Partscaster Tele Build - Help before I throw money down the drain

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Hi all,

Looking for some guidance by those who have been down the path.

I've got a hankering to put together a Tele as a first project given that it's about as simple as a it gets. I've never put a guitar together but I'm a practical chap and have built numerous pedals and a 5E3 Deluxe without killing myself! Hopefully a guitar shouldn't be beyond my reach although it's obviously a slightly different skill set :) I do understand who to set a guitar up but have never cut a nut or fret levelled just so that you understand where I'm at skill wise.

Given both woodworking and finishing are two areas that I'm defo not geared up for ideally I'd like to buy a nitro finished body and neck from UK suppliers if possible. Any suggestions? Ideally suppliers who can assist an idiot in making the right choices :)

Regards,

Si
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Comments

  • munckeemunckee Frets: 12255
    I bought a used us highway one body on here and an all parts nitro neck from axecaster. Electrics wise I would look to alegree or six string supplies. I wired mine from scratch and had only changed pickups and jacks before. 

    i spent £550 ish for everything but the body is now with iamf68 being refinished. 
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  • TeyeplayerTeyeplayer Frets: 3131
    Built a lovely tele with parts from @lonestar that were finished in nitro to the spec I requested last year. Hardware was from @gavin_axecaster and pickups form @Alegree, so pretty much a forum build. Turned out a corker and is now in the possession of @Onpar of this parish, so he can either confirm or crush any exaggeration regarding the quality of the build (though I know he’s had customshop builds since that haven’t lasted as long :) ). Definitely worth doing if only for the experience and understanding of your guitar that the build process will bring.
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  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7731
    If you dont need your action very low (it's a tele anyway innit) then out of the box fretwork should be fine. The rest is easy.

    Clamp neck to body and from the back drill the neck mounting holes a tiny bit away from the long body pocket edge so the screws pull it against the pocket.
    Bridge position is usually set already so mount it.
    Wire up the electronics.
    Shim the neck if the saddles are too low on the bridge plate.
    Set the relief.
    Lower the nut slots if need be. I've done it by eye but you can use a set of feeler gauges between the first fret and bottom of the string. 
    Done
     
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  • PVO_DavePVO_Dave Frets: 2364
    Highly recommend buying the neck and body from @GSPBASSES and then getting them finished by @lamf68 - I've done this several times, also bought the neck and bodies from GSP and oil finished them.

    The woodwork from GSP is as good as it gets as is the finishing from Rich.

    Some examples;
    JM kit from GSP, paint from Rich - https://www.flickr.com/photos/davewitchalls/albums/72157685843629914

    'Strat' kit to my spec from GSP, oil finished by me - 
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/davewitchalls/albums/72157682592857560

    'Tele' kit to my spec / design from GSP, oil finished by me - https://www.flickr.com/photos/davewitchalls/albums/72157674303185004

    Super Strat kit (my specs again) from GSP, paint from Rich - https://www.flickr.com/photos/davewitchalls/albums/72157673623597082

    If you've got any questions or just want some details on any of them, let me know :) 
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  • munckeemunckee Frets: 12255
    If we're doing pics, this is my partscaster before the body was sent off to become a 3TSB, which I should be getting back this week!

    https://i.imgur.com/H8lVn2B.jpg

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  • munckeemunckee Frets: 12255
    @PVO_Dave who does your decals?, I don't want to put a fender on mine even though its a fender body and licensed neck, but I do want the 70s type face "telecaster" on it but a little bigger than on the decals.
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  • RolandRoland Frets: 8590
    As long as you don’t want gold or silver decals you can print your own using an ink jet printer and waterslide paper. Over spray with varnish to stop the ink dissolving. If you want gold or silver then it’s a more complicated process.
    Tree recycler, and guitarist with  https://www.undercoversband.com/.
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  • ExorcistExorcist Frets: 604
    If you dont need your action very low (it's a tele anyway innit) then out of the box fretwork should be fine. The rest is easy.

    Clamp neck to body and from the back drill the neck mounting holes a tiny bit away from the long body pocket edge so the screws pull it against the pocket.
    Bridge position is usually set already so mount it.
    Wire up the electronics.
    Shim the neck if the saddles are too low on the bridge plate.
    Set the relief.
    Lower the nut slots if need be. I've done it by eye but you can use a set of feeler gauges between the first fret and bottom of the string. 
    Done
     
    Any chance you could extrapolate on this bit mate? "Clamp neck to body and from the back drill the neck mounting holes a tiny bit away from the long body pocket edge so the screws pull it against the pocket." I've got one to do, and I'm not sure I quite get what you mean?
    Cheers!
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  • PVO_DavePVO_Dave Frets: 2364
    munckee said:
    @PVO_Dave who does your decals?, I don't want to put a fender on mine even though its a fender body and licensed neck, but I do want the 70s type face "telecaster" on it but a little bigger than on the decals.
    @munckee I tend to use Rothko and Frost these days :)
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  • grappagreengrappagreen Frets: 1340
    Wow - some inspiring stuff. Thanks for the input all.

    I'll contact some of the peops mentioned in order to get things moving.

    Once I've done this I'll no doubt be posting more questions so bear with me as I walk through it!

    Regards,

    Si

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  • GoldenEraGuitarsGoldenEraGuitars Frets: 8820
    tFB Trader
    Wow - some inspiring stuff. Thanks for the input all.

    I'll contact some of the peops mentioned in order to get things moving.

    Once I've done this I'll no doubt be posting more questions so bear with me as I walk through it!

    Regards,

    Si

    If you require any assistance Si, just pm me. I have tele stuff here we can look at for ideas.

    Scott
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  • Winny_PoohWinny_Pooh Frets: 7731
    @Exorcist ;

    Imagine this tele bass is a tele.



    Looking from this side you drill the holes in the neck through the body mounting holes just slightly on the left hand side of the (wider) body mounting holes.

    Once you insert the screws they then pull the neck towards the RHS of this view and prevent a neck pocket gap on the RHS. 
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  • OnparOnpar Frets: 415
    Built a lovely tele with parts from @lonestar that were finished in nitro to the spec I requested last year. Hardware was from @gavin_axecaster and pickups form @Alegree, so pretty much a forum build. Turned out a corker and is now in the possession of @Onpar of this parish, so he can either confirm or crush any exaggeration regarding the quality of the build (though I know he’s had customshop builds since that haven’t lasted as long :) ). Definitely worth doing if only for the experience and understanding of your guitar that the build process will bring.
    Yes I can confirm this tele is friggin awesome!  Played loads of gigs with it already and never let me down. It feels amazing and sounds perfect to me. Great work to all involved in this build. 
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  • ExorcistExorcist Frets: 604
    @Exorcist ;

    Imagine this tele bass is a tele.



    Looking from this side you drill the holes in the neck through the body mounting holes just slightly on the left hand side of the (wider) body mounting holes.

    Once you insert the screws they then pull the neck towards the RHS of this view and prevent a neck pocket gap on the RHS. 
    Mate, that is brilliant, would never have thought of that! Cheers have some Wis!!
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  • grappagreengrappagreen Frets: 1340
    Thanks for the input all.

    Have reached out to a few peops for input and will feed back!

    Si
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