GlennGPs TL-1 #1

[Gavin1393]

You'll be gratefull for the extra effort you put in later!
It's soul destroying trying to force paint where it just doesnt want to go, and it would have splotched your finish....not a pretty sight!

[dingobass]

Quote from GlennGP on February 16, 2013, 17:59
So, after that thread hijack ...

... sanding! Got into it today. Following Andy's advice (from Wudtone), I restricted myself to a going over with 240 grit, and I'll do some 0000 steel wool as well, probably tomorrow.

There were three patches of fill in the surface of the body (actually on the sides, not on the top or back), which others have remarked doesn't take the Wudtone. One was roundish, the other was actually a little wiggly strip on the bottom edge, and each was no bigger than a 5-10c coin in total; the third one was right on the edge of the jack-plug hole. I was unsure about removing and replacing the edge of a hole, in that I might not be able to shape the replacement fill properly or compact it sufficiently to securely take the screws for the jack plate. Given it will be covered by the jack plate I decided to leave that patch alone, but I did set about sorting out the other two.

I discovered that trying to sand it off actually makes it disintegrate around the edge of the patch, and you end up dragging hard little grains of the stuff across the surface, which make nasty grooves in the surrounding surface, which then need sanding out too. I tried backing off to a 40 grit, to just tough it out, but that had pretty much the same effect as 240 grit, but made a bigger mess. Seeing as I already had a mess on my hands I decided to take a deep breath, pull out the bastard rasp file and see how deep the fill went. Thankfully it was only about a mil deep, so I was able to remove the fill completely and make a neat surface with the file, and then bring the surface back to smooth with sandpaper. I'm really happy that none of the visible surface on the finished product will be fill!

Way to go Glenn!
Now you are really thinking like a Luthier and finding the workaround. Well done that man!

[adam]

FWIW we have asked the factory to NOT fill any dings and dents with their filler. It may take a while for these unfilled kits to filter through but hopefully we will see the end of the dodgy Chinese filler.

[Gavin1393]

Adam, Send 'em some good old Aussie Timbermate. All their clients will then be much happier!

[GlennGP]

Reluctantly, I have to admit I'm not happy with where the hardware ended up on the body when I did the test fit and drilled holes, and I'm still suspicious about the neck alignment. I'm filling the holes in the body and then I'll re-fit the neck and see if I can make the hardware go where it's supposed to.

If you look the pic I posted earlier (provided again below) you might notice that the bridge assembly is hard up against the inside left edge of the pickguard cutaway, instead of being nicely centred and stepped away from it. No matter which way you look at it, something's not right about that, and it bothers me. So, we're going to get that right before we start any Wudtoning around here!

[MikeL]

If you look the pic I posted earlier (provided again below) you might notice that the bridge assembly is hard up against the inside left edge of the pickguard cutaway, instead of being nicely centred and stepped away from it. No matter which way you look at it, something's not right about that, and it bothers me. So, we're going to get that right before we start any Wudtoning around here!

Taking into consideration the photo is not perfectly straight on, all 3D items will appear offset slightly to one side but all should show the same offset. The nut and the bridge do show the same offset.

I've added a center line based on the neck dots and it does actually line up correctly with the bridge assembly. So the obvious thought would be the pickguard has moved during milling and is misaligned. I don't know if this can happen but it's my immediate thought.

Easiest way to tell is to measure lengths A and B and compare them to another kit.

But after re reading this and checking the pic uploaded ok, looking at the pickup, that would indicate that the pickguard is correct and bridge is wrong.... I am now confused by it too :/

[Gavin1393]

My 5c worth.

Gut instinct suggests it is the pickguard. If it is not the pickguard and it is the bridge, the intonation can still be manipulated somewhat by the three adjustable saddles. Remember that there is usually a 2.5mm offset approximately for compensation. That is the length from nut to middle fret is 2.5 mm shorter than from middle fret to saddle.
The pickup of my tele is hardly even inside the routed pickup cavity....
Insofar as the A and B measurement suggested above, there is 5mm spacing between my pickguard and the bridge on either side, then there is 32mm of pickguard on both sides before it curves away at 90 degrees....hope this helps...

[Gavin1393]

Quote from Gavin1393 on February 20, 2013, 20:44
My 5c worth.

Gut instinct suggests it is the pickguard. If it is not the pickguard and it is the bridge, the intonation can still be manipulated somewhat by the three adjustable saddles. Remember that there is usually a 2.5mm offset approximately for compensation. That is the length from nut to middle fret is 2.5 mm shorter than from middle fret to saddle.
The pickup of my tele is hardly even inside the routed pickup cavity....
Insofar as the A and B measurement suggested above, there is 5mm spacing between my pickguard and the bridge on either side, then there is 32mm of pickguard on both sides before it curves away at 90 degrees....hope this helps...

[dingobass]

Quote from MikeL on February 20, 2013, 19:51

If you look the pic I posted earlier (provided again below) you might notice that the bridge assembly is hard up against the inside left edge of the pickguard cutaway, instead of being nicely centred and stepped away from it. No matter which way you look at it, something's not right about that, and it bothers me. So, we're going to get that right before we start any Wudtoning around here!

Check your measurements again, and I would even put the two e strings on and go by that.
(You can clamp the strings with your trusty Irwin on the headstock)

This will tell you if it is the bridge or guard.

Looking at the pic, I would say it is the bridge that needs to be nudged across a touch.

[GlennGP]

Thanks all for input, very helpful. I was going with the approach that "ugly but effective" will do, i.e. if the alignment is all correct and it's the pickguard that's got the cut-out in the wrong position, I can live with that. Then I started seeing pics of other Teles going up, with nice spacing around the bridge, and I thought, dammit, I want that, and it's not too late!

So, I'm gonna measure the f#@* out of this thing and work out what's wrong (including the possibility that it's me!), and damn-well get it right.