Popular Mechanics February 1962 carried this feature anouncing their build your own guitar kit. It was a simple one pickup single cut-away electric with a bolt on neck which sold for $42. I wonder if any of these guitars are still in use today? Here is the article in full:

One of Popular Mechanics (PM) editors had an idea for a new kit for PM readers. He discussed it with a manufacturer of electric guitars. The manufacturer was enthusiastic and, in less than three months, had pre-production models ready. The manufacturer now has a new product, PM has another exclusive story and readers can obtain a fine electric guitar by assembling it from a kit. The guitar is equal in every way to a commercially manufactured $75 instrument.

The kit is easy to amemble as the body comes cut, glued, sanded and presealed. The white plastic border on top and bottom is already installed, and all that is left for you to do is finish and assemble. Use the three large screws to attach the prefinished neck and fingerboard. Mask the fingerboard and either lacquer, enamel or varnish the presealed wood to your own taste. Attach the prewired controls and pickup along with the plectrum shield. Assemble the patent head, the tailpiece and the bridge. Add the strings, tune up and you are ready to plug into any amplifier, tape recorder or phono, and play. If you want to hear real quality, plug it into the magnetic phono input of your hi-fi.

The electric guitar is available at $41.80 from McMurray Music, 10201 Page Blvd., St. Louis 32, Mo.