Gavmeisters Tele build for Dharmah

[Gavin1393]

I am building this guitar for a friend of mine Dharmah. He loves a good Tele and because of this I am building a copy of a limited edition from the Fender collection.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/6a080-image.jpg

[Gavin1393]

The caps on these are usually quite thin, so I have given it the appearance of a standard thickened 'F' style guitar using balsa wood and some magnets to glue the balsa to the underside of the cap.

[DanMade]

Dharmah Is one lucky fella.
Loving all the little tips your giving in these latest build diarys Gavin. That's a great idea using the magnets to help fix the balsa to the interior of the body. I will put that India in the bank for later.
You sure are keeping yourself busy wit all these new builds.

[stan]

didn't know balsa was magnetic... f hole looks great Gav

[Gavin1393]

Haha, I will share my secret move! Cut an exact 'f' hole shape 5mm wider at the edges but solid. Hence it is an outline of the 'f' hole shape. Then lower two rare earth magnets into the telecaster 'f' hole cavity, place glue on the balsa wood and then lower the shaped balsa wood trough the cavity so that it rests on top of the magnets. Carefully bring another two magnets evenly towards the 'f' hole. The magnets beneath the balsa wood will then raise the shaped wood and affix it to the underside of the cap of the Tele. Leave for a bit and it will be glue. Then using a knife ir in my case a dremel, carefully cut out the 'f' hole using the existing 'f' hole border as your template. Sand lightly to finish!

[gavinturner]

Looking great! The f-hole upgrade is a great idea and looks awesome.

Cheers,
Gavin.

[Gavin1393]

Many, many coats later.....hard to get this thing white!


http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/n0tga-image.jpg

[gavinturner]

Gav, coats of what? Is it Wudtone? Looking great!

thanks,
(the other) Gav.

[pablopepper]

Olympic girl?

[Gavin1393]

Yes, it is Olympic girl mixed with copious amounts of stewMac white....

[Gavin1393]

Neck is painted and ready to go, will post some pictures but the necks are not too sexy on the forum? Full fret work up and fingerboard treatment to come!

[Scott J.]

Looks like you're having the same battle with Olympic Girl as I am, Gav ... I'm currently doing a TL-1AR in Olympic Girl and finding it a very slooow process (especially as I'm going for a quite solid colour). I know its said that BMW can be a bugger to work with but I think OG's gotta take first place in the frustration stakes! I found the first coat only made the timber look as if it was wet! (even when I squinted really hard and used my imagination to the max I still couldn't see any colour change! :D)

Now up to the 6th coat of base (1st bottle) and just starting to get very pale "lime-washed" effect ... its looking like this will be the first time I wont have any Wudtone left over after the build - with the slow rate of colour build-up I'm expecting I'll have to use up every drop in the bottle, but at least I'm still valiantly holding out against giving up and going the "rattle-can route" (being a persistent old bugger sure helps! :D).

Considering your previous quality builds and success with different Wudtones, I'm looking forward to seeing how your colour comes up in comparison.

[Gavin1393]

OG is hopeless on Basswood. I put so much StewMac white into the mix because I was experiencing the same issues you have detailed.

[Scott J.]

... and it would appear its no better on Alder either! (which is what I'm using it on, only without the benefit of any Stewmac to "body it up"!) ... but still in progress, so we'll see how it ends up!

[Gavin1393]

Plan B implemented to get this thing white.....Own Concoction and what a difference!
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/7m39g-Photo-12.jpg

[Brendan]

Looks heaps more effective Gav!

[Gavin1393]

Dharmah's guitar is taking shape....now if only I can get it out of Brendan's hands....
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/mpc68-image.jpg
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/o9uih-image.jpg
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/xk9ue-image.jpg

[lawry]

I think the grin says it all!

[jarrod]

Thats pretty special looking Gav, what clears have you gone for TO or wudtone. And is that a hipshot bridge by any chance.

[dingobass]

Very nice Gavmeister.... Sure hope that isnt a slipshod bridge.... they are overpriced crap! (IMHO and bad experience with the slipshod headless Bass bridge)

[jarrod]

That was the reason i asked DB after what you was telling me.

[stan]

looks nice Gav, the combination really works

[dingobass]

Yeah, Jman... I reckon the PBG Overlord of Music headless system is a far superior bridge to the slipshod headless system!

[gavinturner]

Looking killer Gav. The pickguard and gold hardware look amazing with the white body. This tele is really going to be somethig else!!

cheers,
Gav.

[Gavin1393]

Whatever you guys do, don't tell Adam....took me ages to get the white and if I have to build another for Dharmah......he aint going to be happy!

[adam]

Don't tell Adam what? Oh, I see. Well now, that is a rather nice looking Tele. Who is this Dharmah woman anyway? Does she mean more to you than me Gav?

[Brendan]

Guys - from what Gav told me, the bridge is an AllParts bridge from Real Parts in Qld. Ads - think your chances of getting that axe away from Dharmah are slim. Ads, if it makes you feel any better, I think it'll play like a dream - nice and balanced.

[Gavin1393]

/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from adam on May 31, 2014, 23:14
Don't tell Adam what? Oh, I see. Well now, that is a rather nice looking Tele. Who is this Dharmah woman anyway? Does she mean more to you than me Gav?

Ok, which one of you dobbed my tele into the Telenapper! You ask a simple favour! :p

Safely under lock and....now where did I put that key? Oh well, if its safe from me there's a slim chance it'll be safe from Adam! ;)

[jarrod]

Never mind the Telenapper , He can wait bloody line behind me.

[Gavin1393]

/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from jarrod on June 1, 2014, 23:36
Never mind the Telenapper , He can wait bloody line behind me.

"LIKE"

[bargeloobs]

Looking superb Gav, it's gonna be an axe to treasure, what sort of electronics are you loadin' in this bad boy?

[Brendan]

Unfortunately for Gav, it's already taken - he's only going to get a short time with it before he has to pass it on to keep it safe from Ads... The longer he has it, the more time for Adam to locate and work out how to "borrow" it.