Hi Michael,welcome to the forum. Where do you live ? The weather affects how the DT cures. I'm currently building an ash tele with uluru red you will love the colour and I think a black pickguard will look better than white.
I suggest you get a scrap piece of wood and screw it into the neck pocket and use it as a hanger and if you clamp the hanger to the bench you can work on the entire body when staining it. I drill a hole in the top of the hanger and use pot plant hooks to hang the body when it cures.
Generally Dingobass recommends 3 days curing between coats but depends where you live