Originally Posted by
Tommando
I think kits are a great way to start. But there is a misconception that they are like airplane model kits, where everything you need is in the box and cut to fit precisely - just glue it up, paint it, put on the decals and you're done. Not so. You may get closest to this with Siminoff and fairly close with StewMac, plus getting the help you need from them to get it the way you want it. I did a Saga and an IV kit a while back, and both required serious carpentry skills to fix problems they came with. It was great experience, but required a lot of time and patience. With perseverance they resulted in great mandolins.