Long post, bear with me...
So here's the situation:
I've been saving up for a new ride for about 6 months now, and I am probably gonna be receiving a couple hundred bucks from my parents for Christmas. This means I'll have sufficient funds after the holidays and I'm gonna be looking to pick up a bike to kick off the new year. (Price Range: ~1000)

Here at a local bike shop they have a 2008 Masi Speciale commuter frame that I'm thinking about building up like this:

Frame: 2008 Masi Speciale Commuter, dbl butted cromo w/ rack and fender mounts
Fork: Masi steel fork w/ rack and fender mounts
Frame and fork color: Root Beer
It would be set up for now as a 1x9 with a deore rear derailleur with mtb gearing in the rear and a single chainring (42t?) up front
bar end shifter
bars with a shallow drop that flare out to the sides (rando bars?)
Tektro brake levers
I'd have to check again on what wheelset was on it, but it wasn't the ritchey wheels that came on it from masi (I think they built them at the shop with shimano hubs and i'm not sure what rims/spokes)
+Fenders (undecided)
+Rear Rack (undecided)
The price will be about $950 before I add the fenders and rear rack, but they give a pretty slick deal on accessories when you by a bike so they will be cheaper than usual

That will be my commuting set up for the rest of the winter/ spring
(note: I have been commuting on my single speed for 1.5 years and have a lot of the necessities: lights, bag, tools, spare parts, computer, frame pump, and commuter clothing, and my sister is making me a home made pannier for christmas)

come summer I plan on doing some small/light tours and would add:
Triple chainring, f. der. (tiagra?) and another bar-end shifter
Front rack
Full pannier set


So the reason I posted this in the touring forum and not the commuter forum is because what I really am looking for is opinions on whether or not this bike could make a decent touring bike? It's designed to be a really versatile frame and i feel like after I add the triple up front, with fenders and front/rear rack it would to the job, but I have no experience touring/with touring bikes so I'm looking for advice from people who have some miles under their belt!

Things I really like about this bike:
-I love the feel of the bike (test rode it as a single speed), and love the cockpit and the bars
-The frame fits me well, is in stock, and is being sold by a LBS that I like to give my business to.
-I love the root beer color and tan highlights and just the look of the bike overall
-Definitely prefer bar-end shifters for my commuter/tourer
-It will be everything that I need for commuting with the 1x9, rack/ 1 pannier, my current commuting gear and bag, without being too much (for instance if I just went ahead and bought a full-on touring bike)
-It would be my own set-up, not an off the shelf bike!

Cons:
-The brakes: they are caliper-style brakes where I would probably prefer cantis (i'm pretty sure the frame/fork doesn't have mounts) How big of a deal is this for touring?
...that's about all I can think of for now

here's a link to the geometry, I ride a size 51 - https://commutebybike.com/commuter-bi...uct.php?id=166


Do you think this bike will do the job as a light tourer, or should I just go ahead and get a Raleigh Sojourn (love this bike) or something along those lines even though it would be overkill for most of the riding I would be doing?
What do you think about my set-up, what would you change?
Any other advice/comments you can add would be most appreciated as well, thanks!

I think you have a good plan; this frame, I think, is the same frame they're using on a couple of models, including the Speciale Randonneur, which some folks have been using for touring.

I've been a fan of this model since I first saw it.

Since you are going to commute on the bike all winter, you have plenty of time to figure out what works/doesn't work before next summer.

Good luck; you should post pictures once you've got it outfitted for your first tour.

Those bikes are cool, sounds like a decent plan. How big of a tire can it take? That would be my only concern, I like to tour on 700c x 32 or 35, but I commute on 28's

I would just set it up with a triple from the get go, if you plan on doing it later anyways. Front derailleurs have pretty much zero maintenance once they are set up, especially with friction bar end shifters.