BexGears Telecaster Kit Finale: Is a $99 DIY Guitar Worth Upgrading?

The journey with Brandy, our $99 BexGears Telecaster-style kit, has finally reached its destination. This build was a true rollercoaster—from receiving a body that was "jacked up" and cracked to getting a full refund from the manufacturer. In this finale, I walk you through every "copacetic" upgrade made to turn this budget kit into a rock and roll machine. We’ve swapped almost everything, including Geker Professional locking tuners, an Artech big pole neck pup, and Music Lily compensated brass saddles. I’ll also share my honest thoughts on the Techwood fingerboard and whether it truly compares to traditional rosewood or maple. Stick around for the full tone samples to hear what $200 in upgrades sounds like on a $99 slab of mahogany! In this video, we cover: The reality of "budget" $99 guitar kits. Full breakdown of hardware and electronic upgrades. Fret work: Leveling, crowning, and polishing. The "Feel vs. Cosmetics" battle on the neck finish. Final playability and intonation report. Grab a Diet Coke and a big old bowl of popcorn, and join me at the workbench, Jack! Timestamps 0:00 - Talking Guitars and Life: Brandy's Finale 0:41 - The Saga: What $99 buys you on "The Zon" 3:41 - Inspecting the cracks and finishing issues 5:14 - Headstock shaping and Guyker locking tuners 6:28 - Fretwork and the Techwood fingerboard 7:40 - Prioritizing feel over cosmetics on the neck 8:45 - Body upgrades: Artech & Music Lily pickups 10:20 - The artsy control knobs and Pure Tone jack 12:05 - Tone Samples: Cycling through the pickups 24:50 - Final Playability: Does it fight back? 26:30 - Intonation and the Goldilocks tool struggle 29:45 - Techwood vs. Rosewood 33:30 - The Math: Turning a $99 kit into a $300 guitar 35:15 - Final thoughts and shoutout to the "Jacks" Featured Parts: *Amazon Affiliate Links BexGears T-Style Guitar Kit https://amzn.to/40Kn0rx Guyker Guitar Locking Tuners 18:1 https://amzn.to/4dbKcGC Fender Style String Retainers Tree https://amzn.to/4rTXYSO Musiclily Slotted Brass Compensated Saddles https://amzn.to/4d4yPQI Artec Big Pole - Neck Pickup https://amzn.to/4lcVPPt Artec Hot Rail Humbucker (Bridge) https://amzn.to/4aU2uLc Pure Tone Output Jack https://amzn.to/4sDzpJZ SAPHUE Guitar Loaded Control Plate https://amzn.to/4uhI3iO Musiclily 32mm Telecaster Control Plate https://amzn.to/40Td6Uy KAISH Guitar Bridge String Thru Body Ferrule Plate https://amzn.to/3Pd1Y2h Conductive Copper Shielding Tape https://amzn.to/4crzCuT Conductive Shielding Paint https://amzn.to/3OJKTwT Guyker Cruciform knobs https://www.guyker.com/products/guyker-potentiometer-knob-cruciform-surface-inner-diameter-6mm-for-electric-guitar-or-bass-accessories?variant=43538725306546 ____ Shoutouts: @sparkyguitars971 (Sparky) @SmokeEaterGuitars (Jon) Checkout our playlist page for more series and journeys https://www.youtube.com/@TedTalksGuitars/playlists Special Thanks to our channel members "The Jacks" Want to support the channel? Feel free to explore Channel membership options: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBr6kaWeOvldTHvntB3tnMg/join Ted Talks Guitars & Life Merch Store: https://tedtalksguitars-shop.fourthwall.com/ Amazon Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/3W3PZox *If you click on this link to shop at Amazon the channel will receive a modest financial commission from your purchases. Guyker Referral Link: https://www.guyker.com/?ref=tedtalksguitars If you use the link you will save 15% at Guyker Use the coupon code: TEDSMITH #GuitarBuild #Telecaster #BexGears #DIYGuitar #GuitarRepair #TedTalksGuitars #GuitarTone #BudgetGear #Luthier