DKs Tele build

Here is a non PB build that I have had waiting for a burst of inspiration since January 2010.

I think the is pre Pitbull so please forgive me for my infedility ;)

All the shapes were there including the headstock so all I had to do is put a finish on it and bang it together, what could be easier.

Given that I have a rather nice Squier Thinline and previously had a genuine 59 Tele I really didn't want to follow the pack so once I firmed it up in my mind the spec is.

1. Alder body with tummy cut
2. Maple neck and board ( very much like my Squier )
3. Wilkinson compensated stop tail bridge
4. 1970s Schaller humbuckers ( came out of my Maton L202 )
5. Volume only for each pup and no tone pot
6. 4 way switch for individual pups plus series or parallel.
7. Cherry burst

The pups are not coil tapped and would be difficult to mod and I also have a Shergold Masquarader with has coil tapped HBs so no point in doing a mod.

Anyway enough talk here's the guitar fitted together
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...psyvjapy7o.jpg

Didn't use the router to open up the pup cavities, it didn't seem to be worth the effort to make templates for a couple of minutes work
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...psw90vsv1s.jpg

The pups sat too high in the pickup rings so I knocked the rings down quite a bit, the one on the left is down to the correct height and the one on the right is as it was
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...psc350dd24.jpg

I also built this from scratch a few years ago
http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...psaad3ee4f.jpg

Should become a really sweet Tele judging by your plans for it.
Great to see another builder of stuff on the forum too.
Is the car a Caterham 7 - or perhaps based on one?

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/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from maxaxe on September 6, 2014, 18:05
Is the car a Caterham 7 - or perhaps based on one?

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The car is a complete scratch build based on Lotus plans that I heavily modified for a modern drive train and suspension.

It's road registered and I also race it in the Festival of Sporting Cars series.

That's awesome, the Tele but that car is brilliant! What's it running?

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/<\\/p>[]<\\/p>/Quote from andrew on September 7, 2014, 11:59
That's awesome, the Tele but that car is brilliant! What's it running?

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G'day Andrew and all others interested I'll start another thread with a bit about the car if that's ok under forum rules with a link to the related forum so as to not hijack this one.

Here's a front and rear pic with the first coat of stain, it's making the grain pop nicely but unfortunately also highlights the fact that there's more than one piece of wood and it's not book matched.

I do have a cunning plan to hide this and also the infill I had to make for the bridge pup cavity

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...ps693fe540.jpg

http://i210.photobucket.com/albums/b...ps11fff2d7.jpg

looks great Dave, over 4.5 years to get to this stage, wow we say don't rush the build but .......
Nice ash grain, wouldn't worry about the non bookmatching but look forward to your cunning plan !

looks nice Dave, love that it is something different.

Lotus 7 replicas rock, you've made a beaut

Finally got around to doing some more on the Tele.

Many coats of Wattyl Dark Mahogany stain, then wet sanded with 1000 grit on the front and back only leaving the sides dark red/brown, the face of the headstock is getting similar treatment.

The pics show it with the first coat of clear, there are very small brush marks to rub out and also a couple of spots on the back that refused to take stain.

The kit supplier advertised this as alder and I have two PBG kits one is a basswood PBH4 and the other and Ash STA1 and the grain on both of these is very similar although the ST doesn't feel or sand like it's made of balsa which the PBH did until I put the sanding sealer on

Just thought I'd bang it together with the pups, bridge & switch plate resting in place to see how it was coming along.

Not too bad but I'm not happy with the motley shading on the headstock, it was a very dark mahogany colour the same as the sides so I hit with some 1000 grit wet to tame it a bit and stuffed it.

Still needs to be polished & buffed and the frets looked at before final assembly.

thats come up looking very nice Dave, I'm still convinced the body is ash not alder.
This will look very cool when its assembled. Love the deep mahogany colour

Thanks Wok, it would just about put wood on a jellyfish

Looking good, I have to agree with Wokka looks more Ash than Alder, grain looks quite wide. Interesting to hear how this sounds with 2x volume and no tone, I don't think I've ever heard this combo.

I'll check again on the timber with a guy on our car club forum who got the same kit at the same time, the website states either American Ash or Alder at the same price.

Their current tele kit is bloody expensive, and no before anyone asks I will not disclose who it was.

I'd say its american ash Dave. The alder grain I've seen at PBG is very plain in comparison to the ash grain

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Originally Posted by wokkaboy

I'd say its american ash Dave. The alder grain I've seen at PBG is very plain in comparison to the ash grain

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My Tele builder mate in Brisvegas informed me that his kit is Ash so I guess normal service has resumed and I am wrong again ( as usual ).

My PB Ash Strat kit is a very much lighter coloured timber with a much less dominant grain, more like the basswood PBH-4 in colour and grain but much heavier so definitely not basswood

Well the Tele is finally together with some issues.

Obviously the neck will need fettling and the nut is too high but I'm going to let it sit for a couple of weeks to settle under string tension first.

The north half of the front pickup is OC so at the moment I have it running as a single coil, the volume and tone balance between the neck & bridge pups is OK so I'll probably leave it as it is. ( note to self, when using old components check that they work as intended before wreaking destruction on something that can't be changed back )

It comes in at a rather solid 3.5Kg and has a very full and rich sound, not very tele like at all.

Now to finish the PBH-4 and start the STA-1

that looks great Dave. Hey you need a single neck pickup on a Tele anyway! Nice job there

looks great Dave, keen to hear a sound demo once the neck has set in

Wow Dave! That is one beautiful looking Tele! Amazing work dude. I would also love a sound demo!

cheers,
Gav.

Holy. That looks so good DK - the figure and the finish really blend so well.

Very noice!

Thanks for the kind words guys, this was my first kit build and even if it were eligible it would not go up for GOTM there are flaws in the finish that don't show in pics.

Somehow I got a thumb print in the clear coat, maybe I could make that a signature thing and a couple of spots have streaks which the grain hides in pics.

It's almost LP Black Beauty heavy as well, that's good for tone RIGHT :)

Once the neck is settled and sorted I'll do the control mod for two volume and no tone, I generally run the treble right up so blending the pups should add some nice colour

flaws that dont show in pics makes it perfect for GOTM! It looks good either way mate