BAR's TL-51

[B.A.R]

Cool, so without drilling holes in the headstock I can't fit the two e strings properly can I?

[Dedman]

not entirely. with that style of tuner. It's not a bad thing. The Kluson style tunners are easy to fit because they have a nice square bottom. Fit them loosly in place. put a steel rule or other straight edge along the bottom and they will be pushed into alignment. Mark the screw holes with a pencil and drill a hole.

I don't think the other guys realised this kit came with Kluson style tuners, I didn't! I had to buy mine as extras!

[B.A.R]

Thanks mate, yea the tuners look awesome.

I'm just not ready to drill holes yet, still trying to get my head around a few things and don't really feel I have a handle on anything yet, so not sure I'm ready to go drilling yet as I'm afraid I'll stuff it up.

But then again I can't really finish the mock build without attaching the two strings so maybe I kind of have to

[dingobass]

Yhep... you really do need to install the tuners.
May as well do them all and drill the holes, (always best to drill all holes before finishing)
Pro tip: so you dont accidentally drill right through the headstock, wrap a piece of tape around the drill bit so there is the length of the thread left. When you drive the screws, a dab of wax or soft soap on the end of the thread will help drive the screw without breaking the head off...

[B.A.R]

Ok cool, I'll fit the tuner heads on the weekend and do a proper mock build and then we will know how bad the neck angle, string through holes and scale lenght are and what I need to do to fix them!

[B.A.R]

How often do kits come out that are perfect and need no adjustments before putting them together?

[dingobass]

Well, nothing is ever perfect as such... but these kits are designed with a little wriggle room to enable the first time builder some lee way when assembling..
Don't panic, it will all come out fine in the end.
Ask as many questions as you need, the only dumb question you can ask is the one you don't ask 😂
Take your time and enjoy the process!

[Dedman]

The way I look at the kits is, they are the same as any store bought guitar, I'm just doing the work they usually do in the factory that we don't see. The main thing is don't rush, don't let people distract you while you work, measure twice then measure again before cutting or drilling anything. If you aren't certain, stop and ask a question.
My Tele was my first build and to be honest I enjoy playing it and it's sound as much as I enjoy my store bought Gretsch.

[B.A.R]

That's all true, I'm sure if I take my time and fix a few things up I'll be able to get it all good. It's just disappointing as the only reason I bought the TL51 over the other TL models was it had string through holes, because they are in the wrong spot I now need to do work arounds for bridge positioning and scale length. Not a huge issue but prob should have just saved the $50 and drilled them myself in the correct position

[dingobass]

The string through holes may not be in the wrong spot, when you measure scale length it is normal to add 4-5 mm to the measurement.
This is called compensation, which allows for correct intonation of the guitar.