C18Q1 Lefty Jim Root Tele - FINISHED!

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powerhandpowerhand Frets: 198
edited February 2018 in Making & Modding

So, this will be my first ever “build”, but essentially I’ll just be screwing a whole load of bits together. In keeping with the theme, Fender don’t make a left-handed version of the Jim Root Tele, so my aim is to essentially make a replica that I can play. 

Here's what it’ll hopefully turn out like, but t’other way around...


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  • powerhandpowerhand Frets: 198

    Here's the body, wonderfully made for me by @GSPBASSES. ; I particularly like the rear cavity with built-in battery holder.


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  • powerhandpowerhand Frets: 198

    Here's an obligatory mock-up of where things should go after it's been painted.

    Because everything is harder to get in left-handed, I had to custom order the pickguard from http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/.  The rest of the hardware and pickups I got as a job lot from https://stratosphereparts.com/

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  • normula1normula1 Frets: 639
    The battery cavity is a clever idea.
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  • powerhandpowerhand Frets: 198

    Right, I've painted the guitar body in primer, but despite the use of nearly 3 cans the grain is still visible through the paint.

    Have I;

    a. Used the wrong type of wood for a solid colour finish?

    b. Missed out the sander/filler step which would have filled the grain?

    Am I able to fill now, and if so what product is recommended* or is the answer more paint?

    *I have previously used Rustins Professional Wood Filler and despite my best efforts to mix the correct ratio of filler:hardener (golf ball:pea), I've yet to have it satisfactorily cure.  Any advice here would also be most appreciated.

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  • powerhandpowerhand Frets: 198
    edited January 2018

    On to the neck - after 8 or so layers of tru-oil, I managed to bury the decal, flat sanded it and then sprayed some matt lacquer over the top.

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  • powerhandpowerhand Frets: 198

    Then I added some Vanson locking tuners.  This was my first time drilling any holes into anything guitar shaped, so I was a bit worried, but it went ok.


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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16541

    You won't fill ash grain with paint alone.   Personally I like the sunken grain look, but if its not what you are after yo will need to grainfill.


    Rustins grainfiller or ronseal  high performance wood filler should do the trick, may need thinning to work as a grainfiller.  You will need to do that, then another coat of primer before proceeding

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  • powerhandpowerhand Frets: 198
    WezV said:

    You won't fill ash grain with paint alone.   Personally I like the sunken grain look, but if its not what you are after yo will need to grainfill.


    Rustins grainfiller or ronseal  high performance wood filler should do the trick, may need thinning to work as a grainfiller.  You will need to do that, then another coat of primer before proceeding


    I figured as much, but the sunken grain look has actually grown on me - it adds a bit of interest.  I'll be finishing it in a matt lacquer which I think will make the grain look pretty cool, so I'm going to stick with it as it is.
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  • powerhandpowerhand Frets: 198
    I seem to be stuck in a tedious loop of: paint, cock it up, sand back the cock up, cock it up, repaint etc...
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  • SeshSesh Frets: 1839
    powerhand said:
    I seem to be stuck in a tedious loop of: paint, cock it up, sand back the cock up, cock it up, repaint etc...
    Don't worry. I haven't even got as far as the cock it up stage yet.
    Can't sing, can't dance, can handle a guitar a little.
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  • So, following on from my almost continual cock-ups, I applied a matt lacquer over the paint and, once all was dry, found that it had turned the whole thing a light shade of yellow.  In some places, where I had obviously sprayed too much, it was very yellow.  As I want the guitar to be bright white as per the original, I had no choice but to sand it all back to the primer and start again.  While I was there, I also filled the grain in an effort to achieve a completely flat, matt finish.
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  • After a month of this build, I'm pretty much back where I started.  Once the filler was dry, I sanded it flat ready for the white paint.  This time instead of using a matt lacquer, I think I'll just 000 steel wool it to an even matt finish.


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  • Painted...

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  • powerhandpowerhand Frets: 198
    edited February 2018

    Sorting out the electrics.  Due to this being a left-handed guitar, I had to follow the wiring diagram by looking at it through the back of the paper, otherwise everything was back to front!


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  • I screwed the neck on and hey presto!  I'm very pleased with the way it's come out.  I plugged it in and it even works! 

    Now (my first ever) set-up...


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  • andy_kandy_k Frets: 818
    well worth the wait,
    i just did one the right way round, but left it natural, ( same builder )
    how did you wire it? I found a diagram, and it works, but has some weird combinations, bridge,- bridge neck OOP, -neck,- bridge neck OOP-bridge series,- and bridge series, sounds nice though, I used Bareknuckle VH1s.
    cheers
    andy k
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  • paulnb57paulnb57 Frets: 3044
    Looks great!
    Stranger from another planet welcome to our hole - Just strap on your guitar and we'll play some rock 'n' roll

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  • powerhandpowerhand Frets: 198
    edited February 2018
    andy_k said:
    how did you wire it?
    I used the diagram on the Fender Jim Root Tele parts pdf. It’s a pretty basic 3-way with bridge-both-neck. 

    https://www.fmicassets.com/Damroot/Original/10002/013-4444A_SISD.pdf
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