Cheapocaster...
This project poses the question: CAN YOU BUILD YOUR DREAM GUITAR FOR $89.00?
If you guessed "yes" I have a bridge for sale you might be interested in. However, don't think I'm slandering the guitar by nicknaming it the "Cheapocaster" either. I bought one of these kits just to prove to myself they were junk and was, instead, proven wrong. With a fair bit of work and some relatively simple tools you can build yourself a very nice guitar for a very frugal price.
This one is being sold by the good folks at Guitar Fetish (GFS). I really can't recommend this place enough. I've been really happy with EVERYTHING I've ever bought from them and the service is top notch. This guitar is in with their handful of kits and features a maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, paulownia body, and serviceable hardware. Even includes strings and a 1/4" to 1/4" cable! Paulownia is the weight of balsa wood and is extremely soft. I'd have written it off because it bruises so easily but a LOT of high end telecaster clone builders are using it lately for it's light weight, Ash-like grain and balanced resonance. The kit needs a fair bit of work with some sandpaper and the peghead is a "paddle", meaning that you'll need to decide on your own shape and cut it out. I finished it with auto paint (gasp!) after sealing the wood with a waterbased grain filler. I describe the hardware as "serviceable" but truth be told by the time you get everything together it all works very nicely. Go figure. I've left mine bone stock. Although I had intended to use this guitar on my work bench for testing amps and effects, I have no reservations about throwing a fresh set of strings on it and taking it out as my main guitar from time to time.
So what's the catch? There isn't, really. The frets were nicely seated but I spent a LOT of time leveling them and dressing the ends. I also spent a fair bit of time shaping the neck, although I like a chunky neck so I didn't remove much wood. The body required a lot of grain filler but only to get the nice finish on it. I added a little shielding tape in the control cavity because the guitar spends a lot of time in front of my soldering iron and is usually a foot or closer to an amp when it's being used on the bench. I love this guitar...