What would be your dream partscaster ?

[rollypolly]

Just looking for opinions and experiences assembling your own partscasters out of Fender brand parts. Any downsides, upsides to consider? I was recently looking to buy a USA tele but they’re a tad pricey for me so I found a USA standard neck and a MIM Nashville deluxe body that I bought separately for around a total of $600. Figured I’ll have pretty cool guitar with the US built neck.

[dnf777]

Good luck! I found that saving money by building a partscaster can get really expensive! Lots of fun, and learned much, though!

[Mbroady]

My Current Favorite partscaster has a set of 1980 fender X-1 pickups in an Ash body with a Warmoth 59 round back neck.

Plays and sound great but the pickups are what make this guitar special.

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

Just looking for opinions and experiences assembling your own partscasters out of Fender brand parts. Any downsides, upsides to consider? I was recently looking to buy a USA tele but they’re a tad pricey for me so I found a USA standard neck and a MIM Nashville deluxe body that I bought separately for around a total of $600. Figured I’ll have pretty cool guitar with the US built neck.

While I'm sure you'll end up with something you like (at a decent price), Fender has never made parts that scratch the itch I have, especially when it comes to needing a very large neck, so I went elsewhere.

I put this 'Strat' together with a Warmoth neck and a Guitar Fetish body. I used a blank Pickguard and fitted a pair of DeArmond Dynasonic pickups into it, showing only the pole pieces & adjustment screw holes.



And here's my 'Tele' with Pete Biltoft Vintage Vibe CC pickups, Warmoth body and neck.




HE

[dilver]

I’ve built many partscasters. There are a few things to keep in mind:

- do your research on measurements of string spacing. Fender’s parts vary by line and time period

- not all parts fit together well - don’t force it or try to make it work. But when you do get parts that fit like a glove, it really makes a difference

- don’t skimp on pots, wires, caps, saddles, as they can impact your tone greatly

- learn how to set up a guitar properly, from nut slot adjustment to replacement, fine tuning the bridge, balancing trem springs (on a strat build), truss rod adjustments, neck shimming (if required), fret leveling. Putting together a partscaster is relatively easy. Where many people fail is setting up the guitar properly

- learn how to solder cleanly and get a proper soldering iron

- take your time hunting for the right parts - it’s half the fun

- know going into this that few people will want to buy your partscaster for the money you put into it. You’re more likely to make your money back by parting it out

- take your time and enjoy the process!

Some of my builds:

[IMG]https://i.imgur.com/dQxYqS2.jpg[/IMG

[rollypolly]

Wow I really like that flame maple. Those are some sick guitars!

I think for this particular guitar, I started the hunt looking for a USA tele, so I at least wanted the neck to be a USA fender product. I know there are probably better parts out there for less $$. But there’s something about that made in USA décale that gets me! The body is less important but then I ran across this loaded MiM Nashville body for pretty cheap. If I replace the pickups I’ll be over the price of a highway one or standard I could just purchased outright.

[abn556]

Everyone forgets to factor in what their time is worth when they talk about partscasters. They only want to talk about what the parts cost. I don’t know about everyone else, but I never worked for free. Your time spent researching, shopping, soldering, sanding, finishing, etc…is time you could have spent playing a guitar if you bought one, so your time does have a price. The only question is the value you put on it.

I once did a PPIMV mod on a old metal panel Super Lead. I could have just paid a tech $100 to do the mod, but I have electronics training compliments of Uncle Sam and wanted to do it myself. By the time I had the mod completed I had more time and parts into the mod than paying the tech would have cost me. Part of the reason is the hours and hours I spent researching the various types of Post Phase Inverter Master Volume mods and making sure I was using the exact mod that was best for the year Super Lead I was working on. The tech already had all the info and the parts on hand.

+

[guitararmy]

My favorite partsocaster is my only one. It has a La-Si-Do neck and an ESP Strat body. The two didn’t mate well (neck pocket too small), had a local luthier build it for me. Cherry sunburst body (?alder), maple neck and board with light figuring.
Fender American Standard pots, including the TBX tone on the bridge.
DiMarzio Fast Track 1 neck, Fender Gold Lace Sensor middle, DiMarzio Fast Track 2 bridge position. Coil tap on the volume pot.
Wilkinson VS-100 bridge, locking Sperzel tuners.

[rockabilly69]

I've built quite a few partscasters because I don't have only one dream partscaster. Of all of them, my Jaguar partscaster would probably be the most versatile. With any amp that has decent preamp gain, I can cover a lot of ground with it. It also plays wonderfully, and on top of that, it has Fender's best designed tremolo system (although mine is made by Halon). And the Halon bridge on mine is just fantastic.

The parts...

Squire Classic 70's Jaguar body
Fender Classic Series 60's lacquer neck with Pao Ferro fingerboard
EP Customs Jaguar pickups
Switchcraft all jacks and switches
Cloth wiring
CTS pots
Sprague caps
Fender USA roller wheel assembly
Fender USA control plates
Halon bridge and tremolo system
Kluson Japan tuners
Graphtech nut and string tree

[Chickee]

There is a unicorn that was released into the wild a few years ago called a Squier Vintage Modified Special.

It was a line of FenderSpecialRun(FSR)HotRodded Squiers that came from the Indonesia factory with a Squier-Jazzmaster maple neck and a Seymour Duncan designed Alnico V Jazzmaster neck single coil and a Telecaster bridge single coil. Butterscotch or MaryKay Translucent Pink Whitewash over Basswood bodies.

I cant even begin to think of a better platform for the ultimate parts-caster! Below is the Squier beauty shot from when they were available in 2019.

I let one slip through my fingers three weeks ago. It wont happen again!
frank d.

E9AD425B-B301-4178-BD30-BCC5563ED7FB.jpg

[J Patrick]

..I have six partscaster telecasters and one Strat….I’ve been at it for over twenty years so these final seven guitars are outfitted with the parts that I have come to prefer over the years….the only Fender part that I have is a bridge on one and it has Rutters saddles on it…I have mostly Rutters hardware but also a couple Callaham bridges….mostly Budz pickups but also some Lollars on one and RoninFoilbuckers on one one… a mixture of Warmoth and Allparts necks…bodies by Warmoth Rutters Rosser and an Allparts body that is from my very first build in 2001…….all but two I finished myself….I like Gotoh split shaft Kluson style tuners but I have a set of Hipshot locking tuners on one guitar…I have a Bigsby on one Tele….

….they’re all distinctly different from one another….I think I’m done now….

[rollypolly]

Is there a reason a lot of you guys go with Warmoth or Allparts necks over a USA or MIM Fender neck? I'm guessing they're cheaper, but maybe better profiles?

Now that I think about it, I did own a Highway One Telecaster many years ago before I got serous about playing. I remember really liking the satin neck, but that it was a heavy guitar and the color was kind of ugly (like a skin tone color).

My thinline tele is nice, but there does seem to be something lacking. I think the neck is a tad too thin and narrow, and the gloss finish can be sticky. The guitar isn't nearly as resonant as my friend's of the same model, which is why I bought my own. I guess they can vary just like acoustics.

[mr. beaumont]

Warmoth gave me the ability to design all the specs I wanted-- So boatneck shape, ebony fretboard, medium frets, 1.75" nut width...

I paired that with the body of a 1996 American Standard tele that I had changed a few other things on, mostly cosmetic, (I had literally played the frets off the original neck) and my "perfect tele" was born. Love this guitar to pieces

Here it is in action:

[J Patrick]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

Is there a reason a lot of you guys go with Warmoth or Allparts necks over a USA or MIM Fender neck? I'm guessing they're cheaper, but maybe better profiles?

Now that I think about it, I did own a Highway One Telecaster many years ago before I got serous about playing. I remember really liking the satin neck, but that it was a heavy guitar and the color was kind of ugly (like a skin tone color).

My thinline tele is nice, but there does seem to be something lacking. I think the neck is a tad too thin and narrow, and the gloss finish can be sticky. The guitar isn't nearly as resonant as my friend's of the same model, which is why I bought my own. I guess they can vary just like acoustics.

…..the main reason for me is that Warmoth and Allparts have a greater selection of profiles.and options readily available at reasonable prices….Warmoth of course allows one to custom build a neck….I’ve also used USCG and Musikraft necks but don’t find them to be superior despite their higher pricing…..as far as genuine Fender necks go….i see no reason not to use them if you find one you like….I had a Guitar Mill super light weight metallic tangerine swamp ash body paired with a MIM Fender Baja neck that was one of the ones I wish I’d kept…I love the profile on that neck…

[EZYPIKINS]

black strat.jpg

MIM body & neck,
Sperzel locking tuners,
Seymore Duncan lil 59 pickups,
CRL switch,
Switchcraft jack,
Copper shielded cavity.
Cloth covered push back wire,
Calaham bridge, with short Gilmour arm.