#FINISHED#sinbaadi's tele novice build thread

sinbaadi · July 2014

Brilliant. Thanks for the help. I'm going to get some tru-oil (for the neck if nothing else), and some of the ronseal stuff since it seems to fit with the budget philosophy. I know it's not the most beautiful piece of wood ever, but I'm half tempted to treat it like a practice piece and see what happens- so I may stain it if nothing else leaps out at me, and I can always sand it back and paint it if it's a load of rubbish.

It will be fun whatever happens.

Quick question: I'm convinced the nut is either not set all the way in, or simply too tall. What's the best thing to do? Mock the guitar up and do the measurements I'm betting (wish I'd done all that the first time). Never removed a nut from a neck before either.

WezV · July 2014

The nut is too tall. This is the way most "pre-cut" nuts come. You won't need to remove the nut, and looking at the glue they used it probably won't come out easy. The usual method is to deepen the string slots with nut files

I will be covering this when I get around to doing the set-up on mine. I will then replace the nut with something better and sow how to remove and replace at that time

i would recommend getting some nut files, its extra expense but there is no easy way to do it without them. these look cheap and nasty, but will probably do for a couple of guitars

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Guitar-Player-Luthier-Tools-Kit-Set-in-Nylon-Bag-Nut-Files-Steel-Ruler-Winder-/360627194194?pt=UK_Guitar_Accessories&hash=item53f70e4952

or there is this system

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GuitarTechs-NUT-SLOTTING-FILE-KIT-Saw-Set-Luthier-Tool-Bone-Brass-Tusq-Corian-/281290485733?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item417e382fe5

You can do it with needle files..... but it can all get a bit MDphillips if your not careful.

sinbaadi · July 2014

Thanks Wez I'll look forward to your setup stuff.
Meanwhile:
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2EimGETSxWBdHRlOFVteXVQWFU/edit?usp=docslist_api

It's an ink stain, I'll be attempting a fade to black around the edge, and there will be plenty of sanding back and reapplying before I'm happy enough to lacquer it, but it's fun anyway.

And after more Blue Petery :

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2EimGETSxWBTnpzT2diT0dEQ1k/edit?usp=sharing

I know it's far from the most attractive piece of wood in the world, but it's fun trying to make this look nice, and it has an iridescence which I like so it's working about as well as I could have hoped for.

sinbaadi · July 2014

Happy enough with the colouring so I placed the goodies in to see what it will be like, and I'm happy! I'll keep the stock bridge and saddles for now, but I may switch to a black six-saddle affair once it's a playable guitar.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2EimGETSxWBY1c0MFpSYk5MZlE/edit?usp=sharing

Obviously it has a very matte finish to it for the moment, I'll be glossing it using Andy's patented polyurethane decorative luster finish, aka it does exactly what it says on the tin, which will darken it in the same sort of way that water does at the moment and make the black bits black.

No pretentiousness here, I know it won't win any prizes for quality, but I'm pleased with it and I reckon it will look good when it's done, and for me this whole thing is about A: Learning about guitars, how they go together and how to make them better, and B: Being a little creative where possible.

WezV · July 2014

That looks pretty good to me. I had better get a move on

WezV · July 2014

sinbaadi said:

it has an iridescence

work of the day ....

Chatoyancy

sinbaadi · July 2014

Thanks. Next on the list is sorting the neck and nut out. I've plumped for a set of nut files (why bother doing this if I'm not going to try and do it properly?), and I've also bought a few things to help me level the frets and I'll be following your guide. The frets are ok to the naked eye, the nut is the biggest hurdle left for me apart from the actual final wiring.

Andyjr1515 · July 2014

That looks VERY good to me. I think we'd both better get a move on @WezV !

ThePrettyDamned · July 2014

That looks ace!

imalone · July 2014

sinbaadi said:

Happy enough with the colouring so I placed the goodies in to see what it will be like, and I'm happy! I'll keep the stock bridge and saddles for now, but I may switch to a black six-saddle affair once it's a playable guitar.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2EimGETSxWBY1c0MFpSYk5MZlE/edit?usp=sharing

Obviously it has a very matte finish to it for the moment, I'll be glossing it using Andy's patented polyurethane decorative luster finish, aka it does exactly what it says on the tin, which will darken it in the same sort of way that water does at the moment and make the black bits black.
No pretentiousness here, I know it won't win any prizes for quality, but I'm pleased with it and I reckon it will look good when it's done, and for me this whole thing is about A: Learning about guitars, how they go together and how to make them better, and B: Being a little creative where possible.

Looks nice. Hard to tell exactly from the picture, but looks like it's quite effectively hidden the mismatches in the wood while leaving you a bit of grain.

sinbaadi · July 2014

imalone said:

sinbaadi said:

Happy enough with the colouring so I placed the goodies in to see what it will be like, and I'm happy! I'll keep the stock bridge and saddles for now, but I may switch to a black six-saddle affair once it's a playable guitar.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2EimGETSxWBY1c0MFpSYk5MZlE/edit?usp=sharing

Obviously it has a very matte finish to it for the moment, I'll be glossing it using Andy's patented polyurethane decorative luster finish, aka it does exactly what it says on the tin, which will darken it in the same sort of way that water does at the moment and make the black bits black.
No pretentiousness here, I know it won't win any prizes for quality, but I'm pleased with it and I reckon it will look good when it's done, and for me this whole thing is about A: Learning about guitars, how they go together and how to make them better, and B: Being a little creative where possible.

Looks nice. Hard to tell exactly from the picture, but looks like it's quite effectively hidden the mismatches in the wood while leaving you a bit of grain.

Yes, there are a couple of spots where the blend is perhaps not in the ideal place, but slightly moved which has helped hide the join between two sections but it's generally quite evenly matched (the back is perhaps less so). The wood has some nice sections too which haven't been entirely covered up.

Thanks for the kind comments

sinbaadi · July 2014

Fret and nut work has been going along okay. This is probably where experience counts, and the next time I do it I'll probably do it better.

Anyway, I've gotten the frets nice and level, I tapped a few that were clearly riding high in, and it worked. The 12th was the worst and looking along was the only obvious one that needed sorting. So I followed WezV's technique, colouring them and filing them, then repairing the ones that the file capped a little flat, and now all I need to do is polish them up a bit.

The nut is much better too, but I haven't filed the top down far enough yet. I thought I had (because I'd taken quite a lot off, and it's a bit deceptive like that), then when I went back to it today I thought "Sausage Fingers nooooooo!".

I'll post pics once I get the tru oil on it and the ends of the frets tidied up more.

Andyjr1515 · July 2014

Sounds like you're making great progress, @sinbaadi

I confess, I might cheat and get a graphtech nut instead. Mind you, they still need filing / fitting

WezV · July 2014

sinbaadi said: Fret and nut work has been going along okay. This is probably where experience counts, and the next time I do it I'll probably do it better.

experience does count for a lot...but you have just earned yourself 750xp and moved from a Level 1: Complete Newbie to a Level 2: Keen Amateur

If you do it again you will do a better job, and even better the time after that. And you can start to look at the specialist fretting tools with a better understanding of how each one of them would enable you improve even more

If you used actual nut files then you are already way ahead of mr sausage fingers. Filing the nut down once its slotted properly is mostly cosmetic

sinbaadi · July 2014

So.. as Mr Fudd might say, that tuhwublesome twelf :

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2EimGETSxWBRUl2VlFtaGRFOTA/edit?usp=sharing

It isn't perfect *font change why?* and still not polished, but it's level, smooth and crowned enough (I hope), it's a real art, and like so many things fear of going too far, or taking too much off, or too quickly really affects the way you look at it. The longer you're doing it for the more you exaggerate in your mind what effect you have had already, so if you start off thinking you need to take a massive chunk out, then by the time you've eventually got somewhere close you're convinced you've probably gone too far, then you're second guessing, then you have to have another go the next day.

Tru Oil is a beautiful thing and really made me feel better about the neck the moment it hit the surface.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2EimGETSxWBWVF2WGE5U0FJZTA/edit?usp=sharing

A not too great picture of the nut, which I'm reasonably happy with now. I think the grooves still look a bit big because I could possibly go lower with the file.

Next up is to get some lacquer on the body. Test application went well. Then it's wiring and final set up!

I'll just add, that the fret work is by far the most difficult part with these kits. The wiring and assembly is pretty much an "it works" or "it doesn't" affair, poor finishing would still leave a playable instrument, and poor set-up would do no irrevocable harm, but the fret work........it's make or break for the neck, and for the kit, really.

TTony · July 2014

sinbaadi said:

So.. as Mr Fudd might say, that tuhwublesome twelf :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2EimGETSxWBRUl2VlFtaGRFOTA/edit?usp=sharing

Thanks @sinbaadi for the donation to theFB coffers

Using GoogleDrive is a bit of a pita for actually seeing your pics. More people will see them (and thus comment on them) if you embed them in the thread rather than posting a link that the reader has to click.

There's lots of free photo-hosting services around. If you a Google fan, try Picasa (it's what I use) which seems to work pretty well across platforms ...

sinbaadi · July 2014

Tbh Google drive is the only file upload service I use. I did try to embed but it wouldn't allow me to and I think if people don't care enough to click a link then that's fine. I really appreciate people taking an interest, and the support and comments from all have been great. Anyway, lacquer coats applied. Darkened the blue a lot, a bit more than I wanted, but i still like it. Another coat tonight then wet sanding tomorrow. Should be wiring it by Thursday if all goes well. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B2EimGETSxWBekhxcFN5cjd5VzQ/edit?usp=docslist_api

Andyjr1515 · July 2014

You've overtaken me, @sinbaadi. Mine darkened too much too, so I've changed my colour scheme a touch. I'll post more when I'm back from sunny Netherlands (where it's forecast to rain!)

imalone · July 2014

sinbaadi said:

Tbh Google drive is the only file upload service I use. I did try to embed but it wouldn't allow me to and I think if people don't care enough to click a link then that's fine.

Much easier to see the progress when it's all in one thread! You probably don't need to sign up separately for picassa if you already have a google account, but what you can do in google drive is click the 'download the current version' button and then copy the download location that your browser gets (use your browser's 'open' option to avoid having to save another copy). That's the same thing I use when I want to share full size pictures for picassa, as the sharing links it gives you are restricted to a number of fixed sizes. The downside is you have to resize them before upload if you do it that way, otherwise they'll probably show up far too big.

sinbaadi · July 2014

Last coat of lacquer applied. I could wet sand, lacquer, wet sand, forever. It's not close to perfect, but it will do. I'll give it one last polish later and then start putting it together!!

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#FINISHED#sinbaadi's tele novice build thread

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