Guitar kits for your one-of-a-kind DIY project

Yes. Many of our customers are first-time builders, and they finish with a guitar they're proud to play. Every kit comes with a step-by-step digital build guide, and our Builder Success Team is one email away if you get stuck. For our most popular kits we also publish free written tutorials and step-by-step video walkthroughs, so you can watch every step before you start.

Take our quick kit quiz. It matches you to a kit based on your style and skill level. Every kit on our site also shows a difficulty score, so you can see at a glance what fits your experience. Still unsure? Contact our Builder Success Team and we'll recommend one.

Most of our standard kits include a body, a neck with frets installed, hardware (bridge, tuners, knobs, strap buttons), pickups, electronics, strings, and an Allen wrench set. Contents vary by kit: body blanks are not pre-shaped, and Custom Shop kits can be tailored, for example ordered without hardware, so always check the product page for exactly what your kit includes. You supply a few basics: sandpaper, a screwdriver, a soldering iron for the wiring, and your choice of finish. See the full list in Luthier Tools for DIY Guitar Kits.

Most of our kits require basic soldering. New to it? Follow our wiring guide. Prefer not to solder, or don't have the tools? Our solderless guitar kits use plug-and-play wiring, so no iron is required.

Assembly itself is quick. Your timeline depends mostly on the finish you choose. Painted or stained guitars need time to cure, which can take from one week to three months depending on the product you use. The surface dries to about 90% quickly, but the final 10% takes patience. In a hurry? A tung oil or wax finish cures faster, though it protects the wood a little less.

You can use stain, paint, or oil-based finishes. Our advice: work from a reference photo, usually a guitar whose look you want to recreate. Learn more in our guide to choosing a finish, and see fresh community builds on our Customer Reviews page.

We ship to over 100 countries, and every order ships with a tracking number. Free shipping is available on U.S. orders over 45 USD and on many international kits: eligible free-shipping options appear at checkout for your location. Delivery time depends on which warehouse fulfills your kit, shown on the product page. In-stock kits ship within the U.S. in 1 to 2 weeks, or worldwide from our international warehouse in 2 to 6 weeks. Pre-order and Custom Shop kits take longer (pre-orders about 3 to 6 months, Custom Shop about 6 to 8 months), with the timeline shown on the product page. International orders may be subject to customs duties or import taxes set by your country, which are the buyer's responsibility. See our Shipping Policy for details.

We back every in-stock kit with a 14-Day Satisfaction Guarantee. If you haven't opened or started the build, return it within 14 days of delivery for a full refund (you cover return shipping, and refunds are processed within 5 business days). Custom Shop orders are made to order and are excluded (see our Refund Policy for their terms). Separately, our 30-Day Defect Coverage has you covered if anything arrives damaged, defective, or with a missing part: contact us with a photo or short video within 30 days and we'll make it right with a replacement part, partial refund, or full refund.

Yes. At checkout you can split your order into installments with Shop Pay. The plan is provided by Shop Pay, not Guitar Kit World, and eligibility, interest, or fees are determined by Shop Pay and its lending partner. Choose Shop Pay at checkout to see if you qualify.

Guitar Kit World has designed and sold DIY guitar and bass kits since 2013. We are an independent U.S. company that sells only at guitarkitworld.com, never on marketplaces, and we are not affiliated with any major guitar brand. Every kit is our own original design, not a relabeled import, and we offer the widest range online: over 40 body shapes across 250+ kits (electric, bass, acoustic, hollow and semi-hollow, headless, 7-string, left-handed), plus a Custom Shop to spec a build that exists nowhere else.

What really sets us apart is the guided building experience: every kit arrives as a natural wood canvas with a 1-to-10 difficulty rating, step-by-step guides, wiring and finishing tutorials, build videos, and a support team that actually answers. That is why a community of 5,000+ builders in 100+ countries keeps coming back, and why our kits are built in a 17-week university course at Southern Arkansas University, used in professional luthier workshops, and played on stage by touring musicians. Hundreds of verified reviews, with photos, back it up.