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Well, here I was thinking "now that its finished I'll just take a couple of pics to finish off the build diary", only to realise that I hadn't even started one for this build! 8O ... Doh! (another Homer moment! :D )
Yes, its been a while (studies and exams have gotten in the way of more important things - like getting this build completed! :D ) ... but here it is.
(the "Nickel-Odin" (nickel-plated EX-1) is still being worked on so in the meantime I completed the Tele "Slugger")
Taking it from the top, back at the beginning of December last year I received the TLA-1 that I couldn't resist ordering (especially due to the fact that Adam had so kindly marked down in price as a sale-special ;) )
The ever-exciting unpacking was followed by inspection - despite a few glue spots (some in areas where I had to wonder "how the pharq did they manage to get glue stains there!) it was judged to be another excellent PBG product.
Always destined to be a white body with black guard (nicely offsetting the rosewood fingerboard) ... as it would turn out it eventually become a "reproduction" of the '58/'59 telecasters - the only 'casters issued with a "top-loader" bridge and the first time they brought out rosewood fretboards (OK, so the specialists will know that they didn't produce tele's in white in '58 or '59 ... but what's a nice colour between friends! :D )
These first pics show the obligatory "in the box" pic, inspection and dry-fit.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...In-the-Box.jpg
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...spection-1.jpg
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...spection-2.jpg
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Shaping the headstock ... simple enough exercise? HAH! a little bit of an on-line search for headstock templates unearthed 8-9 subtley different "standard" tele headstock shapes - not just different by year or model, but also different within the same year and model!
I guess that considering they were originally cut and shaped by eye (rather than by CNC machine) there was bound to be a degree of variance even within the same run.
Eventually settled on what was correct for the period and appeared to be the most nicely balanced shape (I've always really liked the shape of the tele and pre-CBS strat headstocks!)
So after the attack of the coping saw, shaving and shaping of the neck and much, much sanding I ended up with the following ...
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...eadstock-1.jpg
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...eadstock-2.jpg
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You'll notice the fret board looks a little scrappy around the first fret - I cleaned this up after the previous pics were taken
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... and then on to the body!
Following the obligatory three and half months of sanding (just kidding - more like 4-5 hours) we commenced on the application of colour.
Always an exciting time to get some colour on it, I'd decided to go with the Wudtone "Olympic Girl" white ... as it turned out, maybe not such a good idea.
Initial inspection of the Wudtone "OG" showed that it appeared to be quite "thin" (not a lot of solids in the solution) but persisted with it in the hope it would colour up nicely ... as it turned out it didn't. It produced more of "lime-washed" effect - very nicely too I must admit but not the tradional solid white I was after.
First pic shows it after 2 coats of base colour
Second pic shows it after 5 coats of base colour
Third pic shows it after 5 coats of top colour
... nope it just didn't get the white I was after
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...tone-Start.jpg
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...ddle-front.jpg
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...-End-front.jpg
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Oh well, lesson learnt ... and here comes the "banishment to the Naughty Corner"!
As with most of us who suffer from the "its not right unless its right" syndrome, there was only really one other option and at least it fit with the "period" of the guitar I was building ... the ubiquitous traditional auto-finish favoured by Fender (and others) ...
... NITRO-CELLULOSE!!! 8O (no point hiding it in a small-sized font! :D )
(DB - I'm prostrating myself in contrition as I write this :D )
So a trip down to Sydney Guitar Set-ups to pick-up a quality nitro (always an exciting shopping trip with all the parts and bits and pieces that they have - you name it they've got it ... and at damn good prices too!)
The first pic is after the first two dust coats
The second pic is after another 3 full coats and a polish and buff.
For a "rattle can", it gave quite an excellent finish and still had enough in the can for another 2-or-so full coats
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...tart-front.jpg
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...-End-front.jpg
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...o-End-back.jpg
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Next step shielding.
At this point, I'll explain the name I've given her - "Slugger"
Although reminiscent of one of the greatest baseball bats of its day, the "Louisville Slugger" (and probably aligned with my hopes for this little axe), the name of this baby "Slugger" actually comes form the shielding material!!! :?
A bit of research found that while adhesive-backed copper shielding tape for electrical purposes can be a little on the expensive side, adhesive-backed copper "slug repellent" tape for gardening purposes is exactly the same product and considerably cheaper! (4m roll, 30mm wide - $6.95 at the "big green B store") ... apparently gardeners use it around the base of the trunks of trees and bushes to repel slugs - the moisture in the body of the slug/snail causes an electric shock when in contact with the copper, so they can't actually move across it)
... anyway, long story short, that where the name "Slugger" originated.
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...-Shielding.jpg
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Now what always eventuates as the scariest part of the build ... where we face that "point of no return" activity that if we screw-up we'll never forgive ourselves!
... setting the neck and positioning the bridge!
Getting it all generally square (and as close as) in both planes took about 20 minutes ... refining down the last 0.005mm until I was happy took almost another hour! 8O (yes, that's it! - no it isn't - now that's it - no it isn't ... you get the idea! :D ) ... being a self-critical nitpicker can be such a pain in the arse! :D
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...d-Bridge-1.jpg
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...d-Bridge-2.jpg
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Back to the neck ...
Before final attachment, I gave it a complete fret job, cleaned up the fretboard, replaced the standard plastic nut with a traditional bone nut, and gave it couple coats of antique finish.
Applying the decals and a couple of covering licks of harder, Wudtone clear neck finish and I had what was feeling like a really nice piece of playing machine 8-)
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...ished-Neck.jpg
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...-Headstock.jpg
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Woo Hoo! ... the "home straight"
With the wiring completed and installed, I got the neck attached and the rest of the hardware installed. Most of the hardware was standard PBG, but upgraded a few items ...
- Bone nut (mentioned earlier)
- 3-ply scratch plate (Black/White/Black)
- recessed, round "cup" jack plate (rather than the standard PBG surface mount square plate - altho' the pic show the standard plate temporarily attached for testing purposes)
- felt pads under strap buttons (rather than provided plastic ones)
... well now she's ready for strings and the final set-up (action, intonation, etc.)
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...nal-Set-up.jpg
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Final set-up done and "muchos" happy with the end result.
Being my own worst critic, I always prefer an unbiased second (and third) opinion as to how it actually "plays in the hands".
So down to my local dealer (Big Music at Crows Nest, NSW) with a pro-muso mate in tow - we took over the demo room to try it through a variety of amps and different pairs of hands (most of the shop staff also took it for whirl!).
Although it took some convincing to get me to believe they weren't just being nice about and didn't want to hurt my feelings, the general consensus on both playing and sound was a highly surprised "very nice axe" and general disbelief that it started as a $160 kit!
I'll take few "poster" shots of it in the next couple of days for lodgement in the Gallery and entrant in the GOTM ... but in the meantime here's a pic of the finished beauty in the hands of its maker (me :D ) relaxing the demo studio at Big Music after its test runs.
Someone once said that when it comes to Tele's, "It don't mean a thang if it aint got that twang" ... well, this baby's sure got that twang! 8-)
http://www.pitbullguitars.com/wp-con...itar-Maker.jpg
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very slick, Scott, it looks like a pro job!
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Really nice Scott! Makes me want one of my own.. Very well done!
Cheers,
Gav.
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Great build Scott - nice and elegant and clean.
You've got every right to be proud of it!
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Very neat. Classic look.
Thanks for the slug repellent hint.
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Looks great Scott. Bet she jangles very nicely.
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Whoa - that's one very tidy looking Tele. Great "period piece" with attributes having been well thought out and applied.
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Interesting tip re: the slug-repellent copper foil Scott. One question though, the stuff I was looking at on eBay claims to have a conductive adhesive (others describe it as conductive both sides - perhaps some have a plastic film one side?). Did you happen to test with a multimeter to see if the overlapping foils are all electrically connected? I'd rather buy it locally than have to wait up to a month for it to come from China somewhere... ;-) Thanks.
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I use the snail tape for B****gs. It's exactly the same as the copper tape I bought from GuitarAust. Just a bit thicker and significantly cheaper.
http://www.bunnings.com.au/insect-tr...72561_p3010314
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Thanks for all the compliments guys ... yes, I'm VERY happy with her (hmmm why do I always call my guitars "her" ... probably because I love fondling them so much! :D :D)
Slug Tape ... I don't know about the stuff you've been looking at, but the tape I used came straight from Bunnings (sorry DB! ;) ) ... it is "On Guard" brand and gives no mention of country of manufacture ... as far as I can see from inspection its identical to adhesive copper tape that I've previously brought (and which was sold) as specifically for electrical shielding.
I confirmed that it is electrically connected when touching but then I was pretty careful during installation to ensure that electrical continuity was maintained. There's no "coating" on the outside of the copper and the backside only has the adhesive (covered with a protecting strip of plastic that's removed before you stick it down. I found no other coating on the copper other than the adhesive (and it makes sense that its conductive too) a small piece left out in the weather quickly dulled (from shiny) and started to go that dark-brown colour that copper does ... left long enough outside I'm sure it would develop verdigris.
When we plugged it in and demo-ed it against both an American-build and Mex-build teles, it was the "quietest" of the three by far (even quieter than humbuckers without shielding)... so I can only conclude that it is as effective as any purpose-sold shielding tape
P.S. the Garden-department people of Bunnings didn't even know that they had it in stock! (even though being given an initial "Nah, don't think we stock that stuff", I had a good scrounge for myself and found it in the obvious place - the pesticides section of the gardening supplies)
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Very cool looking guitar! Black on white with the rosewood fretboard is a killer combo in my opinion.
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I almost missed this one Scott. Very nice indeed. Simplicity and elegance. Make sure you enter this in our April Guitar of the Month Competition.
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Awesome tele Scott. Love the black on white.
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well done Scott this tele has come up a treat. Hope you live far enough away from the Tele napper !
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I'm hoping that the other side of the country is far enough! 8O ... any further east and I'd be very, very wet! :D
