My bike has hand built 32 spoke wheels and in 30+ years of recreational riding and some loaded touring, I only have to "true" the wheels every couple of years. True is in quotes because a 1/4 turn on two or three spoke nipples hardly counts.
If I were in your place, I would go for it. Although there is a wealth of terrific advice available here, the best tutor is your bike. Riding it will teach you what you want in terms of spokes, gearing, color etc.