Guitar Kits Directory

This is Guitar Kit Builder's directory of guitar kits. We try to maintain a comprehensive list of kit makers and sources so please let us know of any needed additions or changes by emailing us at editor at guitarkitbuilder dot com. We've organized the kit makers below by acoustic, electric and resonator styles of guitars, based on the majority of kits offered by the maker. To read our articles about building these kits please click on the category of interest in the orange menu bar above. Have you built one of these kits? We invite you to share your knowledge and experience by commenting on our articles. You don't need to be a registered member to comment.

ACOUSTIC GUITARS

• Grizzly Industrial - Founded in 1983 by S. Balolia, Grizzly Industrial is a national retail, mail order and Internet company in the U.S.A. providing high quality woodworking and metalworking machinery and accessories. Grizzly has won numerous awards for quality and value. Their focus is on providing excellent customer service and products that will last a long time. Grizzly sells kits in a number of electric and acoustic styles, and also for mandolin, ukulele and violin.
  
  
• Kenneth Michael Guitars - Established in 1978, KMG is a supplier of reasonably-priced high-quality tools, fixtures, materials and hardware for professional and amateur guitar builders and luthiers. They specialize in time-saving devices and components designed to help projects meet a high level of accuracy and excellence.
  
  
• Luthiers Mercantile International - LMI has assisted thousands of woodworkers, musicians, and craftspeople enter successfully into kit building of guitars. Their staff will recommend woods, parts, tools and instructional materials to make your first project a smooth and successful one. They carry books, plans, videos and DVDs for building steel string and classical guitars, electric guitars, mandolins and dulcimers. LMI also offers services to ease your project along when you're not set up for bending the sides, slotting the fingerboard or joining and sanding the top and back plates. They have a wide range of specialty tools for guitar making such as jigs for side bending and for routing the binding ledge, specialty chisels, planes and clamps, measuring tools, repair tools, finishing supplies and much more.
  
  
• Martin Guitar Company - The C.F. Martin & Company is a US guitar manufacturer established in 1833 by Christian Frederick Martin. Martin is highly regarded for its steel-string guitars, and is a leading mass manufacturer of flattop acoustics with models that retail for thousands of dollars and vintage instruments that often fetch six figures at resale. All of their acoustic guitar kits include the parts-only needed to build a complete instrument.
  
  
• Midwest Guitar - Sells kits for acoustic guitars include dreadnought to jumbo and classical sizes and styles. The kits come with solid tone wood tops, backs, and sides, and some of the time consuming work is done for you. Book-matched backs and tops are joined, and sanded. The neck is routed and blocks are ready for final fitting. The fingerboard is slotted, side bending, rough cut braces, and routing for the rosette are all taken care of. The rest is up to you. If you want more or less pre-assembly just let them know.
  
  
• Music Makers - Musicmaker's has been helping folks build quality musical instruments for over 25 years. They are so certain that you can successfully build their kits that they offer this warranty - you can return your kit for a full refund for any reason within a year of the date of purchase.
  
  
• Stewart-MacDonald - For over 40 years StewMac has supplied the world's instrument makers and repair shops from Athens, Ohio. They offer a wide selection of innovative lutherie tools, parts, books and videos, all backed by a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
  
  
• US Guitar Kits - U.S. Guitar Kits was formed in 2006. Scott Dixon, Chief Consultant, began the idea of creating a unique guitar kit after building a Martin guitar kit 10 years earlier. "I purchased the kit and when the kit arrived it was very humbling", realizing so many specialty jigs, forms and techniques were needed to build the kit. So the idea of building a kit that was further "down stream" in the process and minimizing the building of specialty jigs, forms and tools and ultimately making the process affordable was the vision. By providing a kit with some of the more complicated steps done, yet leaving plenty of woodworking and customization choices, their customers feel that the kits have made it possible to take on building a guitar they otherwise felt was out of reach.
  
  
• Waldron Instruments - is a family business of home builders who began applying their woodworking skills to guitars and other instruments in the Spring of 2009 and now offers an array of built and kit guitars, mandolins and violins.

ELECTRIC GUITAR KITS

• American Classic Kits - is a maker of kits in a variety of areas including furniture, games and musical instruments. They use their computer numerically-controlled (CNC) wood-carving machine to create kits from wood.
  
  
• Build Your Own Guitar - BYOGuitar.com of Amherst, NH sells guitar-building parts including bodies, necks, finishing supplies and hardware. Their electric guitar kits include Strat, Tele, Explorer and other styles.
  
  
• Carvin Guitar Kits - Carvin has been making custom electric and acoustic guitars & basses, as well as guitar and bass amplifiers, pro audio gear, mixers, speakers and other accessories for over 60 years. Carvin gear is made in the USA and they sell direct to the consumer, not through stores. Carvin has been offering kits, bodies and necks since the early 1990's, for the musician who also enjoys woodworking and related hobbies. Carvin kits are rated as easy to build with all necessary drilling and routing complete with the kit. All the builder has to do is lightly sand and assemble, or if desired, to modify the kit with carving and painting.
  
  
• Grizzly Industrial - Founded in 1983 by S. Balolia, Grizzly Industrial is a national retail, mail order and Internet company in the U.S.A. providing high quality woodworking and metalworking machinery and accessories. Grizzly has won numerous awards for quality and value. Their focus is on providing excellent customer service and products that will last a long time. Grizzly sells kits in a number of electric and acoustic styles, and also for mandolin, ukulele and violin.
  
  
• GuitarFetish.com - GuitarFetish.com kits represent a cost effective way to build a custom, one of a kind instrument with your very own hands. Their kits feature premium wood - featherweight Paulownia, Kiln Dried White Poplar or dense and toneful Basswood. The kit builder will need to hand-fit the neck to the guitar body, and assume that every part of assembly will require a moderate level of ability. All of the necks, whether bolt-on or setneck sport medium jumbo nickel silver frets. Truss rods are pre-installed and the 4.5mm Allen Wrench is included in the kit. The raw wood parts are not sealed so the kit builder will need to sand, fill, prime and paint these. They do not include instructions or an owners manual.
  
  
• KM Guitars - KM Guitars is a UK company that offers electric guitar building kits that combine the quality woods used in our bodies and necks with the choice of standard hardware kits, or upgrades to the guitar hardware designed by Trevor Wilkinson.
  
  
• Res-O-Glas Guitars - Res-O-Glas Guitar Bodies include the two part fiberglass body, white stripe binding, center maple block, foam, strap buttons, various screws and a 17-page assembly manual with pictures.
  
  
• SAGA Music - Saga Musical Instruments has steadily grown to be one of the largest importers and distributors of stringed and fretted musical instruments in the world. For close to 30 years Saga has been a global pioneer in the successful development, marketing and distribution of high-quality student and professional level musical instruments. For the more adventurous folks, try building your own Saga Electric Guitar kit in one of 4 popular styles. It was never more affordable to build your own custom guitar. All the contours, critical angles, and pre finishing work has been completed, eliminating any guess work and the possibility of making an unplayable instrument. So simply designed and crafted that no sophisticated woodworking tools, complicated jigs, or soldering are required. Detailed instructions are included to make the process simple.

RESONATOR GUITARS

• Adams Resonator Guitars - Owner John Adams was raised in North Carolina to the sounds of Bluegrass music, which is the inspiration for all his instruments. His company makes single-cone acoustic resonator dobro-style guitars, one of which is available in kit form.
  
  
• Beard Guitars - The first Beard resonator guitar was delivered to a customer in 1985. Luthier Paul Beard has continued to innovate since that first guitar was delivered. Today Beard Guitars hand crafts fourteen square neck and round neck models. My guitars are enjoyed by fans, serious amateurs and touring professionals. I’ve been honored that players like Mike Auldridge, LeRoy Mack , Tim Graves and many other friends choose Beard guitars to play.