Moo's TLA-1 - My First Build

[Simon Barden]

Hi and welcome.

Certainly worth screwing the neck on to see how it all fits together. The scratchplate should fit tightly around the neck and butt right up to it. The silver control plate should then locate snugly in the little semi-circular cut-out, whilst the bridge normally has a 2-3mm gap between it and the scratchplate.

If the scratchplate is a little tight around the neck so that it's hard to get it to fit, then a little sanding on the inner edges of the scratchplate should sort that out.

Note that the instruction videos are generally helpful, but with most being made a few years ago when PBG started out, they do need updating as some of the kits have changed slightly over time, which is why it's best to ask questions here and provide photographs. E.g. the Tele neck pickup is shown being screwed into the wood in the neck cavity (classic Fender-style), whereas on the kit you have, it's designed to be attached to the pickguard, which makes it easier to adjust the pickup height and also to locate the pickguard.

[Fretworn]

Welcome Moo. I wish I had found that under my Christmas tree.

[Moo]

Okay so plan of attack is to screw neck in, check scale length etc. then take apart and get going on sanding the body and shaping the headstock. A few questions:
- do I mark the placement of the bridge now?
- we are planning on a stain finish. Do I need to use a grain filler?
- are we ok to just use a jigsaw for the headstock and then sand it down?
- how is the fretboard finished? (Do you stain it/gloss it etc?)

Thanks heaps and sorry for all the noob questions haha

[FrankenWashie]

Okay so plan of attack is to screw neck in, check scale length etc. then take apart and get going on sanding the body and shaping the headstock. A few questions:
- do I mark the placement of the bridge now?
- we are planning on a stain finish. Do I need to use a grain filler?
- are we ok to just use a jigsaw for the headstock and then sand it down?
- how is the fretboard finished? (Do you stain it/gloss it etc?)

Thanks heaps and sorry for all the noob questions haha

Hi Moo,

I would definitely get your bridge placement sorted out first. You need to be sure that this is as accurate as possible (within .5mm or so) to insure you scale length is correct with some allowance for intonation. On some of the TL kits people have found issues in the placement of the rout for the Bridge pick up so you will want to verify the scale length to the bridge saddles with it all in place. Make sure it is all square to the nut and entered and that your e strings give have an even gap to the fretboard edge. In some rare cases guys have had to take small routs to correct for the bridge PUP rout being too far back to get scale length correct. Not sure that this is still an issue these days as the product has been refined since these issues were first raised.

If that all checks out I would mark and then drill the holes for your bridge mounting before you start sanding as if you try and do this after stain/finish you rub the risk of damaging your finish. As a rule of thumb make sure all your required holes are at the very least marked (nail or marker punched) before you sand. With the fit issue you noted on the scratch plate, it is especially important to get this fitted properly around the neck heel and the position your screw holes for that if they are not marked already. Your control cover plate should then just locate from the indent in the scratch plate.

Grain fille ris a personal choice. if you want a smoother finish then you may want to go that way, but if you are okay with a lot of the grain texture showing through, don't fill, just hold in mind some areas that are more open may soak up more of the stain.

Jigsaw is fine, just leave yourself plenty of latitude to your lines for clean up as Jigsaws are notoriously hit and miss. I'd rough shape with the Jigsaw for stock removal, then drop to rasps or microplanes to get things closer to your marked out lines, you can finish with files or sanding sticks/sandpaper and sanding cauls fro detailed shaping. Go easy with the jigsaws and rasps, removing wood is far easier than putting it back on!

Fretboards, comes down to personal choice, but the simplest finish is rubbing on Lemon oil or fretboard wax (Dingowax is sold though PBG). Some on the forum have used CA glue finishes (Mainly fretless basses) others turned oil and others have just left them raw. I've only ever used Lemon oil on my existing store bought instruments and never really had issues. Again a personal preference for what feels good to you.

Hopefully some of this makes sense and is of use to you. Happy Building!

[Moo]

Today bridge placement done (holes drilled) and neck alignment checked (holes drilled). So yes, it took a whole afternoon to drill 8 holes.... but anyway, on to bigger things tomorrow hopefully. Thanks for all your help FW

Been madly researching different finishes I could go for. Really love the look of the Wudtone finishes on lots of guitars on here... is there any replacement since PBG no longer stocks it, or even just something similar available elsewhere? Alternatively, some of the colourtone dye stuff looks awesome so I'll look into that too.
Also, I love the look of having a different colour face to back and sides but not sure how this would work without binding to separate the colours :/
Ahh decisions, decisions
Looking to find a colour something along the lines of this - but maybe a bit more blue. Any tips?

[dave.king1]

Not quite the same but this could possibly get you close

http://www.pitbullguitars.com/shop/d...tarkine-green/

[FrankenWashie]

Today bridge placement done (holes drilled) and neck alignment checked (holes drilled). So yes, it took a whole afternoon to drill 8 holes.... but anyway, on to bigger things tomorrow hopefully. Thanks for all your help FW

Been madly researching different finishes I could go for. Really love the look of the Wudtone finishes on lots of guitars on here (surfer girl is sweet)... is there any replacement since PBG no longer stocks it, or even just something similar available elsewhere? Alternatively, some of the colourtone dye stuff looks awesome so I'll look into that too.
Also, I love the look of having a different colour face to back and sides but not sure how this would work without binding to separate the colours :/
Ahh decisions, decisions
Looking to find a colour something along the lines of this - maybe a bit more blue. Any tips?

If it took all afternoon for you to drill 8 holes then you are doing well. I am in the fourth month of a dingo tone finish! (Mainly due to my own time constraints and inherent self distractive tendencies......oooh look! Squirrell!!)

You are more than welcome, I asked similar questions and many of the more experienced hands helped me out and pointed me right with advice along the way. You just help out where you can, and in due course you'll likely do the same for another newbie when the opportunity arises.👍🏾😃

[Moo]

Quick query: What's my best bet for buying a 3-ply white pearloid scratch plate? Adam said that Fender specs should fit but there's different types of Fender ones etc. What's the general consensus?

Also a quick update: I bought my finish. Have gone for a turquoise woodwash so that I get a nice colour but also can still see the grain. Also grabbed a gloss coat for body and satin coat for neck. Have spent the last 2 days sanding. And sanding... And sanding... I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now though haha, finally down to the 400 grit.

[Simon Barden]

Most of the differences are in the number of screw holes for holding the scratchplate on (normally 5 or 8), and whether the neck pickup cut-out comes with holes drilled for mounting the pickup to the scratchplate or not.

For a vintage Tele look, you'd need a 5 screw scratchplate, and it's unlikely that you'd get any pickup mounting holes in these. Whilst authentic for early year Teles, the downside is that most are single ply (for authenticity) and the large gap between screw locations means that the scratchplate ripples/buckles over time and so doesn't stay flat against the wood. You can get multi-ply 5 screw versions which stay flatter, but they are still prone to some lifting.

Which is why Fender then moved to 8-screw pickguards in 1960, which do normally stay flat. The choice is then whether to go for a pre-1988 style where the neck pickup is still body mounted, or a 1988 onwards style where the neck pickup is scratchplate mounted. The PBG kit comes with the latter style and the mounting screws and springs to do so. If you go for a pre-1988 style, you'll probably need to get some appropriate screws and longer springs (or some foam rubber) to allow you to get the pickup sitting close to the strings.

Personally, unless I was going for a full '50s look, I'd get an 8-screw guard with scratchplate pickup mounting as it's so much easier to adjust the pickup height.

[Zandit75]

Quick query: What's my best bet for buying a 3-ply white pearloid scratch plate? Adam said that Fender specs should fit but there's different types of Fender ones etc. What's the general consensus?

Also a quick update: I bought my finish. Have gone for a turquoise woodwash so that I get a nice colour but also can still see the grain. Also grabbed a gloss coat for body and satin coat for neck. Have spent the last 2 days sanding. And sanding... And sanding... I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now though haha, finally down to the 400 grit.

In regards to the scratch plate, hit up Pablopepper, he is the resident plastics guru.