RedRabbit's tele build

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I've opted for the slightly more expensive tele kit with the ash body

http://images.gear4music.com/media/92425/600/preview.jpg

At the moment I've no plans to do anything unusual with it so it'll probably start off as a straight, follow the instructions build and maybe morph into something else once all the basic stuff has been taken care of.  The only things I'm not sure on at the moment are finishing the body and cutting the headstock into a slightly more pleasing shape.  Everything else (should be!) fairly straight forward.

The kit has actually arrived today so I'll post pictures of the supplied parts tonight if I get time.
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Comments

  • JookyChapJookyChap Frets: 4234
    Cool - welcome aboard :)

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  • TTonyTTony Frets: 27344
    Sounds like a sensible plan - build it first, mod it later ...
    Having trouble posting images here?  This might help.
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  • RedRabbitRedRabbit Frets: 483
    Just thought I should let people know what I've been up to.

    Basically I've had very little lime to make any progress on this and I'm aware that the deadline is looming so I've scaled back my plans.

    I've managed to do a few bits as and when I could and so far I've:
    • Put together the basic kit to make sure everything is present and correct;
    • Tru-oil the neck
    • Start finishing the body - I'm using a concentrated yellow wood dye

    No pictures at the moment I'm afraid but I'll get some when I do the next coat of the wood dye.

    Quick question for those with a bit more experience.  If I want to add a finish to the dye to help protect it and the wood could I use the tru-oil again?  I'm okay with it darkening the finish a bit but I don't want to do it if there's a chance that it'll really spoil it.

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  • Andyjr1515Andyjr1515 Frets: 3127
    Yes you can. It will darken it (wipe a bit with a damp cloth - it'll darken it about that much - but tru oil goes over wood dyes just fine. :)
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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16543
    i find oils can lift the stain a bit, more so if you re doing vigorous rubbing ... and if you are wetsanding with the oil then its a no no.   but you can coat on top of stain if you build the tru-oil on top
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  • RedRabbitRedRabbit Frets: 483
    Managed to make some progress on this the last couple of days.  Due to time constraints and lack of imagination I've decided to go pretty traditional - after all, I don't actually own a tele other than this one.

    Body has been dyed.  I was surprised how little was required the dye I'm using came in a tiny 15ml bottle and I've still got most of it left.  I only did two coats as I was happy with the colour at that point.

    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5256888/2014-08-10 20.07.37.jpg

    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5256888/2014-08-10 20.07.51.jpg

    There may have been a single coat of tru-oil in these photos - I honestly can't remember when I took them.



    Today's task was the one I really wasn't looking forward to - cutting the headstock.  I was even tempted to leave it as it was! 

    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5256888/2014-08-16 19.42.51.jpg

    It's not perfect by any means but I'm reasonably happy with it.  The template I used wasn't quite the right size so it was a bit freehand in places.

    The body has also now had 4 coats of tru-oil and I think it's enough.

    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5256888/2014-08-16 19.44.19.jpg

    (Apologies for the use of the flash but light in the back bedroom isn't great at the moment)

    I'm going to go over it with some fine wire wool and give it a good buffing in the morning.


    Being slightly impatient I tried putting the neck and body together just to see how it's going to look but what was previously a nice snug fit is now over tight and the neck just won't go in.  I'm guessing that I'm better taking a bit of material from the neck socket rather than the neck itself?
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  • LixartoLixarto Frets: 1618
    :)
    "I can see you for what you are; an idiot barely in control of your own life. And smoking weed doesn't make you cool; it just makes you more of an idiot."
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  • Andyjr1515Andyjr1515 Frets: 3127
    That's going to look very nice indeed. :)
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  • RedRabbitRedRabbit Frets: 483
    edited August 2014
    Looks like I've still got some things to sort out before it's playable but I've managed to put it all together (barring the wiring)

    https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/5256888/2014-08-17 12.19.02.jpg

    So things I need to sort out:

    • The neck doesn't sit squarely in the neck pocket and, as a result, tilts back slightly leaving the strings touching the fretboard.  Hopefully it just needs a bit more wood clearing out of the neck pocket to make it sit a bit better.
    • The neck also has a fairly noticeable forward bow.  Not an issue other than I can't find the appropriate allen key at the moment.
    • Obviously the wiring needs doing but I'm think it won't be a huge task.

    There are a few other small niggles with it (machine heads not 100% straight, some screws sitting a little proud) but nothing serious.  Assuming I can make it playable it should be at least half decent. 

    Edit - just noticed on the photo that the control panel looks a little skew-whiff.  Again not a huge problem but just one more niggle.
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  • Andyjr1515Andyjr1515 Frets: 3127
    Told you - that really DOES look very nice indeed  :)
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  • imaloneimalone Frets: 748
    Looking good!
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  • RedRabbitRedRabbit Frets: 483
    Quick request for some advice...

    I've scraped out enough of the sides of the neck pocket so that the neck now sits squarely but I still need to raise the saddles to their maximum height for the strings to clear the frets.  Looking at the join it looks to me as if the neck is sitting a little proud - it's approx 5-7mm above the pickguard - but I've no idea if this is normal.

    If it's not I'm guessing that I need to deepen the neck pocket but given that I don't have access to a router I'm a little stuck as to how best to go about it.  Would it be doable with a Dremel and appropriate bits?  I've been considering getting one for a while.
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  • MegiiMegii Frets: 1670
    The neck does normally sit with the fingerboard about that kind of distance above the body. But also the angle of the neck makes a big difference to the setup. You could try the time-honored approach of putting a thin shim made of some reasonably hard material, in at the back of the neck pocket to alter the neck angle. 
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  • imaloneimalone Frets: 748
    If you're needing the saddles raised to maximum height then I think the end you want to shim at is the headstock end of the pocket, not the bridge end (not sure which one Megii meant by back of the pocket). That lifts the headstock up above the line of the body and drops the height the saddles need to be at. Like Megii says, it only needs to be thin.
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  • Andyjr1515Andyjr1515 Frets: 3127
    imalone said:
    If you're needing the saddles raised to maximum height then I think the end you want to shim at is the headstock end of the pocket, not the bridge end (not sure which one Megii meant by back of the pocket). That lifts the headstock up above the line of the body and drops the height the saddles need to be at. Like Megii says, it only needs to be thin.
    Hi, @RedRabbit

    I agree with @Megii and @imalone - it needs a shim.  Probably no more than a credit card thickness (old credit or store cards are ideal!) and, as @imalone says, popped in at the front of the pocket.  I had to put a shim in mine (albeit on mine, it was at the back of the pocket because with mine, the saddles were too high, not too low).  Drop the saddles back to where there is a reasonable amount of adjustment either way, pop a shim underneath the front of the pocket, then run a straight edge of some sort from along about 1/2 way down the fretboard to the bridge - shim it until the straight edge is JUST below the saddles.  Bolt it all up again and then there should be still enough saddle adjustment for sorting the final action height.  It's actually how you set an acoustic guitar neck angle!

    Shout if you're not sure - probably got some photos somewhere
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  • MegiiMegii Frets: 1670
    imalone said:
    If you're needing the saddles raised to maximum height then I think the end you want to shim at is the headstock end of the pocket, not the bridge end (not sure which one Megii meant by back of the pocket). That lifts the headstock up above the line of the body and drops the height the saddles need to be at. Like Megii says, it only needs to be thin.
    Just to confirm I meant the headstock end of the pocket, as you rightly say - not making myself very clear there! :D
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  • RedRabbitRedRabbit Frets: 483
    Cheers guys.  I had considered a shim but thought it would just raise the headstock end rather than lower the other end.  Guess I'm not thinking about it quite right.

    I'll give the shim ago tonight and will return if I have further queries.
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  • RedRabbitRedRabbit Frets: 483
    The shim helped but didn't cure the problem.

    On closer inspection the treble side of the neck was a good few mm higher than the bass side.  I ordered myself a dremel and have cleared out the neck socket and have a much better fit now.  I don't think I'll need a shim at all now.

    Just need to sort the wiring out and fit a new nut as the one supplied is pretty bad.
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