Hi everyone, I'm planning on a parts JM this summer, but first has anyone had experience with "timbo81", a body manufacturer on ebay?
Here's the sitch: I'm planning on doing an "budget" JM build... I was debating the blacktop for awhile, but I decided against it when my friend gave me a stellar (practically new) allparts strat neck... I decided to just do a build around that 😁
It's going to be bare bones - thurston style, ie. minus rhythm circuit (i currently play a mij jag and never use it).
But I'll use quality fender hardware & electronics where it counts, AVRI or possibily antiquity pickups, cheap pre-routed ebay body... and if i put it together/wire it myself, i figure it will run me around the cost of a blacktop AND i'll have all the "traditional" JM parts (single coil bridge, real AVRI trem, functional [mustang] bridge, etc). not to mention, i can build it how i like. i've never built a guitar entirely from parts but i've successfully modded the $H1T outta many guitars so I'm confident in my abilities.
So here is my price breakdown (rough estimates). Keep in mind the neck has been accounted for, and i've got no rhythm circuit. I'll get to the body in a moment.
mustang bridge and AVRI trem ~ 100-120
pickups - 100 (AVRI are ~50 each shipped on ebay)
p/u screws - 15
p/u covers - 10
1 meg liner pot - 10
1 meg tone - 10
0.03 mfd cap - 15
input jack - 10
3-way - 15
US fender pickguard - 75
pickguard screws - 15
foamy stuff for pickups - 15
neck plate & screws - 30
strap button - 15
You'll notice i didn't include the body. Which brings me to my current dilemma, I came across this seller on ebay "timbo81" who seems to make decent 'fender-style' (in other words, non-licensed) bodies for dirt cheap - 150 shipped to Canada where I live. Here is a link:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Jazzmaster-Style-Body-2-piece-Ash-Alder-/250866404055?_trksid=p3911.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D3%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D1839010829279884968
Anyone had any experience with this guy? Could it be worth a shot?
Allparts bodies run ~200-250 shipped to ebay, and they aren't routed for the bridge yet. I know nothing about finishing aside the poverty spraybomb bodywork i've done on my car. Seeing as I will probably do a crap DIY finishing job (I will probably just spraybomb it white and wetsand to my liking, NO clear) I'll probably sleep better at night knowing I didn't just destroy a "real" jazzmaster body if i go for this ebay guy. Not to mention, I'll save 100 bucks, which, considering this build will probably cost me 5-600, is quite a lot.
So those are my plans for my next project. let me know what you think, especially regarding the body, or if you have any pointers/heads ups, or notice a gaping hole in my price breakdown. All in all, i'm hoping it will be a decent player with quality US parts for roughly the price of a blacktop. I've been borrowing my bandmate's jag for half a year and its about time a get decent playing offset of my own.
thanks in advance
