Zebra wood ST and TL kits

I saw these Zebra wood kits when I was at Musikmesse in 2017 and thought they were interesting. Definitely eye-catching.

Finally tracked down a reliable supplier and, after getting some samples, have added some ST (DSZ-1) and TL (DTZ-1) models to the site... with PB and JB Bass kits to follow soon.

They are great quality, but I'm not sure what wood it is. There is a "Zebrawood" that Acoustic aficionados will be familiar with, but this looks like a manufactured product... I'm guessing Basswood treated to give this "Zebra appearance".

Whatever, they look great and the overall quality is excellent. Add some Dingotone Colourless or Tru Oil and job done.

Attachment 30348 Attachment 30349 Attachment 30350 Attachment 30351

Check 'em out

DSZ-1

DTZ-1

Looks awesome - can't wait for the PB version!

Has anyone at PBG simply assembled one to see if they intonate correctly? Because there certainly seem to be issues with a lot (if not all) of the Teles that simply shouldn't be there for customers to remedy. These have pre-drilled holes for the bridges, so hopefully they'll work, but I'd still suggest semi-building one of each (no finish, no electrics, just bridge and neck) just to check that they can be set up without issues. You could always then sell them on as specials.

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Originally Posted by Simon Barden

Has anyone at PBG simply assembled one to see if they intonate correctly? Because there certainly seem to be issues with a lot (if not all) of the Teles that simply shouldn't be there for customers to remedy. These have pre-drilled holes for the bridges, so hopefully they'll work, but I'd still suggest semi-building one of each (no finish, no electrics, just bridge and neck) just to check that they can be set up without issues. You could always then sell them on as specials.

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What are you saying Simon, "a lot (if not all) TL kits can't be intonated correctly"? This is the first I've head of this and we've sold 1000+ TL kits.
This is a bold negative statement.

Update: Factory confirms, "Yes, our zebra wood is manufactured wood, and has been treated with colour. But sorry I'm not sure its English name. I think it should be cottonwood. To avoid mistake, here is the Chinese name: 杨木. Hope it can be helpful"

Cottonwood is a sub-species of Poplar, which seems about right for weight and feel.

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Originally Posted by adam

What are you saying Simon, "a lot (if not all) TL kits can't be intonated correctly"? This is the first I've head of this and we've sold 1000+ TL kits.
This is a bold negative statement.

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You really need to look at the posts on TL kits then. The bridge rout is in the wrong place. This has come up before several times, including the list of improvements that the factories really needed to make that we all put together a year or more ago (maybe longer). People shouldn't have to Dremel or rout out the pickup cavity by 5mm or so so they can move the bridge to the right position.

I don't have a TL kit, all this is from reading builder's posts and queries.

Here are just a few posts, but there are a lot more. And note the regular's comments.

https://www.buildyourownguitar.com.a...ead.php?t=9392

https://www.buildyourownguitar.com.a...sition+problem

https://www.buildyourownguitar.com.a...l=1#post128236

https://www.buildyourownguitar.com.a...le+bridge+rout

It really needs to be sorted out as it's very offputting to the casual builder. And it's why I think that PBG needs to do a test assembly at least of any new kits before releasing them for sale, to ensure that they can be assembled and intonated without problems.

I only want to make the kits better for everyone!

On the bright side, a recurring problem is easier to identify and correct than a sporadic problem. The first 2 things that come to mind are an incorrect template and incorrect placement of the template. Any other ideas?

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Originally Posted by TZK321

On the bright side, a recurring problem is easier to identify and correct than a sporadic problem. The first 2 things that come to mind are an incorrect template and incorrect placement of the template. Any other ideas?

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Certainly one of those two things. It's not insolvable, but the bodies shouldn't come from the factories like it. And it's made worse by some of the kit hardware - like the 6-barrel Tele bridge with short adjustment screws, which exacerbates the positioning problem.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TZK321

On the bright side, a recurring problem is easier to identify and correct than a sporadic problem. The first 2 things that come to mind are an incorrect template and incorrect placement of the template. Any other ideas?

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Translate it into [redacted] and delivered with a (metaphorical) kick-up-the-bum?
Also get that tuner hole template sorted out whilst we're at it.
cheers, Mark.

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Originally Posted by Simon Barden

<a snip>People shouldn't have to Dremel or rout out the pickup cavity by 5mm or so so they can move the bridge to the right position

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Sounds almost like the neck pocket is a bit too far outwards perhaps?
Or just bridge position off. Interesting though