Video Summary - Buying a new Guitar VS Building a Partscaster

Product / Topic Reviewed

This video isn’t a single guitar review—it’s an opinion-based comparison of four Fender “parts-caster” builds (assembled from Fender parts) versus buying a complete guitar. The creator walks through the builds’ components, feel/tones, and what it’s like to build and wire them yourself.

Main Features of the 4 Parts-Caster Guitars

1) White Telecaster (Olympic White) — “50s-style”

Neck: Vintage-style 50s neck (made in Mexico), glossy, 7.25” radius
Tuners: Vintage-style
Pickups: Twisted Tele pickups
Switching: Four-way Obsidian Wire (series + parallel; thicker tones from neck+bridge combos)
Tone amp: Princeton Reverb (especially good for reverb)

2) Blue Telecaster — “Fender Elite-like”

Neck: Roasted maple neck, 9.5” radius
Pickups: Fender Generation 4 Noiseless pickups
Switching: Three-way switch (explicitly not four-way)
Body: Fender Player Series (“Type Tool Blue”)
Weight: around 8 lbs (approx.)
Routing: designed so humbuckers could be used later if desired

3) Candy Apple Red Telecaster — “Tele Pro-style”

Neck: Roasted maple neck, 12” radius
Neck origin: made in Mexico
Tuners: standard Fender tuners
Pickups: V-Mod pickups
Switching: Four-way Obsidian Wire
Color look: changes appearance depending on lighting (sunlight vs. indoor)

4) Black Stratocaster — David Gilmour-inspired “Gilmour switch wiring”

Neck: Roasted maple neck, 12” radius
Tuners: Fender locking tuners (added later; also moved from another Tele)
Body: Fender Strat body (made in Mexico)
Pickups: Custom Shop pickups mentioned as “59s” (speaker uncertain between 57/59; would “pop it up” on screen if needed)
Switching: 7-way “Gilmour switch” wiring using an Obsidian Wire kit

User Experience: Building Process & Practical Advice

High learning value: the creator feels they “know it inside and out” after building.
Time-consuming: extensive documentation + building/recording/editing takes a lot of work.
Humor around terminology: the creator jokes about “build” vs. “sourcing/harvesting materials,” comparing it to assembling a kit (e.g., IKEA/LEGO).

Tips for Success

Take your time — don’t rush; early attempts were worse.
Look for deals — shop around (Amazon/eBay), and ask sellers for discounts.
Prefer known-compatible parts — sticking mostly to Fender parts reduces fitment issues.

Starting Point if You Don’t Want to Assemble From Scratch

Start with a cheap Squier and disassemble first.
The creator notes 4-bolt neck guitars are easier.
Remove the pickguard without fully detuning the strings if possible.

Pros (Creator Perspective)

Control over the final guitar: you pick components to match your preferences.
Personal attachment: finishing creates a strong sense of accomplishment and ownership.
Better long-term mod/repair ability: especially useful given prior experience with pickup swaps and soldering.

Cons (Creator Perspective)

You will make mistakes (examples below).
Setup is a skill: nut work (cutting slots, getting tuning/playability right) is difficult.
- You may need return visits/adjustments (e.g., recutting/deepening nut grooves).
Cost usually doesn’t save money: building often costs more than buying a comparable used/new setup guitar.
- Example pricing (Canada):
  - Player Telecaster: ~$979+tax
  - Builds landed around: $1,200–$1,400 CAD (roughly)
Resale likely won’t cover parts cost:
- Like modded Squiers—buyers don’t pay for premium parts.
- Likely a loss on resale, so these are better suited to keeping, not flipping.

Mistakes & Issues Mentioned (Specific Build Problems)

White Tele: drilled a ground-related hole through the body due to insufficient wood thickness under the control cavity; it was sealed/painted afterward—“forever.”
Blue Tele: scratched the headstock while installing a string tree using a drill (minor issue).
Red Tele: electronics fitment required learning proper order/sequence—parts didn’t fit without removing/re-seating the neck/pickguard in the right order.
Black Strat: screws included with Custom Shop pickups didn’t fit, requiring extra time to source compatible screws (lost about an extra hour).

Tones / Enjoyment (Comparisons Among the Four)

Overall, the creator says they don’t love any of these more than a specific official Pro Tele Deluxe with an American neck (their usual favorite), largely due to:
- better feel from rolled edges
- a setup that’s “just a little bit better” (possibly frets/overall playability)

Among the Four Builds

Favorite: Blue Tele
- Also: they prefer Tele tone over Strat tone
Then: White Tele
Third: Black Strat
Least favorite: Candy Apple Red Tele
- Mainly because of the V-Mod pickups (though setup/dialing/other variables could also play a role)

Overall Recommendation / Verdict

Recommended if…

You want a guitar-building learning experience
You enjoy planning and deal hunting
You value attachment and future repair/mod capability

Not Recommended if…

You expect to save money or flip for profit
Building typically costs more than comparable factory guitars
Resale likely won’t recover parts costs

For “Buy and Play”…

The creator prefers an official Pro Tele Deluxe with an American neck over their builds’ neck feel and setup.

Unique Points Mentioned

Parts-caster as an IKEA/LEGO-style kit (humorous framing).
The four builds were:
- White Tele (50s-style, 4-way)
- Blue Tele (Elite-like, noiseless, 3-way)
- Red Tele (Pro Tele-like, V-Mod, 4-way)
- Black Strat (Gilmour switch, 7-way)
Repeated emphasis on roasted maple necks, different neck radii (7.25 / 9.5 / 12), and Obsidian Wire switching.
The creator’s “favorite part” is planning + searching for parts/deals.
Affiliate links and “Obsidian Wire obsession” are mentioned.
Potential future project: a Jazzmaster with a hard-to-find color body.

Speaker Contributions

Only one main speaker/creator appears in the subtitles. No separate reviewers with different viewpoints are clearly identified.

Buying a new Guitar VS Building a Partscaster

Key takeaways