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Thread: Project #6 - The TD Tele

  1. #11
    Member XP Rider's Avatar
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    Fender3, thanks for the research you've done on this. But I agree with TD, all the suggested methods sound scary. So does planning a crash to try to break it loose, like I did on the blue one. The glue is the stuff that comes with the PBG kits. The strings are probably a couple of mm high at the 12th fret, and the bridge is at its lowest position. Might think about trying to pull the bridge posts and sink them deeper. And my suggestion is for you to move on, TD, and not build a black Tele that will make mine look bad.

  2. #12
    Moderator fender3x's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by XP Rider View Post
    Fender3, thanks for the research you've done on this. But I agree with TD, all the suggested methods sound scary.
    To me too, BTW.

    So does planning a crash to try to break it loose, like I did on the blue one.
    That seems to me to have high potential for disaster. If you think those other vids were scary...



    The glue is the stuff that comes with the PBG kits.
    That's good. It's water soluble and should melt with heat. It's used in order to be able to take off the neck if you need to.

    The strings are probably a couple of mm high at the 12th fret, and the bridge is at its lowest position. Might think about trying to pull the bridge posts and sink them deeper.
    You could try sinking the posts deeper. You might also be able to lower the saddles either buy cutting the string grooves deeper or by taking material off the bottoms. You might even be able to find a bridge that is a little lower. That said, since the neck is already loosened, it's likely to get worse over time. I suspect that at some point you will need to repair the joint.

    Of course this is all very easy for me to say since I have never had to do it. Yet.

  3. #13
    Moderator Trevor Davies's Avatar
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    Looking at that style of Pitbull tune-o-matic bridge I think I would try:

    1. sinking the posts deeper, so the lip sits flush with the body.
    2. filing the underneath of the bridge where it sits on the posts (or getting a thinner bridge),
    3. filing the saddle slots a tad deeper.

    Since the strings are a couple of mm high at the 12th fret, you will need to lower the bridge by twice that amount! Still all very scary!
    PitBull Builds: FVB-4, LP-1SS, FBM-1, AG-2, TB-4, SSCM-1, TLA-1, TL-1TB, STA-1HT, DSCM-1 Truckster, ST-1, STA-1, MBM-1, MBM custom, GHR-1.

    Scratch Builds: Pine Explorer, Axe Bass, Mr Scary, Scratchy Tele's.

    The little voices in my head keep telling me "build more guitars"

  4. #14
    Moderator fender3x's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Trevor Davies View Post
    Looking at that style of Pitbull tune-o-matic bridge I think I would try:

    1. sinking the posts deeper, so the lip sits flush with the body.
    2. filing the underneath of the bridge where it sits on the posts (or getting a thinner bridge),
    3. filing the saddle slots a tad deeper.

    Since the strings are a couple of mm high at the 12th fret, you will need to lower the bridge by twice that amount! Still all very scary!
    Assuming that the neck joint is not too badly damaged... I agree with TD FWIW. It may take some combination of approaches. You may also be able to remove a little material from the bottom of the individual saddles...

    I like the idea of filing the bottom of the bridge as a place to start. Plumbers use 120 grit emory cloth strips to prep copper pipes for soldering. I bet you could take off a mil or two pretty quickly, and take anything else you need off the saddle bottoms and/or slots.

    Sinking the holes was my favorite until I started to think about how to get the bit perfectly centered and how to avoid any damage to the finish.... But, you may also be able to get the same effect as countersinking the posts by replacing the post ferrules with a threaded insert* like this:

    Click image for larger version. 

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    I know you can get these in a size that will accommodate your bridge post because I considered this once (long, irrelevant story). Since your bridge will be down all the way, the top of the insert won't be visible anyway and should look pretty natural. I *might* have a few of these inserts lying around. If I do they are brass colored. They are also made in stainless steel. If I can find the ones I have you'd be welcome to them. If not, I may at least be able to help you source them.

    * Fun fact: I could not remember what these little s*ckers were called, so I described them to Chat GPT and got "threaded inserts" back in heartbeat. Take that Alzheimers!

  5. #15
    Member XP Rider's Avatar
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    Thanks to you both. I am afraid something is still going to have to be done with the neck. If I drop the bridge very much, it is going to put the strings right down on the bridge pup. So I am thinking about how to get some heat into the neck joint without buying StewMac's high-dollar apparatus, and paying their outrageous shipping charges.

  6. #16
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    Probably will take a whack at the bottom of the bridge with emery cloth. If it comes to pulling posts and the size is compatible, I may take you up on the offer of inserts. Hardware is gold, so the brass ones would not show.

  7. #17
    Moderator Trevor Davies's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by XP Rider View Post
    ... If I drop the bridge very much, it is going to put the strings right down on the bridge pup. ...
    The pup should be able to lowered so as to go almost as low as the deck. But, you may need to get a smaller pup surround (like the neck pup surround)! Or the pup surround you have may need to be sanded down to a lower height. Could this be an option?
    PitBull Builds: FVB-4, LP-1SS, FBM-1, AG-2, TB-4, SSCM-1, TLA-1, TL-1TB, STA-1HT, DSCM-1 Truckster, ST-1, STA-1, MBM-1, MBM custom, GHR-1.

    Scratch Builds: Pine Explorer, Axe Bass, Mr Scary, Scratchy Tele's.

    The little voices in my head keep telling me "build more guitars"

  8. #18
    Moderator fender3x's Avatar
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    I was searching for something completely different when I surfed past this:

    "Remove the neck soldering iron heating copper rood guitar handle removal"

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/23573783995...r=536090929148

    Clearly, not fully translated...but it might work for you. There are a couple of these using the same soldering iron. There seem to be several like this hovering around USD $60. If it were me I would consider just getting the rod for around $30. If the soldering iron actually controls temperature (which I don't think I believe) and not wattage (which is what most cheap, adjustable ones do) then it's worth the money. I am pretty sure that I have a soldering iron the copper heat stick would fit.

    There is also this scary critter:

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/23461595914...3ABFBM7LLijs1k

    I am not really suggesting that you buy those things. But it got me thinking. I went to the company's website and discovered that they made things that DIYers use to cut foam. That made me wonder about whether you could use a hot-wire foam cutter. That lead me to this on eBay:

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/11574849789...r=415815346052

    and this on Amazon:

    https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Styr...341238745&th=1

    I'd start with one that is either 5 or 10 cm. Worst case scenario is that it doesn't work and you are out $10-15. But it should work, and they seem to get plenty hot enough. I think this is what I would try if I were in your shoes. Would probably shop for one with more stars, but I don't see a reason to pay more than $15 to see if this would work.
    Last edited by fender3x; 08-10-2024 at 09:55 AM.

  9. #19
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    Project #6 - The TD Tele

    Well, yeah. Still alive up here. We are supposed to be in line for some of the moisture from that "atmospheric river' that has nearly washed away parts of California. A lot of it wouldn't be missed.
    The Tele kit finally arrived. I asked for a rosewood fretboard, and I guess it took some time to get it. Anyway, it has had a few days to acclimate, so here is the mock build.Click image for larger version. 

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    I am paying a lot more attention to neck angle this time, and I think with the saddles lowered some and a replacement nut with much deeper grooves, it will turn out alright. Neck pocket is a nice tight fit.
    As previously announced, I had planned on a solid black paint job with white pick guard. But the kit has an ash body and a fairly nice looking piece of wood. The grain is kind of asking for a stain finish. TD, would you feel abandoned if I changed the plan and stained this one? Look for the white-on-black next year.
    Last edited by XP Rider; 25-11-2024 at 12:41 PM. Reason: Image is inverted.

  10. #20
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    Sorry it is up-side down. I tried to fix that but without success.

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