# My Telecaster Project



## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

I am starting this thread in order to keep track of my first guitar build. I've barely started and I still haven't planned every part out or chosen every color yet but I have decided to build a Telecaster style guitar. I received the piece of Ash in the mail this morning and apparently my first step is going to be to laminate two pieces together as the wood is only 9" wide. I'll most likely be uploading pictures of every step and asking questions along the way so I appreciate any help that I receive. I'm very excited.


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## RIFF WRATH (Jan 22, 2007)

Congrats.
Still anxiously waiting on my kit. To do from scratch is out of my league at this point. Are you building or buying the neck?
cheers
RIFF


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

I'm pretty sure I'll be buying the neck. That seems like something that has to be perfect or it just won't sound right.


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## Lowtones (Mar 21, 2006)

Congratulations, I look forward to watching your build.


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## elcabong (Mar 6, 2006)

Congrats! Interesting project; do you have any drawings or reference?

This is something I may try in the future. I will be watching. :banana:


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Yeah I've got a scanned drawing and someone had a hand sketch that they sent me.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Here is the drawing I received and printed at work. I was able to print it at work using a plotter so it's scaled at 1:1.








Here's the piece of Ash that I ordered. It's 54" long, 9" wide and 2" thick.








I glued the drawing to a piece of MDF and cut it out using a bandsaw. After sanding the edges to match the drawing perfectly I can use it as a template to cut out the Ash once it's laminated.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

I had a telecaster made for me by one of the "old hands" on TDPRI. He sent me pictures of the guitar in progress. I posted them on this website - they may be of some use to you:

Tele


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## peter benn (Mar 29, 2007)

Dublin 82: Before you get too far with drilling holes, obtain a real US Fender OV bridge, and the US ferrules, and the US neck plate. Having a quality neck with machines mounted ahead of time won't hurt, either. Plus a quality pickguard. This is all to prevent misalignment of key parts that might spoil your later aesthetic and utilitarian experience.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Yeah I was going to see which parts I should order first. I was going to use 'Warmoth.com'.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Almost done sanding the template edges. I'm going to order some parts in the next few days but I can't afford to order everything at once. Which are the first one's I should get?


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

The bridge and the complete neck (with nut machine heads, plate and bolts). Playability comes first and you will need to mock up the guitar to make sure you are on the right track.

The pickguard is important, but it can be 'made to fit' if you need to make minor adjustments. It would really suck to find out that your pickup is off center at the end of the build, so I would recomend exercising a little patience and gathering all of the parts first, it might save you some grief.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Does anyone have a typical parts list for a Telecaster. I want to make sure I've ordered every part I need and don't have to wait for a screw or something small that I forgot. So far I've listed:

Body
Neck
Pickup - Lead
Pickup - Rhythm
Bridge
Tuning Machines
String Ferrules
Pickguard
Neck Plate
Knob - Volume
Knob - Tone
Knob - Switch
Input Jack
Input Cup
Strap Holders


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## elcabong (Mar 6, 2006)

Dublin82 said:


> Body
> Neck
> Pickup - Lead
> Pickup - Rhythm
> ...


A few things I do not see in your list (some may be bundled with your items):

Selector switch
Neck plate screws
Pickguard screws
Control plate
Pots

That's about all I can think of!


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Finally some progress! I ordered the neck from Warmoth.com. I went with their "Pro" Telecaster neck, unfinished (so I'll be doing that myself), "Boat" radius on the back of the neck and drilled for "Gotoh Tuners" which I'll be ordering in a few weeks. I ordered this first just so I could make sure I router the body out to the right size where it connects to the neck. Any tips for finishing the neck yourself?


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## Greenman (Feb 18, 2007)

For the back of two of my basses necks I used Minwax Fast-Drying satin polyurethane. It feels fast and not sticky like some gloss finishes. Cheap and easy to use.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Cool thanks. So I just buy a can of this stuff and follow the directions?


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## Greenman (Feb 18, 2007)

Dublin82 said:


> Cool thanks. So I just buy a can of this stuff and follow the directions?


Warmoth necks come sealed with an oil based sealer so they are ready to go. Just scuff and clean before and between coats.


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## Lowtones (Mar 21, 2006)

Two things I would like to suggest. 1. The first thing that you must do is mark a center line on the guitar body as well as your template to use as a reference for everything else. Then mark a centerline down the neck when you get it. I use a regular pencil or a white colored pencil for darker wood. The reason for this that if your neck pocket is not perfect, You have the necesary reference to be able to accurately align the neck, body and center the bridge. You can check this with a straight edge. If those are true then everything else will be. I mark the center of everything when I make a guitar. If the mark gets sanded or rubbed out I re-draw it. It's an essential reference.
2. For finishing your neck I would like to suggest Min Wax tung oil. There are many brands of tung oil on the market but from personal experience Min Wax is great for this application. It will give you a very pro looking finish in either gloss or satin. Just apply a light coat with a sponge stick and wait two or three minutes and wipe it off with a lint free cloth. You should then let it dry for at least six hours. Usually you can do two coats a day and lightly scuff every two or three coats with 0000 steel wool. It will take about six coats to really build it up but you will get a great finish. Do not try to brush it on and let it dry thick as it will not turn out as well. After you have built the neck up to the finish you want, very lightly buff the neck one last time with the steel wool then wipe it down with Old English furniture oil. You will have a slick and sexy feeling neck that will look like it came right off of the show room floor.


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## Greenman (Feb 18, 2007)

Unfortunately Warmoth will not waranty a neck with an oil finish unless it's Tru-Oil.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Got the neck in the mail on Friday. Very quick delivery because they had the one I requested in stock. It's got the fretwire installed and the tuner & mounting holes already drilled. I'll post some pics tonight.


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## elcabong (Mar 6, 2006)

What radius and fretwire size have you specified?


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

The fretwire is 6130 (.106" X .036") which is the lowest and the same as most Gibson necks. The contour of the back of the neck was one they called "Boat". I've got big hands and this one was the tallest but not the widest.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

OK I got my pickups over Christmas (Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro II) and I'm going to get the cavities routered this weekend. I was going to pick up the paint soon too. Does anyone have the name of the finish I should buy to get the finish show below? It seems to be the most popular finish I've seen. Also, I know to use Min wax on the neck but what tint do I use to get the vintage look? The kind of darker brown.









Thanks.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Dublin82 said:


> I was going to pick up the paint soon too. Does anyone have the name of the finish I should buy to get the finish show below?


I've never done any refinishing myself, but I've read lots of reports on it over at TDPRI. Everyone there seems to love the Reranch products and their site has a ton of information on finishing etc:

http://www.reranch.com/basics.htm


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Cool thanks!


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Finally got some more work done over the weekend.









Here's the test piece of MDF we made by using the template.








Then we used double-sided tape to attach the template to the body.








My Uncle did the routering and my Dad vaccuumed up the sawdust.








And then I tried out fitting the neck into the body and it was perfect.


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## RIFF WRATH (Jan 22, 2007)

coming along awesome
cheers
RIFF


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Dublin82 said:


> My Uncle did the routering and my Dad vaccuumed up the sawdust.
> 
> And then I tried out fitting the neck into the body and it was perfect.


You are spoiled .... somebody to suck up the dust?? 

I had to buy a machine to do it. It was a tele weekend in Canada for sure..:smilie_flagge17:
My stack of Teles from the weekend.


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## RIFF WRATH (Jan 22, 2007)

Shoretus
that is gorgeous grain. natural finish would be awesome.
cheers
RIFF


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Thanks for the support guys. Yeah that grain does look beautiful in your Shoretyus.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Got a bit more done this weekend.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Also, I have a question. How do you install the nut? I know it's supposed to be tight so I tried pushing it into the groove but I couldn't get it in all the way. I thought if I tried to force it too hard or hammer it I may break it since it is bone. Any suggestions? Thanks.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

I was going to make an Irish joke ( with a name like Patrick Joseph I am allowed) but then I saw the Irish Spring in the background. 

You will have to sand the nut down. 

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Nuts,_saddles/a-nuts.html

looking good. 

I am glung fret boards on to necks today.


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## Milothicus (May 22, 2007)

it really doesn't need to be that tight. it shouldn't rattle or move, but it's common to use a drop of glue to keep it still. the strings also really help to keep it in place. it shouldn't need a hammer to put it in.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Ah my Dad's Patrick Joseph too and I'm Sean Patrick. I guess the Irish aren't exactly creative with their name's.

Thanks for the tips. I think I'll file and sand a bit to get it to fit a little easier.

Thanks guys.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

What's the Galic say?


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

It's the Gaelic word for cheers. Pronounced "Shlonte".


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Got a little bit more done in the last week. Mostly drilling holes.


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## bagpipe (Sep 19, 2006)

Dublin82 said:


> My Uncle did the routering and my Dad vaccuumed up the sawdust.


I haven't really been following this thread but I think thats an awesome picture. If you hold onto this guitar, years later you will have the memory of you, your Dad and your uncle working on this together. You should treasure that memory.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

OK all of the woodwork is done. All of the holes are drilled and every single part is here. I sanded the whole thing down this weekend to 220 grit. I'm not sure what steps to do for the finishing of the body. I know I want to use a stain to dye it dark blue and I want to finish it with Tung Oil. Where do I go from here? Is the stain the next step or is there something between? Thanks.


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

Do a complete assemble and test it to make sure you can get it to play as you would like it to. You don't have to do a complete set up or anything, but just make sure that everything is going the right way and you're reasonably shure that you can get it to play to how you want. If you need to make adjustments it is less work to do them now.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Actually I didn't mention it but I did that as well. Everything fits nicely.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Raise the grain.. then sand some more. The oil work over the stain? Not sure about that. I'd be tempted to spray it with nitro myself.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Nitro? What type of finish does that leave?


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Dublin82 said:


> Nitro? What type of finish does that leave?


Shiney?


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Oh I see. Looks nice but I was hoping for kind of a matte finish. Maybe even so you could feel the grain a bit.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Then oil would be the easiest for you. But... try doing a sample of stain then oil it to see how it's going to work.
Typically guitars are finished in a nitrocellouse finish, wet sanded and polished. Poly -urethane is also used. That will also give you a hard but matte finish. both must be sprayed but are available in spray cans. A bit of an art but not rocket science.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Great. I'm going to Lee Valley this weekend and hopefully they'll have some tips too. Thanks for the help.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Dublin82 said:


> Great. I'm going to Lee Valley this weekend and hopefully they'll have some tips too. Thanks for the help.


Leonard will love your money  they have lots of stuff


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

I stained the body this weekend with a "Peacock Blue" stain that I picked up at Lee Valley. I've done two coats so far and I like the color.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Blue on the Irish Caster?? Ya well that came out of know where. 

I do like it. 

carry on


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Oh believe me, green was my choice from the beginning but after looking through my collection of guitars and seeing three green one's already, I ultimately moved on to blue.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Almsot done. I just need to string it and test it out now. I'll post some pics as soon as I can.

Hammering in the bushings.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)




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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)




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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

*SWEET A DUBLINCASTER*


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Alright, here's my first set up question. I strung the guitar and was able to adjust things like the truss rod and the saddles in the bridge to get the string height. One problem I have is the straightness of the neck. My low E-string is around 1/8" from the edge of the neck up near the nut and down near the other end it's almost right at the edge. Is there anyway to correct this?


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

Do you have string notches in your string sadles? If not the easiest solution is to make some to move the strings over a bit. (or re-arrange the ones you have to see if there is a better fit combination).

Otherwise you have to figure out if your bridge is slightly off, the neck pocket is slightly off or the neck itself is slightly off. You can adjust it out at the neck poket, but if you have a nice tight neck joint, you wil likely end up adding wood in order to get it back that way.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

I have the feeling that "the Tele" blueprint is off or at least our version of it. There has been a revision ( at least one since you started) No matter how hard I tried I ended up with close to the same. Take your router and straight edge and shave about 1/32 off upper inside corner ... ie 0 to 1/32 . That should give you enough swing in the neck. If you over drill the body holes you will have enough play. 


The gap will be at the bottom and the neck will fit up tight to the long side of the pocket 


can YOU see it


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

I do have notches and have it placed over as far as I can go. I'm thinking I'll have slightly swing the neck by shaving some off of the pocket and over drilling the holes. It's really not a lot so it shouldn't be too bad.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

I have a question regarding the straightness of my neck. As you can see in the pictures, I have laid out my Telecaster on a flat surface and I measured the distance from the fretboard to the surface in two places. Near the body the measurement is 2 5/8" and near the neck it measures 2 7/16". Are these supposed to be the same. Is this a good way to check the straightness? 

If I do have to adjust the truss-rod to adjust the neck, how do I go about doing that? I've never done any adjustments like that before. I have a Warmoth Pro neck with the spot on the side of the neck for an allen key.

This one measures 2 5/8"









This one measures 2 7/16"









Thanks.


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

I'm not sure how accurate that method is of measuring the neck angle, but I angle the necks back on almost all of my guitars, and I roll off the higher frets. I don't make guitars that are accurate to the original models that they are derived from though.

You can see the neck angle of my tele right at the body:











I just like the way they play when they are set up this way and I originally did it to mimick the setup on my 70's Ventura Les Paul, and I've just stuck with it.

Does it play good?


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

It plays good near the middle but the action near the nut it pretty high. I also get some spots where the string hits the next fret when I fret a note. (I push on the 17th fret on the 4th string and the string hits the 18th fret too) I'm not sure what that's all about. That spot changes when I adjust the height of the bridge saddles.


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## Hamm Guitars (Jan 12, 2007)

Without making any drastic changes I would try the following:

Check the height of your nut slots. You might want to lower them.

Check to see how much relief you have in the neck when under string tension. Adjust if needed.

If those two things don't resolve the fretting out issue:

Put a small test shim (piece of a business card, tinfoil, window screen) at the headstock end of the neck pocket to change your neck angle. This will resolve the higher frets fretting out. Once you have the angle sorted, you can remove the shim and either make a wood one to do the trick or reshape your neck pocket or heel.

With a steep back angle on the neck, you would expect the bridge to be sitting high. If you lessen the angle, the bridge will set up lower for the same action height.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Well that was it! I added 3 pieces of business card stacked and now the action is great. I'll look into making a wooden shim if I need to later but this works great for now. Thanks for the help.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Dublin82 said:


> Well that was it! I added 3 pieces of business card stacked and now the action is great. I'll look into making a wooden shim if I need to later but this works great for now. Thanks for the help.


Or trim the inside of the bottom of the neck pocket the amount of the shim. Of course Fender used shims.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

Yeah definitely. That could work too. Thanks.

I'll post some pics once I've made all of these adjustments.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

OK I was finished a few weeks ago but I'm only getting around to posting some pics now. They're not the best quality for some reason. Maybe I'll get some better one's taken later. I've been keeping this guitar tuned to open G so I can play some of my favourite Stone's songs whenever I want.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)




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## martyb1 (Aug 5, 2007)

Looks great
:smile:


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

Looks very sharp.

Nice job. It should become a family heirloom as time passes.


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

I also wanted to say a quick thanks to everyone who helped me throughout this project. I would have screwed up somewhere if it wasn't for you guys.

Thanks.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Dublin82 said:


> I also wanted to say a quick thanks to everyone who helped me throughout this project. I would have screwed up somewhere if it wasn't for you guys.
> 
> Thanks.


Damn fine guitar. Theres nothing like the first time you plug it in to put a big smile on your face. 

Now it's relic'n time :smile: You going to let your router toting father and uncle use it too?


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## Dublin82 (Apr 27, 2007)

shoretyus said:


> Damn fine guitar. Theres nothing like the first time you plug it in to put a big smile on your face.
> 
> Now it's relic'n time :smile: You going to let your router toting father and uncle use it too?


Well they can try it out but I'm the only one who knows how to play.


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