Hoopers TL-1TH

[adam]

Hey Hooper,

What a difficult and painful birth this is turning out to be. I hope, like Glenn, you get through it and take out Guitar of the Month as a reward for all your effort.

I just want to add that it doesn't make sense for the pickguard to be "out". These pieces are most probably stamped out of a machine, so it just doesn't seem likely that one will differ from another.

It could be that the routings are slightly out and may need some "encouragement" in the right direction. This wouldn't be a huge surprise to anyone for kits in this price range.

If this is the case, I'd be looking at adjusting the routings before starting to make custom pickguards.

[sfkhooper]

Quote from Gavin1393 on April 21, 2013, 15:59
Hi SFK,

Before you start making modifications to what might not actually need modifications can you please take some measurements and post the results of those measurements on this thread? I need these measurements in order to help you.

The first measurement I need is for you to measure from the FRET-WIRE of the 12th FRET,to the point where, if you ran your finger along the strings, you would touch the nut. Hence you are measuring the nut from the 'bridge side of the nut rather than from the 'Headstock' side of the nut.

The second measurement I need is from the same point on the 12th FRET,that is, measure from the FRET-WIRE of the 12th FRET. I first want you to use a screw drive and wind the saddles on the bridge as far forward (towards the pickups) as they will go. When you have done this please measure the distance from the saddles to the 12th Fret.

Secondly, I would like you to wind the saddles away from the pickups as far back as they will go. Please re-measure the distance from the saddles to the 12th Fret.

Please provide me with those measurements exactly as they are and I will then try and assist you.

Hi Gavin,

I've made these measurements a few times. I totally get that I'm measuring the distance of the free string. I measured again this morning...

nut to 12th fret: 321mm
saddle to 12th fret (fully wound out): 326mm
saddle to 12th fret (fully wound in): 332mm

The scratch plate simply sits too far toward the bridge. Oddly though, the gap between the scratch plate and the neck is only about 3mm, so were it to sit correctly the distance between the fully wound out saddles and the 12th fret would be 323mm, which still isn't ideal anyway, right?

4runner, yes, the neck is definitely pushed all the way up flush with the body. There is no gap between them.

[Gavin1393]

Actually at 323 it would be pretty much perfect.....

I have relooked at all your pictures you posted and these are my thoughts.

There are no pre-drilled holes for the bridge on this tele. Can you confirm?

This being the case I would carefully shave off 3mm of the pickguard where the pickguard meets the bridge. You could either 'trace' the bridge shape and cut that shape into the bottom of the pickguard or simply take of 3mm off the whole bottom of the pickguard.
Moving humbucker positions and routing into the body will just stuff up the body or the pickguard and then your humbuckers will not fit snug anymore.

Effectively you can then shift the bridge towards the 12th fret by 3mm and that should be spot on for the treble-E string...you can then wind the saddles back for all the other strings.

[sfkhooper]

That's right, Gavin, no pre-drilled holes. You've arrived at the same conclusion as me. Reshape the pickguard. I'll trace the outline for the Resiplex guys to replicate and then play with what I already have. That way if it goes pearshaped I'll have the template and can have them cut another one for me if I need it.

[Gavin1393]

Yep! To be on the safe side and for asthetics since you are going the 'cut-out' route, i'd get them to take off 4mm off the bottom and give yourself 1.5 mm on either side of the pickguard for the bridge to sit in.

[sfkhooper]

It occurred to me that I never posted a pic of the final guitar. How rude!! So here it is. It's the second from the left. It just happened to feature in a shot I took of my ES-1G, which I am infinitely more pleased with. Having said that though, I've decided that I'm going to completely strip the "Telestrat" down and refinish it in a solid colour. I'll possibly put a different bridge on it too as I'm not happy with the rattles and tonal fluctuations on sustain that come out of it presently.