#7 - a birthday 12string

[Marcel]

I doubt the colour difference in the Ash body when wet is because of glue. More, as it appears similar on both sides I'm suspecting it is because of differences in direction of the grain in the wood between the three blocks that form the body. Two are similarly cut but the third despite it actually being prettier is cut slightly differently along the grain so the water coloured it in a much stronger way.

As for grain lift, after wetting the middle lifted heaps yet the top and bottom blocks remaind almost jet smooth.... It will be interesting to see how it all sands back.

[Simon Barden]

The string-through holes on the back aren't too bad. I've seen worse.

You'll sort it out I'm sure.

[Marcel]

Thanks for the vote of confidence Simon ...

[Marcel]

There isn't much I can do about the grain in the 4 pieces of Ash that make the body, so that's something I'll just have to deal with.... but a closer inspection with some of the typical parts reveals a whole new host of issues that need addressing....

I've built two other Tele style guitars before, a cheap and nasty Ebay kit and the partscaster that became the denim Tele, so I know there is nothing that can't be beaten in this build.... however it is extra work that one always wishes one didn't have to do...

A little sanding and a damp down provided some revelations... When the bridge plate is positioned over the holes in the body for the strings it becomes apparent that there are two little marks where the factory "suggests" the bridge plate should mount, or at least they are marks they used as a reference to drill the string thru holes. However when I put the scratch plate in its most ideal position some ugly visuals also become apparent... And a quick look in the bridge PU hole has some wood present that will be a problem when the PU tries to fill that space...

And I haven't even done drawn me a neck centre line yet.....

[Marcel]

Turps damped full body shots...

The 4 blocks are pretty obvious..... so need to find some decent "paint"...

[wazkelly]

Hi Marcel, did you order the kit with pre-drilled string through holes or does it come that way as standard?

Have to agree with everything you have said so far and wonder whether a return is a possibility?

[Simon Barden]

They are pre-drilled on the 12 strings, with 6 strings rear-strung and 6 top-loading. You can clearly see them on the kit picture.

[Marcel]

The photo of the body from the website is pretty much what I got. Even in the photo Simon posted above you can see it's a multi piece body, just my pieces aren't as pretty as a group, or as more the point not as evenly matched in colour... so it's going to need dark or opaque to hide it

As Simon said the string thru holes can be corrected Waz, though I'm not looking forward to the process. And the holes under the bridge plate are easily modified once the bridges position is finalised. I'm kinda presuming that the tilt may have something to do with what is typical saddle position when the intonation is done, but if that's the case the tilt is on the wrong side of 90 degrees, which is kinda sad... None of that helps the line up of the holes on the back...

What I ordered and didn't get was a Maple fretboard. That Maple fretboard was the main reason for me to go to this TLA-12 kit over all the other 12 string kits on offer. I still have yet to talk to Adam but outwardly it seems this latest shipment from the factory was distinctly lacking in Maple fretboard TLA-12 kits..... and there isn't any suitable Maple fretboard necks on offer on the PBG site.... I might just have to live with it and wait until my new birthday gifted vintage blonde Fender Strat Deluxe with Maple fretboard turns up to satisfy all my Maple fretboard needs...

[Simon Barden]

You could of course stick veneer on the front and back, and that would cover up any hole filling and re-drilling marks. You may then need to re-do the binding, but that's not too onerous on a slab-faced body.

[Marcel]

You may be on to something there Simon..... I think I need to do some research and pondering....