The Frankencaster

[Eponymous]

So. First actual day of building and not just ordering crap from online.

Have decided my headstock shape (see photo of the outline).

Checked the neck and body. Alignment seems ok but I will check that properly...now that I have the requisite wooden straightedges to check. Bridge hasn’t arrived yet but should be here next week.

I have the tools I bought from pit bull and using the notched straightedge, the neck seem fairly straight, with no relief. That should change with string tension but I think straight when I’m doing fretwork is best. So about to cut headstock and tape the fretboard so I can start levelling and finishing the frets.

The body seems ok. Some machining marks but sandable and basically wood quality (so far).

The neck, as I said, is straight. Some small indentations in the end (see photo) which could be, maybe punch marks or something. Not a problem as it will be covered up. 1 minor scratch in the back but sand able.

Let the fretwork taping and head stock cut out begin!

[Eponymous]

Here are neck indentations

Tiny and removable.

Also, the neck alignment. Seems to fall away a couple of mm at the 20th fret.....I never use it anyway!

[FrankenWashie]

A FrankenCaster eh? Igor and I shall watch with great interest.

[Eponymous]

The hard bit will be waiting for a thunderstorm to apply the right jolt!

[FrankenWashie]

The hard bit will be waiting for a thunderstorm to apply the right jolt!

LOL! Thats really a lovely Tele body you scored there,I love the tight parallel grain structure, Should come up wonderfully.

[Eponymous]

Yeah. It is quite lovely. My plan (as it is a first build) is to just paint it, rather than do a finish that will bring out the grain. Almost seems a shame but all the stuff is on the way. The paint job I have in mind is like the PRS Nebula with the colour shift paint, going through blue/red/purple with a 2 pack clear on top.

The neck is going to be a stained bloodwood from dingo bass, though

[Eponymous]

Neck work finished. Headstock shape cut and sanded, frets levelled, crowned and polished. The fret ends have been sanded and sharp edges removed. Ready to stain and apply finishing oil tomorrow!



The new bridge is in the mail. I’m getting a Gotoh engraved tele bridge with both top load and through load string arrangements.

I’m also thinking of getting the hipshot 6 a side, staggered height locking tuners. That way I can do away with string trees..

Onto neck staining tomorrow.

Will do a trial setup on Friday, when the new bridge arrives.

[dozymuppet]

Love that headstock shape.

Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

[Eponymous]

Thank you. It started as a freehand drawing, then much, much sanding until I was happy with it!

[Eponymous]

Neck staining time this morning.

Sanded the neck to 1200 grit...probably excessive but it sure feels smooth.

Using the Dingobass bloodwood stain (which has turned out more orange yellow...like Donald Trump’s face...almost..perhaps he should rename the stain “trump face orange?) but it is also like “haven’t had enough fluids my pee is a bad colour yellow..which is kinda the same thing as trump face orange.

Happy with the result though. Now hanging in my music room to dry for 24 hours (or so.....)

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