There are lots of good reasons for building your own guitar. You can build a guitar with little experience and a few key tools, but you will need LOTS of patience, and be willing to rein in your expectations. Speaking of expectations, conversations and DIY bulletin board posts about guitar building reveal a few common misconceptions held by those who have never actually built a guitar-- neither from a kit, a "parts" build, or a complete self-fabricated original. Overlooking the realities of the process can doom your build from the get-go. Save yourself some heartache, and some money, by letting go of the myths and embracing the realities:
1. It is cheaper to build a guitar than to buy one. Good luck with that. Figure $500- $1,000 minimum for a decent to excellent quality build. Those all inclusive kits that promise a Les Paul for $200: do you really think so? Oh, and don't forget supplies like sandpaper, dyes, sealers, and finishes. And tools. I shudder to think how much I've spent on tools. Don't forget that you are also paying retail for every part, every supply, every tool. We can't hope to compete with major manufacturers on that point. A well made $400-$700 import like the Korean made PRS SE guitars, some of the Epiphones, and some of the made in Mexico Fenders will be more guitar for less money than trying to recreate the same guitar from parts. Weirdly enough, I think (if you are a skilled builder) that it is easier to beat the high end/high price guitars. For example, a skilled DIYer can build a Strat copy for $800 that will equal or surpass the high end Fenders that go for 2-3 times as much.
Bottom line: don't expect to build a boutique quality Les Paul killer for $100.
2. My DIY guitar will automatically play/sound better than anything out on the market. Wrong again. The key word here is automatically. What the average DIYer does have, regardless of skill level, is time. We will happily spend a day getting the bridge and nut perfectly set up: something the big boys can't/won't do. If you have the patience, the right tools and/or some ingenuity, your finished guitar MAY exceed the quality of all but the highest end guitars out there, but there are no guarantees. Playability and tone are subjective and come down to personal preference. A good place to start is Dan Erlewine's book "How To Make Your Electric Guitar Play Great." Clear information on setting up and maintaining your guitar with lots of pix and specs included. The edition I bought a few years ago even came with a set of radius gauges: one of those indispensable tools for working with guitars.
Bottom line: Playability and tone for ANY guitar depend on the quality of the parts, the quality of the build, and the skill of the person building and setting up the guitar.
I love building and tinkering with guitars. I also have a background in both electronics and woodworking. And a complete woodshop, cabinet of lutherie tools, tools for assembling/testing electronics, and lots of time. And I've made some bad choices in guitar building: mostly when I let the "boy, that will look cool" part of my brain override the ""what will work best?" part of my brain. Playability and tone should trump a gorgeous finish every time. Although, sometimes you can have both. The fun is in the attempt.
Remember my mantra: Planning, Preparation & Patience.
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