Kemp Guitars / SS-1 Faux-Neck-Thru Sapele / Guitar
Sapele body with Maple/Mahogany inlay, Maple/Mahogany neck, Rosewood fretboard, Gotoh fixed bridge and 381 tuners, Tonerider "Generator" pickup and Tru-Oil® finish.
The SS-1 is Kemp Guitars' own take on the "Super-Strat" and features an asymmetrical body shape, AANJ-style neck heel and our own headstock design - which also works well with most other guitar body shapes.
You can request the SS-1 body and headstock shapes, with your own choice of hardware and cosmetic features, as a custom build. Here are some examples of the SS-1 designed and/or built by Kemp Guitars.
Construction
Kemp Guitars uses only the highest quality tonewoods, hardware and parts to guarantee that your custom hand made guitar is built without compromise...
Body, neck and fretboard wood is hand selected specifically for its tonal, visual and integral properties
High quality hardware - including Gotoh, Schaller and TonePros - is purchased from official UK distributors
We can order your choice of pickups from any of the leading manufacturers - including Bareknuckle Pickups, EMG, DiMarzio, Seymour Duncan and Kent Armstrong
All other materials are bought from trusted and reputable UK suppliers, such as Tonetech Luthier Supplies, WD Music and Allparts
Kemp Guitars does not use CNC routers, so every step of an instrument's construction is meticulously overseen by a professional luthier's eye for detail and perfection.
To assure you of the confidence we have in our skills and build quality, we include a lifetime warranty at no extra cost with all our guitars.
Pricing
Every custom made instrument varies in specification, so it is difficult to say how much a hand made guitar will cost until we have seen a completed quote form. However, as a rough guide, the base price is £750 - which covers the work involved in building your guitar.
On top of this base price, we add the cost of parts and materials, eg. wood, hardware, pickups, etc, required to build your instrument. Trading as a guitar builder (luthier), we are able to purchase parts and materials at trade price from a number of reputable suppliers and distributors in the UK. We pass these trade price savings on to you, charging you exactly the same price that we pay for them.
The final additions include the cost of a hardcase (optional) and the delivery charge.
To order your guitar, you will be required to pay a 50% deposit. This will secure your place in the Kemp Guitars build queue, and pays for the parts and materials that are needed to start work on your guitar. The remaining balance will be invoiced once your guitar is ready to be despatched.
We are happy to answer questions about our work with you prior to committing to an order. However, please be aware that due to a busy work schedule, we are unable to discuss at length the final details of a proposed guitar build until we are in receipt of your deposit.
Kemp Guitars, UK 
Have you been searching for that dream guitar, only to find that off-the-shelf, production models just aren't up to scratch? Do you wish that you could add options or ideas, such as a particular selection of tonewoods or a unique body design, to make your guitar really yours?
Kemp Guitars build hand made, custom instruments with precise skill and exceptional attention to detail to meet your exact requirements. We hand select premium tonewoods for their tonal and visual properties, and we use hardware and pickups manufactured to the highest standards of engineering from brands such as Gotoh, Schaller, Hipshot, Bareknuckle Pickups, EMG and DiMarzio.
Not only do we build guitars, we also offer a repairs, upgrades and modifications service. You can benefit from the knowledge and expertise of an experienced guitar builder (luthier) in the Helston, Cornwall area to repair or upgrade your instrument at a very competitive price
Based in Cornwall, England, guitar builder (luthier) Matt Kemp started repairing and rebuilding his own guitars over eighteen years ago, before learning to build electric guitars from scratch as a hobby. It wasn't until more recently, after selling a few of his handcrafted instruments, that he decided to quit full time employment and set up a permanent workshop in which he now builds guitars as a career.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Kemp Guitars has recently had a number of enquiries from students looking for a work experience placement. Unfortunately, we are unable to commit to anything at present due to insurance/H&S issues and the costs involved.
However, we do hope to start running a series of guitar building courses later on in the year. If this is something you might be interested in, please send us a message and we'll send you more information as soon as it becomes available.
The following terms and conditions form the contract you enter into when placing an order for a custom built guitar from Kemp Guitars.
DEPOSIT
Before starting work on your guitar, a deposit equal to 50% of the quote will be required.
This deposit is non-refundable once work has started on your instrument and/or materials have been ordered. If you decide to cancel your order, and neither work started or materials ordered for the guitar, you will be refunded the deposit less any expenses that have been incurred.
FINAL BALANCE
On completion of your guitar, the remaining balance must be paid in full before your guitar is dispatched.
Any custom made guitar not fully paid up within 60 days of completion will be considered the property of Kemp Guitars and sold on.
PAYMENT
Kemp Guitars will accept payment by bank transfer or PayPal (which will incur an additional 3.4% surcharge on your deposit and final balance to cover their fees) only.
If you wish to pay by credit or debit card, we can provide you with a PayPal invoice which will allow you to use your chosen method of payment. However, this will also incur the additional 3.4% to cover fees.
BUILD TIME
At present, my build time is approximately three to four months. This timescale can fluctuate depending on workload so I am unable to give an accurate completion date or guarantee a timescale when you order a guitar. However, you will be able to view updates of your guitar as it's built in your own personal online photo gallery.
DELIVERY
Delivery charges will vary depending on the type of delivery service used and level of compensation required. The cost will be included as part of your quote.
The majority of national and international carriers are unable to offer enhanced insurance services, covering the full retail value of your guitar, on instruments sent without a hardcase. Our quote form gives you the option to include a hardcase with your order (at cost) and we strongly recommend you use this option. Alternatively, you may supply us with your own hardcase.
RETURNS
Unfortunately, we are unable to accept returns on "custom built" or "bespoke" instruments unless they are faulty. If you change your mind or decide you don't like the guitar you received, we would be willing to discuss a resale, whereby you return the guitar (at your expense) and we will attempt to resell it for you.
NO PRODUCTS
