# Semi Hollow Tele Build!



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Much like others here, I'm starting a thread to keep track of my progress and to post all my photos.

Ordering my Solo Music Tele kit (semi hollow woot woot) this week. I've been thinking about a build for a long time and I'm very excited to get started.

I've decided on the TCK-69 (giggity) because of the maple top and the fact it's a semi hollow. I had a 72 Fender thinline Tele before my kids and really wanna remake that guitar, and most importantly, make it my own.

I've started testing my finishing ideas on some maple slabs I had. I'm not really a spray guy (although I'm sure I could find one) so I'm planning on not clear coat and a Tung oil finish. Currently on day 2 of the Tung oil process so tomorrow is when I really get the full results....i think.

I'll post some pictures of my test slabs when they're done (I think I may do another test slab where I don't use as fine of a sandpaper before applying the oil) and obviously keep posting once I get the kit in my hands.

STOKED

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Please post MANY, MANY, MANY of pics of your build progress here. 

Good Luck with everything. Take your time!
I'm sure it will be amazing.


----------



## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

make sure the tung oil dries for at least 2 or 3 weeks before covering it with something else. You will love the finish. The grain is going to POP


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

greco said:


> Please post MANY, MANY, MANY of pics of your build progress here.
> 
> Good Luck with everything. Take your time!
> I'm sure it will be amazing.


Thanks Greco! I've got a fulltime job and four kids so progress will not be swift lol.

The building part will (knock on wood) go smoothly, unless there are issue with the kit. I'm pretty good with my hands so the building and soldering is something I've done. My biggest thing is the Tung oil finish.

I've done some searching on here and other sites and YouTube vids, but I can't find a definitive guide to Tung oil lol. Maybe I'm just being too OCD about it. I'm thinking:

Sand 150, vacuum and wipe down with a lint free towel.
Repeat with 220 and 400 grit
Heavy first coat and keeping it wet for about 30-40 mins. Wipe off the excess.
Wait 24hr
Wipe on another light coat
Wait 24hr
Do another light wipe on coat
Let dry for a week.

I think that's about it but I am NOT the leading expert on this, this is my first shot with this stuff.

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

knight_yyz said:


> make sure the tung oil dries for at least 2 or 3 weeks before covering it with something else. You will love the finish. The grain is going to POP


Thanks for the tip!! You're talking about a clear coat or poly coat? Not 100% sure if I'm going to clear it at all because I'll be doing a Walnut or rosewood pickguard as well. 

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

You're fine then. But you can clear coat or poly or shellac or whatever. Just keep in mind the Tung Oil does take forever to cure/harden


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

knight_yyz said:


> You're fine then. But you can clear coat or poly or shellac or whatever. Just keep in mind the Tung Oil does take forever to cure/harden


I'll definitely keep that in mind. Maybe I'll finish the body and wait and see what it looks like, come spring I may clear it then. 

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

DaddyShred said:


> The building part will (knock on wood) go smoothly, unless there are issue with the kit.


Assemble it first, to make sure it all fits, before applying the Tung oil.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

laristotle said:


> Assemble it first, to make sure it all fits, before applying the Tung oil.


100%.

It's a bolt on kit so I'll be bolting neck to body and lacing up a high and low E to check the neck. Then I'll be using a 3 foot metal ruler to check if the truss rod needs adjustment. Then off to a fret rocker then crowing the frets (if needed, but probably will be needed)

I think that's it? Like I said, first kit build so I want to make sure I check everything so I get into that habit. The guys at SOLO have always gotten great reviews and they're awesome tradespeople. However, I only every trust my own work. 

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Here's the kit in getting. And here's a pic, for those who havnt seen it, of what I'm using as reference.

And just cuz I loved it so much, here's a picture of my old set up hahaha























Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

In order to check for truss rod adjustments, won’t you need to completely string it and tune to pitch?

Unrelated...

If you’re not handy with a spray gun I imagine it wouldn’t be too expensive to get someone to clear coat it assuming they can do it while clear coating several other items at the same time.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Test slab of maple with 1 heavy coat of Tung oil and 3 rub in coats. Only 12hr dry time though









Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Look what showed up today

Let the build begin!
















Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

So I got some building in today (daddy was on duty so dining room table instead of the workshop lol).

Everything went together great. Going to keep it together for now so I can do my checks and such this evening or tomorrow.

Only hiccup (which was super minor, it's in one of the pictures) is that I put the pickguard on before the control plate. So the plate was resting on top instead of being flush. Easy fix. And besides, this stock pickguard won't be on the final product.

So next is stringing up high and low E's to check that the neck is straight. Then once my luthier tools show up Tuesday, I'll rock all the frets and start my neck work.

Any suggestions on how to check my truss rod adjustment? That's the one check where I'm still kind of cloudy on how to do it.

So far so good though. Looks good on the wall lol

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Here are the pics.





































Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

DaddyShred said:


> Any suggestions on how to check my truss rod adjustment?


You'll have to wait till it's strung up and tuned up to tension to see what it'll need to do a proper adjustment.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

laristotle said:


> You'll have to wait till it's strung up and tuned up to tension to see what it'll need to do a proper adjustment.


But truss rod is the only thing that requires it to be strung and tuned?

Just checking, like I said, first build. 

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

I would imagine that anything that would be covered in a setup would need the guitar strung and tuned. Neck angle, relief, saddle height, pickup height, intonation etc. I’m not sure but correct but slot depth may need it to be strung as well. Many of these adjustments interact with one another so it’s not just a matter of set it and forget it. When you change one you often need to go back and re check the others and possibly adjust them again.

That being said I’m really not sure what stringing the high and low E strings alone is supposed to tell you.


----------



## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

DaddyShred said:


> But truss rod is the only thing that requires it to be strung and tuned?


The other adjustments after string up will be nut height, saddle height and intonation.
Being your first build and if you're not familiar/comfortable with doing a set up, I would recommend taking it in to a guitar shop to do it.
Having said that, since you want learn to do things yourself, U-tube has many tutorials on 'how to'.
Once you understand the concept, it's not really that difficult to do.

*typed at the same time as JB. lol


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

JBFairthorne said:


> That being said I’m really not sure what stringing the high and low E strings alone is supposed to tell you.


High and low string string up just to show me if the neck is straight in the pocket, from what YouTube has told me lol

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

JBFairthorne said:


> I’m really not sure what stringing the high and low E strings alone is supposed to tell you.


To eyeball that the neck lines up with the bridge before screwing the neck onto the body.

* dang! did it again. lol


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

laristotle said:


> The other adjustments after string up will be nut height, saddle height and intonation.
> Being your first build and if you're not familiar/comfortable with doing a set up, I would recommend taking it in to a guitar shop to do it.
> Having said that, since you want learn to do things yourself, U-tube has many tutorials on 'how to'.
> Once you understand the concept, it's not really that difficult to do.
> ...


Yeah this is the stuff I have yet to look into. YouTube might be the way I go, purely because I'll be doing the rest of the work so I'd like to do it all lol. Besides, even early into this build, I don't think will be my last build. It's a lot of fun. Plus, my daughter now wants to do one haha

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Haha yeah you guys always have awesome timing when it comes to replying! 

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

So I strung up the high and low E, neck looks straight as an arrow.

However. Holy crap does it buzz haha

I'm going to skip the truss rod until the final assembly process.

My reasoning (now correct me if you guys with more experience think I'm way off...) is after crowning and leveling the frets, I might not have to adjust the truss rod as much then? I thought that but now after reading what I've typed I'm not sure, because I don't think I should be taking off THAT much material when doing my fret work.

Anyway. She's going to sit for the night because the whiskey is calling haha. 

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

I’m no expert, in fact I’m clueless about fret levelling. My inclination would be to say that the neck should be straight as an arrow for levelling and then the relief put in after it’s been levelled. I’m curious to find out if this is true though. I can’t imagine how you could get the frets truly level if the neck isn’t straight.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

JBFairthorne said:


> I’m no expert, in fact I’m clueless about fret levelling. My inclination would be to say that the neck should be straight as an arrow for levelling and then the relief put in after it’s been levelled. I’m curious to find out if this is true though. I can’t imagine how you could get the frets truly level if the neck isn’t straight.


The neck is totally straight. But I'm pretty sure the neck itself has a back bow (truss rod too loose)

I'm going to do some more research tonight (well maybe not tonight lol) and tomorrow to see if there's anything official I can find (either from Solo or stewmac or something else)

Ps here's a pic of the neck with the two strings so show what I'm looking at
















Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

DaddyShred said:


> the neck itself has a back bow


When strung up, say using 10 - 46 (lights), there's ~130lbs of tension on the neck.
That will pull it up to where it may be ok or you may have to adjust the truss at that point.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

laristotle said:


> When strung up, say using 10 - 46 (lights), there's ~130lbs of tension on the neck.
> That will pull it up to where it may be ok or you may have to adjust the truss at that point.


Woohoo!

Thanks for dropping knowledge laristotle. I definitely had no clue about that. I knew it would move some, but didn't know it could potentially rectify that issue

Sweeeeeet

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## Farmboyjo (Aug 26, 2016)

JBFairthorne said:


> I’m no expert, in fact I’m clueless about fret levelling. My inclination would be to say that the neck should be straight as an arrow for levelling and then the relief put in after it’s been levelled. I’m curious to find out if this is true though. I can’t imagine how you could get the frets truly level if the neck isn’t straight.


There is an awesome tutorial/walk through by Ron Kirn called 'How to fret level yer tele' in think on TDPRI. I've follwed and done it myself a few times, including on a kit guitar Hardest part is getting the little cutoff of hardsurface counter top but I'm sure you have options.


----------



## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

Like mentioned above don't worry about any of that until the neck is under tension.
The only things to worry about now are if the neck is one the centre line and the height of the bridge.
Now is the time to adjust the neck pocket (if it needs adjusting).

Nathan


----------



## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

Farmboyjo said:


> There is an awesome tutorial/walk through by Ron Kirn called 'How to fret level yer tele' in think on TDPRI. I've follwed and done it myself a few times, including on a kit guitar Hardest part is getting the little cutoff of hardsurface counter top but I'm sure you have options.


Home depot, rona, home hardware, any counter top supplier/kitchen place.

Ask for a sample to bring home - to make sure the lighting is the same.

Nathan


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

nnieman said:


> Home depot, rona, home hardware, any counter top supplier/kitchen place.
> 
> Ask for a sample to bring home - to make sure the lighting is the same.
> 
> Nathan


Haha well played Nathan 

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

nnieman said:


> Like mentioned above don't worry about any of that until the neck is under tension.
> The only things to worry about now are if the neck is one the centre line and the height of the bridge.
> Now is the time to adjust the neck pocket (if it needs adjusting).
> 
> Nathan


Yeah I'm going to leave truss rod until final assembly. I'm pretty confident (after having 6 strings strung up overnight) that the strings will fix the majority of that back bow and it might only need a minor adjustment.

So mocking up is done. Starting to take it back apart and then off to sanding. Should be seeing my buddy about the pickguard as well this week. 

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

So this is gonna take a bit longer to sand that I thought originally.

Was watching some YouTube and saw a few guys mention a poly sealer on their kits when shipped. No big deal.

I called solo to confirm, and my kit (being a bit older stock) has poly on it. The tip I was given to check if I had sanded it all off was to SPRAY WATER ON THE GUITAR AND SEE IF IT BEADS OFF OR SOAKS IN

OK. I'm calm lol

Maybe it's just the fact I've been a full time carpenter for almost the past decade but.... There's gotta be a better way to check/get this poly off. My plan is to sand the heck out of it, all sides, and just get to a point where I'm confident the light dusting of poly is gone.

Anyone else have experience in this? Has anyone every done the water trick to check for poly? My main concern is that (for the top anyway) the maple there is NOT super thick and I'm concerned about the water absorbing in and ruining the glue behind it. Not too worried about the sides and back because I can just let the water evaporate normally before applying my finish. 

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Alright guys. Quick update.

Mock up done
Sanding done

Sanding took longer than expected because of the poly but I'm confident it's all off now. Had a minor screw up when sanding the edge of the guitar: Had a rough spot by the top side horn, ended up sanding it unevenly and almost blew through the binding on the front. Lesson learned however. All edge sanding after that was done with a small triangular piece of wood with a rounded bottom for the curves. 

Should be getting to making a pickguard this week sometime (in between work and family).

Also going to be starting the Tung oil this week. First heavy coat of 50 Tung 50 mineral spirits, keeping it wet for about 30-40 mins, then dry for 15 before wiping off the excess. Let cure 24hr and repeat another brush on coat. Same 24hr wait then a rub on coat. I'll see how it fairs after those three. I want to do more coats (cuz more will make it better right? Lol) but I think this minwax Tung oil has some sort of poly in it or something to add to the protection of the finish.

I'll post more pictures when I can get some more work done lol






























Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

DaddyShred said:


> Alright guys. Quick update.
> 
> Mock up done
> Sanding done
> ...


Oh and please excuse the dungeon of a messy shop. I've only lived in this house for two months. Couldn't wait for the shop to be ready before starting the guitar haha

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

I’ve never had to deal with poly like that.
I’ve stripped a few poly fenders but with a heat gun & power sander- I was never worried about veneer.

The oil on that is going to look great!

oh and my shop is a worse disaster... and I’ve been here over 4 years lol

5 guitars, a few bodies, oak roubo workbench, gun cabinet for a friend & a hollow chisel mortiser to restore at the moment.

Nathan


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

nnieman said:


> I’ve never had to deal with poly like that.
> I’ve stripped a few poly fenders but with a heat gun & power sander- I was never worried about veneer.
> 
> The oil on that is going to look great!
> ...


This is me showing my inexperience when it comes to finishing work. I've never heard of the heat gun and sander technique. That might have worked a bit faster than just normal sanding. And tbh, if the maple got a little burn from it, it wouldn't have looked terrible either haha.

Can't wait to see how the finish looks after this week. Going to spend most nights sanding and reapplying, starting tonight.

And yeah, my shop, my OCD is running wild lol. The guys at my work always hassle me about it because of my toolbox. But, they're the ones coming to me to use my tools because they can't find theirs haha. My motto is (usually) job isn't done until its cleaned up and I like my spaces clean and organized lol

More pics to come shortly! 

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

It has some great grain to it. Looking forward to seeing your progress!


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Budda said:


> It has some great grain to it. Looking forward to seeing your progress!


I was originally aiming for a spalted maple top so it would have some character. Kind of upset when SOLO mentioned to me they have had some quality control issues with the spalted tops (glad to hear that their QC is that high, upset that I couldn't get one lol) but this maple is really busy and making my feel better about this choice. Between the maple grain and the pickguard that's going to be made, should be a good combo. 

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

DaddyShred said:


> This is me showing my inexperience when it comes to finishing work. I've never heard of the heat gun and sander technique. That might have worked a bit faster than just normal sanding. And tbh, if the maple got a little burn from it, it wouldn't have looked terrible either haha.
> 
> Can't wait to see how the finish looks after this week. Going to spend most nights sanding and reapplying, starting tonight.
> 
> ...


Ha!
I’m a trim carpenter- the guy that shows up with all his tools in milk crates and master craft tool bags but knows where everything is lol 

The heat gun softens the finish and you scrape it with a putty knife.
It works great except when it doesn’t.
I tried it with an epi sg and it just bubbled the finish and burnt the body.

Nathan


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

nnieman said:


> Ha!
> I’m a trim carpenter- the guy that shows up with all his tools in milk crates and master craft tool bags but knows where everything is lol
> 
> The heat gun softens the finish and you scrape it with a putty knife.
> ...


Oh jeez man. That sounds like a rough day....I honestly don't know what I'd do with myself if that happened on this body. This is my one and only shot lol

And yeah I used to be like that as well. That yellow toolbox in one of the above pictures, used to live out of that. Decided to splurge and buy myself a sweet matco toolbox one day. Couple weeks later my fiancée and I find out wer having twins haha. Moral or the story, if it ain't broke don't fix it lol

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

I use milk crates too. And the old Knob Hill Farms baskets.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

laristotle said:


> I use milk crates too. And the old Knob Hill Farms baskets.


I got rid of all my milk crates and honestly regret it quite a lot lol. I could definitely use a half dozen or so around the house haha

Sent from my SM-N960W using Tapatalk


----------



## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

DaddyShred said:


> I could definitely use a half dozen or so around the house


Take a drive behind a Loblaws or Sobeys and load up. lol


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

laristotle said:


> Take a drive behind a Loblaws or Sobeys and load up. lol


Smart. Man. Much better idea than looking on Kijiji lol

I am invincible as long as I am alive


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Just got this picture. Pickup tomorrow.


----------



## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

That looks great!

Who made that?

Nathan


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

nnieman said:


> That looks great!
> 
> Who made that?
> 
> Nathan


I had a local custom carpentry shop make it up for me. They had done them before for their own employees so when I came in with my pickguard they were already used to the process. Turned out great.

https://www.calawoodworks.com/

Those are the guys^^


----------



## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

Thanks it looks awesome!

Nathan


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

No build update really (I've been sick as a dog for over a week and my business is having their trade show this week) BUT...

I decided to stop by Next Gen Guitars to get some replacement pots and an ACTUAL 3 way switch (the one that came in the kit had a circuit board, I've honestly never seen that before lol)

They guys there took great care of me setting me up with what I needed. Just gotta drill out the control plate a little to fit the shafts of the new pots and I'll install it all during the finishing process.

Woohoo, more work lol


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

DaddyShred said:


> Yeah I'm going to leave truss rod until final assembly. I'm pretty confident (after having 6 strings strung up overnight) that the strings will fix the majority of that back bow and it might only need a minor adjustment.
> 
> So mocking up is done. Starting to take it back apart and then off to sanding. Should be seeing my buddy about the pickguard as well this week.


With a commercially-produced guitar, they arrive in the showroom already strung up. Whatever relief needs to be provided in the neck is predicated on the tension that _complete_ set of strings will provide. As a kit shipped to the end-user, the manufacturer has absolutely no idea what gauge of strings the builder will use, so no relief-adjustment can be done with any real accuracy.

As an example of how relief depends on string gauge, and not neck bow independently, my old Kalamazoo archtop was starting to experience significant buzz. As a pre-war instrument with no visible access to a truss rud, I was naturally concerned. I brought it to local repairman/luthier Brian Dubbledam who told me that my problem was that I was using light gauge strings. The neck was bowed back in anticipation of the much greater tension that medium-gauge (.012-52) would provide, and my .010-46s simply weren't tugging on the headstock hard enough. I switched to mediums, and the problem rectified over the course of a few weeks, with the neck returning to original form. The strings did all the adjusting I needed.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

That's it. After making my post earlier I realized exactly how much down time this project has had, and I wasn't happy about it. So....


First coat of 50/50 Tung oil/mineral spirits going on now


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Gonna have to decide on a pickguard pretty soon. Gonna wait and see after the coats of Tung oil are done and dry. What do you guys think?


----------



## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

I'm going with #2


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

#2 if you are going with a maple fingerboard (as in post #49)


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

greco said:


> #2 if you are going with a maple fingerboard (as in post #49)


Yup. Still a maple fingerboard and neck


----------



## GUInessTARS (Dec 28, 2007)

I also prefer the darker #2 pickguard. Project looks really nice so far, inspiring.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

GUInessTARS said:


> I also prefer the darker #2 pickguard. Project looks really nice so far, inspiring.


Thanks! It's been a lot of fun to do.


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

#2.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Coat number 2

I've had a trade show all this past week so I may have left the first coat on longer than I'd like (about 72 hrs) so I hit it with some 600 grit instead of the 0000 steel wool. This coat is full strength Tung oil. Tomorrow after 24hrs will be another coat of pure Tung, but wiping on instead of foam brush.

Fingers crossed lol


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

DaddyShred said:


> Coat number 2
> 
> I've had a trade show all this past week so I may have left the first coat on longer than I'd like (about 72 hrs) so I hit it with some 600 grit instead of the 0000 steel wool. This coat is full strength Tung oil. Tomorrow after 24hrs will be another coat of pure Tung, but wiping on instead of foam brush.
> 
> Fingers crossed lol


Ok so a question for anyone who's done woodworking or a guitar build...

I've got these lines in the top of my guitar (look at the top left of my last pic for reference)

Are those from sanding? Could it be glue that soaked thru the vaneer? Just curious about how they got there because I don't remember making them lol. I only really noticed them once I started the Tung oil.

Anyway, any thoughts would be appreciated lol


----------



## RBlakeney (Mar 12, 2017)

DaddyShred said:


> Ok so a question for anyone who's done woodworking or a guitar build...
> 
> I've got these lines in the top of my guitar (look at the top left of my last pic for reference)
> 
> ...


What lines? The wood grain?


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

RBlakeney said:


> What lines? The wood grain?


No not the wood grain lol

If the wood grain was, say, in a horizontal direction, the lines I'm talking about are vertical.

I've circled the worst (Imo) section of it

It's hard to describe in a post, but it's definitely different from the grain itself. They're almost wider and darker.


----------



## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

That’s a bit of curl in the figure

It’s just part of the fun of working with wood.

Nathan


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

nnieman said:


> That’s a bit of curl in the figure
> 
> It’s just part of the fun of working with wood.
> 
> Nathan


I'm glad to hear it's that and not the glue lol. Thank you


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

3rd coat on.

Stupid me got a drop INSIDE the f hole, so I guess I'll be going in there with qtips and Tung oil tomorrow night so it doesn't look so stupid lol.

The finish is coming along nicely so far. The colour really darkened over the past 24hrs and it's starting to get that almost "blonde" colour.

Still taking votes between the Walnut pickguard or the black birch. Black is far head and honestly, I'm kind of ok with that. The blonde and black almost makes it a throwback to the yellow and black teles.

Anyway, more progress tomorrow. I'll most likely be doing the sides of the guitar (after sanding off the occasional drip I've had and wiped up immediately) and back soon.


----------



## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

Walnut looks amazing 

Nathan


----------



## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Looks fantastic so far.

The colours work well together.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Milkman said:


> Looks fantastic so far.
> 
> The colours work well together.


Thanks milkman!


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

nnieman said:


> Walnut looks amazing
> 
> Nathan


The Walnut was actually the pickguard I went in to get made. The black one was an after thought. I love the look of the Walnut too but the black is definitely growing on me. With the way the guitar body is looking with the colour, the black is almost a throwback to the vintage yellow and black teles.

Oh the indecision... Hahaha


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Just a quick half and half Tung coat on the fret board (probably the only one I'll do) and on the headstock before going full strength on the headstock tomorrow. Also did a wipe on, full strength, coat on the sides and back of the body.

I don't wanna talk about how many pieces this body is hahaha


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

In between coats on the headstock and body so I'm doing a little practice.

Got this cheap soldering iron purely for this project. And honestly. It's living up to the hype. It definitely keeps up with my Matco Tools soldering iron that I paid way more than I'd like to admit....

OK so question of the post, what's your favourite way to wire a 3 way switch on a Tele. I've been going through a whole bunch of options (1953 Tele wiring is the front runner) but I'd like to see what other options there are.

Keep in mind, these pick ups (until I upgrade them) are two wire.

Thanks everyone for the support and help/answers to questions.

Honestly, this is my first build and it's been so much fun, it definitely won't be my last.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Oh and just tertiary to everything. My fridge died today. Landlord brings this over to do us over until the new one is in. I don't think they're getting this back....


----------



## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

Regarding the Tele (and Strat) wiring. I like the treble bleed circuit. It sure helps maintain a somewhat consistent tone when you roll the volume up or down.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

JBFairthorne said:


> Regarding the Tele (and Strat) wiring. I like the treble bleed circuit.


I have whatever treble bleed they sent with the original wiring harness. No idea what value the resistor is, but it's there? Lol


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Oh and it's worth mentioning again. Pots and 3 way switch from Next Gen Guitars. Solid guys (with a ton of knowledge) and super cool storefront.


----------



## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

Yeah I don’t know a ton about it beyond it’s practical use. I have Strats without it and the volume and tone controls don’t really work independently. One tends to affect the other.

On my Tele which has the circuit, the controls work more independently.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

JBFairthorne said:


> Yeah I don’t know a ton about it beyond it’s practical use. I have Strats without it and the volume and tone controls don’t really work independently. One tends to affect the other.
> 
> On my Tele which has the circuit, the controls work more independently.


That's great to know. Independence is what I'm aiming for. My very first Strat was like that as well (one affecting the other) and it drove me bonkers. So much in fact, that I bought a warlock haha.

I'm currently thinking about this wiring scheme (first pic) but I don't have a second capacitor so I may just do the standard single treble bleed(second pic). 

Gonna have to do some research lol


----------



## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

Lately I have been wiring teles so the tone control is hooked up only to the bridge.
So no tone control on the neck pickup.

I am pretty happy with it.

Nathan


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

nnieman said:


> Lately I have been wiring teles so the tone control is hooked up only to the bridge.
> So no tone control on the neck pickup.
> 
> I am pretty happy with it.
> ...


Definitely seen that wiring scheme and it looks great and straightforward. After doing some looking last night, I think I'll be doing a treble bleed and a grease bucket.

However for these stock pickups that came with the kit I wanna experiment and try something it'll probably be a more basic wiring set up


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Wow. So looking into Tele wiring was way more involved than I thought at the start lol

So as I posted before. Definitely looking to upgrade these pickups at some point (honestly, pickups and locking tuners are the only things that still need to be upgraded) and do some mods.

Currently thinking of a treble bleed and grease bucket mod.

After spending the past two days researching these mods, I still don't have a solid answer to the question "what do I need".

I'm planning on talking to the guys at NextGen on Monday to order the parts if I can figure out what I need. My electrical skills stop at soldering so figuring out the values is what's kicking my butt.

Can anyone suggest anything to help? Parts wise, values on the components, or even a link or picture.

I feel like I dip into you folks as a well of knowledge too much, but everyone on this forum has been so helpful, I can't help but bug you guys with questions haha


----------



## Farmboyjo (Aug 26, 2016)

...
I feel like I dip into you folks as a well of knowledge too much, but everyone on this forum has been so helpful, I can't help but bug you guys with questions haha[/QUOTE]

Yep. As far as getting useful advice, this place is very helpful and very patient. 
(I’ll be asking my own questions once I get all my sh!t together out of all my pieces).


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Farmboyjo said:


> ...
> I feel like I dip into you folks as a well of knowledge too much, but everyone on this forum has been so helpful, I can't help but bug you guys with questions haha


Yep. As far as getting useful advice, this place is very helpful and very patient. 
(I’ll be asking my own questions once I get all my sh!t together out of all my pieces).[/QUOTE]Very helpful indeed!

What's the next build for you?

Nice white Tele btw lol


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Ok so here's what I'm thinking. If any of you guys have experience with these mods, feel free to jump in.

Treble bleed: a 0.0022uf ceramic disk capacitor with a 120 ohm resistor wired in parallel. Both soldered to the "A" and "B" post of the volume knob.

Greasebucket: 0.022uf capacitor with a 4.7k resistor wired in series between ground and the "A" of the tone. Also, a 0.001uf capacitor between the "B" and "C" on the tone knob.

And since NextGen is having a sale this weekend, seems like the perfect time to grab all the parts lol


----------



## Farmboyjo (Aug 26, 2016)

@DaddyShred Right - I forgot my avatar was the semi-hollow Tele. LOL! It's a MIJ for the Japan market only. Colour is White Special Gold and is awesome in real life. "Working" on two strats right now. One typical SSS all vintage-y, one with a hardtail, Tele bridge PU, and headstock cut to Tele shape. Too many pieces, too many options (as I keep looking), not enough progress. Maybe you've motivated me for this weekend.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Farmboyjo said:


> @DaddyShred Right - I forgot my avatar was the semi-hollow Tele. LOL! It's a MIJ for the Japan market only. Colour is White Special Gold and is awesome in real life. "Working" on two strats right now. One typical SSS all vintage-y, one with a hardtail, Tele bridge PU, and headstock cut to Tele shape. Too many pieces, too many options (as I keep looking), not enough progress. Maybe you've motivated me for this weekend.


Man. She's gorgeous lol. My 72 thinline that I bought in the mid 2000s, was almost that white blonde colour. Would have got that one if the owner of the guitar shop hadn't been such a dick lol. Ended up getting the natural finish one (there's a pic in this thread somewhere lol)

I'm always happy to be motivation for people, it's honestly half the reason I'm posting this build. Seeing others on here and YouTube and other places got me the bug to build my first. My oldest was giving me a hand with the headstock last night lol.

My dad was a car guy and always ran by the idea that "if they're hooked on cars then they'll never have money for drugs and alcohol." that's gotta work for guitars too, right? Lol


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Last bit of Tung oil on the front, neck, and headstock last night. Gonna do the sides and back tonight but there's not much to see there lol.

Had some help from my oldest before bedtime last night. She wanted to work on the neck cuz she knows it's "the most important part"... I'm so glad she gets her smarts from her mother lol.

After the last coat of Tung on the sides and back ill be starting the assembly process. Had a guy at the local guitar shop, smack out the plastic nut on the neck. Bought a new Tusq one. Still have to wire up my Greasebucket and treble bleed. Still have to level, crown, and polish the frets. But I think we are about halfway there.

I don't wanna jinx it, but wanna have it totally done before the start of March. I wanna shred this thing on my birthday haha

Here's some pics from last night. Nothing special, except my kid haha

I took a pic of the body and neck as well with the exposure turned down. I used flourecent lights at my workbench so everything is over bright lol. Works well for working, not so much for pictures when I want to show the wood grain lol


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Was fooling around with a photo editor to really make the grain pop to show it to a friend.

Man, I wish the finish actually came out like this.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Remeber that time that I had a post saying "Im almost done and I think it'll be done by the start of March"?

Yeah that was a cute idea haha. Life gets in the way. Cest la vie.

Anyway. Next step done. Shielding the pickguard currently then the control cavity and pickup cavities (after some sanding). These stock pickups that came with the kit are (I'm assuming) going to get some help from the shielding. Still contemplating wether I'll solder them all together. I'll let my volt meter decide that. 

Obviously, I've finally decided on a pickguard colour. However (either because I have some false sense of it being exciting or just because I'm an ass) I'll reveal the pickguard choice when I slap it on the body.

Also as a side note. Shaping necks suuucks lol. Also, really weird how I can only post 3 or 4 pics tops. Even tho I'm a vip member. Weird... 

Fingers crossed the build will pick up as I get close to finishing and not slow down lol.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Is anyone, or know of anyone, who could give me a second set of eyes on my wiring diagram? I don't think I'd blow it up, but it's my first go at this, so, maybe? Haha


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

DaddyShred said:


> Is anyone, or know of anyone, who could give me a second set of eyes on my wiring diagram? I don't think I'd blow it up, but it's my first go at this, so, maybe? Haha


Which wiring diagram are you going with? 

Did you get any of the extra parts from Next Gen that you were considering?

You will do fine with the wiring. Take your time and focus on your soldering and creating quality (soldered) joints. 

Caps don't like too much heat. 
A heat sink of some sort is advised. Apologies if you know this.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

greco said:


> Which wiring diagram are you going with?
> 
> Did you get any of the extra parts from Next Gen that you were considering?
> 
> ...


I barely know anything when it comes to components of wiring. I knew I needed the obvious stuff (pots, pickups, switch, jack) but when it came to values, I was lost to begin with.

I did know pots don't like much heat but never thought about using some sort of heat sink, any recommendations?

I did get some parts from next gen. Already had my pots, switch (3 way), and I got a input jack. I also got what I need (I think) for a treble bleed and Greasebucket mod.

So what I've got was:
0.022uf cap
0.001uf cap
4.7kohm resistors
150ohm resistors
2200pf cap

Bret was super helpful (as Next Gen always is) with helping my pick the values.

So in the pic is my treble bleed (2200pf cap and 150ohm resistor) and the other parts for my greasebucket. Thinking about using the wiring diagram that I'm attaching as kind of my "base" then hooking up the mods and most others would.

I've drawn up a wiring diagram of my own as well. I'll post it if you'd like but it's damn chicken scratch haha


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

DaddyShred said:


> I did know pots don't like much heat but never thought about using some sort of heat sink, any recommendations?


An small alligator clip will work fine. See if you can find some inexpensive jumper leads with small clips. 











DaddyShred said:


> I've drawn up a wiring diagram of my own as well. I'll post it if you'd like but it's damn chicken scratch haha


Posting your diagram would be a good idea. That way, we can look at it and comment if there are issues.



DaddyShred said:


> Bret was super helpful (as Next Gen always is) with helping my pick the values.


@jbealsmusic and Bret at Next Gen are the best!


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

greco said:


> An small alligator clip will work fine. See if you can find some inexpensive jumper leads with small clips.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Alligator clips? Perfect! I've got close to a dozen already haha. Before I watched the video you posted, I was worried it was some sort of heat sink material (thinking kind heat sheilding)

Jon and Brett are my go to guys for any type of guitar/electronic parts. If I don't have or can't find an answer, they usually already know it lo.

And I'll post the diagram I've made up this evening.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

greco said:


> An small alligator clip will work fine. See if you can find some inexpensive jumper leads with small clips.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


So I came home today to find out this big thaw we are getting, is depositing all the water into my basement. Bloody hell. 

Ok. This is a SUPER quick diagram. Please don't judge me on it haha. I'll put everything I'm using as reference as well.

So first is my chicken scratch.
Second is the standard wiring to start.
Third is the Greasebucket.
Fourth is treble bleed. 

I WILL redo this tomorrow and post a clear schematic with all the correct values.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Ok. Here she goes. If anything is unclear, I'll totally explain it, just ask.

So my treble bleed components are:
2200pf cap
150 ohm resistor

Grease bucket is:
0.022 orange drop
4.7k ohm resistor in series

0.001 orange drop

So here is what I've kind of figured out. I hope it makes sense to someone lol. My biggest concern or point of confusion is on the last part of my treble bleed. The diagram I'm using says "out to Jack" (SUPER descriptive, I've highlighted the wire in green on my chicken scratch) so I'm unsure if it's to the jack ground (which is what I'm guessing) or to the sleeve.

Anyway. Here is what I've got. Fingers crossed I'm not too far off and that you guys and girls don't shake your head at my diagram


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

The "green" out to jack should go to the tip/hot part of the jack and not the ground. You have drawn it correctly. However, you have an additional wire going from the volume pot to the hot/tip of the jack. This wire should be eliminated...OR the green wire should be eliminated. You don't need both.
I would tend to eliminate the use of green wire, but my choice might be incorrect.

Wait for someone like @mhammer or @knight_yyz to conform/dispute my thinking .

Your diagram is well done.

REMEMBER to solder the bridge ground...it is so easy to forget! Also, leave extra wire in the control cavity from the pickups, bridge ground and output jack. If you ever want to work on the controls, you can roll the control plate over and the extra "service wire" will be appreciated at that time.


----------



## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

edited see below


----------



## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

A little late to the heatsink party.... but I use these made of aluminum


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I dunno. I'm not a fan of tone controls tied to the wiper of the volume pot. The tone and volume interact more in that configuration, such that adjusting the volume may require adjusting tone. To be fair, when the volume is up full, the volume wiper is essentially equal to the input lug, making no difference between the left and right drawings below. But if you adjust your volume from time to time, I personally think the drawing on the left works better.








On my guitars, I like to use this. The push-pull switch is optional. The tone pot is 1meg linear, and provides two different rolloffs, one in each direction. Rotating towards the 4n7 cap round off the edges of the sound and provides a little bit of midrange peak.








I think the value of the volume-pot compensation cap may be a little off. Typically, Fender will use something well under 500pf for a compensating cap, and you've got 2200pf in there, and also show a 150 ohm resistor. The 150R resistor will make the volume pot behave like it is up full until you turn down to 3 or so, which I don't think is what you want. If you use ONLY 2200pf, it will "work", but will function as a sort of bass cut until you turn down to maybe 5 or so, after which it begins to behave like a volume pot. I've used values of 1500pf when I wanted a volume control that _would_ provide a bit of bass cut. But my sense is that you were aiming for treble preservation, not bass cut. In which case, 220pf is a better choice.

Heat sinks are not obligatory. Overheating of components generally occurs when there is tarnish on the leads and one needs to apply heat for longer to get solder to flow. I like to make sure the leads and pot back are nice and shiny. If they aren't, it's nothing a little bit of scraping with an X-acto blade can't cure. Once you see shiny leads, tin them. Same goes for solder lugs on the pot. Then apply some solder to the back of the pot, and when you have a suitable secure blob, you can apply a bit more heat to the blob and melt it so that the lead from the component sinks into the blob.


----------



## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

Shoot, I just noticed a second wire that likes it does not belong. 

On the Volume pot, The lug with the wire going to the switch. You have it grounded to the tone pot. Pretty sure that does not belong either. that would mean every lug on the switch is a ground.


----------



## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

Ditch the wires in yellow!! Ditch the ground between pots if you have a metal control plate. That wire will introduce a ground loop and possible hum.

If you are using rear route with no metal control plate you must ground the two pots together.

As for values, I bow to mhammers experience. I'm a tool and diemaker that is good at reading schematics and really good at soldering. The relationship between the caps and resistors is not my forte.

But, the wire on lug 3 of your volume pot is supposed to get the signal from the pickup. But you have it going to ground at the tone pot so all the lugs on yourr switch are grounds and won;t pass the signal to the volume pot. The other wire at Lug one is not required either. That would just bypass your treble bleed if I am not mistaken. 


[@mhammer I would be curious to see what would happen if that "mod" was converted to 50's style. You could ditch the treble bleed and send the .022 cap and resistor to middle lug of the volume pot. Would that even work as intended? ]


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

This is me doing the "we're not worthy" bow from Wayne's world. I'm so glad I threw this up here for you guys to take a second look.

I'm much like @knight_yyz when it comes to my skill level, I think. I can read a schematic just fine and solder decently. But when it comes to values and how things interact together, that's where it all starts to get muddy. 

Maybe I should start by giving an idea of what I'm aiming for with these mods?

The treble bleed I'm aiming to have more treble come back into my sound as the tone value goes down. I usually run with my volume close to 10. I play with the tone knob a lot to get different sounds and if I'm playing light, I'm more likely to finger pick than turn my volume down.

The Greasebucket, to be honest, I heard some comparison videos pre and post mod and I liked the "clean up" of the tone. Seemed to really brighten and sharpen then sound. I figured this would be helpful because I'm stuck using (for now) stock pickups from Solo. Their pickups are decent compared to other guitar kits, but I'm guessing not as nice as some hot rails or tone specific or fender pickups.

Would a better approach be to wire this up like a stock telecaster (like one of the first stock schematic pictures I posted from Seymour or fender) and wait for mods until after I upgrade my pickups? Or just wire it as stated above and do the mods once I've ensured that it all works as stock?

And I've said it before and I'll definitely say it again. Thank you folks. I'm learning a hell of a lot during this build and it's because of you guys and girls.

First beer is on me lol


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Personally, I would start with the basic / stock wiring and add (and/or subtract) the mods one at a time after that. That way, you will have some idea as to their impact on the resultant tone and how the mods interact with each other.

You can try various combinations the mods (using different values of the components) with jumper wires.

Just a warning...this mod stuff can drive you nutty.


----------



## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

If it were me. I would wire it like a normal telecaster but use smaller values for the caps. "Normally" fender puts a .047uF atthe neck and .022uF at the bridge. Try
.022 at the neck and. .01 at the bridge. (or
.033/.015)
Now when you turn the tone knob you are rolling off half the highs compared to stock. Less roll off equals less volume loss. And if you go stock you can ditch the treble bleed and go for 50's wiring which is not quite as good as a treble bleed but it's close-ish. 


I have never heard a humbucker that sounds good with a. 047 cap and the tone turned all the way down. Useless. Same as the bridge. Why turn on the bright pickup then turn the tone down to nothing? Personally I use .0068uf on my strat bridges. Just enough to roll off the ice pick if it is there. Turn the tone to 0 and it still sounds useable


There is a Lindy Fralin video I reference all the time. He uses a. 0002uF (yes 3 zeros) cap at the bridge and I swear the tone sounds thicker than any other cap even with the tone wide open!


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

greco said:


> Personally, I would start with the basic / stock wiring and add (and/or subtract) the mods one at a time after that. That way, you will have some idea as to their impact on the resultant tone and how the mods interact with each other.
> 
> You can try various combinations the mods (using different values of the components) with jumper wires.
> 
> Just a warning...this mod stuff can drive you nutty.


It's already starting to. Clearly haha. I think I will be wiring it up stock and going from there. Adding and subtracting while it's on the workbench.

Also. I don't know if it's the same for guitars but I'm assuming I shouldn't use long leads because the length will change the values? There's a lot of resistance in a 10 foot jumper as opposed to straight alligator clips


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

knight_yyz said:


> If it were me. I would wire it like a normal telecaster but use smaller values for the caps. "Normally" fender puts a .047uF atthe neck and .022uF at the bridge. Try
> .022 at the neck and. .01 at the bridge. (or
> .033/.015)
> Now when you turn the tone knob you are rolling off half the highs compared to stock. Less roll off equals less volume loss. And if you go stock you can ditch the treble bleed and go for 50's wiring which is not quite as good as a treble bleed but it's close-ish.
> ...


I'm thankful that this doesn't have humbuckers. My old Tele (that I sold once the kids arrived) was the 72 thinline remake with dual humbuckers. Holy crap was she bright at all times lol.

I like your idea about 0.22 neck and 0.01 bridge. Do they both connect to A and B post? And no resistors?

Looks like I'm gonna go down the google rabbit hole again haha


----------



## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

Actually, I forgot it's a tele so you only need one cap. I would go with a .022 or a .015 or a .010. See how the cap goes from the tone pot to MIDDLE lug of the volume? That will help some of the volume loss when you roll off the tone. It's not as good as a treble bleed but it is better than modern wiring in my humble opinion. 

And as always, metal control plate means no ground wire from tone to volume. The metal plate grounds them both already.










Blue wire is to bridge


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

knight_yyz said:


> Actually, I forgot it's a tele so you only need one cap. I would go with a .022 or a .015 or a .010. See how the cap goes from the tone pot to MIDDLE lug of the volume? That will help some of the volume loss when you roll off the tone. It's not as good as a treble bleed but it is better than modern wiring in my humble opinion.
> 
> And as always, metal control plate means no ground wire from tone to volume. The metal plate grounds them both already.
> 
> ...


That's perfect thanks knight.

Also. Yeah. Forgot to mention I'm going metal Control plate.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

This is why I like the bidirectional tone control. With only one tone pot, you traditionally have to make a choice of tone cap value that is suitable for both pickups. The bidirectional control means you can have two different values that can be used for any pickup or combination.

The other perk is that it only takes half the rotation to go from full cut to full bright. If one happens to be into "pinky wah", that makes it a whole lot easier to do.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

mhammer said:


> This is why I like the bidirectional tone control. With only one tone pot, you traditionally have to make a choice of tone cap value that is suitable for both pickups. The bidirectional control means you can have two different values that can be used for any pickup or combination.
> 
> The other perk is that it only takes half the rotation to go from full cut to full bright. If one happens to be into "pinky wah", that makes it a whole lot easier to do.


Ok now I'm lost. Bidirectional tone? As in the 0 value is in the middle and the tone goes one way or the other?

I figured I'd ask this question here as opposed to Google because, well, clearly, google failed me before haha


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

DaddyShred said:


> Ok now I'm lost. Bidirectional tone? *As in the 0 value is in the middle and the tone goes one way or the other?*
> 
> I figured I'd ask this question here as opposed to Google because, well, clearly, google failed me before haha


Bingo. I don't think you'd have much luck with Google in this instance. The circuit is from this golden-oldie. It's the one in the lower left corner. One can either run the caps to ground and the wiper to the volume pot, or do it like the drawing shows. Works identically in each configuration. Craig includes a switch, which I omit. I also prefer to use a 1meg linear pot, instead of 500k, since in the middle position, it functions like two 500k tone pots in parallel. What Craig shows, works like a pair of 250k pots in parallel, which will bleed off a bit of treble all the time, even in the middle position. Some players may prefer that if their pickups are excessively bright. I use slightly higher-value caps, but what he shows is fine as well. The ratio of values is key here, and he adheres to a 5:1 ratio.

The circuit on the far right is a fascinating one for HB pickups, and was used in the old Peavey T-60 guitars. Imagine the pot is rotated fully to the CW direction. The coil between the tap and ground is now cancelled/bypassed. C1 and the 500k pot provide a series connection to ground, and look /work identical to a normal tone control turned all the way up to full bright. As the tone pot starts to get rotated in the other direction, the resistance between "coil tap" and ground is increased, gradually bringing in that second previously-cancelled coil. When it is rotated fully in that direction, C1 is connected directly to ground.

So, the control pans from bright single coil, through to both coils with little to no treble cut, to both coils with full treble cut. It is essentially a tone control and coil-cancelling "switch" on a continuous control, without requiring a switch. The requirement is that you have easy access to the junction between the two coils. The idea came from inventor/pedal-steel-player Red Rhodes ( Red Rhodes - Wikipedia ).


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

mhammer said:


> Bingo. I don't think you'd have much luck with Google in this instance. The circuit is from this golden-oldie. It's the one in the lower left corner. One can either run the caps to ground and the wiper to the volume pot, or do it like the drawing shows. Works identically in each configuration. Craig includes a switch, which I omit. I also prefer to use a 1meg linear pot, instead of 500k, since in the middle position, it functions like two 500k tone pots in parallel. What Craig shows, works like a pair of 250k pots in parallel, which will bleed off a bit of treble all the time, even in the middle position. Some players may prefer that if their pickups are excessively bright. I use slightly higher-value caps, but what he shows is fine as well. The ratio of values is key here, and he adheres to a 5:1 ratio.
> 
> The circuit on the far right is a fascinating one for HB pickups, and was used in the old Peavey T-60 guitars. Imagine the pot is rotated fully to the CW direction. The coil between the tap and ground is now cancelled/bypassed. C1 and the 500k pot provide a series connection to ground, and look /work identical to a normal tone control turned all the way up to full bright. As the tone pot starts to get rotated in the other direction, the resistance between "coil tap" and ground is increased, gradually bringing in that second previously-cancelled coil. When it is rotated fully in that direction, C1 is connected directly to ground.
> 
> So, the control pans from bright single coil, through to both coils with little to no treble cut, to both coils with full treble cut. It is essentially a tone control and coil-cancelling "switch" on a continuous control, without requiring a switch. The requirement is that you have easy access to the junction between the two coils. The idea came from inventor/pedal-steel-player Red Rhodes ( Red Rhodes - Wikipedia ).


You guys have really given me a lot to think about. So much so that.... I'm off to neck work haha. I'll be figuring out the wiring pretty soon (even sooner if I can't leave the house)

Working right now on leveling, crowning and polishing the frets. First time (like most of this build) but it seems pretty straight forward as long as I pay attention and go slow.

And I know it wouldn't fit with the rest of the build but, tbh... The blue frets kind of work for me lol


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Let me guess: the blue is from the Sharpie, and is intended to identify low-lying spots as you go about levelling them?


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

mhammer said:


> Let me guess: the blue is from the Sharpie, and is intended to identify low-lying spots as you go about levelling them?


Yes sir.

I'm hoping that makes this idiot proof.

I did identify a few high frets but that was about 3 near the headstock and one or two around 12 or 14.

Using 600 grit and the weight of a beam level to get this done.

If I use a level to level my frets, it's gotta come out perfect. Right? Lol


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Also currently getting a live musical performance from this drum protégé


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

He's completely ignoring those great green, pink and blue toms stacked up in the corner by the toy kitchen!


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

mhammer said:


> He's completely ignoring those great green, pink and blue toms stacked up in the corner by the toy kitchen!


Haha doesn't ignore them. He just knows the real drums are louder. He's only three and might have a pretty big metal streak in him lol.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Hey all. Just a quick update post.

I seriously hope you all are doing well and are safe and healthy. This world is crazy lately.

I've still been as busy as ever and unfortunately that means my project has taken a back seat. I've had the neck ready for leveling and crown and polishing since my last post. Basically it's comes down to me leveling my frets 20 minutes at a time. At this rate, I'm sure the coronavirus will be a distant memory by the time this guitar plugs in haha.

Fingers crossed my work listens to everything going on and shuts down shortly. If/when that happens I'll be full steam on this project.

I'm the meantime, here's a discussion we could all have, or bounce ideas off of each other:

Pickups. 

How do you guys pick yours? Obviously the sound of tone is a huge factor but do you guys stick to a brand? Do you always stick with single coils or humbuckers? Or does it depend on the guitar/what you use it for? I've always had a single coil option and a dual humbuckers option (used to run a Jay turser parts/stratocaster and a BC Rich warlock with dual hummers) but I never ventured into different pickups and such. Maybe it was inherint hesitation about electronics lol

Anyway, hope everyone's healthy and we all get through this together.... But separate haha

Keep shreddin
\m/


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Heyyyy what do ya know. Got some time today to head down to the shop and work on the guitar. Great start to a Sunday.

Leveled my frets and started the crowning process. Found out (thankfully on a high fret that I started on first) that my crowning file I ordered is literal junk haha. The concave isn't even and some of the file sections are flat. So that has been 86'd.

Currently using my fret guard and a small triangle file. It's going to be a slower process but the results will be worlds apart from what I would have gotten using that POS crowning tool.

Plan is to get the neck work done before standing up from this chair. Then maybe headstock decal tonight before laying the fine coat of Tung oil on the back of the neck.

We will see what this week holds for me, work wise. Might be done this project by this Friday. Or the first Friday in September. Who knows haha


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

8 down.

14 to go.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Leveling, crowning, polishing all done.

This was seriously a lot more than I expected to get done today but the wife's been amazing with letting me stay down here. Especially since she's the one home with all four of them through the week now with this Covid business....


Anyway. I think the results are decent. I'm sure I'm not 100% on the leveling or the crowning but this is my first shot at it. Can't complain really, I didn't screw anything up!

I'll probably put on the headstock logo tonight and that way it can dry fully for a day or two before I put some spray coats of clear on the front of the headstock.


Here's some progress pictures, don't really know how much will show, but that could just be because I'm on a phone....


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

I now need a smoke and a beer 

Knowing how much these decals cost was seriously weighing on my mind when I applied this.

That being said, it went perfectly.

Flawless from the first pull, included instructions were on point. And went off without a hitch. I'm honestly super pumped about this decal going on so well.

Makes me worried for when I put the rest back together haha

Thank you so much again @Lincoln for the decal that went on the headstock. And also thank you @Jimmy_D for the decal that, annoyingly, didn't fit on this headstock because it's not an actual fender. You gents are salt of the earth for coming in so clutch!


----------



## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

Looks great!

Ive done a few and I still effed up the last one I did (but it’s for me so I don’t care)

Nathan


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

nnieman said:


> Looks great!
> 
> Ive done a few and I still effed up the last one I did (but it’s for me so I don’t care)
> 
> Nathan


Thanks Nathan!

With only having one decal that would work, and it being my first time, I was kinda on edge lol. But I cant complain because it worked well.

Clear coat goes on tonight!


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

DaddyShred said:


> Leveling, crowning, polishing all done.
> 
> This was seriously a lot more than I expected to get done today but the wife's been amazing with letting me stay down here. Especially since she's the one home with all four of them through the week now with this Covid business....
> 
> ...


Those frets look like they should be in a jeweller's shop! Not often a fretboard becomes bling.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

mhammer said:


> Those frets look like they should be in a jeweller's shop! Not often a fretboard becomes bling.


Haha thanks!!

It's lipstick on a pig lol. I won't know till I string it but I might be redoing the fret level. We will see how the intonation is once I'm done


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Can anyone else see where/how I screwed up? 

Probably no one would notice, especially when I play this at gigs. But my own OCD is going to be kicking my butt about it lol

Hopefully wiring this weekend because that clear coat has to sit for a week to get hard enough to install the tuners.

Hope everyone is healthy and safe


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

DaddyShred said:


> Can anyone else see where/how I screwed up?


Nope ...and my curiosity is killin' me!


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

greco said:


> Nope ...and my curiosity is killin' me!


Haha my fault, in the picture on my phone it's clear as day but the quality dropped a bit.

The decal, right where it says telecaster, I guess I waited too long to apply the clear. The letters at the bottom seem to be shriveled a bit. Corners curling, that kind of thing.

My buddy who sprays clear for a living says it might level out over the next week as it dries. I sure as heck hope so lol.


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Can't really see it clearly...even in an enlarged pic. Hope the decal will level out and your OCD can "relax" a bit!


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

greco said:


> Can't really see it clearly...even in an enlarged pic. Hope the decal will level out and your OCD can "relax" a bit!
> 
> View attachment 301988


Haha I hope so too.

You can kind of see it in that picture. Mostly in "caster" the A and S.

Like I said. Just my OCD lol


----------



## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

The clear coat should be dry enough to carefully sand down the curl.
Then shoot it with clear again.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

laristotle said:


> The clear coat should be dry enough to carefully sand down the curl.
> Then shoot it with clear again.


Oh nice! I'll see if I can get to it today.

It's got to be within the next 24hrs though, otherwise my clear will have gone through its shelf life


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Hey all.

So, because of everything going on in the world lately, I needed a win. So I decided to just mock up the Tele and give myself a sneak peak of what it'll look like.

So. By a show of hands. Who double checks the diameter of their pots before ordering/Installing?

Not me  lol

Got the neck on, pickguard, bridge. Went to do the control plate and went "when I did this before I just dropped in, hmmm" then saw both sides of the pots overlapping the cavity. So I think I'll bring it to the guy who made my pickguard and get him to route it out. Definitely going to make sure he's got the control plate as well so the cavity doesn't get too large.

Well. At least it looks good with the neck on haha.

Also posting pics with the neck on. And maybe some more closeups of the decal haha


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Ok so the guitar has been at my buddy's shop getting the control cavity routed out (he's doing me a favour, not going to rush him). In the meantime I've been redoing the guitars on the wall in my bedroom. 

Some of you might have seen a picture I posted near the start of this thread with three guitars on my wall. Well, long story short, I thought I hit the studs in all three spots....I didn't. 

I woke up one morning and noticed my warlock, my pride and joy, about 30 seconds away from hitting the ground. SO I decided to make up a board to mount to the wall before the hangers. 

Couldn't just do a normal board. So this weekend I grabbed a piece of pine lumber from my pile. Sanded it down real nice and then burned it. You should have seen my wife's face when she turned around and the board was fully engulfed in 18 inch high flames (outside of course)

So that gave the stain a cool pattern and then I grabbed the propane torch and gave it some sort of pattern. I was kind of going for darker in the middle and kind of a gradual "hill" down towards the ends. 

Kind of worked. But this is my first go at burning anything that wasn't in a fire pit. 

Anyway. I should be getting the Tele back tomorrow and off to the races we go. 

Stay safe everyone


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

I might be jumping the gun by posting this pic but it's great lol

Got one big hurdle to get over still and then back to wiring and tuners and strings. Then setup. 

We are almost there boys and girls.


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

That pickguard looks great.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Budda said:


> That pickguard looks great.


Totally agree. 

I put it on here about which to pick (I had this black birch ply and a walnut one) and it was overwhelmingly black. It's totally grown on me too. I love the look. Makes the guitar have kind of a throwback look to the butterscotch and black teles.


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

My tele was supposed to have a wooden guard, the wood is sitting in bags in my car port haha.

Once it gets refinished I'll revisit getting that done.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Budda said:


> My tele was supposed to have a wooden guard, the wood is sitting in bags in my car port haha.
> 
> Once it gets refinished I'll revisit getting that done.


I cheated and got a guy I know to make me up one lol. 

Best part is, he used a laser cutter to make the pickguard. So while he was working on it, he scanned the body into the system so he can make me another body at any time out of any wood. Assuming I was another Tele next.....which is quite possible lol


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Oh I have no intention of making it myself.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Budda said:


> Oh I have no intention of making it myself.


If you're ever in Ottawa, I can send you the guys details for his shop. 

Tbh, I think he ships Canada wide as well


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

So thankfully I was able to avoid something that could have totally screwed my guitar body. 

I dropped off the guitar at a custom woodworking shop, that shall go unnamed, to rout out the control cavity. Told them I needed an extra 1/8 inch on either side. I even gave them the control plate with all the hardware in it to make sure everything fit and lined up. 

They took 1/4 inch off one side. 

Any farther and the control cavity would have been too big on the bridge side. Luckily I was able to hand sand the bottom side enough to get everything to fit with only the slightest gap right by the 3 way switch on the bridge side. 

So with that over I was able to get the shielding done this evening. Might have been an unnecessary step for some guitars, but with these no name pickups, I wanted to cross all my T's and dot my I's lol. 

Fingers crossed, by the end of the week, I'll have this baby wired up (standard tele wiring) and the button it up this weekend. 

Once it's all done and I'm happy with it after plugging it in, I'll start working on those mods I was talking about. 

On a side note. I have a buddy who is lending me is 70s Yamaha 212 for me to jam on. Very excited about that paired with my Tele (for now lol)

Hope everyone is safe and healthy

Cheers!


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

So. I started and finished the wiring this evening. Tuners installed, all strung up. Now begins the feeling out process lol. 

I've got string buzz, no biggie. I'll let it sit for a day and adjust the truss rod tomorrow. I haven't done anything with the new nut other than take it out of the package, so I don't believe that to be the culprit of such low action. Also, my 3 barrel adjusters in the bridge are all topped out currently. 


I've seen so many wiring diagrams and you guys have all helped me out so much, I think I just had a brain fart and now I'll have to go over it all. But, just incase anything is obvious to you folks, I'll put it down here. 

So my bridge and neck are switched, and my middle had no output. I'm GUESSING that I've basically wired up my 3 way switch backwards. My initial thought was "oh just switch the neck and bridge around" but that wouldn't fix my middle position issue. Would that be caused by my jumper not being attached to the right poles because I was looking at the switch backwards? 

Anyway, I snapped a few photos of my wiring. Black wire (that has the heat shrink) is my bridge ground. White wire is my output jack). Oh, and I did put in the treble bleed, going to hold off on the grease bucket until I have the entire setup dialed it 

Hope these pictures are clear and I don't get too roasted over my soldering.....I'd rather be welding


----------



## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

My concern would be contact of the wire to the 3rd tab when you flip the control panel over.
You may want to tape it or something.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

laristotle said:


> My concern would be contact of the wire to the 3rd tab when you flip the control panel over.
> You may want to tape it or something.
> 
> View attachment 306420


I definitely can tonight. Could that contact cause my middle position to have no output?


----------



## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

Make sure you don’t have any wires shorting out and your grounds are good.
Bad grounds can make a circuit do weird things 
It looks like the neck hot wire is shorting out but it’s hard to tell from pics.

Nathan


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

I'll make sure that's not the case tonight. 

After the issue first happened I took the plate back off and jack back out, like in the pics, and plugged it back in to test. Same issue, pickups switched and middle no output. I don't think anything was touching then, but I'm not 100 percent sure.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

nnieman said:


> Make sure you don’t have any wires shorting out and your grounds are good.
> Bad grounds can make a circuit do weird things
> It looks like the neck hot wire is shorting out but it’s hard to tell from pics.
> 
> Nathan


Another, just general question, about the grounds. 

On the back of my volume pot, the pickup grounds and bridge ground are in the same solder joint. I layered the wires then soldered all at once. Is that the right way to do it? Or should I have twisted them together and tinned before attaching to the pot?


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

I would consider resoldering the output jack terminals...


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

greco said:


> I would consider resoldering the output jack terminals...
> 
> View attachment 306432


Definitely can. They're mostly soldered from the inside lol but agreed, that's definitely an issue


----------



## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

DaddyShred said:


> Another, just general question, about the grounds.
> 
> On the back of my volume pot, the pickup grounds and bridge ground are in the same solder joint. I layered the wires then soldered all at once. Is that the right way to do it? Or should I have twisted them together and tinned before attaching to the pot?


That’s how I do it.
I have never twisted them.
It would make it real difficult if you ever wanted to change a pickup.

It can’t hurt to reflow them.
If I ever have a grounding issue 9 times out if 10 it’s the back of the pot.
Or I forgot that I’m building not a tele and i am not bolting everything to a metal plate (that’s happened more than once lol)

Nathan


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

nnieman said:


> That’s how I do it.
> I have never twisted them.
> It would make it real difficult if you ever wanted to change a pickup.
> 
> ...


The whole "replacing a pickup" is the main reason I didn't twist them together (come onnn father's day lol) 

What does reflow mean? Heating up the connection and adding more solder?

The fact I'm working is officially a double edged sword. Happy to be here for our clients who need us, but damn, I'd rather be sitting at the workbench figuring this out haha


----------



## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

DaddyShred said:


> The whole "replacing a pickup" is the main reason I didn't twist them together (come onnn father's day lol)
> 
> What does reflow mean? Heating up the connection and adding more solder?
> 
> The fact I'm working is officially a double edged sword. Happy to be here for our clients who need us, but damn, I'd rather be sitting at the workbench figuring this out haha


Reflow means I heat it up until the solder flows.
I don’t think you need to add any more solder.

I like to see the solder look like it’s flowing into the back of the pot.
Yours looks like it *might * be a cold solder joint.
It could be fine, it’s pretty much impossible to diagnose via a tiny pic on my cell phone.

Did you sand/scrape/file a spot on the back of the pot to solder to?
I always do that first.
I also use a dap of flux on the back of the pot.
Kind of a belt and suspenders approach but I hate having to chase wiring issues.

Nathan


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

I'll definitely heat that pot up again to reflow the solder tonight. 

I did use Emery cloth to scuff up the back off the tone and volume pot. Laid a puddle, put my wires on and heated it up again, then held the wires down with the soldering iron and added more solder. 

And don't worry, I'm a suspenders kind of guy too. I've always believed there two ways to do things. Right, and over. Currently, I'm doing things over lol


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Eureka

So I ended up resoldering the jack, heating up the grounds on the volume and repositioned them, and flipped/rewired my switch. 

Plugged it in, works mint. 

Still have to address the neck/setup, but that will be another night. Along with some pictures of the finished product with some string trees.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Quick question for you folks. 

So my 1st fret, high e, buzzes. 

The rest of the string is above the frets and I can play the whole way up with no issues. 

My inexperience is showing when it comes to this. String tree that I still have to install with obviously not help. I haven't done anything to the nut out of the package. Didn't think it would have anything to do with my bridge adjustment because every other fret on that string is fine. 

Could the fret itself be too high and I didn't pay enough attention to it when I did my neck work? Also kind of hard to use a fret rocker on the lowest fret lol

Anyone have any advice?


----------



## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

yes, it could be a fret too high. I find most of the time that a high fret on the first string, is usually a loose fret that has "popped" up a bit. Even more so in a case like yours where the other 5 strings play ok in that position. It would be the second fret that you'd want to check out. Be sure and check that your neck has some relief, and you're not fighting a back-bow or something. Loose frets can be glued back down in most cases. or just filed down if they're not loose.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Lincoln said:


> yes, it could be a fret too high. I find most of the time that a high fret on the first string, is usually a loose fret that has "popped" up a bit. Even more so in a case like yours where the other 5 strings play ok in that position. It would be the second fret that you'd want to check out. Be sure and check that your neck has some relief, and you're not fighting a back-bow or something. Loose frets can be glued back down in most cases. or just filed down if they're not loose.


Stupid question, but could I tap it back down with my fret hammer? Lol 

I rocked the first few frets in line with the e string, nothing rocks (pun kind of intended). 

It'd be nice if I didn't have to take off my only set of strings to level beam the frets again though. If it's gotta be done tho, it'll get done.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

@Lincoln and just to be clear, you may be right on the back bow. I haven't put my neck checker on since the other night when I redid my wiring. That was going to be my first step this evening, but my night is beginning to look like I won't get down into the shop again


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Will I say it's done? No. But it plays!!

Just finished up with it for the night. Got it plugged in. All strings ringing great. Still got a lot of tweaking to do. And honestly, I probably won't be happy until I bring it down to my local guy for a once over. 

So that string buzz? How'd I fix it....well....I cheated. I honestly couldn't get to the point where I was confident that truss rod adjustment was fixing anything, so I almost topped out my bridge barrels to get the strings to at least ring. Action is really low now, like buzzing under heavy picking (not strumming). Thinking I'll leave it for a day or two for the string tension to do its thing, then go a touch the truss rod again. But honestly at this point, I'm kind of lost in the weeds between barrels, nut, truss rod. 

Other than that though, she looks great. 

Snapped a couple pictures. Now, for a beer and to go watch and read every setup video/troubleshooting forum I can find. 

This whole pandemic needs to bugger off already so we can all get back to normal life. And so I can get to the music store for locking tuners lol

PS: I really hope I don't find in the morning that my Hercules hangers don't like the Tele headstock haha


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

And although the Tele isn't done, I've gotta say thank you to all of you for your input and advise and expertise. 

Specifically though, I've gotta thanks @Lincoln and @Jimmy_D for the Fender waterslide decals. These guys literally just sent them to me out of the blue and I'm so thankful for that. 

Also, like most of you @jbealsmusic for the pots, switch, knobs, jack, mod parts, and all the help over the phone. Both Jon and Brett. 

Also. I want to thank all the little peo--im kidding I'm kidding. 

Honestly though. My daughter and I are looking for her first project and we can't wait to get started!


----------



## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

It looks awesome!

Come back to the string buzz in a bit, let it sit for a few days and see if it’s still there.

Nathan


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Thanks @nnieman! 

I'm gonna keep my fingers crossed a few days by itself on the bench brings things to a point where I am able to lower the barrels. 

My patience for waiting on projects kills me sometimes. My kids take all my patience lol


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Congrats!
Just curious...Why are the saddles angled so much?


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

@greco lol yeah I was wondering that myself. I believe it happened when I was adjusting those barrels under string tension. As the stud was turned, it slid on the bridge. They're all off to the right because I was raising them all.


----------



## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

DaddyShred said:


> @greco lol yeah I was wondering that myself.


OK. The main thing is that you noticed it.


----------



## Farmboyjo (Aug 26, 2016)

Hey congrats DaddyShred! That looks like you’ve got something to be proud of. I’ve had two sets of Strat parts sitting in the basement since July, and your posts and willingness to ‘just do it’ and see what happens have really motivated me to get at my projects. My problem is trying to focus & finish just one of them and not go back and forth. 

I’m sure another week or two of tweaking and tuning and you’ll have your favourite Tele in your hands.


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Farmboyjo said:


> Hey congrats DaddyShred! That looks like you’ve got something to be proud of. I’ve had two sets of Strat parts sitting in the basement since July, and your posts and willingness to ‘just do it’ and see what happens have really motivated me to get at my projects. My problem is trying to focus & finish just one of them and not go back and forth.
> 
> I’m sure another week or two of tweaking and tuning and you’ll have your favourite Tele in your hands.


Thanks man! I'm really happy with the look of it, getting through those tweaks to really dial in the playability. 

I totally know where you're coming from in regards to putting projects on rotating back burners lol. I've got kids so working on the guitar was mostly done after bedtime. And honestly, a lot of days it was easier to grab a beer instead of heading down to the shop.

Hope to see some of your builds on the forum, are any here already?


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

This will probably be my last post in this thread (unless I can get out and take some seriously decent pictures of the guitar) 

I couldn't pass up this shot though. Buddy just lent me this 1972 Yamaha 212. She absolutely rips. 

Hope everyone is safe and well


----------



## DaddyShred (Aug 11, 2019)

Edit: my bad, totally thought that picture attached


----------



## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Awesome!


----------



## nnieman (Jun 19, 2013)

Looks great!

Nathan


----------



## Farmboyjo (Aug 26, 2016)

Looking good. Must be nice to have it finished. 
Now on to the next. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------

