My purchase

Anyway, let’s get to my own purchase. I bought a PRS-style guitar. The carrier had managed to punch two holes in the box that reached right through to the contents; fortunately, they were undamaged but more care with the packaging wouldn’t go amiss.

Because I’d commented on the ill-fitting of a Coban neck and body demonstrated on one of their videos, UK Music Supplies offered to check the fitting of the instrument they were sending me – another benefit. The rest of the supplied kit was correct. Other companies are very sniffy about the ‘standard Chinese-quality machine heads’ supplied in less-expensive kits. I’m not qualified to comment but the units are sealed, feel as though they’re at least adequately lubricated and, let’s face it, the gearing is one of the most basic known to engineering. I sense there’s more than a little ‘brand-awareness’ arrogance going on here.

The biggest potential drawback of a cheap kit is excess glue, especially on any veneered surface. The glue won’t take the tints or other treatments applied to the surface but can’t be seen until the first coat is applied. The grandson who would like to own the instrument I’m building expressed a wish for a blue guitar and so I bought bottles of Royal Blue and Black stain from the best-advertised guitar stain company. The company's video claims the black will bring out the effect of the flame effect in the veneer, blue will provide the main colour of the front of the guitar body. On the evidence of my instrument, I disagree. 

The back of the body and neck will be in uncoloured wood. Along with a 150ml can of oil for the neck from one of the most expensive luthier companies, including an extortionate £6 for delivery of a modest Jiffy bag the cost was about £20. 

If I'm tempted to make another guitar, I will follow the advice of another video and use bulk supplies of inkjet printing ink. Quite obviously it does as good a job as the expensive stain.