An ES-1BT as a first build

Hi there, kids!

Yes, I probably am crazy, but I've been thinking about the guitar I want for a good while now.
A Semi-Hollow like my much-missed '70s ES345, but this one in a deep transparent yellow stain with a trapeze tailpiece (that's the bit that's hard to find) and all black hardware (hence the B instead of G).

The guys at Pit Bull were super helpful in getting that together and shipped - and it arrived much earlier than I expected. Now I gotta go to some fancy wood places to gather some bits of maple and some stain options so I can work out how to get the finish I want. (DingoTone isn't available in the states.)

The wiring shouldn't be too much of a challenge - I've been in the electronics game for 30-something years, and have confidence.

The neck gluing is the bit I'm nervous about. Think I'll save that until after the body is finished and wired.

At the moment, thinking TruTint in a water base is where I'll start. Then some clear coats and a good polish. Should take three months or so :o

Hi and welcome dmoose5835. Sounds like a great project. Start a build diary and post pictures and don't be afraid to ask for help if needed.

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Originally Posted by robin

Hi and welcome dmoose5835. Sounds like a great project. Start a build diary and post pictures and don't be afraid to ask for help if needed.

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Thanks Robin!

Photos to commence once I find the stupid camera and clean up my work area.

I'll warn you in advance that the neck angle on the ES-1 is probably going to be too shallow to get a decent action using the kit bridge and its mounting kit, so you may need to buy a few replacement pieces like rimless post inserts for the bridge so you can set it low enough to get a decent action. The alternative is to try and adjust the neck angle using a glued-in shim, but this could also introduce some larger gaps around the join areas.

And black hardware looks good, but the finish on it is electrically insulating so you'll need to scratch away at it to allow metal to metal contact in order to ground the bridge and strings.

I'd mask off the binding before staining, otherwise micro-cracks in the binding can take up the stain and ruin the looks.

And always check for glue spots on the veneer, especially around the binding and centre join area. You'll find a lot about glue spots in people's build diaries.

Definitely read a few ES-1 build diaries first (if you haven't already).

If you aren't sure, always ask first before doing anything. Almost all errors or faults can be corrected, but sometimes it means revising your ideal finish to something that will cover up items you can't live with. By asking, you minimise the risks of that happening and we're here to help if we can.

This may all sound like doom and gloom, but it's better to be forewarned, and in most instances, it doesn't take too much effort to get things right in advance; which makes the build far more enjoyable. There is a good guitar hiding within the kit, you just need to let it out.

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Originally Posted by Simon Barden

I'll warn you in advance that the neck angle on the ES-1 is probably going to be too shallow to get a decent action using the kit bridge and its mounting kit, so you may need to buy a few replacement pieces like rimless post inserts for the bridge so you can set it low enough to get a decent action. The alternative is to try and adjust the neck angle using a glued-in shim, but this could also introduce some larger gaps around the join areas.

And black hardware looks good, but the finish on it is electrically insulating so you'll need to scratch away at it to allow metal to metal contact in order to ground the bridge and strings.

I'd mask off the binding before staining, otherwise micro-cracks in the binding can take up the stain and ruin the looks.

And always check for glue spots on the veneer, especially around the binding and centre join area. You'll find a lot about glue spots in people's build diaries.

Definitely read a few ES-1 build diaries first (if you haven't already).

If you aren't sure, always ask first before doing anything. Almost all errors or faults can be corrected, but sometimes it means revising your ideal finish to something that will cover up items you can't live with. By asking, you minimise the risks of that happening and we're here to help if we can.

This may all sound like doom and gloom, but it's better to be forewarned, and in most instances, it doesn't take too much effort to get things right in advance; which makes the build far more enjoyable. There is a good guitar hiding within the kit, you just need to let it out.

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I second, and third Simon's advice - even when you think you have gotten rid of all the glue residue front and back, just check it again - although, if you don't have flame, or quilt veneer, (which are very thin), it may not be so much of an issue.

Thank you HamonIser -
I do have flame veneer, but I do have a plan B if I make too big a mess - BRIGHT yellow opaque.

And thank you Simon -
The ES335 drawings I have say the neck should be at 4 degrees off whatever level means - I'm guessing the centerline of the side rims.
Not positive how I'll approach this, so thanks for the heads up. Also for pointing out the insulating nature of the black plating - it hadn't occurred to me that might be the case. Buuuut, the top of the bridge saddles will also insulate the strings, won't they? At least until playing wear cuts through. Hmm.

Still, getting the finish on is going to take weeks - not just drying time, but household realities. I can meditate while attending other duties.

Finally got around to a dry fit of the neck (looks good) and close inspection of the body.
The binding around one of the F-holes is standing partly proud of the top of the body by 2-3mm.
I really don't want to mung the veneer, so what's the least-bad tool to attack this, please?

I’d probably scrape it down using a single-sided razor blade. You can wrap a thin adhesive tape like Scotch Tape over the ends on the blade so only the central portion is sharp and exposed. So you can scrape down to almost flat with the veneer in comparative safety.

To start with you can put two or three layers of tape on, then reduce to one as you have only a small amount left. I’d probably sand the last bit using 240 grit paper stuck to a small wooden block with double-sided tape.

Going back to the neck angle issue, you need to remember that this is not a mm accurate copy of a 335, so what may be the correct angle for a 335 may not be the ideal angle for the kit. As long as a long straight edge laid on the top of the neck (truss rod adjusted so it’s flat) will just clear the top of the bridge at its lowest position (remember that the post insert rims and the adjustment wheels raise it up by about 4-5mm from the body), you should be OK.

Good - thank you as always Simon.
Dumb (real dumb) question about the scraper action - I keep it perpendicular to the thing I'm scraping or more of a carrot-peeler action?

I did a dry fit, and it looks about right. When I clear out a space to start playing with the finish, I'll post more.

The binding should scrape away easily enough at right angles. I’d suggest that’s safer than a carrot peeler technique.

Question about black bridge grounding - Simon and others have advised I scrape some of the black off - down to bare metal - for grounding. I assume that means scraping each saddle slot, and either the screw or the bottom of the saddle and in the trough where they slide. Also the bottom of the bridge at the post holes and the parts of the post the bridge rides on, and then the post and ferrule threads, and finally the outside of the ferrule body where the ground wire sits.
Did I miss anything, or am I overdoing it?
OR, should I just ground the trapeze tailpiece as the scrapes will be easier to hide?

Before scrapping anything get a multi meter and check. All of my black bridges I have checked with a meter and I didn't find I needed to remove any of the finish. It also depends on what the finish is as well as some of the bridges I had looked like they were painted and the ones I used looked like they were plated. Of course the ones that looked painted didn't ground properly but were about a quarter of the price of the plated ones.

^^^ what Dikky said.

The kit bridges are normally about the cheapest types you can get, but always worth double checking to see if you need to do anything. I know that some have certainly been insulating, but the kits come from several different factories, and the hardware they use will also come from different sources.

If you do need to scrape, then I'd scrape the bottom of the saddle notches first, so you've got some exposed metal to connect a meter probe to, and work back from there, e.g. saddles to base of bridge, then to the bridge posts, and then to the bridge posts in the post inserts.

Thank you both, Dikky and Simon!