You'll be gratefull for the extra effort you put in later! :)
It's soul destroying trying to force paint where it just doesnt want to go, and it would have splotched your finish....not a pretty sight!
Printable View
You'll be gratefull for the extra effort you put in later! :)
It's soul destroying trying to force paint where it just doesnt want to go, and it would have splotched your finish....not a pretty sight!
Way to go Glenn!Quote:
Quote from GlennGP on February 16, 2013, 17:59
So, after that thread hijack ...
... sanding! Got into it today. Following Andy's advice (from Wudtone), I restricted myself to a going over with 240 grit, and I'll do some 0000 steel wool as well, probably tomorrow.
There were three patches of fill in the surface of the body (actually on the sides, not on the top or back), which others have remarked doesn't take the Wudtone. One was roundish, the other was actually a little wiggly strip on the bottom edge, and each was no bigger than a 5-10c coin in total; the third one was right on the edge of the jack-plug hole. I was unsure about removing and replacing the edge of a hole, in that I might not be able to shape the replacement fill properly or compact it sufficiently to securely take the screws for the jack plate. Given it will be covered by the jack plate I decided to leave that patch alone, but I did set about sorting out the other two.
I discovered that trying to sand it off actually makes it disintegrate around the edge of the patch, and you end up dragging hard little grains of the stuff across the surface, which make nasty grooves in the surrounding surface, which then need sanding out too. I tried backing off to a 40 grit, to just tough it out, but that had pretty much the same effect as 240 grit, but made a bigger mess. Seeing as I already had a mess on my hands I decided to take a deep breath, pull out the bastard rasp file and see how deep the fill went. Thankfully it was only about a mil deep, so I was able to remove the fill completely and make a neat surface with the file, and then bring the surface back to smooth with sandpaper. I'm really happy that none of the visible surface on the finished product will be fill!
Now you are really thinking like a Luthier and finding the workaround. Well done that man! :D
FWIW we have asked the factory to NOT fill any dings and dents with their filler. It may take a while for these unfilled kits to filter through but hopefully we will see the end of the dodgy Chinese filler.
Adam, Send 'em some good old Aussie Timbermate. All their clients will then be much happier!
Reluctantly, I have to admit I'm not happy with where the hardware ended up on the body when I did the test fit and drilled holes, and I'm still suspicious about the neck alignment. I'm filling the holes in the body and then I'll re-fit the neck and see if I can make the hardware go where it's supposed to.
If you look the pic I posted earlier (provided again below) you might notice that the bridge assembly is hard up against the inside left edge of the pickguard cutaway, instead of being nicely centred and stepped away from it. No matter which way you look at it, something's not right about that, and it bothers me. So, we're going to get that right before we start any Wudtoning around here!
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...3-DSCN6003.JPG
Taking into consideration the photo is not perfectly straight on, all 3D items will appear offset slightly to one side but all should show the same offset. The nut and the bridge do show the same offset.Quote:
If you look the pic I posted earlier (provided again below) you might notice that the bridge assembly is hard up against the inside left edge of the pickguard cutaway, instead of being nicely centred and stepped away from it. No matter which way you look at it, something's not right about that, and it bothers me. So, we're going to get that right before we start any Wudtoning around here!
I've added a center line based on the neck dots and it does actually line up correctly with the bridge assembly. So the obvious thought would be the pickguard has moved during milling and is misaligned. I don't know if this can happen but it's my immediate thought.
Easiest way to tell is to measure lengths A and B and compare them to another kit.
But after re reading this and checking the pic uploaded ok, looking at the pickup, that would indicate that the pickguard is correct and bridge is wrong.... I am now confused by it too :/
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...3-DSCN6003.JPG
My 5c worth.
Gut instinct suggests it is the pickguard. If it is not the pickguard and it is the bridge, the intonation can still be manipulated somewhat by the three adjustable saddles. Remember that there is usually a 2.5mm offset approximately for compensation. That is the length from nut to middle fret is 2.5 mm shorter than from middle fret to saddle.
The pickup of my tele is hardly even inside the routed pickup cavity....
Insofar as the A and B measurement suggested above, there is 5mm spacing between my pickguard and the bridge on either side, then there is 32mm of pickguard on both sides before it curves away at 90 degrees....hope this helps...
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...n4c9-image.jpgQuote:
Quote from Gavin1393 on February 20, 2013, 20:44
My 5c worth.
Gut instinct suggests it is the pickguard. If it is not the pickguard and it is the bridge, the intonation can still be manipulated somewhat by the three adjustable saddles. Remember that there is usually a 2.5mm offset approximately for compensation. That is the length from nut to middle fret is 2.5 mm shorter than from middle fret to saddle.
The pickup of my tele is hardly even inside the routed pickup cavity....
Insofar as the A and B measurement suggested above, there is 5mm spacing between my pickguard and the bridge on either side, then there is 32mm of pickguard on both sides before it curves away at 90 degrees....hope this helps...
Quote:
Quote from MikeL on February 20, 2013, 19:51
Quote:
If you look the pic I posted earlier (provided again below) you might notice that the bridge assembly is hard up against the inside left edge of the pickguard cutaway, instead of being nicely centred and stepped away from it. No matter which way you look at it, something's not right about that, and it bothers me. So, we're going to get that right before we start any Wudtoning around here!
Check your measurements again, and I would even put the two e strings on and go by that.
(You can clamp the strings with your trusty Irwin on the headstock)
This will tell you if it is the bridge or guard.
Looking at the pic, I would say it is the bridge that needs to be nudged across a touch.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...3-DSCN6003.JPG
Thanks all for input, very helpful. I was going with the approach that "ugly but effective" will do, i.e. if the alignment is all correct and it's the pickguard that's got the cut-out in the wrong position, I can live with that. Then I started seeing pics of other Teles going up, with nice spacing around the bridge, and I thought, dammit, I want that, and it's not too late!
So, I'm gonna measure the f#@* out of this thing and work out what's wrong (including the possibility that it's me!), and damn-well get it right.
Quote:
Quote from GlennGP on February 21, 2013, 06:10
Thanks all for input, very helpful. I was going with the approach that "ugly but effective" will do, i.e. if the alignment is all correct and it's the pickguard that's got the cut-out in the wrong position, I can live with that. Then I started seeing pics of other Teles going up, with nice spacing around the bridge, and I thought, dammit, I want that, and it's not too late!
So, I'm gonna measure the f#@* out of this thing and work out what's wrong (including the possibility that it's me!), and damn-well get it right.
If it was me, i'd set up the neck, bridge and pots as they should be set up with that body but without the pickguard fitted. If at that point the pickguard still doesn't fit, i'd buy a blank sheet of pickguard material ( it's not expensive ) and i'd make a new pickguard that fits the build. Or custom cut the existing guard... Who says it can't have a 5mm all space around the bridge etc... Make it work well, then make it pretty :)
Ebay Pickguard material link http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_t...at=0&_from=R40
Mike, thanks for thinking outside the square. My brain was teetering on the edge of that realisation and you've just raced on by. Brilliant. That's what I'll do.Quote:
Quote from MikeL on February 21, 2013, 08:48
If it was me, i'd set up the neck, bridge and pots as they should be set up with that body but without the pickguard fitted. ...
What am I thinking?! I intended to swap the white pickguard for the black one that comes with the next Tele kit I'm getting ... so, if any adjustment is required to the white pickguard to make it fit this body, I shouldn't bother at all. What I should do is just finish this one without the pickguard and worry about fitting the black one when it arrives.
Sheesh. Nothing like thinking out loud to reach the right conclusion ...
Tonight I put the neck back on and verified its alignment - that checked out. Next I positioned the bridge, and that turned out to be slightly too close to the neck, and twisted slightly anti-clockwise. Once I'd established where the bridge should be, I dropped the pickguard on to see what the problem might be.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...f-DSCN6009.JPG
As predicted above, it's the pickguard. When I first did the test-fit I used the pickguard to guide where to place the bridge. I had to exert a bit of force to make that work (see earlier pictures). It's now pretty obvious that the position of the neck cut-out on the pickguard is just wrong.
Not to worry, I'm not going to use that one anyway. Good to have it all sorted out, and be able to proceed with the staining and finishing with confidence - the Wudtone arrived today!
First coat of Wudtone Goldenrod. The wood actually wanted to take a fair bit of this stuff - I reckon about a third of the quantity of base coat supplied is in this coat.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...h-DSCN6016.JPG
Quote:
Quote from GlennGP on February 26, 2013, 15:33
First coat of Wudtone Goldenrod. The wood actually wanted to take a fair bit of this stuff - I reckon about a third of the quantity of base coat supplied is in this coat.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...h-DSCN6016.JPG
Hot Damn that looks down right sexy Glenn!
Yep, the first coat is always the thirsty one.
You will probably only need another two coats and baby, she will be stunning!
Thanks mate, I'm pretty happy with how it's coming along. Might get going on the neck in the next few days, too.Quote:
Quote from dingobass on February 26, 2013, 18:11
Hot Damn that looks down right sexy Glenn!
Yep, the first coat is always the thirsty one.
You will probably only need another two coats and baby, she will be stunning!
I've been a busy boy - here's the TL-1 body after Wudtone Goldenrod coat #3:
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...w-DSCN6022.JPG
I've also been auditioning pickguards - here's a montage I prepared earlier:
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...d-audition.jpg
I think we can agree that looks AMAZING!!! You might want to stop there, maybe DB will agree???Quote:
Quote from GlennGP on March 2, 2013, 12:46
I've been a busy boy - here's the TL-1 body after Wudtone Goldenrod coat #3:
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...w-DSCN6022.JPG
Yep, Callum, I'm seriously considering leaving the base coat there. I have some silver highlights here, and then it's on to the topcoat, which I'm sure will be arriving any day soon! Not so sure about the vintage amber on the neck, but I'll see what a second coat does to it. I may mix a bit of leftover Goldenrod in just to make it match a bit better.Quote:
Quote from keloooe on March 2, 2013, 13:06
I think we can agree that looks AMAZING!!! You might want to stop there, maybe DB will agree???
Silver highlights sound cool with Goldenrod!Quote:
Quote from GlennGP on March 2, 2013, 13:40
Yep, Callum, I'm seriously considering leaving the base coat there. I have some silver highlights here, and then it's on to the topcoat, which I'm sure will be arriving any day soon! Not so sure about the vintage amber on the neck, but I'll see what a second coat does to it. I may mix a bit of leftover Goldenrod in just to make it match a bit better.Quote:
Quote from keloooe on March 2, 2013, 13:06
I think we can agree that looks AMAZING!!! You might want to stop there, maybe DB will agree???
Back to pickguards - I've redone the test with the yellowish white pearloid, which I think would work best with the chrome hardware etc.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...with-pearl.jpg
This would be my choice too Glenn, once you put the chrome hardware on, it will look sensational. This is going to be a really gorgeous guitar.
Looks fantastic Glenn, can't wait to see it finished - but you're making me want to rush mine!
must resist, must resist, must resist...
Mate, your virtual sunburst artwork inspired me to get off my duff and do the pickguard tests. The latest one was redone with the current depth of stain. Seen by itself, that one looks white, but when you put it next to one that's really white you can see it's not. Amazing stuff. So ... resist, resist!Quote:
Quote from WeirdBits on March 2, 2013, 16:03
Looks fantastic Glenn, can't wait to see it finished - but you're making me want to rush mine!
must resist, must resist, must resist...
Wow Glenn,
I almost got wood over the Wudtone.......
*censored* amazing.
Hi Glenn, lovely looking guitar and always nice to see Tele's done in classic colours and integrity. Great Job,Quote:
Quote from GlennGP on March 2, 2013, 13:40
Yep, Callum, I'm seriously considering leaving the base coat there. I have some silver highlights here, and then it's on to the topcoat, which I'm sure will be arriving any day soon! Not so sure about the vintage amber on the neck, but I'll see what a second coat does to it. I may mix a bit of leftover Goldenrod in just to make it match a bit better.Quote:
Quote from keloooe on March 2, 2013, 13:06
I think we can agree that looks AMAZING!!! You might want to stop there, maybe DB will agree???
and I agree on the neck colour for a tele. We always end up back at our original vintage yellow for tele. You could fine steel wool and start again with some neat goldenrod base coat on the neck. Here is what it will look like after 2 /3 coats http://www.wudtone.com/forum/wp-cont...ellow-neck.jpg The Goldenrod dye is a very pleasing colour. This dye along with a little Saffron is what goes into the coloured base coat of the Dairy Blonde kit ( added to a white pigment base). On this thread http://www.musiquiatra.com/viewtopic...66280&start=30
is another nicely done Ash Tele with Dairy Blonde coloured base only, just a couple of base coats to keep the grain as visible as possible.
Oh wow, thanks so much for the advice, Andy.
Tonight I re-sanded the neck, taking off the amber colour (and tidying up a few bits I'd skimped on!) and applied neat Goldenrod. I stayed clear of the fretboard, including the edges, which I'd like to leave natural, so that there's some variety in the look of the thing. When I'd finished I put it next to the body, and the effect is much more pleasing than the amber was. That's plenty of colour on the neck, just the one thin coat was enough to complement the deeper tint of the body.
I also applied the silver highlights to the body this eve. That's a subtle feature, that is. I think I'm pretty much ready to top coat the lot sometime in the next few days, then I have to teach myself to solder. This will be interesting.
Once more, I can't thank you guys enough for being around to point me in the right direction. And how lucky are we to have the Wudtone guru drop in with pointers? Thanks Andy!
I'll do pics when I have natural light. I hate shooting under the flouros in the shed, it's not at all kind or faithful.
So, I'm cracking on now. I've got a 1st top coat on the body and the neck. I'm doing the neck in two alternating steps, just because it's difficult to handle it if the whole thing is treated at once, so I've top coated everything but the fretboard, and sometime in the next day or so I'll do the fretboard. Then I'll do everything but the fretboard again, and alternate till I've got 2 or 3 coats on the whole thing. It's all looking pretty sweet so far.
Also, with my heart set on the yellowed white pearloid pickguard, I couldn't quite come at $55 for the thing (including postage) so I've been looking for ways of getting the same effect for less dough. My solution is to get a stark white pearloid pickguard for reasonably cheap off the interwebs and give it the Wudtone ageing process (set out here: http://www.wudtone.com/forum/?topic=...ng-wudtone-dye) using some leftover top coat and a wee bit of Goldenrod. Pics on the weekend, chaps!
(By the way, are there any chapettes lurking around here?)
Apart from Miss Nadeine, who hasn't posted anything in ages, I think there was a person named Claire who signed up a few weeks ago????Quote:
Quote from GlennGP on March 7, 2013, 06:17
So, I'm cracking on now. I've got a 1st top coat on the body and the neck. I'm doing the neck in two alternating steps, just because it's difficult to handle it if the whole thing is treated at once, so I've top coated everything but the fretboard, and sometime in the next day or so I'll do the fretboard. Then I'll do everything but the fretboard again, and alternate till I've got 2 or 3 coats on the whole thing. It's all looking pretty sweet so far.
Also, with my heart set on the yellowed white pearloid pickguard, I couldn't quite come at $55 for the thing (including postage) so I've been looking for ways of getting the same effect for less dough. My solution is to get a stark white pearloid pickguard for reasonably cheap off the interwebs and give it the Wudtone ageing process (set out here: http://www.wudtone.com/forum/?topic=...ng-wudtone-dye) using some leftover top coat and a wee bit of Goldenrod. Pics on the weekend, chaps!
(By the way, are there any chapettes lurking around here?)
I've applied all coats of Wudtone now except one last coat to the back of the neck. I'm pretty pleased with the result! Now I just have to wait for my pickguard to arrive so that I can age it, then I can start assembly. Here are some pics to look at in the meantime.
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...5-DSCN6029.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...h-DSCN6030.JPG
And here's the body. Front ...
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...7-DSCN6031.JPG
... and back!
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...5-DSCN6032.JPG
Love the colour, looks great Glenn!
Bewdiful, Noice.....
Well done Glenn, I just wet my pants..... AGAIN! :D
It looks fantastic, Glenn. It has really turned out well, real eye candy.
Can't wait to see it fully assembled.
Me too, Scott, me too ...Quote:
Quote from WeirdBits on March 12, 2013, 00:03
...
Can't wait to see it fully assembled.
Love it!!! Some good quality work for this months GOTM?Quote:
Quote from GlennGP on March 12, 2013, 04:36
Me too, Scott, me too ...Quote:
Quote from WeirdBits on March 12, 2013, 00:03
...
Can't wait to see it fully assembled.
My pickguard arrived today, so I do actually stand a chance of finishing the thing this month! As for GOTM, well, that's not for me to say. ;)Quote:
Quote from Gavin1393 on March 12, 2013, 07:03
Love it!!! Some good quality work for this months GOTM?