# Solo Guitar Kits - Recent quality?



## Spectre (Nov 17, 2019)

I'm considering an LP style guitar build using a Solo guitar kit. Does anyone have any recent experience with the kits and have any comments of the quality of the kits?

Thanks!

Spectre


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## McGill (Aug 23, 2020)

Bought a strat kit with rosewood neck kit a couple of months ago.
All parts fit, neck was straight.
Tuners were so so, but I had planned on putting in locking tuners anyway.
Loaded pickguard is adequate. (Better sounding than a Squier.)
For the price, hard to beat, and shipping was super fast, and it arrived free of damage.


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## Mikev7305 (Jan 6, 2020)

I did a jazzmaster build along with a buddy who also did the same kit. I'd recommend them as an introduction to luthiery. Here's the thread I did on my build if you want more info...









My first build


It's been a year in the making, but I finally (almost) finished. I got the jazzmaster kit from solo guitars last summer, and after a lot of procrastinating, I finally got around to finishing it. It was my first time doing any kind of wiring, wood finishing, and I've only ever changed a neck...




www.guitarscanada.com


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## Spectre (Nov 17, 2019)

McGill and Mikev7305

Thanks for your comments. Were the guitars solid mahogany, or was there a veneer finish? I couldn't see a veneer on Mike's. I'm wondering about sanding the top of a spalted maple top as the veneer is typically super thin and I'm concerned about sanding through the veneer.


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## Mikev7305 (Jan 6, 2020)

Mine was solid mahogany. And thank goodness because I redid my stain 3 times before I was satisfied. I've heard the veneers are quite thin. When I went into the shop, there were b stocks out on display, and a few had veneer blemishes. You could see on at least one of them how thin they were. 

As long as you are satisfied with your stain colour (test on a separate piece of maple if possible) it should handle one decent sanding. 

I'd buy another kit for sure. The cost of the neck and body is worth it alone. Chances are you'll end up wanting to upgrade some of the hardware and electronics eventually anyways. Mine has the stock tuners, and bridge/trem hardware and it is all totally fine. Other than that the complete electronics are after market.


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## Spectre (Nov 17, 2019)

Again....thanks for your comments.


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## EchoWD40 (Mar 16, 2007)

The bodies and Necks I've seen are typical Chinese quality. Electronics I'd throw away. Same goes with the majority of the hardware.
That being said, the kits are great if you want to kind of tinker around and have a good platform to build something from ground up. The experience and knowledge if you build it yourself successfully is worth way more than the money they charge for the kit.


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## Spectre (Nov 17, 2019)

Thanks TDeneka
My plan is to replace the electronics, split the humbuckers and install new tuners. As you say it's just as much the experience that I'm looking forward to. Given that it's a kit, I can't really say "I did that", but I can say "Never did that before, and I learned a lot in the process"!


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Are these any better than the Muslady? I know the hardware is crap. When I went to the website, for instance for the neck, it looks exactly the same as the one in the Muslady kit.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

I bought a Solo set-neck LP body a while back use as a pattern, still have it kickin around. The "flame" maple top is a very thin veneer, applied over what looks to me like a 1" maple top. The base wood is not mahogany, probably basswood. 

Here's the top view, binding is nicely done, flame top









the back









Here's a close up of a pickup route. You can see the maple top quite clearly, little harder to see the flamed veneer in picture, but it's oblivious with the eye.








It is very thin. Paper thin. As has been said, be sure of your colour. There is no way you could sand a colour off this and start over again. 
It's a good basic body, finishing it is where the work begins and where your work really shows. It's better then some china-bodies I've seen.


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## Spectre (Nov 17, 2019)

Lincoln
Thanks for the response and your comments. I'm particularly concerned about the thickness of the veneer. I'm likely getting a spalted maple body and I'm not sure yet how I'm going to test any stain that I might apply. I understand that both the the veneered bodies and un-veneered ones are protected with a factory sealer that needs to be sanded off prior to applying any colour / stain.......

I'm also wondering if the chamber for the volume and tone pots is deep enough to accommodate push/pull pots? I'm intending to split the humbuckers.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

There's no sealer on the body I got, it's just raw wood. I measure 1-5/8" deep at the shallowest hole, to 1-7/8" deep at the deepest hole.
Here's a picture of a CTS push/pull in shallowest hole.


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## Spectre (Nov 17, 2019)

Lincoln

That's a great help. Thanks!

Interesting, the guys at Solo are telling me that all of their kits are now sealed.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

if it is sealed, it is a very light coat. I'm thinkin it wouldn't interfere with the dye you use. Hand sand, you'll be fine. Just don't go crazy with a power sander.

If you want to see what it looks like when you sand through a solo body, I can show you that too. I am human, I have made mistakes.


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## Spectre (Nov 17, 2019)

I think I'm ok. If I don't see your sand through, I won't have to admit recognizing it if I sand through mine!


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## cement_head (Jan 1, 2022)

I'm doing a build of a SOLO Spalted Maple LP Kit right now, and I'd have to agree with the vast majority of the comments. The hardware (except for the bridge) is largely junky. But for the price of the wood it's worth it. Just wondering, does anyone have a map of the chambering of the interior? It almost looks a little like a bit more towards the chambered LP by Gibson.

FYI: Brad Angove (who use to work for SOLO) did a nine-part step-by-step YouTube series on building a Spalted Maple LP Kit: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmqF8bx6h1nImH9txOD2F8dFsqDocrbbE


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## glendp55 (11 mo ago)

I bought the Tele kit, TCK-15. The heel of the neck is to narrow and slops around in the pocket. A bad sign before I even unwrap anything further. Have sent 3 emails to Solo but they are unresponsive. Sad, just need them to send me a return authorization...


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## cement_head (Jan 1, 2022)

glendp55 said:


> I bought the Tele kit, TCK-15. The heel of the neck is to narrow and slops around in the pocket. A bad sign before I even unwrap anything further. Have sent 3 emails to Solo but they are unresponsive. Sad, just need them to send me a return authorization...
> View attachment 404480


Bummer; I'd give them a call.


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## john.banks (2 mo ago)

Spectre said:


> I'm considering an LP style guitar build using a Solo guitar kit. Does anyone have any recent experience with the kits and have any comments of the quality of the kits?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Spectre


i have a telecaster kit from solo guitar you wont be dissapointed very high quality


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## john.banks (2 mo ago)

glendp55 said:


> I bought the Tele kit, TCK-15. The heel of the neck is to narrow and slops around in the pocket. A bad sign before I even unwrap anything further. Have sent 3 emails to Solo but they are unresponsive. Sad, just need them to send me a return authorization...
> View attachment 404480


what wrong with kit i bought one no problems did a mock build everything works fine this was my first time and i would phone them monday through friday 10 am to 6 pm toll free number is on the site


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## MarkM (May 23, 2019)

glendp55 said:


> I bought the Tele kit, TCK-15. The heel of the neck is to narrow and slops around in the pocket. A bad sign before I even unwrap anything further. Have sent 3 emails to Solo but they are unresponsive. Sad, just need them to send me a return authorization...
> View attachment 404480


Well that’s not very well machined. Curious to see if they make it right?

Please keep us updated.


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