Partscaster Series: Part 1- What are Partscasters?

By Nick Jamison

The price of mid range guitars have made a huge leap in the past decade to the point where a lot of working guitarist can’t afford it. Luckily, there’s a way to get an amazing guitar with all the specs you want, minus the premium price tag. That way is called Partscasters.

So What Are Partscasters? 🤔

Partscasters are guitars put together by an individual from parts they buy online or from local guitar part manufacturers. Partscasters tend to be based on Fenders, such as Telecasters, Stratocasters, Jazzmasters and Jaguars. The idea of partscasters have been around for a long time but have become more normal in the past decade with the insane price hike for guitar gear.

Partscasters are a great alternative for mid priced Fenders and can be direct competitors for the more high end fenders if you spend a bit more on your builds.

Some people may argue that Squiers are good enough but sometimes you might want something about closer to the specs you prefer. Plus the price for Squiers have also been stepping up in the price ladder on a yearly basis, itching closer and closer to Mexican made Fender prices.

How Much Will It Cost To Build?

Partscaster’s vary drastically in price based on how deep you want to go in specs. They tend to cost between $300 and $1200. $1200 might sound like a lot but at that price you can build a guitar that is the same if not better than a Fender Custom Shop.

Pros And Cons of Partscasters?

Pros

Price- They tend to cost a lot less than a Fender with similar specs
Customisability- You get every spec you want
Self fulfilment- When you finish your Partscaster you will feel so proud so proud and you will be surprised how great it is
Skills- You will learn some new skills that will save you money and going to techs will seem like a waste of money after you start learning to set up, soldering electronics and fixing other problems

Cons

Resale value- You probably won’t be able to make bak what you paid to build your parts caster if you decide to sell
Frustration- If you have never done work on or repaired your guitars there will be a learning curve
It’s addictive- Once you build one you will want to build another and the cycle will probably continue
Rabbit hole- You may spend more time looking for specific parts, specifically pickups to find the right sound you want.