#FINISHED#sinbaadi's tele novice build thread

sinbaadi

I loved the sound of this from the start.

I've gone for the cheapest Tele kit.......and whilst I have a reasonable tool kit, built mostly around motorcycle maintenance, I'll be adding to that with whatever else I need for this sort of build, and hopefully end up with what I need to mod and maintain any guitar, and the confidence to do it myself.

I'll be asking for help, a lot.

Not looking to achieve anything spectacular, impressive or groundbreaking, but I will be painting it, and since I like bursts I'll have a crack at one of those I reckon.

Progress: https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B2EimGETSxWBWk1VR2FneW9vc0U&usp=sharing

Edit: Success.  I built a guitar I like and learnt a whole lot along the way!

EDIT 2:  After a month I decided to make some changes.  New hardware, some black screws in the scratch plate, new headstock design, refinished the body, and an Iron Gear bridge pickup.  Ten times better than before.

JookyChap

Good stuff - sure it will turn out good and plenty of people here to ask as you go along. Some of them may know the answers too

WezV

well i am working on exactly the same kit so hopefully I can help you get the most out of yours

TTony

Excellent, good to have you with us @sinbaadi

sinbaadi

The courier has visited me, and left this box containing some wood and some metal:

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B2EimGETSxWBWk1VR2FneW9vc0U&usp=sharing

It's about what I expected.  The wood is nice and smooth, and the frets are probably a little better finished than I thought they would be.  

Only disappointment is the nut, which is a little messily bunged in there, some bleeding of glue/varnish too.

I don't know much about the hardware.  It's a bit tempting to just go for a better bridge and a set of tuners now, and I think I'll be swapping the rear pup for a hot one.  I'll be grabbing a soldering iron tomorrow, and I think all I'm missing is an easy way to cut the headstock to shape then.

WezV

I wouldn't worry too much about that mess around the nut.  It can probably be scraped back a bit.   it looks a bit like mine so i would give the whole board a smooth down with some wire wool before oiling it.  by the time all this is done you won't see that any discolouration from that glue

WezV

you got a nicer body than i did.  mine has the barest hint of flame in some sections, and then dark streaks which mark it down.... yours seems much more consistent

is yours 3 piece or more?

sinbaadi

It's 4 pieces- (the side with the cut is actually quite nice, I think, if both sides were like that I'd feel like it's almost a shame to cover it up.)  There are one or two little dings on the front that I'll have to fix but it seems fine and solid.

It seems like it's a decent chunk of wood down the middle at any rate, but yours appears to have a much wider middle piece.

sinbaadi

So now I'm a luthier.

Well not quite but I feel like I've done something okayish for a first go.  

I didn't want to "copy a design", and I didn't want to take a huge amount away, and I'm not massively pleased with the lower point, I think it's just a bit too wide so I may alter that, but nevertheless it's a tick in the to-do list.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2EimGETSxWBYU1haUlhTnhhSkk/edit?usp=sharing

Soldering station is sat on my bench and I've been playing with it.  I've always loathed electrics, be it domestic or automotive, but I forgot how fun soldering is, and how difficult.

The main body is sanded and the little dinks have been repaired, so it will be ready for paint once I decide how to paint it.  I was going to go with automotive but the internet is capable of putting anybody off anything really.  

I'm going to do something like this:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2EimGETSxWBT3YxWEplNE5Gb3c/edit?usp=sharing

(Colour tbc)

Any suggestions?  I want a fairly robost high gloss finish that won't come off in sheets when the temperature varies by half a degree.

Oh, and is there an oil which I can treat the fretboard and the neck with, or should I be looking at something else for the neck (i'd like to keep it "natural".

imalone

sinbaadi said:

So now I'm a luthier.

Well not quite but I feel like I've done something okayish for a first go.  

I didn't want to "copy a design", and I didn't want to take a huge amount away, and I'm not massively pleased with the lower point, I think it's just a bit too wide so I may alter that, but nevertheless it's a tick in the to-do list.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2EimGETSxWBYU1haUlhTnhhSkk/edit?usp=sharing

Soldering station is sat on my bench and I've been playing with it.  I've always loathed electrics, be it domestic or automotive, but I forgot how fun soldering is, and how difficult.

The main body is sanded and the little dinks have been repaired, so it will be ready for paint once I decide how to paint it.  I was going to go with automotive but the internet is capable of putting anybody off anything really.  

I'm going to do something like this:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2EimGETSxWBT3YxWEplNE5Gb3c/edit?usp=sharing

(Colour tbc)

Any suggestions?  I want a fairly robost high gloss finish that won't come off in sheets when the temperature varies by half a degree.

Oh, and is there an oil which I can treat the fretboard and the neck with, or should I be looking at something else for the neck (i'd like to keep it "natural".

I quite like that headstock shape, nicely proportioned.
Can't advise you on nitro, having not done it, but it's probably your easiest way to do an opaque finish. Neither a nitro lacquer nor modern poly varnish will come off in sheets, but both will need to be left a bit to cure. You can also get gloss with oil finishes, but they do wear and will take a bit longer to cure. If you really want to avoid spraying you could check out wudtone, but I don't think they have a true opaque finish (conch girl and vintage blond look close). They don't do quite the green you're after as standard though, but Andy is on here occasionally and might be up for a challenge. There's also a wudtone neck finish, but don't know much about it. People have successfully used tru-oil and tung oil, lots of different wood finishes that should work. I'm planning on trying a liberon finishing oil or varnish for the neck.
Edit: this thread might be interesting for painting http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=988194

WezV

Looks like a nice shape.  possibly a bit oversized but that leaves you room to play with if you change your mind

 

when you say "automotive" do you mean spray cans from halfords.  These stay soft for ages and i would recommend against them.  Thye have loads of additives which extends the shelf life but keeps them soft.  Other automotive paints from proper suppliers can fare better - btu there is always teh issue that a finish that sprays well and cures hard on metal stays soft on wood for much longer

 

if you are after a glass like gloss for your first one I would rethink.  it pushes up the difficulty and expense a fair bit and if using nitro will also increase the cure time massively

 

You should be able to achieve a thin glossy version of the finish you are fater using cans from manchester guitar tech or rothko and frost

 

for the neck I would use tru-oil.  Contrary to popular opinion this also works on fretboards, but you need to rub it in and buff all the excess off straight away. 

imalone

WezV said:

for the neck I would use tru-oil.  Contrary to popular opinion this also works on fretboards, but you need to rub it in and buff all the excess off straight away. 

You mean on 'unfinished' boards (rosewood) rather than maple? Would you use that as a regular treatment or just the first time?

WezV

yes I mean rosewood for the advice above, although its a great finish on maple too.  On maple you have the option of using it as a lacquer by building up mutliple coats and cuttigng back with wire wool.   Obviously you can do this on rosewood too, but why would you

 

My wetsanded tru-oil technique for other areas of the guitar is well documented in other areas of the forum, but that doesn't work so well between frets

 

I use it as a base treatment on dry rosewood boards (tehse ktis are a bit dry), maybe rinse and repeat a few times, and they need very little extra treatment after that.   On oilier boards I usually use danish oil, the same technique though.   I use lemon oil only as a cleaner and refresher on a board I am already happy with

 

 

imalone

WezV said:

I use it as a base treatment on dry rosewood boards (tehse ktis are a bit dry), maybe rinse and repeat a few times, and they need very little extra treatment after that.   On oilier boards I usually use danish oil, the same technique though.   I use lemon oil only as a cleaner and refresher on a board I am already happy with

Nice, thanks.

sinbaadi

Thanks.

It's definitely not a cheap affair.  Spray cans are (cynically) sized so apparently you need "1-2" per guitar

I've painted with auto paints before and achieved good results, but never on wood.  I would like a gloss finish, but I might have to settle for a not-quite-so-glossy finish.  

So what options do I really have if I want to achieve "something like" my original idea?

Andyjr1515

Hi @sinbaadi

I generally use standard Ronseal Hardglaze, thinned down by about 30% with white spirit and wiped on with a fluffy microfibre cloth (£3-£4 for 4 in Homebase).  It is how I will be doing my Jazzmasterish one for the 2014 Comp, because people keep asking how I actually do it and I thought I would use this build as my blog to kill two birds with one stone.  This SG tribute is done entirely that way:

Now then...it will NEVER match the quality and evenness of a professionally sprayed and buffed finish, but it DOES beat hands down my attempts in the garden using spray cans.  I can do it this way in the spare bedroom (which is where the SG was finished).

BUT...and this is always a big 'but'...there are tips and tricks and a fair bit of trial and error learning to get it right.

For the necks - as I don't like gloss necks (I find them too sticky) - I use Ronseal Hardglaze matt varnish applied the same way.  Here I just apply one or two coats, and then fine sand / wire wool back to the wood.  This seals the wood so it doesn't get dirty, smooths it so it is silky to the touch, but minimises the colouring effect on the wood (it will always colour to a certain extent compared with dry - wipe the wood with a damp cloth - that is the colour any clear oil or varnish finish will make the wood head towards).

This is my acoustic neck done that way.  The woods are unsealed mahogany with a walnut centre splice:

Getting a decent finish is always tricky and as @WezV says, especially for gloss.

If you don't want gloss, there are a number of additional options - it's a bit of horses for courses.

Hope this helps.

Andy

sinbaadi

Interesting, I like the Tru Oil stuff, I think I'll get a bit of that (any suggestions as to where from?), but Andy your SG looks very good.  Could you be more specific as to which Ronseal Hardglaze is the "standard" type?

downbytheriver

Tru oil - get it from gunshops or eBay

Andyjr1515

sinbaadi said:

Interesting, I like the Tru Oil stuff, I think I'll get a bit of that (any suggestions as to where from?), but Andy your SG looks very good.  Could you be more specific as to which Ronseal Hardglaze is the "standard" type?

Hi @sinbaadi

Good old fashioned household varnish as in this link polyurethane varnish.  Homebase, B&Q etc all sell it too (although sometimes not in the small tins)

Tru oil is also great - especially for a beginner - and can produce some really, really nice finishes.  However, it settles down to a slightly satin finish rather than true gloss.  That's why I said above, depends what you are after.  Tru-oil really CAN be done in the house and is very easily repairable.  Makes your guitar smell like a well oiled cricket bat too, if you like that kind of thing.   My Squier bass (and many other of my veneer jobs) was done with it: 

This was soon after it was done and is decently shiny.  If I took a shot now you would see that the high gloss has toned down somewhat.  Still looks good but no longer high gloss.  I still use Tru-oil occasionally but now tend to go for the standard poly varnish which, once you've got the hang of it, is almost as easy to apply.

Hope this helps clarify

Andy

WezV

I love tru-oil when its used as an oil.  when its used as a lacquer it doesn't compete well with proper lacquers

Andyjr1515

WezV said:

I love tru-oil when its used as an oil.  when its used as a lacquer it doesn't compete well with proper lacquers

I wish I could have put it as succinctly as that!