Hey all,
Got my kit yesterday! (Christmas present from my GF)
Hoping to build a butterscotch Tele looking close to Bruce Stringsteen's.
Going to post updates here and hopefully get help and tips from everyone here.
Cheers,
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Hey all,
Got my kit yesterday! (Christmas present from my GF)
Hoping to build a butterscotch Tele looking close to Bruce Stringsteen's.
Going to post updates here and hopefully get help and tips from everyone here.
Cheers,
Hi hitthatrowdyy! Welcome to the forum, look forward to seeing how it all goes for you!
Welcome to the forum hitthatrowdyy!
Welcome aboard! Look forward to watching your build
Just thought I would chuck an update here.
I've been trying to not be to overwhelmed reading the build guide that PitBull have kindly put up, purchased the black pickguard to replace the stock white one, and have printed and cut out a template for the headstock (also got the old man to lend me his jigsaw for the bulk material removal haha).
Just a quick question I was hoping for a little guidance on. I got the bone nut upgrade when originally purchasing the kit, wanted to ask how others have gone replacing the stock plastic? anything I should be cautious of? or any tips for clean removal and replacement?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Rowdy (may we call you Rowdy?)Quote:
Originally Posted by hitthatrowdyy
First, check that the nut is glued in, if not, its safe to probably just gently pull it out with blunt nose pliers or nippers. If you don't damage it then you can compare it to the bone nut and match widths, height etc.
If it is glued in, then I have usually proceeded as below, VERY carefully
Take some measurements to get rough idea of how close your replacement is to your existing plastic one. Take note of the string spacing if your bone version hasn't got the string slots cut.
When you've got those details, take a marker or a scriber and mar/scribe a line down the center of the existing plastic nut (across the width of the neck)
With a fine bladed saw (A Fret saw is ideal if you have one) cut straight down that line until you are almost through the nut, but leave a small amount of material at the bottom of your cut.
Take a small pair of nippers and use them to collapse the nut in on itself, i.e. squeeze the two sides together into the cut. this should pull the nut away from the edges of the board.
You will need to be exceedingly careful on the Headstock side, there isn't a great deal of material on that side of the nut and if Factory has been liberal with the superglue, then you may pull out a chunk from that side. If you can prise that off the nut then you can pop it back with some superglue. With rosewood boards the chunks tend to pull clean out so they go straight back in. I've not had the same issue with maple boards though, and I've no experience with the "Blackwood" composite boards.
I hope this helps!
Rowdy works :) (or Callum)Quote:
Originally Posted by FrankenWashie
Awesome thanks for the for the advise. I'll have to check if it is glued or not (at work and cant exactly remember off the top of my head).
Another thing I read is that depending how much glue was used you could give it some light taps from the side with like a screwdriver and hammer then slide it out sideways. Is that viable or more likely to cause damage?
Thanks
You can also (very gently) score along the long edges of the nut where it meets the wood with a sharp fine blade, to minimise any of the wood or finish coming away or the glue taking prisoners with it. You can try lightly tapping the nut, but make sure to protect the fretboard and neck with some tape or a cloth so you don't damage it. If it doesn't come out with a gentle tap, then move onto more heavier handed techniques as FW has mentioned above.Quote:
Originally Posted by hitthatrowdyy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNorhUbMrnM
Don't tap too heavily when going from the neck side to the headstock side. Multiple light taps only. I was getting a friend to do this on his Strat kit neck so we could fit a bone nut. I said 'gentle taps only' but each tap got heavier and then a piece of the curved wood in front of the nut shot off across the room. Luckily it was one piece and I glued it back in for him, but you don't want to do that if at all possible. So light taps from the sides, then heavier ones from each end. light taps form the sides, heavier ones from the end. Repeat as necessary until the nut starts moving, then only tap from an end.
I've been fine pulling the plastic nuts out with a pair of pliers. I grab it in the middle and twist it back and forth a bit to break the glue and they've all just popped out. Worth taking some care with the black wood fret board as it does seem to be a bit softer than rosewood from what I can gather.
I did that initially with my Build for a Mate, but the glue had been dribbled down the headstock side of the slot on the bass side and it found a weak point and blammo. Rosewood chippy. Was not happy. Clean break so Mr CA glue to the rescue, you can't tell, but I know its there. GRRRRRRR.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sonic Mountain
So got a chance to do a small amount of work this weekend.
had a little accident with nut replacement and knocked it a little to had from the fret side and chipped the slopped bit of the head. fixed it up with some glue and don't think will be too bad once sanded and cleaned up.
Also spent some time with a jigsaw and significantly more time with a file shaping the head. Still nowhere near done but getting close :)
https://imgur.com/5tGWRLY
I've had zero guitar building experience and little to no woodworking experience before this but am having a lot of fun so far. would love any general tips you guys have on what i have done so far.
Also thought I would include an image of the body of the guitar, I am hoping to bring out the grain of the wood so that it can be seen through the butterscotch finish.
https://imgur.com/lMUFxk1
because i am an idiot and left it in a room where the body got some direct sunlight, some cracks have developed where the wood that makes the body was glued. My plan is to fill it as best as possible with wood filler and sand it back, does that sound right?
Callum
Hi Rowdy,
Like you I don't have a lot of woodworking experience and I'll be a first time builder of a Telecaster. So I know exactly how you feel. Keep us all posted of your progress.
BTW, how did you end up removing the nut?
Glad to hear I'm not the only one haha.Quote:
Originally Posted by TZK321
I ended up going with the method of tapping it with a wooden block and small hammer (that i found in a computer repair tool kit of all places). Gave it a couple light/slightly not light enough taps from the top and bottom, then a tap from the end and it came lose
Wanted to ask what are you guys preferred product to finish a guitar.
Like a nitro or dingotone?
I am hoping to achieve that glossy butterscotch finish were the grain is visible underneath it.
I've been doing a lot of research on finishing. Here's what I'm planning:
First I should mention that my kit has a quilted maple veneer over ash.
I'll be using black grain filler on the ash and then Tru-Oil on both as well as the neck.
Lastly I'll apply some type of wax to the neck to keep it smooth.
It looks like you have a maple fingerboard. I'm still researching what should be done with that. Information is all over the place.
Nice idea! If I remember correctly Springsteen's guitar is mostly hollow under the scratch plate, as it was originally fitted with multiple pickups for recording (not by him). This makes it nice and light for the marathon gigs he usually plays (I remember seeing him in rural North Carolina years ago, he did a 45 min support for himself on his own, then came out with the band and did another 2 1/2 hours!)
It is also an Esquire, and I don’t know how they change the wiring when they added the neck pickup.Quote:
Originally Posted by Andyxlh
yeah correct, under the scratch plate is completely hollowed out to add the additional pickups used for the payola scandal in the early 60s. the Actual guitar is also basically waterproof because those marathon gigs would leave him and the guitar absolutely drenched in sweat. Petillo (The luthier who worked on it) once joked that it could be played under water hahaQuote:
Originally Posted by Andyxlh
From what I have read its a patscaster, Tele body with an Esquire neck?Quote:
Originally Posted by Fretworn
Hey Guys,
Done a tone of work over the past two weeks: Sanding, shaping, more sanding, staining, and applying the final coat.
I have chucked up the majority of the images in an Imgur gallery https://imgur.com/a/Us0WaCS
Just have a couple of questions I wanted to ask you guys in the community.
The fretboard as delivered seems to be pretty rough. https://imgur.com/LwVsUH7
Have you any of you guys found this on your kits? if so what was your method to smoothen it up?
Second question: who out there has used the DingoTone finishes? I decided to get their butterscotch one.
I love the colour it as give to my guitar however I am not sure if the "Final Coat" product is going to provide the finish that I was hoping for.
The still wet coat of my last coat of the "Final Coat" product looks really high gloss and what I was hoping to achieve. see: https://imgur.com/vESGIf9
However now it has dried and mostly cured and has lost alot of that gloss that I am just worried wont come back once I cured, buffed and polished. https://imgur.com/SYktePP
Any feedback, tips or whatever else you have to say would be appreciated.
Cheers,
Callum