1st Time Guitar Build

[A.D.]

Hi Everyone, I am Alex in the U.K.

Just ordered my first kit a few days ago, Thinline T ATL-1SB. I had planned to keep the body really simple with Tung Oil and a clear urethane varnish, depending on the grain of the body.

I had wanted to upgrade the pickups and was about to get the Tonerider Hot Classics with the kit but they sold out while I was dithering. After watching a few videos and reading a lot on this forum (which is so helpful - thank you everyone!) it seems there's are a lot of tools I could do with which I don't have. I have somewhat limited funds and was hoping if I could list the things I was thinking I need, maybe someone could let me know if there was something I had missed or something that actually I don't really need!

Tools
Long Steel Rule
Notched Straight edge
Axe & crowning file for the frets
Fret Eraser?
Is a fret rocker needed? If I go ahead and do the felt tip on fret trick in the guide it seems I might not need this?

Upgrades
I have found a Gotoh BS-TC1 that looks decent for the price £38 (not bought yet).
I did want to upgrade the pickups and read that if I am going to do this I should do before I start - any alternatives to the tone rider Hot Classics that seem to be out of stock everywhere? - I play Rock mainly but not full overdrive - esp like the clean gritty sound (when the turned up full) I ve heard with some Teles. Also if I am doing this do I also need to upgrade to a premium wiring kit for this to have much of an effect?
And finally, is there much difference in ferrules? I ve found Fender ones for £20 (inc P&P) on Amazon - does this sound ok?

This is a really great resource and so glad that I found it, I ve spent hours and hours reading threads and looking at the guitars of the month! Thanks everyone
Alex

[jugglindan]

Welcome Alex. While I have some thoughts on which tools I found essential and which less so, I am on my first build so more experienced hands here will likely have better advice (see my disclaimer ). So, disclaimer out of the way...

For the frets, the things I found most useful were the 12" radius sanding block and the crowning file. I bought a notched straight edge, and it was useful but I know that others have techniques for getting the neck straight without one. I would research that as an option since it's one of the more expensive tools that you will pretty much only use once per build. I also bought a fret rocker but could have lived without that as well. In a pinch you could always make something similar by buying a cheap metal straight edge at a hardware store and cutting it into pieces with a hacksaw. You just need several lengths that can cover a span of 3 frets at different parts of the fretboard. Or just go without.

[Simon Barden]

Hi and welcome.

I'd go for these. http://www.irongear.co.uk/irongear_pickups_014.htm
Axetec seem to have them in stock and will be very similar to the Toneriders. I have the Steel Foundry Overwound neck pickups in two of my Teles.

A better wiring harness won't improve the sound, but would be a good upgrade at some point, as the cheap Chinese switches and pots become unreliable a lot sooner than quality parts do.

I haven't seem that Gotoh bridge before but it looks fine. For the same price you could get the Wilkinson WT3 (also made by Gotoh) which has (IMO) better saddles as they can be tilted so each string can (eventually, after a lot of trial and effort) be perfectly intonated, whilst the Gotoh only offers you a choice of to relative saddle positions, so won't be quite as close. Or save money and go for a standard Wilkinson WTB bridge for £22, which still ahs compensated saddles.

I've got both standard and compensated saddles on my Teles, and even the standard ones are close enough for me, but the compensated saddles are even closer.

No difference in ferrules, apart from the choice between rimmed ones, which sit proud, or rimless ones which sit flush (or will do if you drill all the ferrule holes the same depth). String tension will pull rimless ferrules to the bottom of the hole, so if you don't think you can guarantee being that exact, go for the rimmed version.

A long steel rule is good and should get used.

The rest are all to do with dealing with fret issues. You'll need the notched edge to even start to check properly, and they are pretty cheap. I got one from Amazon for about £18 - loads of people selling the same product. But if you don't feel confident enough to try and do your own fret level, then I wouldn't even bother with that. But if you are, then you might as well do without specifically buying a fret rocker (which only tells you if you have uneven frets) as in my experience, all new lower-priced guitars (and all the kit guitars) will benefit from a fret levelling.

So to level the frets, you'll either need a proper long fret file, or a long flat block or (my preference now) a radius block. For the last two, you'll need some sandpaper (I use P240) and wide double sided-tape to stick it to them. All the PBG kits have 12" radius fretboards and you can pick one up from £10 or so on Amazon.

Also a black Sharpie for marking the tops of the frets.

You can get all sorts of fret crowning files, but I use a set of diamond crowning files and also one of these (which also has useful fret protectors and a fret rocker in the package):

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Stainless-C...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

That file will do the job, but leaves the top of the frets slightly rougher than the diamond files do (so a bit more sanding afterwards) - but it does work faster than the diamond files do and will work quite quickly on even stainless steel frets. It's quite tall, so is fine for new frets (such as the kit ones), but less good for old or low frets.

Then a range of sandpapers and wet and dry paper. Wet and dry especially so for frets. I'd also recommend using Micromesh pads or sheets for polishing the frets and also paintwork/lacquer. I buy sets of micromesh fabric backed sheets that will take you from quite fine to very fine grits.

Also masking tape. I use modellers masking tape sets for the frets, as you can get a pack with different width tapes which is ideal for masking up fretboards when working on and polishing the frets. If you use standard masking tape, you either have to spend ages cutting it to the right width, or else work on every other fret/one at a time, which is a lot slower process.

Start a build diary and ask further technical questions there.

Good luck with the build!

[Simon Barden]

I bought a notched straight edge, and it was useful but I know that others have techniques for getting the neck straight without one.

There really isn't a reliable way of getting the neck (not the frets) level without a notched edge. You can get the neck level if the frets are already level, but if the frets aren't level, then you don't have a starting place to level them from. But they aren't expensive to buy, and you can make your own easily from a steel bar with a file (provided you know it has a straight edge). You only need to leave gaps for the frets to fit in, it doesn't need to be precise cutting. And the frets provide you with all the measuring out you need to know where to make the cuts!

[A.D.]

Thanks Dan & Simon, some good info there. I've gone for the overwound steel foundry pickups. Lots to think about with the tools and bridge. I ll start a build diary when the kit arrives. Thanks again for your help