptical that the wood in an electric guitar made much of a difference, but I was very wrong about that.  I learned alot along the way.  I definitely made some mistakes, but I was able to recover from most of them.  I’m really happy with the way it turned out.  Thanks again for making such a great kit!

Best regards,
Robert

 

Phil,

I remember when I sent you that email, I was about halfway through my previous build “ Angela “ when I came up with an idea to create a strat project, but this wasn’t going to be just any strat, it was going to be something I always wanted to do years ago.

Growing up, being influenced throughout my younger years to the sounds of the one and only Jimi Hendrix was probably the reason why I bought my first strat to begin with. I have always loved the way Hendrix played a right handed guitar left handed and always wanted to try it. But as the years went on and being influenced by Hendrix, another great guitar player became a tremendous influence.  That person was Stevie Ray Vaughan, and seeing Stevie play you could see how Hendrix had played a role in the way he played and how Stevie just took that to a whole another level. So being such a big fan of both artists and them both playing such a big role in my life growing up and whaling to their tunes, I figured it was time to create something unique.

The funny thing was when I emailed you inquiring about a left handed strat, you had one right then and there. I know you don’t stock them normally and haven’t seen any lefty strats on your web site which is why I new this was fate. When I received the kit and looked at the invoiced listed as “ Fate Driven Strat “ I knew this was going to be a great project. So here it is, “ Jimi Ray “ a little tribute to my influences and it sounds amazing.

It took me 3 days to set up, trying to get it right, unfortunatley when people say you shouldn’t string a left handed guitar upside down, they are right, neck need to be adjusted and my vintage tremole is not what is the norm for a strat setup, but it sings beautifully.

I  dyed the guitar with transtint and alcohol to get that Stevie Ray look without the relic and wear his guitar has been through as his was once sunburst and now looks walnut color. I did the back of the neck the same and dyed the headstock with a vintage blond like the original strats. Once the dye was set I used straight tung oil, that is all that is on this guitar, a  ot of it.

The head stock was also tung oiled and then sanding sealer was then applied as I taped off just the head stock to add the deals. Once decals were added I shot the headstock with nitro and then wet sanded and buffed. The rest of the guitar, back of the neck and body were left to cure and once the tung oil was dried, I did several passes with straight carnuba wood wax , buffing it until I got a nice satin sheen. I love the way the grain came out and the feel of the neck is smooth. I did also grain fill and sand prior with timber mate natural before beginning, swap ash always needs it.

Hardware was all gold vintage and klusion tuners. Seymour duncan Texas Hots and SSL. My wiring was done in a 5 toggle blender rig done by Jonesy Blues which gives me some real different tones. Overall this project was by far a beautiful turn out. It took me a while to get used to playing it backward but I love it. P

hil, this would of never been possible if you didn’t have that kit when I emailed you, I thank you and I hope you enjoy the pics.

Hey Phil,

Sending you a new LP to add to you pics section I hope..

So first let me say thanks for helping out with that little neck pocket issue when the kit first got here. Like everyone has been saying your customer service is second to none and so are your kits!

As I had mentioned earlier this is the 8th kit I’ve built over the last year or so. However, it’s my first precision kit and I have never seen such amazing workmanship. The Body and neck cuts are flawless, and the fret job is amazing. The Mahogany and Maple you selected for the guitar sound amazing unplugged and are a beast when running through an amp. It’s been ready for 24Hrs now and it hasn’t left my side! This is my new favorite guitar.

Thanks for doing what to guys do!

Also, can we have an explorer model one day?

-Pavlo

Phil,

Well, I finally got her done.  What a great build, I really enjoyed every moment of it.  Fantastic quality and impressive wood selection.  The guitar is amazing and rings like crazy even when just playing acoustically.

I started with your LP Style Jr Special with P90 neck and Humbucker bridge.  I made the custom selections and picked the white korina body and neck (’59 size) with ebony fretboard (and it even came with some flame in the ebony).  The machining, fit and finish of the guitar right out of the box was of the highest quality.  I decided I wanted to go with a “working man’s” guitar that was not too flashy and would produce a large variety of tones.  So, I went with a Bare Knuckle P90 “Nantucket” in the neck and a Bare Knuckle Humbucker “The Mule” in the bridge position.  With the 3 way switch and the BK Jensen paper in oil cap for the P90 and an Orange Drop for the Humbucker, the tones are nothing short of amazing.

Finished it off with ReRanch’s Pelham Blue metallic nitro (which by the way was the hardest part of the build) topped with satin nitro.  The neck was finished with about 30 thin coats of CA (super) glue to make it smooth and lightning fast, even when the humidity is high.  This was a new technique I learned about and decided to try with great results.  The tuners are open back Grover 18:1 Sta-Tites in nickel and the bridge is TonePros AVT2P wraparound.  All the hardware, including the humbucker cover and even the plastic parts, were machine tumbled to give it that vintage played in look.

Everyone that has played the guitar, including musicians and other builders, has  been amazed by the feel, tone and overall quality.  This was my 4th build, but my first Precision Guitar Kit, and now my only problem is deciding what my next Precision build will be.

Here are the specs:

• LP Style Jr Special
• White Korina
• Ebony Fretboard with some flame
• 59′ Neck Profile
• Bare Knuckle P90 Nantucket 90 in neck position
• Bare Knuckle Humbucker The Mule in the bridge position
• Bare Knuckle (Jensen) Paper in Oil Capacitor for p90
• Orange Drop for Humbucker
• All Vintage Braided Wiring
• Grover 18:1 Sta-Tites – Nickel Open Back Tuners
• Bone Nut
• TonePros AVT2P Wraparound Bridge
• All parts, including tuners and bridge, were tumbled to give a vintage vibe
• Nitro Pelham Blue from ReRanch
• Nitro Clear with Satin Finish
• Bakelite Handmade Pickguard with Nitro Clear Satin
• Neck was finished with CA (Super) Glue to make if fast and non-sticky (and Eric Clapton trick)

Thanks again for such a great experience.

Ron Couch

Hi Phil just wanted to send you a few photos of this beautiful guitar I just finished! The kit you sent was of the highest quality wood and the neck joint was perfect! I put a nice satin black finish with a lollar p90 pickup and Grover tuners, cts pots, paua abalone inlay on headstock, and bone nut. She plays beautifully and I thank you for making such a high quality product!

The head stock was done with a fibre board overlay. I made a tool just for routing this small stuff and luckily it worked . then i cut pieces of paua abalone and laid them in place with black epoxy. There is a few mistakes but I’m pretty happy with it. Pic is of the tool I made for my Dremel

 This is becoming my go to guitar because it produces such a heavy tone!
Thanks again Mason.

phil,

 I had just finished a Goldtop project, using one of those cheapo Ebay kits and it was such a pain that I decided to use the best kit out there for my next build. Turns out the best  carved style kit out there is yours.

Compared to the cheap kit building your kit was a blast. Everything matched perfectly, the joints, the pickup (and other) cavities, just great. The quality of the wood was also way (!) better. For the lacquering process I mostly used StewMac and ReRanch lacquers and later StewMac polish to finish it. The pickups are Lindy Fralin P90s, the bridge is a WD ABR-1 variant with nylon saddles, the nut is bone, the tuners are TonePros Kluson vintage tuners. I’ve used pots that I had thrown out of my ex 2002 R8 (3 of the pots were 300k, not good for humbuckers, but good enough for the P90s). I’ve used NOS Sprague .033µF VitQ paper in oil caps, put on the Bigsby and Dunlop strap locks.

The Silver Fantail headstock inlay was done by Cliff from Sharkinlay, based on a logo I’ve used on all of my builds since 1998. And that’s about it …

It took me about 6 month to finish the project – working on it as a hobby in the evenings or on weekends + an almost 2 month cure period for the lacquer.

It sounds and plays great! And it’s definitely a looker.

This guitar turned out sooo well. I felt comfortable selling my R8 … well, and the initial plan was to reinvest some of that money in a new kit from you. But it turns out that planning (and paying for) a wedding is way more expensive than I initially thought. I seriously wonder why I didn’t become a wedding photographer.

However, the plan was a double humbucker-ed, wrap around, trans cherry top Les Paul … might have to wait a year or two. As I told you earlier, I started a thread at the German Musiker-board.de forum about the building process and you have no idea how many people are like “I wish there was a shop like PG in Europe!” Maybe you should think on expanding your business model. If you need someone in Europe, let me know, I might have to move back soon.

Cheers,
Sebastian

 

 

 
 
[items ids=”1474″]

 finally finished this project (sans pickguard, which I still have to make).

The guitar came out phenomenal. There are a lot of flaws you can’t see in the photos, mostly due to the learning experience that came with veneering the top, but I’ll wear those flaws as badges of the process.

Even unplugged this guitar sound fantastic. The whole thing is pretty unique.

The bridge pickup is a custom “Tele-90” from Zhangbucker. It’s built like a telecaster bridge pickup but housed in a p90 format. It even has the big nickel steel backplate. The sound is not quite the same as telecaster due to the shorter scale and different bridge style, but it gets quite close. The shorter scale helps mellow out the ice-pick sound a tele normally has. It’s super clear but can bite with a little overdrive. Moving it close to the strings sounds fantastic, as well. It’s an entirely different, aggressive sound.

The neck pickup is a cheap import p90 that I ripped the ceramic magnets off of and replaced with Alnico III. I put it in as a placeholder, but It sounds surprisingly good. I may keep it.

The pickup rings were designed by me in Rhino3d and then printed via Shapeways.

The bridge is a Gotoh 510 wraparound that I’m pretty fond of.

Tuners are cheapo import Sperzel style tuners (waiting for my schallers to come in). They do the job quite well, despite only costing $20.

The top is a veneer of curly Makore (african cherry).

To finish, I used z-poxy as grain filler (apply, then sand down–repeat), then I used MinWax wipe-on satin poly for the body and neck, and the MinWax brush-on glossy for the headstock. I particularly like the wipe on satin. It works well and was very easy to use.

The headstock decal was a Metallic Print of my own design from Mpix. I designed it to fit the headstock exactly, then cut it precisely. I painted the headstock black prior to applying the photo, then I attached it with photo adhesive as a headstock veneer. Once it was set, I sprayed some duplicolor clear adhesion promoter primer on top, and then applied minwax brush on gloss with a foam brush after the primer dried.

The back cavity cover was made with flamed makore veneer. I laminated 5 pieces together to make a heavier stock, then shaped as needed.

The back headstock veneer is also made with flamed makore. I cut a piece close to the dimensions, glued it to the back, cut away what I could with an exacto, then sanded to get a smooth taper.

I wish I had better photos, but my camera is in the shop. I’m just using my cell for these.

First off I have to say excellent quality kit, this guitar sounds amazing for a custom Tele, I couldn’t be happier with the way everything turned out.  Just a little history, Girlfriend bought me this kit for Christmas as it has been a long time dream to build my own custom guitar. I started it right before the New Year and final finish date was Feb 11, 2014. Guitar body was grain filled with timber mate black cut with water, which was a mess and a pain in the a$$ but well worth it. Once sanded back the grain really popped, and then I created a faux binding using sanding sealer before I stained the guitar. Once stained using transtint bright red and alcohol to avoid raising the grain anymore, I sanded the binding area with steel wool to remove any stain on the sealer. Finish was nitro lacquer wet sanded between coats with 600 until I got the flat level finish, and then completed the final coat with 1500/ 2000 and then 3000 all wet.  Once buffed I got
that mirror glaze finish which looked amazing, but of course trial and error, I had a few burn marks.  The neck, fingerboard and head stock were first done with Tung oil in its natural wood finish. Sanding sealer was then applied to the headstock and decals were applied. Once dried, decals were sprayed over with nitro then buffed, fret board was left natural with the Tung oil and later waxed and buffed. All gold hardware was given to her with some engraving done. Seymour Duncan neck and bridge pickups, vintage style bridge with brass saddles and vintage cream pearloid pick guard gives this guitar a look that just came out of the fifties. My first build and couldn’t be happier. As it was my girlfriend Angela who made this dream a reality, “Angela “was born when I finished her. Thanks Phil and precision for producing one of the best kits out there, if not the best kit, and in regards to that fate driven lefty strat…to be continued…very soon.
Thanks again

Damian

 

He used this guitar.

[items ids=”2771″]

Hi Phil, first I’d like to say thanks for making these kits available.  The quality is top notch and on par with custom shop models costing much, much more.  I have built about almost a dozen other bolt on partscaster guitars but this was my first set neck guitar as well as my first sunburst finish.  I was fairly nervous about the gluing in the neck, only because once it is set there is no going back, but the neck glued in nice and tight with no slop or play in the joint.  I used a laser level just to check that all was well, but it may have been overkill because everything lined up with no adjustments needed.

The finish was a new process to me as well, as this was my first attempt at a burst.   After filling the grain with some dark colored timbermate and sealing the guitar with sand and sealer I started mixing the lacquer toner.  I mixed the lacquer tones using various transtint dyes mixed into clear lacquer.  I used 2 cheap spray guns hooked up to my air compressor to shoot the finish.  I used a “touch up” spray gun for the burst colors and a larger hvlp gun for the clear coats.  I practiced on a bunch of scrap and once I had my colors mixed correctly and a feel for the spray guns I jumped right into finishing the guitar.  The whole finishing process was a lot easier than I imagined at first and I just love how the guitar cane out.  The guitar plays fantastic and would put the quality of this guitar up against guitars costing thousands.  I really can’t wait to start my next Precision Guitar project!

For those interested here are some of the specs on the guitar components:

• Novak custom wound p90 pickup
• Flamed koa control and truss rod cover
• Grover tuners
• Bone Nut
• Pigtail wraparound bridge
• Dakaware knobs
• Cts potentiometers
• Sozo tone capacitor
• Switchcraft jack

Hey Phil,

Just wanting to let you know how fantastic the instruments are you guys at Precision make. I read the previous reviews and other customers’ thoughts on how great your fretwork is and also the tightness of the heel joint. All of it is true, and I am truly grateful to actually have a company, such as yours, to order the best “bones” to a great playing guitar. Seriously, this guitar is amazing. I ordered the ’59 “a lil’ more girth” version of the neck, and wow. Perfect chunky neck to fit my hands. My wine red beauty has already held up to her first 4-hour gig. Can’t keep my hands off her! Attached are a few photos.

Thanks again!

Colin

So I got a call from John… his phone call to me was different, the sound was odd. I asked where he was and he say….. “300 miles south of hawaii running a tuna boat. I’m building one of your guitars on this trip during our down time… ”

Now this is cool.. thought I would share…

 

 

Truly a one of a kind. I set out to build an Alex Lifeson tribute guitar, and what followed was a journey that culminated with a spectacular instrument. I spared no expense with my hardware and the result was truly impressive. The combinations of voices are seemingly endless  between the piezo bridge, the coil splitting magnets, two three way switches, and a mid/dark switch. It also has stereo output via a combo jack and the magnetic pickups work with the battery for the pre-amp removed. The stats are as follows;

 

• Graph Tech Ghost Acousti-Phonic System
• Graph Tech Percision Tremolo
• DiMarzio pickups: DP159 Evo (Bridge) DP156 (Neck)
• Orange Drop Capacitors
• Switchcraft/Graph Tech switches
• Gibson Push Pull (Tones) CTS (Volumes)
• TonePros Kluson KB3 Tuners
• Locking Nut
• Combo Mono/Stereo Jack (Via Cable)

 

A note to builders regarding the bridge,  I feel I should mention this. Because of the nature of these arch top guitars, the swept back angle of the neck and the thickness of the body, I have had to modify the stock bridge to function in this guitar. The bridge height required for sufficient clearance is quite tall. I started by making a single master shim under all the saddles, 2/32 thick hardened bridge steel from an Edge Pro I used as a parts donor. This allowed me to set the base plate lower to the body. Also this high quality bridge came with a brass block, however due to thickness of the guitar, a brass spacer was made as well between the base plate and the block allowing for proper spring angle and clearance.

 

The result however is fabulous. Fully functional and tonally angelic. I am also quite blessed to have a small shop with a milling machine which I had to modify for the project. Without the mill, I would not have taken this on as the utmost precision is needed. The standard specs for the Floyd Rose route do not apply here and measurements were done custom by myself.

 

This is a great example of how anything is possible. I could not be more proud and happy with this guitar. This one instrument can sound like over a dozen guitars and can dive all day.  It is a tribute that became allot more. It is a love letter to the guitar itself.

 

Very special thanks to Phil at Precision. For working with me on this so very well, and providing the best by far arch top kits on the planet. This is the only kit I would recommend, the highest quality foundation. I would also like to thank master carpenter Steven Battles for teaching me how to glue wood properly, and providing me with this incredible burst which amazes me every day. Also a thanks to Gary over at Best-Decals for providing me with these fantastic vinyl cut decals for the headstock, which you can design yourself or thru their design team. I designed them myself and sent him the vector files.

 

Best of luck to all you builders. Build, play, smile…. and thank you again Phil.

Look at this.. awesome!

Phil,

Greetings!  Want to say my read the bread crumbs and for Christmas Santa left me your 58 Double Cut Jr Kit.  Gotta say I have lusted in my heart after one of these for years…..but not willing to plunk down several thousand bucks for one….well it just wasn’t going to happen.  And then I found your site!  I think I bookmarked every computer in the house this kit in the shopping cart.  IT WORKED!

So, I started on it just after Christmas 2013.  Have pics here after I glued up the neck, the tolerance is so tight that I am baffled as to how you do that.  Neck and body fit together so tightly that there is no “lining up” required of the two pieces as there simply is no play.  It fits perfectly!

So, went with Heritage Cherry for the body and neck.  Basic black for the front of the headstock.  Historic Kluson (tone pro) Tuners.  Historic Lightning Bar tail Piece, P90, MojoTone 50 style wiring kit, brass nut, tortoise Shell pick guard…………….and a whole lot of attitude!!

The pics speak for themselves.  It rocks as good as it looks.  I am thoroughly stoked, and completely satisfied, it could not have came out any better.  Actually had the pleasure of playing a 57 Jr (single cut) yesterday at a nationally known guitar super center (sorry no plug from me) and at the risk of angering the guitar gods and losing my mojo…….MINE IS BETTER!!! Plays better, sounds better, feels better….is better.  So I will not go forward thinking somehow its second best….don’t think so, I would not have swapped for the 57 (ok maybe I would have….I know I can build another of these).

At any rate, thanks…here are some pics showing some of the progress and the final product!!

He Used This Guitar

[items ids=”1438″]

This is exactly why I love doing what I do… best job in the world. Check out what Jim did with one of our humble lil pieces of wood…:)

Phil,

I wanted to write and thank you for putting out such a fantastic product!  I bought your SG jr kit last fall and was blown away by the quality, craftsmanship and service. I finished her in an antiqued Pelham Blue nitro with a Lollar dogear p90 and I have to say that it has become my absolute go-to guitar so I thought I’d send some pics of the build.

Can’t wait to start my next one!

Peace,

Jim

 

Check out how the grain pops on this beauty, Awesome work. You’ll also notice in the pics green grass and palm trees and no snow… lucky man!

Hi Phil,
Just thought you might want to see my latest one.
The kit was awesome, so I put the best into it.

Tronical tuners, supervee bladerunner with magloc, overdrive custom black pearl pickguard with a Fender custom shop fat 50’s neck pickup,fender custom shop custom 69 for middle pickup and a seymore duncan custom hand scatter wound reversed polarity bridge pickup. graghite nut and fender locking strap nuts.

These are pictures of final mockup before disassembling and doing the final sand and buff. Have 1 more week for lacquer to cure. Body was blacked first and sanded to bring out grain, the vintage amber and orange stain. sanded down to final color. and about 12 cans of lacquer to make a glass like finish. Once again I say youall make the finest kits. Can’t wait for my custom to dry and be built.

Thanks For Everthing
Have a Great New Year
Don

 

Okay okay, that’s a bit of a lame title.. but look at what Jay Cole did to one of our kits… absolutely awesome…

Here’s his words:

Finally!! Bought this kit from you about a year ago, and I’ve been working on it kinda casually, since I’m recently retired. It has a Curtis Novak MM-PAF humbucker in P-90 dogear case, Pigtail adjustable bridge, your Kluson tuners, handmade tortoise pickguard and control cavity covers, and handmade truss rod cover (I’m a home brewer). Finish is Behlen stringed instrument clear over Stew Mac Cherry Red aerosol.

Phil, I’ve built 3 other kits from different manufacturers, and yours is by far the highest quality. It’s easy to see that you use (and maintain!) good tooling, and pay attention to the details. Virtually no wood prep was required; I went straight to grain filling, sealing and painting. Some other kits I’ve built required gouge, tearout or scratch repair to the wood before any finish work could start. And this guitar is perfectly balanced; it hangs just right, so your hands fall in just the right spots. Super slick polished frets too; well done!

Keep up the good work, and thanks for a great build,
Jay Cole

Jay used this one to build his awesome guitar!

[items ids=”1606″]