GTL-1B - First build.

Hi everyone!

I was very excited to receive my GTL-1B today! Finally got home and did a quick mock build. I think everything looks ok. Bit of a looser neck fit than I had expected, but I'm not too worried.

I have very limited experience in wood work, so just planning to take things slowly and do them right. Any advice throughout would be greatly appreciated.

Got a couple of days off next week, so I'm hanging to make a start.

Hope everyone's having a good night. Thanks guys.

Scott

https://i.imgur.com/IVa2VB3l.jpg

Good luck with the build, I'd offer advice but I'm doing my first one too :)

Thanks, mate! Good luck to you too. We'll get through it!

Post questions, post pics of your conundrums and the emergency response crew will come running. There’s nothing you can do that we haven’t screwed up before!
enjoy the process and the building mate!

I used a bit of copper shielding tape on the sides of the neck pocket on my ST kit to tighten it up.

One layer each side was enough and it worked a treat

Good luck with the build, feel free to ask questions because there are plenty of folk on here to help

Hi Scott, Welcome aboard. I'm local to you if you need any help. Great looking kit. The TL's are a lot of fun.

Thanks heaps guys! It’s great that everyone on here is so forthcoming with help and advice. Excited to make a start. I’ll keep that shielding tape idea in mind Dave. Cheers. Comforting knowing you’re close by Sonic Mountain. Love your Sonicaster!

Welcome Scott. That is a nice looking kit you've scored there.

Hey Scott,

Welcome! I love the look of these GTL kits. Great choice man.

Derek.

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Beautiful kit! What are your plans for the finish? That grain is nice enough that you could just clear it and call it a day if you wanted to.

I did order some “Black Stump” Dingotone thinking the dark stain would look good with chrome parts? No neck holes in the body? Wasn’t sure if this was typical or not. Work today, then a couple days off. Hoping to make a start on it tomorrow.

Was seriously considering doing a string through as well. Have heard it definitely increases the sustain? Have to get my drill press back off a mate first though.

Also, do you guys recommend doing all the drilling before I start any staining?

No neck holes is a bit of a blessing as they aren't usually very accurate. A string through is worth while, but tricky to do well. A drill press is definitely a good idea. I'm hoping to do that mod to the Sonicaster eventually. I have pre drilled before and then run into dramas with water getting into the holes during cutting back of the clear- the wood swells and cracks the finish.

There isn't really a hard and fast rule with pre drilling. My approach now would be to make sure its all going to work, neck goes into the pocket straight, scale length is all good etc. Then finish, then drill the holes for assembly (Very carefully). You can pre-drill if you don't think you will be doing any wet and dry sanding or if you can be very careful about not letting any moisture get into the holes. They can be plugged up pretty well with toothpicks if you go that way.

I've found it to be a good idea to enlarge the bridge cavity a bit towards the neck to move the bridge up with the pickup installed. This makes it sit more nicely in the scratch plate and gives you a bit more wiggle room with intonation. If you have a look at the Rellicaster thread you can see a before and after. Your kit is slightly different so it may not be an issue - worth having a look at though.

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Originally Posted by Sonic Mountain

. A string through is worth while, but tricky to do well.

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Yes I would have to agree. Tried to do the 2 holes on one side and then the rest half-way each side.
Still managed to mess it up.
I would use the method again but only if I had access to a drill press.

cheers, Mark

I've stalled out on one of my two builds because the neck holes were off (screw would have been going into the very edge of the neck), and I've been reluctant to start the work to plug and drill new ones. As Sonic said, maybe that's a blessing in disguise. You can drill them right the first time instead of having to plug and re-drill.

Hi guys, just a few progress shots...

I sanded back to 120 and then used some "Ebony" Timbermate grain filler. After I finished putting it on I sat back and had a "what have I done" moment and hoped that I'd made the right decision.

https://i.imgur.com/8VikwnWl.jpg

I left it on there for about 24 hours, then wiped it off and was pleasantly surprised with the result.

https://i.imgur.com/dZY8HWll.jpg

I let it dry and then sanded back to 240 and got ready to start staining.

https://i.imgur.com/cFGzMb5l.jpg

Very happy with the tone the Black Stump Dingtone stain has given. The grain still shows through beautifully. It does look a little bit darker in the photo than it does in the flesh, which I'm happy with. I'll try to start playing with the neck while I give that body some time to cure.

https://i.imgur.com/dlYzO6Tl.jpg

Thats tasty Scott, really worked out well in highlighting that grain pattern. Wonderful job.

You really scored an amazing grain with that kit. Looks great.

Top stain job Scott, it’s a shame you have to cover some of it up with the scratch plate.
Wayno.

Thanks guys! I’m really happy with how it’s coming along. I’ll probably start the intensifier coats maybe around Tuesday/Wednesday. Really enjoying the build. I’d like to think the first of many!

This is pretty close by.... just sayin'

http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ead.php?t=8589

Quote:

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Originally Posted by scott_hornery

Thanks guys! I’m really happy with how it’s coming along. I’ll probably start the intensifier coats maybe around Tuesday/Wednesday. Really enjoying the build. I’d like to think the first of many!

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You can’t stop at one, just ask Sonic, me, Dedman, Wazkelly, Andy40.......pretty much anyone that started “just the one kit”

I’ve built three so far... eyeballing a couple of options for number four :)

Robbo


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That is looking fantastic!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sonic Mountain

This is pretty close by.... just sayin'

http://www.buildyourownguitar.com.au...ead.php?t=8589

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Took him up on that!

Thought it looked like it would suit. It's always fun to have a bit of a theme as well.

That will match well. Love the grain in this one, I can't see a join, looks like one piece of timber.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by scott_hornery

Very happy with the tone the Black Stump Dingtone stain has given. The grain still shows through beautifully. It does look a little bit darker in the photo than it does in the flesh, which I'm happy with. I'll try to start playing with the neck while I give that body some time to cure.

https://i.imgur.com/dlYzO6Tl.jpg

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Wow!, so much awsome grain going on right there, well played

Hi Scott, looks like you scored a great piece of timber to work with. How does it look on the back and sides? The small amount of inner lower horn showing in above shot looks like it has absorbed lots of stain into the end grain.

Really like the subtle tones across the top. Displays and aged, almost weathered appearance.

Quick word of warning using DT - Do not try and rush finishing things off as it doesn't cure very fast and can end in tears for the overly impatient.

Cheers, Waz

Quote:

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Originally Posted by wazkelly

Hi Scott, looks like you scored a great piece of timber to work with. How does it look on the back and sides? The small amount of inner lower horn showing in above shot looks like it has absorbed lots of stain into the end grain.

Really like the subtle tones across the top. Displays and aged, almost weathered appearance.

Quick word of warning using DT - Do not try and rush finishing things off as it doesn't cure very fast and can end in tears for the overly impatient.

Cheers, Waz

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Having been through the wringer myself with Black Stump, what Waz said...+1000

I’ll definitely itely take that on board Wazkelly and FrankenWashie. The end grain definitely does look a tone or two darker than the front and back. There’s a few small runs right at the bottom. I thought I’d give it plenty of time to cure them carefully try to touch those up and let it sit again.

Any advice on the instensifier and final coats?

Last night I wiped the excess off with a damp cloth around the sides, and gave it a gentle sand along the spots where the runs were. The sides are the same tone as the front and back now. Hung it back up since I won’t get another go at it until the weekend.

I was also pretty happy to see it made its way onto the Pit Bull Facebook and Instagram pages. No pressure now though haha...

Yeah Scott, saw it on the Facebook site as well. It really gives you a sense of pride when you see your work being used in an advert.
Wayno.

With intensifier just need to make sure you are happy with where things are at after applying base coats and then do similar with intensifiers.
Each coat you apply should add a bit more depth to overall colour.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by scott_hornery

I’ll definitely itely take that on board Wazkelly and FrankenWashie. The end grain definitely does look a tone or two darker than the front and back. There’s a few small runs right at the bottom. I thought I’d give it plenty of time to cure them carefully try to touch those up and let it sit again.

Any advice on the instensifier and final coats?

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Scott, what is the weight of the body like with this kit? Cheers, Derek.


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Originally Posted by Derek82

Scott, what is the weight of the body like with this kit? Cheers, Derek.


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Heavier than I probably had imagined it would be before I had held it. I really like it. Yet to bolt it all together to feel it properly but I think it is a lovely weight.

Hey guys. So, everything has been going well with the build so far, even though I’m struggling to find much spare time at the moment; until I watched a video last night on how the electrics do together for the TL kits. It was then that I realised that my kit doesn’t have a hole drilled from the neck pickup cavity to the control panel cavity.

I was thinking maybe I could make a solid join to the existing neck pickup wire with some new wire and just extend it and run it through the bridge pickup cavity and hope it wouldn’t get in the way of anything? I’m not sure though.

I was thinking I was so close to having it finished, now I’m worried...

Any suggestions guys?