Pitbull Guitars for Newbies

[TheDangerMan]

Hi all,

Im looking to get into the guitar building thing but im a little hesitant as my gear knowledge and guitar tech know-how is limited to re-stringing... With this in mind I was wondering if any of you guys had any tips and tricks for people such as myself regarding pickup soldering etc etc
I have my eye on the Tele kit, would this be the best option for a first timer such as myself?

On another note, these kits look fantastic!

Thanks guys :)

[gavinturner]

Welcome DangerMan! No need to be hesitant dude, I would say 95% of people here started with a Pitbull kit having never done any guitar finishing, setup or electronics before. The Tele and Strat kits are great to get started as there is minimal wiring to be done. Just solder up your earth wire your pickup wires and your output jack and you are away! My advice is to pick a look for your guitar and dive straight in. Start a build diary and ask questions along the way. You wont believe how rewarding it is seeing your very own creation develop and then being able to rock out on it once you are done!! Your first guitar wont be the last..

cheers,
Gav.

[dingobass]

Welcome to the crazy ranch Dangerman :)

As Gav said, most of our first time builders started where you are now so don't hesitate! Jump on in and get a Tele kit and let the creative juces flow :)

You will recieve all the support, encouragment and backup you need and some from our forum members and you also have access to two professional Luthiers in the Gavmeister and myself.

Jump in BUddy and let the GAS take hold, guaranteed that once you have built one you will want to build another and another........

[jarrod]

As above dude there is plenty of answers to any question you can think to ask regarding guitar builds, most of us have made the mistakes before and can guide you in he right direction. There is also great wiring demos on the site. A TLA (tele) is a fantastic guitar to build and built right plays as good as any high end priced guitar. Put ya bathers on and jump in to this mad house and enjoy playing an axe that you have built.

[Brendan]

Welcome along - Tele's are a great place to start - especially if you're a novice solderer (not sure if it's a word - if not I claim it!). In terms of suggestions:
* Get a reasonable soldering iron - (the video says something like a 50+ watt soldering iron from memory) - this will heat up enough that the solder will melt quickly, reducing the amount that you heat the soldered thing (pickup, cap, etc).
* Get yourself an aligator clip or something like that - it can be used to soak up some of the heat and is also handy to hold things together while you solder - you tend to have the iron in one hand, solder in the other and the thing you want to solder...
* Get some thin solder - it comes in a range of thicknesses. I stupidly went to the green store and bought their solder. Then I went to Altronics and found out that solder comes in a range of thicknesses and the 1.6mm thick solder I had was rubbish. It took so long to heat and then when it melted, I ended up with massive amounts of solder. I now have 0.8mm (from memory) solder which is fantastic.
* Practice. StewMac have a "thing" you can add to a guitar that improves the transition from 10 - 9 volume on your guitar - what it is though isn't critical - the parts to make one (or 10) are worth not all that much (couple of cents), so it's a great thing to practice making (video here: http://www.stewmac.com/tsarchive/ts0182.html).
Finally - don't stress. If you feel that you're not sure - ask the forum. If you feel you're rushing, you probably are, so put everything down, have a Bovrill and come back later. It is worth it as you'll save yourself from making poor decisions.
Anyway, my 2c...
As others have said, enjoy the ride!

[trevor.rawlings@raywhite.com]

You won't regret it mate - my main 2 tips are don't rush it and take your time preping the body . The more time you take in sanding back the body and getting a good base the better the end product. Get yourself a good soldering iron as the 'cheaper' ones just make the job harder - YouTube soldering tips and hints so you learn how to avoid 'cold' joins etc , and just play around with different ideas and wire mods. It's very addictive so make sure you have some $$ left over to buy another one straight away !!!

[TheDangerMan]

Wow, thanks for the help guys! Some great tips in here.. I have taken the plunge and bought the Tele kit along with a blue azure wudtone finish, pretty excited to see how it turns out!
Will post in the 'my build journey' when I get it under way!

Thanks again :)

[wokkaboy]

welcome Dangerman,
good choice a tele and azure lagoon wudtone. You will need some decent sandpaper to sand machine marks off the body and neck, worth getting 180, 220, 240 and maybe 320 grit sandpaper.
I'd buy all your soldering gear and just practice soldering 2 wires together, once you get the nack of it it's easy. Be very careful while soldering its easy to burn any object close or yourself !
Start a build diary and share your build experience and as others have said there's plenty of help on the forum !

Which tele kit did you order, there's about 9 models available

[robin]

Glad you decided to jump in Cameron. As others have said you WILL NOT regret it.

We all had to start somewhere and all of us were beginners at some stage, believe it or not even Gav and Dingo had to start with a first one.

I have the most modest of tools and talent, and do all my work (its actually not work, its fun) on my back patio as I don't even have a workbench. If I can build a guitar, anybody can.

As other have said, don't rush, take your time and enjoy the journey. Start a build diary and ask lots of questions.

Remember, there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.

Cheers
rob

[Fretworn]

If you are really concerned, take the stress off yourself by paying the extra $$$ to get DB to set up the neck for you. Although, if I can get a guitar neck playable, anyone can.

[TheDangerMan]

/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from wokkaboy on April 24, 2014, 09:42
welcome Dangerman,
good choice a tele and azure lagoon wudtone. You will need some decent sandpaper to sand machine marks off the body and neck, worth getting 180, 220, 240 and maybe 320 grit sandpaper.
I'd buy all your soldering gear and just practice soldering 2 wires together, once you get the nack of it it's easy. Be very careful while soldering its easy to burn any object close or yourself !
Start a build diary and share your build experience and as others have said there's plenty of help on the forum !

Which tele kit did you order, there's about 9 models available

Hey Wokkaboy,

The tele kit is the TL-1.. But pending the outcome of this build, there is a good chance I will cover all of the tele kits! Love my telecasters

I do already have some soldering stuff at home but i'll definitely go out and get sandpaper in prep for the build! Thanks for the tips!

[TheDangerMan]

/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from Fretworn on April 24, 2014, 11:51
If you are really concerned, take the stress off yourself by paying the extra $$$ to get DB to set up the neck for you. Although, if I can get a guitar neck playable, anyone can.

Hey Fretworn,

Yeah I think if I get super stuck ill call on the help of some professionals :P But my confidence is growing a little as I read more info about these kits

[stan]

Welcome and enjoy, great first kit!
Take your time, read the tutorials, we are all here to help

[Brendan]

Quote from stan on April 24, 2014, 18:46
Welcome and enjoy, great first kit!
Take your time, read the tutorials, we are all here to help
And ask questions - if you're not sure or think you're rushing - stop go to your PC and drop a line to the forum. That's saved my axe at least once and would have saved myself a bit of work if I'd taken my own advice once before...
The guitar will get built - you're better off taking a bit of time and getting it right - especially for a first. You may see some guys (like Wokka) cranking through builds - that said, I think he's done something near 50, so there's a bit of experience below that mild mannered exterior and he also has a couple on the run at any one time. He's also a great bloke to boot, so that's a bonus...

[TheDangerMan]

Hey Brendan,

Thanks for the words of encouragement! I can't wait to get started on my build already!
Even bought a few extra bits for it. I know my biggest problem will be soldering and electronics but I'm optimistic the videos will help me out a fair bit :)

[Hillsy]

Welcome Cam, starting my first build as well so I feel ya, helpful bunch here though as you've worked out. Most important, enjoy the journey.

[Borgs]

Hi. I've just bought a Thunderbird 4 bass rig kit. I have downloaded the wiring diagram and am very confused! The one I got is the 4 string bass - 3 pots diagram. Both pickups have the same wiring, namely green shielded and soldered together,red and white soldered together and black. The diagram says blue as your hot wire ??? This is where I'm dumbfounded! Could someone please help with a more specific solution or a photo of the wiring. Thanks man.