Explorer Tribute Guitar Kit Full Build

I want to start by saying that I love budget guitars. If you want to try a budget version of that high end guitar then this is the ultimate solution and if you have a dream guitar in mind without the dream budget then I can bring you closer to your dream by building a kit that is designed BY YOU, FOR YOU! Most body style are available somewhere online and the parts available to customize are plentiful. Name your specs and I will build your dream guitar at a fraction of the cost of a brand name!

This is the Explorer Tribute Guitar Kit Full Build that I completed in June / July while finishing my radiation treatment for stage 3 mouth cancer. It was an extremely fun build because this kit came as advertised from an Ebay seller and the specifications that I recorded from various Explorer body styles held true (24.75 in. scale length, 22 jumbo frets, etc). I'll give a simplified rundown of the steps I took to get this amazing music machine up and rocking.

First thing I did (and anyone who buys a budget kit should do) is to test fit all the parts to make sure that they all fit and are all there. Its also very important to complete this step because it ensures that the neck angle, bridge / saddle placement and string height will all come together accurately in the latter part of the build. This particular kit is a set neck which means it is glued into the neck pocket and not bolted on. This is also a more permanent means of joining parts and is very difficult to correct after the initial glue has been applied and set.

Explorer body and neck test fitting and clamping.

This step also allowed me to properly inventory parts and lay out a construction plan. Since this is a mahogany body it has a grain to the wood that cannot be filled with paint and clearcoat alone. I have encountered mixed results and opinions on this step. I have achieved successful paint jobs without grain filler or primer, but paid more for paint and spent less time on finishing and clearcoat application. For this build I used Zinsser Oil Based Interior / Exterior Primer. My reasoning is the more life resistant and "sweat" proof the base is the better the result will be.

Primer and sanding before top coat on my Explorer project guitar.

Another fun fact with budget guitar kits is you will probably have to tap / pre-drill all holes for attachment screws. Pickups, pick guard, tuning machines, output jack, control cover, truss rod cover and strap buttons all needed to be tapped on this kit (about 35 holes). I marked them all and pre-drilled with matching size bits. The major routing cavities for pickups, stop bar, bridge and controls had been done already and is a primary reason I picked this specific kit.

Next steps in this build were all about getting that late 70s alpine white finish that I've seen on countless models from that era. First I did the primer. Two coats and a fair amount of rotary sanding did the trick. I sanded through to wood in some spots in hopes of getting some light relicing during the next year. Next, masked off the fretboard and back / sides of the headstock because I wanted the face flat black and the rest natural wood grain. I enjoy the smoothness of a neck with 400 grain sanding as opposed to a high gloss finish that will chip off with continued wear (my '94 Gibson Les Paul Studio is wearing all the wine red gloss off the back of the neck and looks crappy).

Masking tape on the fretboard and headstock to prevent paint bleed.

Rattle cans come in great colors and are extremely efficient. Rustoleum 2X Paint + Primer spray on is my go to this time. It covers very well and I can do 1 guitar body with 1 can. I used the same brand of clear top cover when it was done. I did a flat black on the headstock with a clear coat, but sanded the clear to give it a relic look.

Flat black on the headstock.

Gloss white body paint, hanging in the garage to dry.

After painting the body and the headstock face I was ready for a set neck install and some clamping. I've learned that you should use additional padding in between clamps and the actual surface of the guitar / neck.

Neck glued, clamped and curing for at least 24 hours.

After setting the neck I got the angle I wanted at approximately 1.5 to 2 degrees. I measured with a straight edge to confirm. At that point I was ready to get some hardware on. I used the hardware that came with the kit, primarily because the pickups tested at 11K (bridge) & 8K (neck). My Gibson Les Paul Studio has close to the same outputs / resistance so I was happy. Now, most full time guitarists will tell you that tuning stability comes from the quality of the tuning machines, but I kept the cheap gold plated ones that came with the kit. In my experience, any guitar played with passion will go out of tune eventually, so I'll just leave it at that. Upon completion, I jammed for an hour straight with no tuning changes. Most of the cavities lined up, but the routing was too tight for the bridge pickup to travel up and down, so I had to do some spot routing that was ugly. The pickup ring covered it up so I was relieved.

Everything else came together according to the specs I found online. The controls that I soldered consisted of 2 volume + 1 tone and a 3 way toggle switch. The bridge ground passage was routed properly as was the output jack cavity. I had plenty of wire considering the distance from toggle to control & pickup.

Explorer pickups and controls configuration.

I have top wrapped and decked stop bar tailpiece before on other models, but opted for a slightly raised bar and standard string routing for the classic look. The witch hat knobs were also a bonus in this kit. I followed most factory specs up until I had to place the strap buttons. I don't like strap buttons that are on an angle that forces them to pull away from the strap connection (single cutaways are the worst). I also dreaded the "neck dive" that my Jackson JS30 V and countless other odd shaped guitars have, so I changed the position of both strap buttons. One in the centerline of the tail end and the top button got moved to the back of the upper shoulder like in later reproductions of other Explorer body styles. No neck dive here.

Strap button relocated to the back of the upper shoulder.

P.A.F. Humbucker pickup configuration before final setup.

So this was a great build from start to finish. It gave me something to concentrate on during my treatment and gave me the fewest complications of any other build I've done. Again, I am a huge fan of budget guitars. I even told a client recently that if you want to try a budget version of a high end guitar then this is the ultimate solution. Be sure and check out the Google profile and Facebook for updates on projects and other cool guitar related stuff. You can also read my other blogs here. Otherwise, go grab that guitar and jam out!