"Black & Blue" TL-1

Firstly, a thank you to the guys who offered advice re: cutting/routing the reduced body for this project.

Work has begun and so far I'm going along quite happily largely due to the high quality of the kit.
I have reduced the basswood body by about 5/8" all around the edges (except near the neck join of course)

Pic 1: The proposed design/finish (small body not depicted)
Pic 2: Reduced body ready for the finer stages of sanding.
Pic 3: The neck & black faced headstock drying (with maple fretboard still masked) after several coats of satin clear. Yeah, I'm a funny bugger - the finish will be all satin - I didn't want a high gloss . . .

After much research, I've decided to treat the fretboard with a pure carnauba/beeswax mix made here in W.A. I reckon varnish always gets worn and looks sh*thouse and leaving it untreated won't work 'cos I have "Dirty Fingers" (apologies to the late Gary Moore)

Hope to post more soonish . . .





http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...giu-Tele-1.jpg
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...8vl-Tele-2.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...q02-Tele-3.JPG

Hey Max,

Great to hear all is going as planned!

look forward to more pics of your progress. 8-)

Quote:

---

Quote from dingobass on March 27, 2013, 21:36
Hey Max,

Great to hear all is going as planned!

look forward to more pics of your progress. 8-)

---

Thanks DB

As you would have gathered, I'm no purist when it comes to building guitars. Fist clue would be the Strat shape headstock - reduced longitudinally.
This project is really very tame compared to my previous efforts. In fact my next project will be an ST-1 kit (already purchased) which will become an "Offender Stealthcaster" and quite highly modified.

Back to the job in hand . . . forging ahead?

Finished the neck at last and I'm very pleased with the look and the silky feel of the pure carnauba polish on the fretboard.

Completed "working through the grits" sanding the body and applied first coat of satin black. Picture shows body ready to spray with a broomstick up its jackhole (Jillhole?) Someone else on the forum did a clever thing with Volksy parts for this purpose, but I can't seem to find the post?

More soon (I hope)

Max



http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...-telec-001.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...05z-Tele-5.JPG

The build is looking great, can't wait to see it assembled with the reduced body size.

Do you mean Mike's rotate'o'tilt'o'matic in his I made a thing !!! and ST-1 build posts?

Quote:

---

Quote from WeirdBits on March 29, 2013, 21:48
The build is looking great, can't wait to see it assembled with the reduced body size.

Do you mean Mike's rotate'o'tilt'o'matic in his I made a thing !!! and ST-1 build posts?

---

Yes, that's the one.
It's really a very clever doodad and I love the purple sunburst ST-1 hanging off it!

[quote]Quote from maxaxe on March 30, 2013, 19:36
[quote]Quote from WeirdBits on March 29, 2013, 21:48
The build is looking great, can't wait to see it assembled with the reduced body size.

Thanks again Weirdbits

I had good look at your beautiful "Teleburster" and was amazed at your perseverance in the face of adversity.
Today I finished the last superfine body sanding and applied acrylic spray putty (see pic). Next step will be a very light sanding back and then (hooray) the first coat of black.
Following advice on here, I performed an accurate pre-fit of hardware etc. and pre-drilled ready for later.
The waiting is the hardest part . . .



http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content.../1m855-BB1.JPG

The waiting is the hardest part . . .

Putty has now been sanded down very smoothly and the first two coats of black sprayed on and blocked back in between.
I will do at least one more coat of black before applying clear satin spray acrylic coat(s)
Still can't wait to fit the cut down 3 ply pickguard & all the goodies from the kit 8-)




http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...-paint-008.JPG

Satin clear is a really great idea. Black is crazy hard to get right. Every little imperfection shows.

There's something seriously sexy about a jet black Tele. What state are you in Maxaxe?

Watch out, Max, I think Adam is putting up another wall hanger.

Quote:

---

Quote from WeirdBits on April 5, 2013, 22:08
Watch out, Max, I think Adam is putting up another wall hanger.

---

BWAAAHAHAHAHA!..... Seriously, Adam IS putting up another wall hanger... I can hear the masonry bit boring holes in his loungeroom wall from here :D

Same here DB!!!

Quote:

---

Quote from adam on April 5, 2013, 21:31
There's something seriously sexy about a jet black Tele. What state are you in Maxaxe?

---

Hi Adam

I'm in a state of excitement . . . um, meaning good old W.A. and of course busting to finish the next stages of the job.
I'm also in a state of apprehension . . . sounds like you go around Hoovering up Tele's for the wall 8O !
Think I'll get some dynabolts organised.

Max

There's your mistake right there mentioning WA, had you said North Korea your tele may have been safe.....

Nah, should have said my Pest Cave, I have a Jack Russell, they are bred for hunting!

A bit more work done now . . . :|

Hardware fitted, pickups wired.
Next jobs of course are setting & fitting the neck, stringing & intonation etc.
Some eagle eyed luthiers may wonder - why two end pins on the bottom?
Answer: I hate guitars rolling over sideways when leant against an amp plus I don't wanna trip over any stands.

Pic No.1 below makes the Satin Black body look lighter than in real life.
Pic No.2 is the answer to my biggest problem . . .

Next post (hopefully) will be the finished article.

http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content.../fd83a-002.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content.../crgx7-003.jpg

Wow... Looks awesome there mate!!!

That is a beauty! Well done!

That is a really gorgeous Tele Maxaxe, make sure you enter this for May Guitar of the Month, if you have it finished before the end of April. If you;re ever near Highgate send me a message and we'll get some Pit Bull Guitar Studio shots (and I'll see how it looks on my wall surrounded by DB's masterpieces).

Quote:

---

Quote from adam on April 10, 2013, 19:43
That is a really gorgeous Tele Maxaxe, make sure you enter this for May Guitar of the Month, if you have it finished before the end of April. If you;re ever near Highgate send me a message and we'll get some Pit Bull Guitar Studio shots (and I'll see how it looks on my wall surrounded by DB's masterpieces).

---

And that will be the last time you see it :P

..except on occasions when you have other non-tele guitars that Adam offers to photograph! Conjugal visits?

It looks fantastic, Max, great job.

Thank you all so much for the kind comments :D

Coming from people who do such amazing work, this is really encouraging.
Thanks for the invite Adam & DB, as it happens I work odd days around the corner in West Perth.
Will message you when guitar is completed.

Cheers

Max

All done bar intonation, string height and final tweaking.
Here's three pics of it hanging on the wall . . .

1. Side shot.
2. Frontal - you can clearly see the cut down body proportions.
3. Next to its scaly friend, what was a Maton semi-acc EG100.


http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...04/tw803-1.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...04/28pg5-2.JPG
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...04/fn51j-3.JPG

Very nice Max.

When I first read satin black I was not convinced. But now having seen the finished guitar I am a convert.

rob

Wow, that Maton looks pretty schweet!!! I'm a big Maton fan, don't know why, I just love them!
Yea, the smaller size does show up when you compare it to the neck and headstock!

That looks awesome, but I have a much more important question. How are they hanging on the wall? What's holding them up?

Please answer soon, as I've just moved house and tomorrow I'm drilling holes in the wall to fit my guitar hangers to.

Thanks guys :D

OK Phloggy, on the back of the headstock I've got the loop part of a cabin hook from Bunnings (see pic) it's held with 2 screws. On the wall it's just a rawlplug with a slightly cut down cup hook wound in pretty tightly.
Not everyone likes adding holes to their axes, but this method makes a great concealed hanger and doesn't interfere with playability.

Cheers

Max
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...29i54-Hook.JPG

I had the pleasure of a visit from Maxaxe today, with his "Black & Blue" TL-1. I took some photos, but I think, in this case, my photos weren't an improvement on Max's. My studio lights just showed up all the dust (from my place).

That said folks, this is a really awesome guitar. It's a subtle finish, but, as I said to Max, it's the kind of guitar that I would head straight to in a music shop. I had a quick strum and, even though it wasn't fully set up, it felt great to play.

And I love the double strap button idea (to stop it falling over when its leaning against your amp).


http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...0682-Max-1.jpg
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...84k5-Max-2.jpg
http://pitbullguitars.com/wp-content...g39d-Max-3.jpg

Love the finish, it looks awesome. Very cool, great job Max.

Looking good! Get the intonation done! It really doesn't take long! Then it will be a complete pleasure to play. Really awesome work Max!

Max, Love the hanger - seems like such a simple solution... but looks very impressive and I dare say would be easy to use... Nice job. Guitar looks sweet. Love the colour.