Third build - Natural Tele in Idigbo

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  • Tikibird44Tikibird44 Frets: 15
    Yes, don't paint that it's a beautiful piece of wood.
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  • PeteCPeteC Frets: 409
    Thanks  - as you can probably tell from the residue of the yellow pencil line going the opposite way - I did umm and ahh about which orientation to use to get the best effect from the grain pattern before settling on this way round. Also there was the tinniest of knots which will now be sitting under the pick guard rather than out on show on the body. Considering its from the same batch its very different from the first plank of Idigbo I used on DC N0.2. 

    Appreciate the supportive words !    

    Got sold some defective Tele pickups on Ebay which I'm disputing tonight and trying to get returned so that was a bit of a bummer !  Think I'll buy new and save any further hassle. 

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  • JazzthatJazzthat Frets: 163
    Definitely nice grain ! Wish I had a small workshop and those skills .
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  • PeteCPeteC Frets: 409
    just ordered an Alegree Cirrostratus 50s style set to try in this build.  Anyone use these ? 
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  • PeteCPeteC Frets: 409
    Some progress today before making curry and samosas!   

    Neck blank laminated and ready for dimensioning

    Figured after this build I will probably end up making a Tele for my long time bandmate so took some time to make a decent Body template to use in future. 

    Also spent time taking about 5mm off the body thickness which I had overlooked earlier. Wish I had space for a thicknesser !  

    Body routing next then onto the neck 

    I was going to use a rosewood fretboard blank on this, but looking through the panga panga boards I have left from the junior builds I think the colour of the panga panga goes better with the neck -  what does anyone else think ? 

    Anyway....getting there slowly....need to read up making a Tele neck with a front loaded dual action truss rod.   I think a rear loaded rod is a bit beyond me yet.   


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  • greggreg66greggreg66 Frets: 495
    PeteC said:

    I was going to use a rosewood fretboard blank on this, but looking through the panga panga boards I have left from the junior builds I think the colour of the panga panga goes better with the neck -  what does anyone else think ? 


    I think you're right, tonally (colour tone not sound!) the panga panga might fit better with the idigbo. It's looking great Pete, really making me want to get stuck into my second build, but I just don't have the time at the moment. 
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  • PeteCPeteC Frets: 409
    Long walk in the country today so not much progress.  However did have time to measure out and knock up a Tele neck template.  

    Boring bread and butter stuff to the experienced builders here but another minor milestone for me !!  

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  • TTonyTTony Frets: 27346
    I think I’m going to remake the router sled on my thicknessing jig.  

    Yours looks a lot more robust - a lot less prone to flexing - that my little pieces of aluminium angle!
    Having trouble posting images here?  This might help.
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  • PeteCPeteC Frets: 409
    18mm mdf.  Probably ought to brace it with some angle iron or do one with good quality plywood but I measured the planed body with the digi calipers and it was accurate all round 
    it will be ok until it sags at some point ! 
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  • TTonyTTony Frets: 27346
    Need to get a proper metalworker to knock some up in suitable thickness steel ...
    Having trouble posting images here?  This might help.
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  • PeteCPeteC Frets: 409
    Going to front mount a dual action truss rod and use a panga board on the Tele. 

    what length truss rod should I go with - 440mm ? 
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  • PeteCPeteC Frets: 409
    TTony said:
    Need to get a proper metalworker to knock some up in suitable thickness steel ...
    Yes - that will last forever !! 
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  • PeteCPeteC Frets: 409
    OK - 

    Been rather slack documenting this one but will post more pics soon. 

    Now at the stage of having a nicely planed neck 2-piece blank, and have routed the body cavities apart from the neck pocket. 
    Neck template is made and very accurately dimensioned. 

    Couple of fretboards planed to the required 1/4 thickness.  Not sure yet whether I will use a panga pangs or rosewood board. Both ready to go. 

    Need to decide whether to locate the string through holes and final bridge location before making and test fitting the neck - or wait until the neck is made. 

    Planning to build a fretboard radius jig to do a 9.5-10" radius as I cant be bothered to make another sanding blocks at that radius. ( I made a couple of 12" radius blocks for the juniors ) 

    Question to the wise........

    Given the adjustable nature of tele bridges -  is it ok to finish the body and locate the bridge and drill for the string through ferrules before making and fitting the neck  ?  
    Or is that a path to pain later ??!!!

    I figure I could measure it pretty accurately and do the bridge, but I'm hesitating with novice doubts.....(as usual ) !!


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  • TJT1979TJT1979 Frets: 181
    I can’t pretend to be wise but I’d definitely position the bridge once the neck is in. However accurate you are, there is often a small (hopefully under 1mm) error in the lateral position. In other words positioning the bridge based off the neck can shift the bridge slightly off the centre line. 
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  • Andyjr1515Andyjr1515 Frets: 3127
    There's some excellent work going on here @PeteC ;  :)

    Yes, @TJT1979 is quite right - I would fit the bridge after the neck can be fitted.  Lengthwise, you can then be sure to position it so that the saddles sit within the intonation range and sidewise, that the strings are going to line up properly with the fretboard sides. 
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  • PeteCPeteC Frets: 409
    Thanks fellas 

    I need to reign in my impatience and concentrate on getting the neck done.  Ive been pitting off the next stage of the neck ( truss rod ) as I bought a hotrod style dual action rod and need to have it headstock access mounted and haven't been able to find any video guides for that type of approach on a Tele.   

    I'll just have to wing it as best I can and keep scouring TDPRI for tips I think. 


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  • MattNovakMattNovak Frets: 907
    Looking great so far Pete - I’m in a similar quandary; I’m waiting on a fretboard blank before I can finish a neck, and also a Tele bridge Routing template. What I do have ready to go though, is a body awaiting paint - and I have paint! Am also impatient, I know deep down that I should wait until everything’s routes but I might do a bit of spraying later
    www.theflyingacesband.com
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  • PeteCPeteC Frets: 409
    I know that feeling @MattNovak !! 

    getting back to a bit more of a weekly routine now ( hopefully ) with the missus back to her Monday walking group and me on my day off - its weekly shed schedule , Hoorah !  

    Which means I am now starting to get somewhere on the build. 

    Had a disaster with the first fretboard as I forgot allow for the Tele overhang after the nut and the 12mm offset between my indexing pin and the saw kerf on my jig - so screwed up the first fretboard. Tried to recover it by collecting the kerf dust and mixing with Titebond but it hasn't succeeded in hiding the saw marks - so its gone into the offcuts bin for now. 

    Which now means its not going to have a Panga board but will have a very nice Rosewood board instead.   Got that planed down to 1/4inch and smoothed using the neck / fretboard router planing jig ( which has a perspex router plate to allow more visibility than the brute force router planing jig mentioned earlier in the thread.)   Works a bloody treat with one of Wealdens 1" surface cutters. 

    Slotted the board and positioned the centre line. 

    Router planed the neck blank down to 0.75" too - so now we have a 1" board and neck blank to work from finally - with a nice 'Andy-style' (tm)  mahogany pinstripe down the middle 

    Rush of blood to the head - decided to start on the neck radius jig too today.  

    Its a 11" radius which will allow for the router cutter protruding anywhere between 1-1.5" below so I should be able to do a 9.5 or 10" board radius with it when it's finished.  Using double thickness 18mm ply for the arches and 18m for the body of the sled . Its going to be a relatively simple job using a curved sled running on PVC pipes either side of the neck/fretboard ( in theory !!! ) 

    Some pics as ever.....not necessarily in the right order.... (thank you Eric Morecambe) 



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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16547
    I think i have some panga panga that was sold as red wenge... looks like the species are very closely related.

    One option after a slotting error is to flip it over and slot the other side once the slots are filled... then bind the board to hide it from the edge view.   just make sure the new slots are offset from the repaired ones.    you have to judge whether the board will still be stiff enough, but sometimes it is
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  • PeteCPeteC Frets: 409
    Thats a great idea - thanks @WezV  
    I might do that and then decide which I like the best with the Idigbo neck ( assuming I don't balls that up of course.....) 

    Hoping to get the radius jig finished and in use this week - but working Tuesday to Thursday so it might get delayed until Friday.  
    Just went to get the PVC pipe from the shed only to find its gone, which means a trip to a builders merch/retail outlet - bugger !!!
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