Tallying Up The Cost

The neck is on its way!  I ordered the thing a week ago.  When I went back over the confirmation email, I saw that I had accidentally ordered 3A Flame maple, not 3A Birdseye.  The mistake happened because I had added it to the online shopping cart for comparison purposes, then deleted the wrong wood type.  A direct email to Warmoth's sales department cleared things up, but now I'm thinking about how cool it would have been to have flame maple in the neck.  Whatever.  I've wanted birdseye maple in a neck for a long time by now, so I'm committed to it.

Wait time?  This is what the confirmation email reads:

Obviously the neck isn't getting painted, but it will have a gloss coat applied.  I don't know what the difference is in the application/drying process for these things, but I have to assume it will take the full two months.  Warmoth will send an email with a UPS tracking number once it ships.  (And they're in Renton, Washington, so ground shipping should only take one day.)

Alright, so the design of Big Riff is just about about 95 percent finished by this point, but that doesn't mean that there's not much left to consider.  I'm thinking a lot these days about the cost of the project and if/how I can finish it by March next year.  The neck is the single most expensive piece of this entire build—almost $600 after tax—so I'm glad to have it out of the way early on.  The body will cost around $405 plus tax plus the cost of that extra custom routing job I want for the D-Tuna piece when I beg them for it.  BUT, I won't order the body just yet.

 The Classical: The sum of parts.

So the design of the guitar went like this:

Electronics —> Bridge —> Body —> Hardware —> Neck

But the actual assembly will nearly reverse the order for purchasing:

Neck —> Hardware —> Bridge —> Body —> Electronics

I need a couple of things to happen before I order the body.  Warmoth offers a "stud install" option for a Floyd Rose bridge, meaning that they will drill the holes necessary in the top of the guitar to hold two studs which hold the bolts necessary for the bridge's knife-edge action.  You can order the installation with the purchase of a brand new FR bridge, or you can send the studs from a FR set to them and have them do it for you.  An original Floyd Rose bridge will cost over $200 (I'm not cutting any corners with a cheap knockoff!), so I don't want to add that to the same order with the body.  I expect to be able to install the Floyd's nut on the neck myself since I ordered it with holes drilled through (meaning no special glue job required?  I will consult my tech master buddy Mike).

The selected screws are where the pivot or "knife-edge" action happens; they are screwed into the studs, which are anchored into the top of the guitar.  Warmoth offers to perform this special installation so I don't have to screw it up myself.

The other thing is to get that Tremol-No piece in ASAP so I can test it out with my Soloist before the big purchase.  Not much left to say on that subject.  I've already driven it into the ground by this point.

Electronics like the Sustainiac, the Duncan Distortion humbucker, and all of the pots, need to be ordered last because I want/need the finished body first for spatial judgments.  Let's not forget that the Sustainiac's circuit board will need to be fitted underneath the pickguard somehow.

I'm estimating the total component cost of the build to be somewhere in the ballpark of $1700, with the first $600 out of the way.  So, let's say $1100 left to go for the body, bridge, hardware, and electronics.  Looking at the scope of time for the build and the range of other things I've got going on for the next eight months—including school expenses and plane tickets—it will be possible, but require some discipline.  Still, though, this will turn out way cheaper and much more satisfying once I assemble the guitar myself, with some pro help here and there.

I've been ALL OVER the band Jawbox since I got introduced to them recently.  I love the minor/major feel in this song.  The '90s truly were a special time for rock music.