Semi Hollow Guoitar DIY Kit ES230 Mahogany Body Flamed Maple Veneer Chrome Fittings NON Soldering …

Item arrived very quickly - much sooner than the ETA. It's a good approximation of the guitar it's based on and it's made from decent materials. The hardware is probably bargain basement but that's usually the case with guitar kits, I'll be able to use it for my cigar box guitars though so it won't go to waste. It was packaged reasonably well though there wasn't much padding inside the box itself to protect the parts - I was expecting a stockpile of bubble wrap but there were just some foam sheets. There's no damage from transportation though, luckily.There are a couple of issues with the kit: On the neck there are a few minor gouges that will need filling and the binding has come away near the nut so that will need to be re-glued. In the cavity for neck pickup you can see that the top isn't making contact with the block all the way round, so that will need filling as well. Plus the neck cavity itself will need to be made slightly deeper for a flush fit. Some of the routing and drilling is a bit sloppy but that will be hidden by the hardware anyway. Also the back of the neck near headstock isn't perfectly symmetrical. I was anticipating minor issues like these though - they seem to be present in all the guitar kits I've seen - so I'm not too bothered.The only really concerning issue is that the heel isn't perfectly square and also a bit short, so if you put the neck right up against the edge of the cavity the pickup doesn't fit. There will be a slightly triangular gap when it's positioned correctly, which I'm not bothered by, but I'm worried that the holes for the bridge were based on the neck being in the incorrect position - meaning I may have to fill them and re-drill. I feel that if the manufacturer is not going to make the neck line up perfectly in the socket (or at least make it too large so you can cut it back) they should not drill the holes for the bridge so you can work out the spacings yourself - doing more of the initial work is preferable to fixing errors!On the whole I think it's decent enough though, I reckon I've got enough guitar building experience to be able to make it work but it will be tricky so I wouldn't recommend it for an absolute beginner. However these issues may be unique to my kit; there may be similar or worse issues in other kits but there also may be some that are so perfect you can put them together like Lego. It's just if you want to risk it!

It took the primer, paint and lacquer really well. Downside is the assembly instructions are general instructions and not specific to this guitar. But there are tutorials on Utube to help. Really enjoyed making it, I am adding a tremolo bar to it to make it a twangy guitar like Duane Eddy’s!

Looks fantastic not finished it yet but all seems very good build quality maybe the pickups are inexpensive but come on! if the guitar is good who cares if the pickups end up needing an upgrade!I SHOULD POINT OUT: I have not heard the pickups so they might be just fine!

This is a no worry company, if you have any issues they are fantastic at dealing with it. and this guitar is a top quality bit of kit, you can purchase with the knowledge that UK MUSIC SUPPLIES will stand behind the sale 100%. I bought this ES style guitar last year from them and I noticed an issue with the neck (cosmetic) I contacted Mark about this and he replaced the neck as soon as stock became available and the neck is of better quality than the original neck, this one is a solid length of mahogany not a scarf joint to be seen. Excellent service. I also own one of their Coban round-back guitars and it is a good quality item as good as guitars at 2 or 3 times the price. I can highly recommend this company and the quality of their guitars.