Hello World! My first guitar project

[Simon Barden]

Why, yes! Yes we do!

[ross.pearson]

Can't believe it's been a month since I finished the finish on the body, and three weeks since the neck was sprayed. Honestly thought I'd be dead before it cured.

Spent the day wet sanding going up through grits, starting at 800 and getting to 2000. Only blew through a couple of small spots and almost the entire back....

I think I'm just going to leave it as is and move on.

Installed the locking tuners and screwed that up, slightly out of line for one or two. Go me. Considering epoxy filling and re-drilling. Also considering leaving it.

Unpacked all my hardware and started test fitting. The pickguard design is too "busy" and needs some reshaping to fit the control plate and neck.

Have ordered a new solid black pickguard from pitbull, as well as a bone nut to replace the plastic one on the neck.

Overall I'm... happy?.. with how its all come out. About as good as I expected for a first guitar.

Oh, and I found a guitar case on the side of the road (verge side rubbish day for the win), and I restored it. Just waiting on a drawbolt lock to finish it.

Pics to come when I get back to my pc

[ross.pearson]

While I have your attention, is 12mm too high for the fretboard (highest point of the fretboard radius)? I'm worried I'm about 4-5mm too high. I'm not sure how that's happened, I probably measured the neck depth incorrectly when routing it.

[Woltz]

While I have your attention, is 12mm too high for the fretboard (highest point of the fretboard radius)? I'm worried I'm about 4-5mm too high. I'm not sure how that's happened, I probably measured the neck depth incorrectly when routing it.

This may give you issues when you try to set the action. It's going to depend a bit on how much adjustment you have in the saddles and also the height of your fretwire. As you are aware, typically for Fender type guitars we shoot for around 9mm from top of guitar body to the centre of the fretboard radius. My strat neck pocket was a bit shallow and I was only just able to set the action where it needed to be before I would've needed new grub screws. I'll grab a ruler and see what my measurements were. My intention in the future is to deepen my neck pocket a couple of mms but it's playable for now.

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[ross.pearson]

This may give you issues when you try to set the action. It's going to depend a bit on how much adjustment you have in the saddles and also the height of your fretwire. As you are aware, typically for Fender type guitars we shoot for around 9mm from top of guitar body to the centre of the fretboard radius. My strat neck pocket was a bit shallow and I was only just able to set the action where it needed to be before I would've needed new grub screws. I'll grab a ruler and see what my measurements were. My intention in the future is to deepen my neck pocket a couple of mms but it's playable for now.

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Thanks Woltz!

Yeah, it appears the Pitbull necks are designed to fit a 20mm deep pocket, not 5/8" (15.8mm). That's where my 4mm of difference comes from.

Before I re-route the neck pocket I'm going to check the scale length. If the scale length of this neck on my body don't match up with the bridge pup route then I'm in real trouble. At that stage it's either new scratch body or new scratch neck time.

[Simon Barden]

Your headstock-type sand-throughs are where I reach for the black Sharpie. Apply, then a bit of finger smudging, and you're normally looking fine.

[ross.pearson]

Your headstock-type sand-throughs are where I reach for the black Sharpie. Apply, then a bit of finger smudging, and you're normally looking fine.

Brilliant. I'm doing it.

[ross.pearson]

Scale length seems to check out, so I'll route the 4mm off and should be good to start assembly, at least with my "busy" pickguard, I'll just have to finesse it a bit with some files.

[ross.pearson]

Since I've removed everything from the body now it was a good time to weigh it. Comes in at a hair over 2kg, 2.026. That's before removing 4mm from the pocket, so it will probably be right around 2kg (4.4lbs).

That's not too bad I don't think. About average for a tele body. I wonder how much weight was shed from the contours, I suspect about 500-600g.

[dozymuppet]

I love the finish on this. Quite the journey to get to that look.

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