I am completely new and have been doing a fair amount of research on all things related to touring recently. I am in the market for a bicycle and something around 1k to 1500 seems reasonable but I am not opposed to spending an extra 50 or 100 here or there for a superior part since I expect the investment to last me years and 10's of thousands of miles...The purpose of my bike will be both for daily commuting and fully loaded long distance tours to see the world

I have not ruled out any bikes but 2 have stood out to me maybe for the simple fact that their names seem to frequently pop up, the trek520 and the Surly Long haul Trucker. I notice the trucker originally comes as just the frame though you can purchase completed bicycles for a little less than the trek520. The Trek520 seems about ready to go aside from swapping for lower gears which can be negotiated prior to purchase and I have read a lot of seat complaints.

but I have several questions. If you build the bike yourself from the frame up will you end up with a superior product for the same/similar price as the trek520? I realize a flaw in this is I have no experience so I don't know what parts I prefer and w/o buying a bike to ride I am not going to gain this experience

-What are all the parts required to build the bicycle when all you have is the frame? their range in price?
-of these parts what are typically more suited styles towards touring? (I realize a lot is personal preference)

It is a drawback that I don't know what I prefer. However, I think building my own bike would be a benefit because I would learn all about the parts of a bike with my purchases and the building process so I would learn fast. It would also help me once I am on the road and have mechanical issues and how to maintain, tune etc. I have not decided to go with this option which is one reason I am posting. Far as the actual building was thinking maybe somebody either from the forum in my area or from a local bike club who is interested in this sort of stuff would help with the build over some beers. I'm sure I could have a bike shop do this but that would eliminate a lot of the learning though it is obviously an option

any links that would send me in the right direction are appreciated