I've done it. Not from a kit, but I bought a body and neck from USA Custom Guitars, sourced the rest of the parts myself and did everything else myself. I don't regret doing it, but I also didn't end up keeping that guitar, and I think that's an important thing to remember - there are a lot of well made guitars that just don't feel right, or don't feel right to you. It's a fool's errand to source good parts to build a guitar that on paper should be good, but in reality won't feel right. And no, it's not a matter of setup. More to the point:The price of this kit is so low that something's gotta give. Either the wood is garbage or the finishes on the body and neck are shit, or the hardware is shit, or all of the above. There's a good chance you'll replace all the hardware.If you're going to stain it, you should get a piece of Alder to practice on and figure out your stain mix. Staining isn't hard, but it does require care and figuring out how dark/light you want it to look. Some woods require sealing first or otherwise the stain will look blotchy, so that's another thing to look into/practice. You can't sand off a bad stain job, so really make sure you practice first.You will need to finish the neck. Either by yourself or have someone do it. You could just stain or use tung oil, but if you want a finish that is similar to your other Jazzmaster, you will need to actually finish it with lacquer or poly. That takes some figuring out, or paying for someone to do it for you.This guitar will definitely need the frets leveled and dressed and probably a new nut.Jazzmasters are weird guitars and there are so many variants now that replacing hardware can be a pain. It can be something like pickguards that don't fit right to having to use a dremel tool to enlarge the tailpeice's cavity so the new tailpiece doesn't catch on the back of the cavity. You might even run into some issues if you replace the tune-o-matic bridge. With a kit like this, cheap and of unknown manufacturing, you have no idea what hardware they routed it for, so you'll be playing a guessing game later on if you replace hardware. I learned this from working on a bunch of Jazzmasters, and from my own JM that I built from parts. The bottom line is that it's less of a pain to buy a guitar you like, then strip and stain it. The only issue with that is that if the guitar you buy is finished in a solid color, there's a chance the wood underneath is ugly - either it's made with more than two pieces, or it has some filler, or knots, etc. So you you might want to buy a guitar that has a sunburst finish, because that guarantees that the wood looks good.

coincidentally, im in a similar situation with my VM jazzmaster. I just grabbed it as a backup with plans to just mod the hell out of it, and likewise sand/strip it down... but now im second guessing my commitment level, as I've done this before and had lukewarm results. plus, im a relatively new homeowner, so various house projects outweigh modding a squire at this point in my life...anyhow, I hate most things about the VM, so i'd be replacing the pickups and electronics and making a jazzblaster, most likely. also new bridge, and possibly new neck too, as im not too fond of this one... might kit it too...

I have built 2 guitars and 2 basses from parts in the past couple years, not from kits. Most of the projects started with a Fender or Squier type body or neck and parts were compiled based on that. Music Go Round (in store, or their web store), Reverb, Craigslist, and this forum are where I sourced most of the parts. I don't think any cost more than $300 in total for a complete instrument. The first build forced me to learn a lot by fucking up, but all the instruments are playable and the Tele I just put together is the best playing guitar I've ever had. If you spend less on the parts, the less daunting it will be if you have to route the body a bit or move a bridge or fill and re-drill neck mounting holes, etc. I got an old Mighty Mite neck from Dr. Balls a while back that's fantastic, and they don't cost a ton new. You might also be surprised at the quality of some Squier stuff...bodies especially can be had cheap. Cobbled together doesn't have to mean shitty! It can look pretty rad and play excellent. There's always going to be a lot of futzing with little stuff, but if you do it on a budget it's not as stressful to make all those little adjustments and re-dos.

I think I might give the kit a try. Thanks for all the input, and I'n absolutely not ignoring all the warnings. I don't NEED another guitar, and I can't justify buying a quality Jazzmaster, either from parts or used, at the moment, both because of lack of spending cash and the not-actually-NEEDING-it-ness. Buying a new guitar, however cheap, just to strip it seems nuts too, both from the fucking-up-a-new-thing PoV and the what-lies-beneath lottery.The kit might be a fun nursery-steps move, to learn a few things, and try some things out. Fretwork, for example, isn't something I'd currently attempt on any of my existing quitars, for fear of fucking them up, but on a cheapo warts-and-all kit, why not?

Dudley wrote:The kit might be a fun nursery-steps move, to learn a few things, and try some things out. Fretwork, for example, isn't something I'd currently attempt on any of my existing quitars, for fear of fucking them up, but on a cheapo warts-and-all kit, why not?Not to be a downer, but the tools for doing fretwork and shaping nuts are expensive. A set of nut files can run you $100. A decent leveling beam for the frets is expensive, and so are the crowning files. You can get by with making your own crowning files if you're into using a 3-corner file. But anyway, if you're saying you can't spend too much money on a guitar, keep in mind that the tools required for guitar work are expensive and will cost more than a professional fret level and setup. I'm not trying to dissuade you from doing this; just giving you all the facts!

I'd get a body to refinish, and buy a neck that you know you'll like, from a parted out guitar. Necks are finicky things to get right, and I would say the chances of doing well on your first attempt are pretty low. Even if you get the frets dressed right and the nut cut correctly, you still have to apply a finish, which is a challenge unless you oil it, and then you can end up with a half finished looking thing. Just buy a body and a loaded pickguard - here's a basswood one which would take a stain well IF YOU USE A PRE SEALER which I'd recommend for any staining really. Otherwise you're at the mercy of the grain density.https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DIY-Unfinish ... 2290272089plushttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2016-Fender- ... 3838099163plushttps://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Class ... 3291456289(altho those are P90 style pickups) - you should be able to find a pickguard and a wiring kit for less than that. Then you'd just need a set of tuners and done.The kit might be slightly cheaper, but a slightly cheaper guitar which sucks is just a waste.