First things first...

I chose to make a kit principally because I don't have the woodworking skills to start from scratch nor do I have the equipment that's necessary to commence with a block of wood.

I selected the kit to buy and build quite carefully. I decided to build a sold guitar, partly because it demands fewer woodworking skills than a hollow-bodied instrument or an acoustic model. I also learnt that some forms of rosewood can cause irritation if inhaled and although I’m fairly fit for my age I didn’t want to risk my health. That's why I chose a guitar with a mahogany body and neck with a thin veneer of maple glued to the top of the body.

Avoiding the potentially 'harmful' timber meant the very least expensive kits were out of contention. The fact that my budget was limited also ruled out the more expensive and better-known ‘name’ brands. In any case, the last category of kits are not only very expensive but they’re not even complete kits which meant my inexperience might end up costing me much more than my budget would allow. Another factor was that I’d written to one of the ‘posh’ companies, well-known for their luthier's supplies, asking about their in-house week-long courses but they didn’t even bother to reply.

Ultimately I chose a Coban brand kit, imported from China by UK Music Supplies in Norfolk. They’re also available on Amazon but the direct price is a few pounds less and you get a little more for your money.