First Build -- PB kit

[PB4ME]

Well, that went very well! I used the soldering iron and a damp paper towel on those two dents that were in the neck. That was so nice! Rarely does anything turn out so easy as that did. After just a few seconds of applying the heat from the side of the soldering iron, the dents disappeared! After it dried, I could see a little marring on the edge of the fretboard but that was it. I closed my eyes and tried my best to feel anything and I could not. It did raise the grain as would be expected after being damp. I could not even see on the maple neck where the dents had been. I could feel the frets and they need filing to round them over a little more so the hand slides over them without feeling that you might get cut. I also took a few pictures of the before and after of the dent and also of the knot in the lower horn that drew some comments. The knot is not open and will not need filling. I can not feel it at all. So I think I could definitely go with a sunburst and hide it. I do see the glue lines and to me, those are far worse that the knot. At this point, I want to start sanding and see what I feel like after I get close to finishing. I also test fitted the tuners in the headstock and I think they will be ok. There are those press in bushings that go in first, then insert the tuner and then there are four screws to secure it to the neck. The bushings go in with a slight press, not tight at all and if there is any shrinkage, they would likely fall out. I will have to glue them in. There is however, a tiny bit of slop in the tuner once it is inserted inside the bushing. I would like to see just a slight friction fit but there is probably .010 - .015 clearance. ( I'm guessing) It is probably enough clearance to be able to wrap a thin sheet of paper around the tuner and insert it. Is that acceptable?? I don't care for any of the screws as Simon pointed out and will try to source more that are Made in the USA. I am definitely changing the neck plate with that plastic frame that it sits in and probably the thin bridge. I am thinking one of those bridges that allow some adjustment as to the string spacing might pay off in the end. I also had ordered some sand paper for my orbital sander in various grits from 80 to 3000. I also bought some of the full sheets at 800 1000 and 1500. That should hold me for a few builds! I will post the pictures below.

[McCreed]

FWIW, you don't need to use the plastic thingy (I have no idea what it's called) with the neck plate. Fender has mounted the neck plate directly onto the body for 75 years. I don't why they were even necessary or who decided that we need them. I just throw them away if I'm using a plate, but I prefer neck screw ferrules now anyway.

[Simon Barden]

Maybe some factory used a brittle finish that was prone to cracking around the neck plate so they used the plastic thingy to try and prevent that. But as McCreed, says, it's totally unnecessary and you just don't fit it. The basic chrome neck plate otherwise seems identical to what you'd get on a Squier or Mexican Fender.

By the time you get a few coats of finish on the headstock, you'll find the press-in bushings will seat a lot more firmly (you may even need to sand the finish back a bit to get them in!), but I'd still run a bit of wood glue around the edges of the bushing first. The bushing is actually quite important in the operation of the tuner, it's not just there for decoration. The string tension will pull the post forward slightly, so it should rest against the edge of the bushing. This significantly reduces the load that would otherwise all act on the base of the tuner, reducing wear over time and allowing smoother operation.

[PB4ME]

Maybe some factory used a brittle finish that was prone to cracking around the neck plate so they used the plastic thingy to try and prevent that. But as McCreed, says, it's totally unnecessary and you just don't fit it. The basic chrome neck plate otherwise seems identical to what you'd get on a Squier or Mexican Fender.

By the time you get a few coats of finish on the headstock, you'll find the press-in bushings will seat a lot more firmly (you may even need to sand the finish back a bit to get them in!), but I'd still run a bit of wood glue around the edges of the bushing first. The bushing is actually quite important in the operation of the tuner, it's not just there for decoration. The string tension will pull the post forward slightly, so it should rest against the edge of the bushing. This significantly reduces the load that would otherwise all act on the base of the tuner, reducing wear over time and allowing smoother operation.

The tuners also look just like what comes on a Mexican Fender. They felt good and tight but not binding.

[fender3x]

FWIW, you don't need to use the plastic thingy (I have no idea what it's called) with the neck plate.

Fender used them for a while. My mid-1970s Fender bass has one. I am not sure why they added it. It does nothing good that I can tell, and I have always thought (without much evidence) that it had the potential of making the neck joint less rigid. I have thrown it away on my builds.

[PB4ME]

[PB4ME]

[PB4ME]

[PB4ME]

I caught up with the latest pictures of the flaws in this kit. Some nice cross grain scratches on the fretboard that came that way.
The before and after(steaming) pics of the dents in the neck. Some strange pattern in the neck that surely looks like a dent but it not. It is shaped like a V. General pictures of the body. A closeup of the knot. A dark stain of some sort at the base of the headstock. Test fit the tuners. The look at the crooked nut down the neck. Did not get to do anything else this weekend.

[Simon Barden]

Don't worry about the nut. The slots need deepening and the top of the nut filing down anyway, so it would look fine at the end.

The diagonal neck mark is probably just a natural one in the wood. I've had that sort of mark show on headstocks before. Maybe a stress mark from something heavy falling against the trunk when it was growing.

The rear headstock stain could be an oil mark, say from a drip from some machinery. Or possibly oil or grease from the end of the truss rod if someone's lubricated that in-situ or just before it was installed. You could try using naptha or isopropyl alcohol on that to see if it comes out.

I'd scrape the fingerboard (going with the grain) with a cabinet scraper or a single-sided razorblade to get it smoother. You should be able to remove all the cross-grain marks. And then some lemon oil or mineral oil (chopping board seasoning oil) on the board as they are normally pretty dry and need the moisture replacing. This darkens the wood and makes any small marks far less visible.