Purchasing

What is your return policy?

Please see our warranty and return policy.

What warranty do I get?

Please see our warranty and return policy.

Do you ship outside of North America ?

Yes. Please contact us for a shipping quote.

How long will my guitar kit take to be delivered?

In most cases we ship our guitar kits immediately. Ground shipping within the USA takes from 1-7 days depending on how far you are from us in Portland, Oregon.

Can I order just a body/neck without hardware?

We sell kits as well as unfinished American-made guitar and bass bodies and necks. Please see the pages of this website. If you have questions, please contact us.

Building

What Instructions do I get with an Alloy Guitars kit?

Our guitar kit assembly manuals are awesome. They are loaded with pictures and pro hints to get your guitar assembled beautifully, easily, and without frustration.

Help! I can’t figure out how to…

What tools do I need?

Pliers, screwdrivers, clippers, sanding material, and finishing supplies.

How do I finish the guitar?

There are a large number of tutorials on line (search YouTube) and many books.

How will I know if I will be able to complete building one of your Guitar Kits?

If you have the ability to read instructions carefully, and use a screwdriver, you can do it!

How long will it take me to complete my kit?

The amount of time varies wildly depending on the builders skills and what type of finish is desired. Some of our customers have reported taking between 40 and 80 hours to complete their kits.

How long will it take to have a playable guitar?

Without finishing, just a few hours.

Finishing can take a good deal of time, depending on the choice of finish. Some finishes need to dry and harden (cure) before applying the next coat. This can take weeks. Finishes will be dry to the touch rather quickly, but can take quite some time to be truly dry and ready for the next round of work. Don’t hurry this! You want the finish to be beautiful, durable, and protect the instrument.

How hard are these kits to build?

These kits are relatively simple to assemble with basic tools. Finishing is more difficult, but completely doable for most people.

What is the simplest kit to build?

Our guitar kits are straight-forward to assemble. The T-style guitar requires the least amount of effort to build since the bridge assembly and setup are easier.

Does the kit come with everything to build a guitar?

Yes. including strings!

Can I see an assembly manual?

Yes, just go to the product description and click “Owner’s Manuals”.

Where should I work on building the guitar?

You should have a space that offers good airflow and plenty of room. The finishing process involves sanding and use of chemicals and things that will stain. If you are spraying your finish, you should avoid spraying near anything that you don’t want to get stained. You should carefully mask the floor, walls and ceiling of the work area. The fine mist from spraying will travel farther than you expect! Dust from sanding and steel wool will go everywhere. Safety should be your first consideration. Make sure that you have good ventilation, appropriate face masks, and that you have a fire extinguisher nearby as many finishing and cleaning products are flammable.

What should the finished guitar look like?

That is up to you. Find a guitar image online with a finish you particularly like, print it out and reference it often. Be creative, but don’t try for the fanciest finish the first time around. Nitro cellulose finish is great… but not on your first guitar.

Instrument Specifications

Are your guitars made in America?

We try to use American-made components whenever possible. We find that the quality of American-made components is much higher than Chinese components. However, it is difficult or impossible to find American-made components at all price points. So we must use imported parts in many cases. In many cases, we use Japanese manufactured parts instead of Chinese parts. We find that the quality is better, and we have less concerns about intellectual property and labor laws being violated.

Why are other kits less expensive than Alloy Guitars’ kits?

Our guitar kits are manufactured from high-quality, solid wood, without the use of veneers. Some other kits use veneers but do not tell you! More importantly, often, those inexpensive kits simply don’t work! Necks don’t line up, holes are drilled in the wrong spots, manuals are non-existent, or written in badly translated English. In short, most of these kits stink! And believe us when we say we have purchased many of these kits and built them ourselves. We keep costs down by choosing parts wisely and working deals with manufacturers. We do the hard work so that you can enjoy a high quality instrument without spending tons of time finding the right materials that will work together and perform well.

What parts are included with Alloy Guitars’ Guitar Kits?

We include everything that you will need to build a high-quality, playable instrument using only basic tools. This includes strings, all required screws, all electronic components, and a detailed instruction manual to guide you through the building process.

Are all of your kits imported?

No. We attempt to use American-made components whenever they are available. For example, we also proudly sell American-made bodies in some of our kits. In some cases, there simply are not American-made versions of some components available at appropriate price points. In these cases, we have chosen components to create instruments that look, sound, and perform well – all at a great price.

What is the Wilkinson brand?

Wilkinson produces a suite of guitar hardware and pickups. Wilkinson products have been licensed and manufactured all over the world. We sell both the licensed Chinese-made and Japanese-made versions of these parts. We DO NOT sell unlicensed (and illegal) copies of these parts (particularly from Chinese manufacturers).

Do your kits work?

Absolutely. They work very, very, well in every way. They are easy to assemble. They include quality components, top to bottom. They sound great. Even our least expensive kit will go together without hassle, will tune up correctly, and play well. Many of our customers play our kits on stage.

Do your necks have truss rods installed?

Yes. Truss rods are installed. Additionally, our goal is to require no adjustment of the truss rod after you assemble your guitar.