New build - MJT based Aged Ice Blue Metallic with Rosewood

rze99

Here's my new partscaster build, a sort of '60s on steriods type.

Body: MJT Aged Ice Blue Metallic alder from 2014. There is some checking and a hint of amber in the nitro providing some iridescence.  It's nicely bashed without going too far and none of the sandpaper patches you see a lot.

Neck: Used Fender Baja '60s. Replacement faux bone nut, poly finish sanded down, fretboard edges rolled, darkened rosewood fretboard and dots. Finished with tinted oils, by me.

Pickups: Bridge: Used Oil City Diesel-Tap in full mode "A barking rock and roll beast". Fibre flat work, hand scatter-wound in the UK, alnico 5 magnets, cloth hookup wire, aged by me. http://www.oilcitypickups.co.uk/teleclassic.html. Neck: Used Tonerider Vintage Plus aged by me

Bridge and saddles: Used USA Fender vintage pat pending, Axecaster nickel plated threaded steel, violently bent into compensating position. Both aged by me.

Pickguard and controls. Used "NOS aged mint green for '60s Teles) by Guitars Electric, used Fender custom shop nickel screws, both aged by me. New Axecaster nickel knobs aged by me, USA/Oak Grigsby Selector, CTS pots, 0.022uF Sprague "Orange Drop" cap, 0.001uF Treble Bleed. 






 


https://imgur.com/a/F7T57

KKJale

Looks great. The Axecaster knobs could be improved IMO, too much dome for a R/N, I like the Pure Vintage 58s for an early '60s look, but I'm being terribly picky 

rze99

Thanks @KKJale. I actually have some flat top knobs but I prefer the domes even if they are wrong date wise... same with the button switch top. I had a Black 3 ply guard on before this - it looked very Chrissie Hynde.

gavin_axecaster

Very nice - and I like the old school "bend the buggers 'til it's right" compensation on the saddles!

horse

Looks great. Are you happy with how it plays?

rze99

horse said:

Looks great. Are you happy with how it plays?

Yes.
I always take a lot of time with set-ups and do set-ups for friends for free, which is how I got into putting together my own from parts. This was especially easy because the neck was straight away good and with medium jumbo frets and a flatter 9.5 radius it was all about the hand finishing rather than a lot of work. 

I rolled the fretboard edges and took off the gloss from the neck and finished the fretboard and neck with 0000 wire wool and oils. I try to get as close to custom shop feel and finish as a can.

The only minor niggle is that the pick-up selector switch is a little microphonic at stage volumes which I've not experienced before. Might need to pack the control cavity with dense gavin_axecaster said:

Very nice - and I like the old school "bend the buggers 'til it's right" compensation on the saddles!

foam or something.

rze99

Oops posting error.

Re old school "bend the buggers 'til it's right" compensation on the saddles - yes amazing how well this works. Saw this first on a posting about Buck Owen's Tele and how he'd bent them and I tried it. Done that on a few teles. Takes time and effort but works really well. I think you can get compensated steel wound saddles from Glendale but they are like 40 quid whereas this is the cost of a little time and effort dong a bit at a time till they are right.