that looks like WAY too much of a project for a first-timer... have you ever tried soldering surface-mount parts before? especially IC's?
right from the "fabrication" page:
This is an advanced project, I highly suggest that you don't take on a project like this to 'learn how to solder' or 'how to program a PIC'. If you can't handle fine-pitch SMT or getting boards made, just buy an MP3 player, they're sold in stores nowadays!
you'd be much better off starting off with a simple electronics project that you can actually handle, and working your way up. Same goes for PIC programming, and soldering surface mount parts.
There's a reason why most of us here started off with projects like LED blinkers and other such simple things... Trust us, you'll have enough trouble with something like that when you first begin...
Not much chance of waking up a poster with only 33 posts who hasn't posted in that long. Good bump though--it might get somebody else interested in the idea though.
By the way, why is the chance of you finding plans dead? The link give full plans, Eagle layouts, schematics, discussion, and everything. What else do you need?