Gearank

As the name implies, TheFretWire DIY 175 kit is based on the popular ES-175 hollow body guitar, following its shape and configuration, but using more cost effective materials.

More importantly, it lets you customize your own archtop as you prefer - you can make it into a classic jazz box, or add some cool paint jobs to turn it into a rockabilly style instrument.

The body is pre-drilled and crafted from basswood, while the maple neck is meant to be glued into the neck joint, something that requires a bit of care and precision.

Because of its hollow body design, installing electronics can be a bit of a challenge, but very doable as attested to by reviews.

Note that wood is raw and unfinished, so you'll need a bit more sanding and patching before you paint on it.

Features:

• Building Difficulty: 8/10
• Body: Hollow Body ES-175 Style
• Tonewood: Basswood (Hollow Body)
• Neck: Set-in Maple
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Pickups: HH (Two Humbuckers)
• Controls: Volume 1, Volume 2, Tone 1, Tone 2, 3-Way Pickup Selector

Pros
Even with its harder than usual build requirements, those who have built this kit mostly have nice things to say about it. Many of them are impressed with the precision of the neck joint, while others are happy with the overall quality of the wood and hardware.

Cons
Experienced builders recommend utilizing better wires and replacing the pickups to get the best result.

Overall
If you're looking to customize or build your own hollow body electric guitar, then check out the TFW (TheFretWire) DIY 175.

Although this was previously on our recommended list, there are now more highly rated alternatives available which you can see in our guide to The Best DIY Guitar Kits.