Saving a Lost Cause - Tele Project

HarrySeven

I acquired this badly modded (unknown brand) Tele project (body only) from a friend...

http://i.imgur.com/qaY5wk7.jpg

Someone had basically wrecked the neck pocket and filled the neck pickup aperture with a mix of glazier’s putty and something which looked like bitumen...

http://i.imgur.com/fS6BeJU.jpg

Oh, and also added some L-shaped metal brackets (buried in the putty).

As I’m off work this week, I don’t have access to the usual tools, etc (plus, my own workshop is full of amps - don’t ask), I therefore had to take a slightly different approach (ie. I couldn’t just bung a block of wood in, then rout it back out). So it was chisels, surform and sandpaper time (along with epoxy, rather than Titebond, considering the potential contaminants in the wood fibres).

I’d got an old Strat copy neck which also came in handy.

http://i.imgur.com/voJpEgC.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/XVdbPmZ.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/yuXNBXO.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/DpOICE1.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Ho7WvkL.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Wdo7fb4.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/W5gRBFK.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/AatnXjB.jpg

More updates to follow...

skullfunkerry

Top work! I sometimes wish I had the skill to do stuff like that. I'm *useless* with a chisel though (not to mention the risk to my fingers).

Are you going to refinish it in a lairy colour?

victorludorum

It looks better than some of the '70s Fenders!

BeardyAndy

That first picture makes me sad, what had that poor Tele done to be mutilated like that!?!

Gassage

H, have you considered sorting out the Brexit deal for Parliament?

Might be quicker and easier than this telecaster.

HarrySeven

skullfunkerry said:

Are you going to refinish it in a lairy colour?

Not sure, yet...I do actually quite like the colour!

HarrySeven

Gassage said:

Might be quicker and easier than this telecaster.

Cheek! I only picked the body up on Monday!

impmann

Gassage said:

H, have you considered sorting out the Brexit deal for Parliament?

Might be quicker and easier than this telecaster.

Please can you apply your surform to Boris, Gove and those other smug waste of  air purporting to be a government.

robinbowes

Conflicted between admiration of skill and tenacity, and "WHY THE ACTUAL F**K ARE YOU BOTHERING???"

Funkfingers

robinbowes said:

"WHY THE ACTUAL F**K ARE YOU BOTHERING???"

This.

If you wanted a half wrecked T style project, I would have sold you my G&L Tribute ASAT. 

HarrySeven

@robinbowes said:

"WHY THE ACTUAL F**K ARE YOU BOTHERING???"

@Funkingers said:

This.

For the pure and simple reason that I enjoy it and have the capacity to actually undertake it.

Also, it’s a decent quality solid wood body and a neck with a profile I like. 

H7: the patron saint of lost causes. Feel free to send me all your knackered guitars.

robinbowes

HarrySeven said:

For the pure and simple reason that I enjoy it and have the capacity to actually undertake it.

Also, it’s a decent quality solid wood body and a neck with a profile I like. 

H7: the patron saint of lost causes. Feel free to send me all your knackered guitars.

That has inspired me to dig this out from under the bed:







I must get it fixed up...

R.

HarrySeven

robinbowes said:

HarrySeven said:

For the pure and simple reason that I enjoy it and have the capacity to actually undertake it.

Also, it’s a decent quality solid wood body and a neck with a profile I like. 

H7: the patron saint of lost causes. Feel free to send me all your knackered guitars.

That has inspired me to dig this out from under the bed:







I must get it fixed up...

R.

Now that is lovely!

OilCityPickups

robinbowes said:

HarrySeven said:

For the pure and simple reason that I enjoy it and have the capacity to actually undertake it.

Also, it’s a decent quality solid wood body and a neck with a profile I like. 

H7: the patron saint of lost causes. Feel free to send me all your knackered guitars.

That has inspired me to dig this out from under the bed:







I must get it fixed up...

R.

I've always rather liked the 8210

Henrytwang

Nice project. One of my favourite Strats has a neck pocket rebuilt by me.

Henrytwang

That Gretsch looks great. Do you have the pick guard? If so it’d be an easy rebuild but if not it’s still doable. Just a a bit more work.

munckee

Funkfingers said:

robinbowes said:

"WHY THE ACTUAL F**K ARE YOU BOTHERING???"

This.

If you wanted a half wrecked T style project, I would have sold you my G&L Tribute ASAT. 

What a great guitar they are.  Let mine go a few years ago chasing fenders before I realised they are at least as good.

BeardyAndy

@robinbowes if you don't fancy the job, i'll take a chance and give you 50 quid for it!

ICBM

robinbowes said:

That has inspired me to dig this out from under the bed:

[Gretsch 'Beast']

I must get it fixed up...

R.

I'd forgotten all about those.

Were they US-made? Just curious... they have a huge number of Matsumoku-like features, especially the neck joint (like an Aria PE) and the recessed string ferrules (like some Ibanez Blazers I think).

robinbowes

I'm starting a new thread about the "Beast".

robinbowes

Here: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/157307