If it was me, I'd put all the hardware on and go as far as stringing it up before considering finish.
Especially if you are replacing the standard issue bridge.
On my TL the correct scale length meant the 'Fender' pickguard exposed excessive real estate.
https://www.buildyourownguitar.com.a...601#post190601
cheers, Mark.
I see your headstock is still in "paddle" form. It's generally SOP to cut/shape etc before applying any finish.
Also, I can't imagine doing a burst with tinted varnish with any kind of brush or hand applicator. Possibly a spraygun, but not by hand. I'm a base coat/top coat kind of guy. I've never tried a all-in-one approach.
And I have to say I'm jealous that you have a CNC, even if it is just a "hobby" one!!!
Making the world a better place; one guitar at a time...
Yeah, the bridge thing is quite interesting.
Just looking at length, the Fender specs I found were:
Vintage bridge: 85.7 mm.
American standard: 96.8 mm.
Here's the standard issue bridge next to the one I picked up.
As you can see, there is a few mm difference.
So, I checked it against the best reference possible:
With measurement, sure enough, the Am Dlx was 96.8 mm. The 'standard issue' is 95.4 mm. The bridge I picked up, and I'm now calling 'mongrel' is 98.5 mm.
I'm calling it 'mongrel', because the mounting holes are wrong. The rear three holes are spaced more widely, and placed further back than the other bridges. Front two are O.k. The string spacing is slightly narrower on the 'standard issue'.
I'll be fitting the 'mongrel'. I prefer the solid block saddles and more precise intonation, and the through-body holes will be more "standard". If I do swap the bridge later (the look/feel/tone of old brass barrels might suit this particular guitar better) I will only have to move the screw holes.
As to the spacing between the bridge and the pickguard, well...
It really looks like an afterthought to half the bridge manufacturers. Lengths of tele bridges vary from 82 to 102 mm.
Cheers.
The headstock will be mostly grey, so that finish won't matter really.Originally Posted by McCreed
It's good you can't imagine doing a burst with tinted varnish, because the results were unimaginable.
Yeah, I'm a really lucky guy with some nice toys/tools. But I've been suffering from depression badly the last few years. The CNC was/is an effort to motivate me, but it's not working as hoped. This build is just one of many half-started projects. Thank you all for allowing me to share my efforts, as it really does help with motivation. Maybe I'll finish this!
Bless and Cheers.
Join the club. I wish you all the best. Being creative can lift your spirits. But setbacks can also bring them down, so I find it's important to plan ahead and don't skimp on all the precautions and I'd always measure three times, cut/drill once (rather than measuring twice). You are unlikely to get anywhere near perfection on your first attempts, so just aim for 'reasonable' and use each new build as a learning process.
Hey Galah - always great to see someone else's build moving forward - plenty of guys here to help.
Current builds:
GPB-4B: https://www.buildyourownguitar.com.a...548#post184548
There really is no particular standard for Tele bridges. The original 'ashtray' style ones have four screw holes at the rear (not three). And no fixing screws at the 'front' of the bridge plate. The only real standard seems to be the pickup mounting angle and the distance of the pickup hole from the front edge of the plate. Everything else seems to be a variable.
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