Sam I had Jesse cut a short kit for me and received flawless parts. The plans were from W. Hostetler and the plane is a 126" Stinson SR-10.
Living where I do in the DFW metroplex I prefer short kits so that I can select the balsa for the framing and sheeting. On the other hand, those that do not have easy access to to a balsa supplier probably do better with a full kit.
However in 50+ tears of building I cannot remember a single time that I did not replace some of the supplied wood.