Jamie Mangrum has built more guitars than he can count. We asked him whether a complete beginner can really build one worth being proud of, and he walked us through his entire set neck build, finishing schedule included.
Some builders read the manual once and wing it. Others spend years learning why the manual says what it says. Jamie Mangrum is firmly the second kind, and that is exactly why we wanted to talk to him.
Jamie is a seasoned builder and the voice behind the GuitarCollectorGuy channel. The kit on his bench for this build is the Junior Single Cut Guitar Kit with Mahogany Body and Set Neck, which he finished in a light blue nitrocellulose lacquer with a tortoiseshell-style pickguard. It is only his second set neck build.
That matters, because the set neck is the thing most first-timers are afraid of. So we asked Jamie the question almost every beginner secretly wrestles with: can someone with zero experience actually build a guitar worth being proud of?
We did not want the polished, marketing-friendly answer. We wanted the honest one, the kind you only earn by making the mistakes, hunting down the fixes, and picking the files back up the next morning. What follows is his full build, in his words, from an unopened box to a guitar he describes as "quite the little rocker".
Watch the build
The full build video, courtesy of GuitarCollectorGuy.
Can a complete beginner really do this?
I'm Mark. I've been playing guitar for more than ten years, and I wanted to put the beginner's question to a builder with a lot more bench time than me: can someone with no experience really pull this off?
Mark: You have built and worked on a lot of instruments over the years. When someone who has never held a soldering iron asks whether they could build a guitar, what do you actually tell them?
Jamie: As long as someone has the correct tools, anyone can do it. I learned a long time ago that having the tools needed to complete a task make the task go much easier with less chance of making mistakes. Also, time is key. You cannot rush building a guitar. You need to take your time. If you run into something you are having a problem with you should always take a break and do research on how to solve your problem. Taking your time and keeping your cool is key to being successful. Certain tasks like finishing just take time. An example if once you are done applying the last coat of finish to a guitar you should hang the guitar to dry and allow the finish to harden. This usually takes 2 weeks and is really necessary so you do not have a soft finish that is prone to easy damage. Take the amount of time you need to take!
Mark: From a luthier's perspective, what does a kit get right as a starting point? What does it take off a beginner's plate that would otherwise stop them before they start?
Jamie: The kit is pre-fit and designed to work together as a single guitar. An example is with your kits that have set necks. The neck heel is pre fitted to fit into the body's neck pocket. There is a great wealth of help/support both on the website for Guitar Kit World as well as the community of builders. Also reaching out to GuitarKitWorld is always an option and the folks there are very helpful and want you to be successful.
The mahogany body straight out of the box, with the neck pocket and control routing already cut. Courtesy of GuitarCollectorGuy.
The set neck fear, and why Jamie says it is misplaced
Mark: What is the most common fear you hear from beginners about building, and is it actually justified?
Jamie: I hear folks who primarily feel only comfortable with bolt on neck kits. They are afraid to take on a set neck kit because they think that they would not be able to adjust the neck once glued in place. What they do not understand is the tolerances on your kits for a set neck guitar are designed so as to be straight and the strings should be aligned properly once assembled. It takes a leap of faith to do the first set neck kit, and then the fear goes away after that experience.
Jamie dressed the fret ends before the neck went anywhere near the body, which is far easier to do while the neck is still loose. Courtesy of GuitarCollectorGuy.
Where a first-timer should spend their attention
The difference between "I finished it" and "I am proud of it" usually comes down to a handful of small decisions. We asked Jamie where a first-timer should spend their attention, and where they are worrying about the wrong things entirely.
Mark: If you were sitting next to a first timer building this exact kit, what are the two or three things you would tell them to focus on to get a result they are proud of?
Jamie: Pre-fit (test) the neck to make sure it is a good match before gluing it in place. Take your time on finishing. Make sure you remember to run your bridge ground wire before inserting in the bridge anchor. When you glue your neck in place make sure to allow it to dry for at least a day. A couple days would be better.
The dry fit Jamie recommends: neck seated in the pocket with no glue, purely to confirm the match before anything is permanent. Courtesy of GuitarCollectorGuy.
Mark: Which steps do beginners overthink, and which ones genuinely deserve slowing down for?
Jamie: Allowing anything time to dry whether it is the glue for the neck for your finish, take your time. Do not rush and allow to dry.
Mark: What is a mistake you would gently warn a newcomer about, the kind of thing experience teaches you, but instructions do not spell out?
Jamie: Not to beat a dead horse, but do not rush the build and do research to see how others have built your same kit before you start. Don't be afraid to ask questions.
Masking the neck in painter's tape before any finish is sprayed. Slow, unglamorous, and much cheaper than stripping lacquer off a fretboard later. Courtesy of GuitarCollectorGuy.
"Mistakes aren't problems"
This is the part of the interview we kept coming back to. Jamie stained the back of his own guitar body by accident, mid-build, and the fix is a good illustration of the mindset that separates a finished guitar from an abandoned one.
Mark: Where is the line between a kit anyone can finish at home and the part where it helps to have a little guidance? How close can a determined beginner really get to a pro result?
Jamie: Watching videos on how to apply whatever finish you choose to apply. I would suggest watching more than one. Learn from others and especially learn from their mistakes. Take your time. When they say to sand actually sand. Do not over apply a finish no matter the finish. It is much better to apply finish a thin coat at a time building up the thickness. Also if you make a mistake it is not a problem. Stop, calm down, do research on how to fix the problem and then go forward. One example that happened to me was my clamp I used to hold the neck in place while the glue dried actually stained the back of the guitar body with stain. I kind of freaked out. I did research that you can make a paste of corn starch and acetone (nail polish) and then apply if to the stain. When it dries brush it off and apply a new coat. After about 3 to 4 applications the stain was completely gone from my guitar. The corn starch/acetone poultice literally sucked the oil right out of the wood. I was so relieved. If I had tried applying the finish to the oily spot it would not have adhered to the wood.
Mark: You finished it in a striking light blue with a tortoiseshell-style pickguard. Talk us through the finishing, since that is where beginners get most nervous. How forgiving is it, really?
Jamie: I selected the finishing kit to show that there are options (albeit not inexpensive) that provides everything you need in a single kit. Also, just like GuitarKitWorld, their kit comes with great instructions. Since I do my finishing outside, I had to wait until it was over 70 degrees Fahrenheit. I worked outside and did the following.
The all-in-one finishing kit: vinyl sealer, colour coat, gloss clear, grain filler and instructions. Jamie's point is that buying the process as one package removes a lot of guesswork. Courtesy of GuitarCollectorGuy.
In Jamie's own words, the sequence he followed:
Sand up through the grits. "I sanded the guitar body starting with 80 grit and working my way to 320 grit."
Fill the grain. "The kit came with grain sealer. Since the body and neck in my kit is made of mahogany it is a grainy wood that if you want a smooth finish you need to fill the grain. I mixed the paste and applied it to the guitar. I then removed the excess and let the guitar dry 24 hours."
Sand the filler back. "I then lightly sanded the surface of the guitar so as to leave the grain filler in the grain but remove it from the flat surface of the wood."
Vinyl sealer. "After this I applied several coats of vinyl sealer. This applies a coat of Nitro that the rest of the nitro coats will adhere to. I let it dry 24 hours. I lightly sanded just to scuff the surface."
Colour coats. "I then applied the first of two coats of the blue nitro finish. Between each coat I let it dry for 4 hours. After the second and last coat I let the color finish dry for a day."
Gloss clear. "Last I started applying gloss clear nitro. I would apply a coat and then wait four hours. Then apply a second coat. I did two coats per day for a total of 8 coats."
Defume, then wait two weeks. "Once I applied the last coat I let the guitar hang outside for the rest of the day so it defumed. Now the patience comes into play. I brought the finished body inside and did not touch it for 14 days per the instructions. This allows all of the coats to dry and harden in place."
Jamie: The finishing kit is not cheap. It cost me around $150 but it was a sure thing. Meaning it was everything I needed with really good instructions. I was really happy with the outcome and was happy I made the investment.
Step 2: the excess grain filler comes straight back off. What stays behind is only what sank into the pores. Courtesy of GuitarCollectorGuy.
Step 3: sanding the filler off the surface while leaving it packed in the open grain. This is what makes mahogany finish flat instead of pitted. Courtesy of GuitarCollectorGuy.
Step 4: the first coat of vinyl sealer, sprayed outdoors. Jamie waited for a day over 70 degrees Fahrenheit before starting. Courtesy of GuitarCollectorGuy.
Step 7: colour on, hanging outside to defume before its 14 day cure indoors. This is the wait that Jamie says most beginners try to skip. Courtesy of GuitarCollectorGuy.
Why this kit, and how the parts measured up
Mark: What drew you to this single-cutaway kit, and what did you make of the quality and fit of the parts as someone who knows what to look for?
Jamie: I grew up playing punk music and have always gravitated to single pickup guitars. The single-cutaway junior style design is the epitome of a Punk Guitar. I have always wanted to customize a single-cut junior-style type of build to a color and configuration that is for me and not the stock choices that the factory built guitars come in. Also, to be honest it was only my second set neck kit build, and I am still getting my wings on assembling a set neck kit. I wanted something straight forward that would not offer too many opportunities to make a mistake.
The kit on his bench is the Junior Single Cut, and its full assembly manual is free to read before you buy.
Finish cured and hardware waiting: the body, the neck, and the single pickup that gives this build its punk voice. Courtesy of GuitarCollectorGuy.
Mark: Was there anything about this kit that pleasantly surprised you, or anything you would flag so a beginner knows what to expect?
Jamie: I was really impressed how well the neck heel fit in the body. It was a very tight fit and was easy to glue in place. Also it was spot on when I installed my first set of strings. Made me very happy.
Everything laid out before assembly begins. Courtesy of GuitarCollectorGuy.
The tortoiseshell-style pickguard and pickup going in. This is the colour pairing Jamie was after from the start. Courtesy of GuitarCollectorGuy.
The control wiring, soldered on a template before it goes into the body. Note the bridge ground wire Jamie warned about earlier. Courtesy of GuitarCollectorGuy.
The payoff
Mark: How does the finished kit play and stack up, in your experienced hands?
Jamie: I would say I have the bug and am already looking at other kits to see which one I want to build next. I love my blue single-cutaway guitar. It is quite the little rocker. Perfect for the type of music I like to play.
The finished guitar: strung, set up and, in Jamie's words, "quite the little rocker". Courtesy of GuitarCollectorGuy.
Jamie's advice for your first kit
Mark: What would you say to a viewer who has followed your channel for years but has never tried building one themselves, why now, why this?
Jamie: I would say pick a bolt on neck as your first kit and pick a guitar that you are already familiar with so you have an idea what the end product will feel and play like. Take your time!
A huge thank you to Jamie Mangrum @GuitarCollectorGuy for sharing his build, his finishing schedule and his hard-won lessons with the Guitar Kit World community.
Building a guitar from a kit isn't just about ending up with a cool instrument; it's about the experience of making it your own. As Jamie pointed out, taking your time, learning from your mistakes, and trusting the process are the real keys to a pro-level result.
What about you? Are you planning your first build, or are you a seasoned kit builder with tips of your own to share? Let us know in the comments below, and don't forget to browse our kits to find your next weekend project.
Jamie's build is a perfect example of what makes theGuitar Kit World communityspecial. Every project starts with a kit, but no two finished guitars are ever the same.
Whether you're planning your first build, experimenting with a custom finish, or creating a guitar that reflects your own artistic vision, we'd love to see what you're working on.
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