Agree with all of that. The one option that i like that most premium makes don't offer is a varnish, limited oil or very thin nitro finish. None of those are good for new looks, and the government here would prefer manufacturers spray water based finishes (workplace insurance probably would, too), so we don't get that.
obviously, you've got a neck profile preference that doesn't seem to be on a lot of stock instruments, either. Common seems to be Full U or deep C or whatever you call that profile (there seems to be little difference except the C profile doesn't have the same thickness at the joint and the neck), or on the other end of the spectrum, the very flat profile that ibanez introduced in the 1980s on their bolt on guitars (RGs).
Of the strat and telecaster styles, I like the tele style better, but not for a specific reason.
Curious on a fender style guitar how you do a neat termination to the truss rod without hiding it on the other end of the neck (like the old teles) or making a skunk stripe. I think on the next one, I'm going to power rout it instead of cutting the truss rod groove by hand - but I'll probably decide that at the time. The termination will be squared, though, and I think I may refill the top of the termination with a plug of contrasting wood.
The LP style termination is easy - it's just open and under a cover plate.
I have a long way to go before considering whether I ever want to build a violin or F style mandolin, but maybe in the distant future. I already have a really nice house made damar/pine resin/turps violin varnish.
I see on fender's page (I'm not really interested in owning too many manufactured guitars after I get a pile, but we'll see) that you can custom order specs for a telecaster, but that kind of service looks like it's aimed at the complete non-builder. A $1400 am standard tele with slight changes becomes $3K, which isn't (in my opinion) in the spirit of the original guitars. The actual aspects that affect playability are pretty easy to control and don't cost anything to do at the bench other than a little bit of time.
I hope not to sell anything, but if I build 20 guitars, some of them will have to exit the house, as I don't have room and I'd like to keep probably four of the manufactured guitars that I have.
Fender has some other interesting variations that I'd like to copy (full rosewood necks, etc), but I'm not convinced that what they're using is indian rosewood or anything similar. I've got rosewood, a few ebonies and some interesting fruitwoods (quartered swiss pear, etc) on hand to try some of those, though. Tool building has left me with some good wood options.
What's your opinion on stainless frets? I like the idea of them on a manufactured guitar for someone who doesn't have the inclination to do fretwork, but I'm kind of indifferent on my own. It's very little work to keep on top of the frets on the few guitars that you'll play a lot (I only regularly play two or three at any given time).
