Tele Deluxe build.

stimpsonslostson

During the recent GuitarBuild one hour sale I bagged this-
https://imgur.com/58wK415

The plan (as it stands) is:
A Chris Shiflett signature inspired rock guitar. 
All the fixtures and fittings are to be determined... I'm on a budget, so 

Pickups: Probably ToneRider dirty torque & blues engine pickups (maybe with coil taps?)
Neck: I'm looking for a Trohman telecaster I can steal the neck & other bits off. Nicest neck I've ever played (& sold! Idiot)

Finish:  on my budget most likely is a Wudtone stain kit- I did my last partscaster in plain TruOil & love the feel of it, but this one needs to be colorful. 

So advice I need- Wudtone. 
How easy is it? Are the results good (long lasting- I'm considering blue/green and am concerned about fade). 
Neck- a Trohman neck would be great, but not essential. Any recommendations for good rosewood necks (on a budget) gratefully received- I prefer satin finishes. 

I'll update gradually, but progress will be slow- Xmas, kids and I start a new (more demanding) job in January...

DrBob

Sounds awesome, but if you do get your hands on a Trohmann isn’t that just a pickguard swap away from being a Deluxe anyway ? 

stimpsonslostson

It IS, but MrsLostSon hates burst guitars! 

impmann

stimpsonslostson said:

It IS, but MrsLostSon hates burst guitars! 

She has taste, wit and sophistication.

stimpsonslostson

impmann said:

stimpsonslostson said:

It IS, but MrsLostSon hates burst guitars! 

She has taste, wit and sophistication.

Her choice of husband suggests otherwise! 

impmann

stimpsonslostson said:

impmann said:

stimpsonslostson said:

It IS, but MrsLostSon hates burst guitars! 

She has taste, wit and sophistication.

Her choice of husband suggests otherwise! 

Well, nobody's perfect! ;-)

DrBob

She’s right, I don’t like burst guitars either.
i have no view on her choice of men mind you !

ewal

I've finished a guitar using Wudtone green. The finish has held up very well and I don't think there's any discernible fading.

Someone was recommending a cheaper alternative on another thread, although not sure of colour options.

stimpsonslostson

Brief update-
My plan of stealing parts off a Trohman appears to be a non starter- the Trohman has a standard tele neck route, so the neck won't fit/intonate properly. 
Whilst bored at my inlaws for Christmas I've ordered some bits and pieces...
pots, jack, switch, bridge, ferrules and strap buttons etc all on their way. 
Still outstanding:
finish- Wudtone or possibly @Andyjr1515 s patented fountain pen ink method. (Are there any detailed instructions around for this?- non fade blue with TruOil might be good)
pickups- dirty torque and blues engine
neck- where's the best place to get one? RichTone have a Fender maple one for £168, but they might not be in stock for a while. Im tempted to pick up a cheap affinity strat neck as a stop gap so I can have something on there while I wait for a "proper" neck. (Yes. I'm THAT impatient!)

Roland

Rather than Wudtone or Tru-Oil you could use Osmo PolyX. For colouring you could use a spirit based wood dye or, if you want to experiment, then try the pigment from an old ink jet printer cartridge. 

rpr

Crimson colours are meant to be pretty good - https://crimsonguitars.com/store/stunning-stains/ ;   
IIRC you're in Edinburgh (?) - Someone selling a new Tele maple neck on Gumtree in Polmont £75 - https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/brand-new-replacement-telecaster-neck-with-1950-s-fender-decal/1279009068. ;  

TTony

rpr said:

Crimson colours are meant to be pretty good - https://crimsonguitars.com/store/stunning-stains/ ;   
IIRC you're in Edinburgh (?) - Someone selling a new Tele maple neck on Gumtree in Polmont £75 - https://www.gumtree.com/p/guitar-instrument/brand-new-replacement-telecaster-neck-with-1950-s-fender-decal/1279009068. ;  

Crimson stains are excellent.

My latest one is here.

stimpsonslostson

@rpr I'll check out those stains. They look promising. I have most of a bottle of TruOil left for top coating. 
That neck won't work unfortunately- the deluxe body has a Strat pocket so I need a neck with a Strat heel. I'm still half tempted- I've found a cheap Cabronita body... 

Andyjr1515

+1 for Crimson stains. While I personally continue to use ink - I like the huge variety of colours available - there are clearly some shades of some colours that do fade (and some of those are blue shades) so it is probably a simpler option to go for something designed for the job if they have a colour you are happy with.  Chestnut spirit stains are also excellent.  

You may have to nudge me a reminder, but I think I have at least one strat-heeled neck in my 'bigger bits' box.   I'm away from my stuff just at the moment but will have a look when I'm back and if I'm right, and if it's of any interest, you're welcome to it for nowt.

Andyjr1515

Doh!  Just re-read your earlier post...you are after a specific type of neck, not a generic one.  Mine will be generic....

stimpsonslostson

It's been a busy night... I've been building & soldering my latest partscaster. 

The body was from GuitarBuild. 

https://i.imgur.com/kgjDdqe.jpg

This was stained with Crimson Guitars stain. 

https://i.imgur.com/kLRVUoY.jpg

Then oiled & sanded to give a slightly worn in look. 

https://i.imgur.com/lDZAlnZ.jpg

Next up was mounting the bridge & neck- slightly nerve racking as I had to fill then drill new holes as the existing ones didn't match the hardware. 

The neck is a Rosewood 70s headstock, 12" radius & satin finished by Northwest Guitars- it's actually a B-stock one, but the "damage" is a wee dent where the headstock starts! 

https://i.imgur.com/DVvnUPl.jpg

Finally I loaded up the pickguard with IronGear pickups (Blues Engine & Dirty Torque) & got soldering. I then mounted the guard etc. 

https://i.imgur.com/FL3FEc2.jpg

The strings are just to confirm the neck is straight etc, the nut is WAY too high & the relief isn't right so it's going in for a pro setup as I don't want to fail at the last hurdle! 

https://i.imgur.com/piDuZTs.jpg

I'll post a daylight picture soon. 

randella

Ordinarily, for me at least, Strat necks on Teles are a no-no. However, the big CBS ass-paddle really suits that body. Great stuff. 

Love the knobs as well, and the chrome pickup covers. 

In fact it’s a really cohesive design all round.