Hi there Zrgst.

I received by TL-1A this week as well!

I can tell you that I am absolutely stoked to get into this kit, Hi five man! This will be the fifth telecaster I've built, second from Pitbull.

In my opinion, and this is only mine, others may be a little more pedantic that I, Tele's are built like tanks, there's not a lot of kit problems (other than a twisted neck) which would be fatal to a build.

The crack in the heel should be checked to see if its superficial or not. If its deep you are going to have to decide whether you are going to glue it up or return it. Remember, the body itself is about 3 pieces of Alder glued together anyways.

Most telecaster kit neck pockets are not a super tight fit. There will be a little play. It will be up to you to make sure that the scale length is correct and the neck is straight with the body and the bridge. Once you have found the correct fitting, if you still do not like the gaps, you can always put in some wood shims, for your own preference.

Keen to hear what your plans are for the build though!!!!