Stewmac T-Style Guitar Kit: The Final Review & Tone Samples

It has been quite the journey with "Stewie," the Stewmac T-Style guitar kit. After a rocky start with some of the sharpest fret ends I’ve ever seen, we finally have a finished instrument. In this video, I take you through the complete stock build, the extensive finishing process using everything from Rit Dye to Tru-Oil, and most importantly, how it actually sounds and plays. If you missed the previous steps of this build, be sure to check out the "Stewie" playlist https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMhTW3lOIKQ1iL_jqhsHqalApbtOgHsRE Stewmac T-Style Guitar Kit: The Hidden Costs of Guitar Kits https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSucvL-pCNg&t=6s&pp=0gcJCcUKAYcqIYzv Timestamps 0:00 - Guitars & Life: The Return of "Stewie" 0:19 - Black Friday Bargain or Bust? ($99 Stewmac Kit) 1:22 - Neck Quality Issues: Sharp Frets & Play in Tuners 2:48 - Ceramic Pickups & Pre-wired Electronics 3:55 - How StewMac Handled the Complaints ($50 Credit) 4:57 - The Final Look: All Stock Parts Assembled 6:19 - Finishing Secrets: Rit Dye, Minwax, & Tru-Oil Layers 7:45 - What You Need to Know: Pre-drilled vs. Custom Work 8:41 - Mahogany Body: The Best Part of the Kit 9:56 - Why I Didn't Do an Out-of-the-Box Playthrough 11:22 - Tone Samples: Cycling Through the Pickups 24:13 - Final Verdict: Playability, Weight, & Balance 28:02 - Future Upgrades: Nut, Tuners, and String Trees 30:46 - The Missing Side Dot Inlays (Wait, What?!) 33:51 - Final Thoughts: Is It Worth $199? Key Takeaways from the Build The Body: A solid, full-thickness mahogany body (about 1.75 inches). It balances well with no neck dive and took the stain beautifully. The Neck: Indian Laurel fingerboard (I believe). While the fret work out of the box was atrocious, after leveling, crowning, and polishing, it’s a very playable neck. The "Hidden" Costs: Remember that a $99 kit isn't just $99. You have to factor in sandpaper, finishing products (Tru-Oil, dyes), and the tools required to drill your own holes since this kit comes minimally pre-drilled. The Challenge: Stewmac seems to "send the challenge" by providing a neck that requires significant work. It’s a great learning tool, but be prepared to put in the elbow grease. Products Used in This Build Finishing: Wine Rit Dye, Angelus Honey Leather Dye, Minwax Gunstock 231, Danish Oil Varnish, and multiple coats of Tru-Oil. Amazon Links are affiliate Links: Rustins G Shield https://amzn.to/4rpMCos Pro Grade - Acid Brushes https://amzn.to/3PvBzwI Angelus Leather Dye - Honey https://amzn.to/3PqexHD Rit Dye - Wine https://amzn.to/4rvrcGz Yellow Rit Dye https://amzn.to/3O1RCBW Minwax Gunstock 231 https://amzn.to/4btE2zm Danish Oil Wood Finish https://amzn.to/47yu7Ho Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil https://amzn.to/4snTNPp Behr Poly Fast Drying Oil-Based Polyurethane https://www.homedepot.com/pep/BEHR-PREMIUM-1-qt-Satin-Clear-Fast-Drying-Oil-Based-Interior-Polyurethane-B710004/311622309 Maintenance: Howard Feed-N-Wax for the final neck feel. Hardware: All stock StewMac kit components (Ceramic pickups, non-locking tuners, plastic nut). Special thanks to The Jacks and the Pick Crew for the constant support! ____ 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 #GuitarKit #StewMac #Telecaster #GuitarBuilding #Luthier #GuitarsAndLife #DIYGuitar #GuitarReview #TruOil