ATL-1SW Build (First Timer)

**Fatboy** · 11-02-2020, 11:56 PM

Decals which never got on the headstock front - they are round the back !

**McCreed** · 12-02-2020, 06:51 AM

Nice! I like the red gloss headstock!

**TZK321** · 12-02-2020, 10:17 AM

Looks great!!!

**Andy40** · 12-02-2020, 05:00 PM

Nice cavity shielding mate

**Fatboy** · 17-02-2020, 12:50 AM

Thanks for the kind words especially the cavity shield compliment Andy40 haha.
Had the weekend off work unusually and it is pissing down here so was able
to get the screwdrivers and drill out and stumble a bit further, almost there now.
Finally fitted the machine heads and the supplied strings to see how it all looks.
The neck is very good, frets were pretty even and did not require much work.

This weeks problems have been :
1) Cavity shield - I relied on the overlapping tape to provide continuity - wrong !
Saw a post on here about smearing solder across the joints, why did I not think of that ? Doh...
This improved the situation especially as I am relying on the tape to earth the bridge.

2) Volume control not working properly - thought this might be my additional wiring but unsure how.
Tracked it down to duff soldering at the factory. One of the volume lugs had a blob of solder to the
body of the pot (the lug was pushed back near to the body) but cleaning joints before soldering
takes too long in the factory so the connection to ground was very poor hence the problem.
Out with the soldering iron and take the neck off (again) and used some wire to make the connection
rather than hope that luck and fresh air would make it.

3) String trees - My kit had no trees supplied but that's no problem, there are thousands a click away on the 'bay.
Trouble is I forgot to get any so when I fitted the strings and thought about filing the nut I realised
my schoolboy error - back of the class, Fatboy !
Not having them is not the issue, I looked at the headstock decal and it is right where the trees should be !
Doh ! six of the best for me...…and in detention, take that neck off again, Fatboy !
Anyway, I have ordered some and I may be able to just avoid the decal as the man on the Yootube
Fender University video said it is not too important where they are sited (we'll see about that).
I don't have a second gold decal as the first was obliterated after I had to rub down and re-stain the headstock
after the home made decal fiasco. Grrrr
I will see what I can do, as I would have to rub down and stain the headstock again.
If it is a major issue I'll have to buy another kit haha.

Suitably enthused I have now screwed the scratchplate in position am awaiting the string trees and need to do
a final nut and neck setup, Apologies for the pics, taken on rubbish mobile phone.
Ought to get a new one but that's another geetar

Then it is done and hopefully a GOTM contender (I'll have a look at the competition first, might wait until March).
I am already looking at the next one, this is great fun.

By the way, anyone from Oz tell us how the wildfires are going ?
We have all got the Corona virus over here and Brexit so there has been no coverage of that for some weeks.

Cheers, Fatboy.

**gpjt** · 17-02-2020, 01:23 AM

That's looking great! Pain about the decal/string tree problem, looking forward to seeing what you work out

**Simon Barden** · 17-02-2020, 05:13 AM

I've found the copper tape to sometimes not provide good continuity if simply overlapped slightly, so I always check it with a multimeter and if there are issues, then I run another bit of tape across them at right angles which normally sorts things out.

I'd try and run with just a single string tree for the top B and E strings. The D/G tree is normally superfluous. The B/E tree would normally go where the P of PitBull is, but you can move it further towards the nut if you can use a taller spacer (so there's not too much downwards pull over the nut), or move it back to level with the G tuner (roughly where it went on the first Teles) and use a very low spacer or no spacer at all in order to get enough downward pull.

**Fatboy** · 10-03-2020, 08:03 PM

Well it is finished at last so a big thank you to all the members on here who have helped me.
One of the reasons I chose Pitbull was because of this resource so well done chaps, I owe you a pint.
The string tree business I have left for now as having set it up for my style of playing I feel that it does
not need it.
A cop out maybe, there just may be enough break angle on the E and B strings.
Played it a lot and really pleased how it looks, feels and sounds.
Entered in March GOTM.
My next is a precision bass but I purchased that in the UK (sorry) but hope to be back soon with
another build if we are all still alive then.
Again, thank you all, FB.