Richy's #3 - The Blasteroid

[Richy17]

Well this hobby has quickly spiralled out of control. I really enjoyed building my first 2 kits and was itching to start something else. I'd had my eye on a couple different kits and had a few different ideas. The way I'm going i think i'll get to the other kits sooner rather than later

Basically i really wanted to build an Ash Telecaster with a maple neck and a humbucker in the neck position. At the time there wasn't any Ash tele kits available so i sort of put it on the back burner. Then i start to see pics of the Fender Meteora pop up all over the place and can't help but think i could totally make a JTL-1 kit look like one of those.

So here we are: The Blasteroid


First off i want to say how impressed i am with this kit. It really is a fantastic piece of wood and the fitment of the neck could not be better. It was almost too nice a piece of wood to do what i had planned for it but i decided to keep on going.

Straight out of the box i started to draw on what i wanted to cut off


Won't be needing these holes anymore. Titebond and toothpicks.


The grain on the back is really nice. This kind of made me think twice about painting it.


Marking out the upper contour.Started on a hard block with 40 Grit and worked my way up to 240 grit


Powder guide coat helps show the line as i sand


Contour finished and now deciding what getting cut off


The point of no return. I ended up shaping the upper horn with a sander instead.


I left a little more shape on the lower horn than there is on the meteora.


Timbermate and blue dye




Blocked flat


Now Blue stain


Blocked again to pop the grain


Mock up with the new bridge. Had to fill the old bridge holes.


Some application tape to draw the new pick guard on. I didn't want to put pencil on my finish sanded body.


First rough template


Cut out for Humbucker


Still needs some shaping

[Richy17]

I was tossing up between a large 70's style headstock or just a plain telecaster style. Unfortunately there wasn't quite enough wood on the headstock blank for the 70's style so i tried to make a kind of in-between 70's and modern style strat headstock. Worst case scenario if i don't like it a standard tele can still be cut from whats left on there.



Decided to use washers instead of a neck plate. Also installed some string through ferrules. I didn't do that great of a job on those. The body was too large for the pillar drill i have access to so i had to use a drill guide which wasn't that good.



Checking out the grain with a wipe of Shellite



Headstock done


Filling the factory holes as i've ordered some Klusons.




I wanted a vintage tint on the neck. Some yellow stain sorted that out.


First clear coat session. All 2k for this build.


The neck actually has a little bit of figuring.


Some clear to lock down the body.



Note large foam pad underneath as i didn't 100% trust my new guitar painting stand

[JohnH]

Woo! Looks great. That grain is insane

[Richy17]

Clear all blocked flat again


Now i can start the painting process. I wanted a butterscotch style finish with the grain showing through but i didn't want yellow so heres what i came up with.

Clear Sealer


Trans White


Pearl. I pretty much just used left overs from 3 or 4 other pearl jobs i did the week before. Good luck if i ever need to make this pearl again


Tinted Clear


Normal Clear


Final Clear coat


While that was drying i installed some block inlays on the neck



Mock up. Going to see how much it shrinks over the weekend. Might knock it back and put a couple more coats of clear on it


I'm happy with how the colour came out. Was hoping for a seafoam green sort of colour but butterscotch style with the grain showing.


Bonus shot with the junior

[FrankenWashie]

That’s worked out very nicely, love that grain on the back man, it is to die for!

[Richy17]

Tricky to get a photo of the pearl showing



Ordering pick guard material on Monday and then onto the electronics

[cork sniffer]

I'm liking this a lot.
Your work doesn't discourage me, it inspires me to lift my game.
Thanks.

[Bakersdozen]

That is awesome work dude. That grain is to die for, well done.

[Fretworn]

So you knocked that over in an afternoon. What are you going to do next weekend?

[Andyxlh]

Well done, that really does look superb.