Very Different TL Style Guitar Build Diary

[jgraves]

I just received my kit and I'm excited.

I own five guitars, but only one is electric, a Fender Strat.

I've been wanting a TL, but I was intrigued when I saw this video:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/h7mp0c4d64...390PX.mp4?dl=0

The wonderful folks at PittBull were able to create a kit like it.

I plan to do a very light stain to bring out the grain, but I want to keep it very light in colour. Any advice is welcome.

The plan is to do a wood seal, stain and poly coat. I'm a bit worried about the fretboard doing a seal, stain, coat without messing up the frets. I'll have to read more about that...

I have a few questions for the group; which I will post in following messages.

Thanks!

[jgraves]

I would like advice on my guitar neck.

See this video:

https://youtu.be/IG5e85iBSsA

[wazkelly]

Hi there, suggest running some string lines from high & low E tuner holes to where bridge may end up to see how that aligns with pickup locations. With neck pushed up hard on the bass non cutaway side, hopefully everything lines up sweet as from that video ut looks like inner cutaway area was cut just a fraction too wide.
Being a bolt on that shouldn't be too big a problem and if the appearance really bothers you a small bit of veneer might be all you need.
Cheers, Waz

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[Fretworn]

Maybe just tru-oil it. That will give it a slight yellow tinge. It looks like it is probably basswood, so there is less need to grain fill. you made need to stain it if the want the pop the grain.

[wazkelly]

I plan to do a very light stain to bring out the grain, but I want to keep it very light in colour. Any advice is welcome.
The plan is to do a wood seal, stain and poly coat. I'm a bit worried about the fretboard doing a seal, stain, coat without messing up the frets.

Tru Oil is probably the easiest way to go as it seals and finishes all in one. I have also used it on maple fret boards too, just need to use 0000 steel wool to polish it off the frets once fret board has been done and final polished with car polish products.

[Old Tooth Hopkins]

How would you like to finish the neck?

If you're in Australia you can't go wrong with the dingotone. Just applied that to the neck of my current build.

[Trev56]

I have made about ten guitars with bolt on necks and agree with Waz that it should not be too much of a problem. The main thing is to make sure that everything lines up, makes it easier when there is a bit of slop (oops, I meant a bit of play ). Tele and Strat pockets are hard to get tight as there is very little 'meat' on the lower side. Small gaps are mostly cosmetic and filling them to perfection can drive you nuts, but then unlimited patience is not part of my nature! I had an American made Strat and the pocket was really baggy to the point where the neck could wobble if you really pushed it, fixed it with a bit of veneer in the bass side and some sandpaper glued in the bottom of the pocket with paper glue - a bit agricultural but worked a treat and solid as. Played like a dream, I hope the turd who stole it liked it. Good luck, hope it all goes well.

[jgraves]

Regarding oil. I was wanting to do a polyurethane finish on it and I was told oil would not work well because it doesn't completely dry and gives off gasses; which could bubble up the poly coat. Is that not true with Tru Oil?

[wazkelly]

Tru Oil dries like varnish with none of the problems you mentioned.

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[wazkelly]

Should mention i have never added poly or anything on top as TO alone was good enough for me.

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