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  #1  
Old 12-11-2019, 07:05 AM
Skydog Skydog is offline
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Default Any experience with the Stew-Mac kits?

Especially the newer pre-war 28’s? How much can I expect to pay for associated materials?
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Old 12-11-2019, 08:52 AM
DDM0502 DDM0502 is offline
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I recently built a Stewmac triple o kit. I already had a few basic tools but ended up spending about $500 or $600 on new tools and supplies to complete the kit. Of course, your cost may vary depending on what you already have.
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Old 12-11-2019, 08:57 AM
Skarsaune Skarsaune is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skydog6653 View Post
Especially the newer pre-war 28’s? How much can I expect to pay for associated materials?
I looked at those “pre-war” kits this morning when I saw them in my daily StewMac email. My thought was, that’s a lot of money for a kit ($1299 on sale from $1499).

Not sure what you mean by associated materials. All the material is there to build a guitar. You will need glues, tools, clamps, finishing materials, etc so the cost will depend on what you already have available. The full instruction booklet for their kits is available on their website, so you can have a read and make a shopping list.
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Old 12-11-2019, 09:36 AM
hat hat is offline
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Just a suggestion - there are other sources for good quality kits.
Luthier's Mercantile LMII
C.F Martin 1833 Shop/Woodworkers Connection.
Blues Creek Guitars.
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Old 12-11-2019, 10:56 AM
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bnjp bnjp is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skarsaune View Post
I looked at those “pre-war” kits...
Who knew Stewmac made kits way back then!?
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Old 12-11-2019, 11:41 AM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Perhaps it is just me, but I don't see the point in building a kit out of rare exotic woods, such as Madagascar rosewood.

If one is a first-time builder, assembling a kit on one's own will have at least some cosmetic flaws, if not more serious issues. That's the nature of most first builds. The use of rare exotic materials is not going to transform the finished kit from being "good" to "exceptional".

For kits, it doesn't make sense to me to use anything beyond "standard" materials, such as Indian rosewood and similar species, that are relatively inexpensive and accessible, not to mention sustainably harvested.

Using one of the most over-harvested, endangered species to make a kit hurts my soul, much like making children's picnic tables out of Sequoia trees.

Then there is the practical question of the price. By the time one pays $1200 to $1500 for the kit, buys whatever other tools are required to assemble it, then adds many hours of labour... one is approaching the cost of buying a finished instrument, one that comes with a warranty. One is also approaching the cost of taking a guitar making course with a well-established luthier school. I well understand wanting to make one's own, but buying a rare, expensive, high-grade diamond to learn how to cut diamonds seems not the best use of one's money or of rare natural resources.

Just one person's unsolicited opinion.

Last edited by charles Tauber; 12-11-2019 at 11:57 AM.
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Old 12-11-2019, 03:14 PM
hgaynor hgaynor is offline
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I built a Stew Mac Dreadnought kit about twelve years ago and it came out very well and is still going strong. It was a great learning experience and it got me hooked on building guitars. The basic kit had very good wood and the instructions were easy to follow. If this is a first build, I might recommend going with the bolt-on neck. This will make fine tuning your neck angle much easier. If you plan on making more than one guitar, I would also recommend a binding jig for your router. I have the Stew Mac one and I am very happy with it. Enjoy!
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  #8  
Old 12-11-2019, 05:07 PM
charles Tauber charles Tauber is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hgaynor View Post
If you plan on making more than one guitar, I would also recommend a binding jig for your router. I have the Stew Mac one and I am very happy with it. Enjoy!
I have the Stew Mac binding jig. It is okay, does the job. However, there is a lot of setup work to do, making a holder for the guitar, levelling the instrument before routing...

In my opinion, a much better jig is this one: https://www.canadianluthiersupply.co...ts/binding-jig. It is only slightly more expensive - it is listed in CAN $ - but is much more versatile and requires little setup. I have one and would never go back to the Stew Mac jig.
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