I've never built a guitar or anything like it before. I don't even play much these days, but fancy having one of these guitars and learning a little as I go.
This is what I'm aiming for.
I'll start with this Harley Benton T-Style kit from Thomann:
https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_eguitar_kit_tstyle.htmAnd will replace the neck pickup with a P90, possibly from Irongear, and possibly replace the bridge pickup to match it.
I will decide whether to do an accurate copy of the finish shown in the photo (solid black body, black stained forearm, glitter upper), or whether to just go with one finish type. I definitely want to do the target and arrow decals.
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@Poopot might have a suggestion on how you can get the sparkle on a budget
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ahem... b&q silver glitter clear coat....
Awesome. Do you have a link to some instructions, or is it as easy as spraying on your main colour until it's covered enough, then the sparkles, then the clear coat?
the sparkly clear is a clear acrylic with glitter glitter in it... the only thing I will say is it takes a while to harden... spray the sparkles in thin coats...
You can add clear over over the top afterwards if you like...
1. The body is light but the neck heavy making it a bit imbalanced. What can I do to address that? Especially since I was planning to contour the forearm bit.
2. The wood grain isn't going to be very prominent, so the stained area isn't likely to take a strain so well. I guess I just give it a go.
2). It certainly won’t have strong grain like Eddie’s. It might even have a join in that area. It will still take a black stain well. I think you can get close as long as exact replica is not your aim.
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The ones on the kits can be a bit nasty and it’s more work to change later than Pickups or tuners. Wait till it arrives though.
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Strap locks is one thought. Better strings. Tools?
Just behind the bridge there is a Johnny Ramone photo, seems to be taped to the body. The target is apparently a nod to The Who, and the arrow might be a clue for where to use his eBow on the intro of a particular song - Worldwide Suicide. I'm not a big fan of either The Who or The Ramones, so I have a decision - do I make an accurate replica or do I mimic it but put my own tribute on there - probably an Eddie Vedder photo and a Pearl Jam logo of some sort.
Also, I'm told that he has modified the wiring to a 4-way switch so that the two pickups can be switched in series as a Humbucker. Is that right? I would have thought the wiring would be parallel to make a Humbucker. I'd definitely like to explore that option.
Normal tele wiring is parallel. Normal humbucker wiring is series. the 4-wayswitch give you both options
I would also recommend the Wilkinson tele bridges as a decent upgrade on most kits
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If I'm replacing the bridge, maybe I should go fully authentic with a 6 saddle type.
I loved building my tele, take your time and double check anything you're unsure of! There are a lot more knowledgeable members than me on the forum but in happy to try and answer any questions you may have.