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#289419 - 06/11/11 06:31 PM
1st guitar build project
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Craigyboy
Be Nice (I'm New!)
Registered: 05/11/11
Posts: 11
Loc: Fife
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Hi folks
I've just started my first guitar build project, if anyone has any tips I'd really appreciate hearing them.
I bought the body from Ebay - it's a Telecaster shape made from mahogany with cutouts for two P90 sized pickups.
I've just been buying the parts a bit at a time when I have the funds.
Here's a link to what the body looks like -
http://sonarcorridor.wordpress.com/guitars/custom-project/
I want to keep the guitar natural looking so won't be painting the guitar. I've used the rub on varnish method for finishing the guitar. I've given it 12 coats, rubbing it down with fine steel wool before every new coat. I'm really happy with how it looks and I like the grain of the wood.
Here's the parts I've bought so far:
Hipshot hardtail bridge
Grover quick release strap locks
String ferrules
Neck mounting plate
Electrosocket jack mount
(all in gold)
Switchcraft output jack
Megaswitch switching system Telecaster model
CTS 500k control pots
Basic wiring kit
Gold control plate and dome knobs
TV Jones T-Armond pickups in P90 mount (based on DeArmond/Dynasonic pickups)
I've just got to save up some cash to buy the neck now! I'm thinking of going for a Telecaster style 22 fret from Warmoth made from Goncalo Alves with gold fret wire. I really like unfinished necks and I like the look of this wood. The only other thing that leaves is a pickguard, think I'm going to go for a creme colour.
I'm waiting on most of the parts to arrive at the moment. I've never done my own wiring and am completely new to this but I really want to do it myself. I think I've got all the right bits but if I'm going wrong anywhere please let me know!
If anyone can offer any advice I would really appreciate it.
Thanks
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#289424 - 06/11/11 07:23 PM
Re: 1st guitar build project
[Re: Craigyboy]
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Megi
Old Timer
Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 1271
Loc: Lincolnshire
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Hi Craig, to be honest you sound like you are already pretty well on top of things - I get the impression there is a lot of attention to detail. I built a tele not so long ago, using UK sourced parts - I had a little trouble getting the neck to fit the body exactly, but I suspect if you are sourcing everything from Warmoth you will be fine. It is worth taking care with the neck alignment to make sure the strings run correctly over the fingerboard, and also when drilling the holes for pickguards or pickup mounting rings, so that the pickup polepieces line up as well as possible. You can see what I did on my "custom telecaster build project" on this forum if interested.
Regarding doing the wiring, I was a complete novice not so long ago, but have learnt to handle things by first modifying a few existing Guitars, then I was already a little more experienced when I came to do my tele. I would strongly recommend the advice given on the guitar Nuts website: GuitarNuts.com - well worth spending some time reading on here. Also I am a fan of the guitar Nuts 2 forum, a great place to go if you need advice, plus there are a lot of cool wiring diagrams available: Guitar Nuts 2 forum . Set yourself up with a decent soldering ion and stand, work in a well-ventilated area, don't work for too long at a time, it's better to go in stages I find. Soldering ions are really hot things (I know this to my cost...  ) - be careful and work in a deliberate kind of way. . Worth looking on Youtube for advice on soldering technique. If you are going for a fairly standard type of circuit you should be fine though.
Hope the guitar progresses well, do put some pics up at some point, cheers!
_________________________
Graham, jazz guitar nut!
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#289427 - 06/11/11 08:51 PM
Re: 1st guitar build project
[Re: Craigyboy]
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Mark P
Professional Forumite!
Registered: 21/10/09
Posts: 455
Loc: Scotland
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Well researched and well thought out by the looks of it. Wish I'd been as organised on my first self-build.
The Mahogany body with P90s should work well and I've had a look at TV Jones demo video and they seem like damn good pickups to me. Even cheap Tonerider P90s work great in a mahogany body so you should be fine.
Looks like a nice grain on the body - I can see why you fancied the natural finish. Do my eyes deceive me or is it a single piece body?
I'm not sure I'm the right person to advice on a tele self build - I tried one - looked fairly good though I don't like the two piece quilt top body join style too much on any guitar, but didn't really work out on sound and tone, despite shelling out for Seymour Duncan pups in a moment of madness - never done that again. 
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#289439 - 07/11/11 09:21 AM
Re: 1st guitar build project
[Re: stickyfiddle]
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Megi
Old Timer
Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 1271
Loc: Lincolnshire
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I think maybe they are just a type of alloy that looks gold, rather than containing the actual stuff. Maybe just done to look nice, and why not? or perhaps it does have some perfomance benefit.
_________________________
Graham, jazz guitar nut!
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#289443 - 07/11/11 11:40 AM
Re: 1st guitar build project
[Re: Megi]
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Craigyboy
Be Nice (I'm New!)
Registered: 05/11/11
Posts: 11
Loc: Fife
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Thanks for the help Megi, will have a good look at the GuitarNuts site.
I bought the body from Ebay for around £100, was exactly what I'd been looking for, here's a link to the guy's page - Matts Woodworking.
He gets a good write up on the Fender forums and I've no complaints, really happy with the body.
Was going to source just the neck from Warmoth as I couldn't find anywhere in the UK or Europe that would do exactly what I wanted. I've bought most of the other bits from Stew Mac in America, just because you can get everything in the one place really.
Megi your custom build looks brilliant, great job! Like me you seem to be a fan of gold hardware! I have a wee question for you - I see you lined the control and pickup cutouts with copper foil, is this a must? I'm assuming this is to help cancel out hum?
Mark, yeah it's a one piece, was lucky with the price on Ebay. Looks like you did a good job with your build. I'm worried that like you, I get the build finished then find out I don't like the sound! It's a risk worth taking though and I'm enjoying the learning process.
Stickyfiddle - the fret wire I'm thinking of going for is copper alloy, I'd also read somewhere that gold would wear down quickly.
Cheers for the replies
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#289446 - 07/11/11 12:33 PM
Re: 1st guitar build project
[Re: Craigyboy]
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Bry
Professional Forumite!
Registered: 21/10/11
Posts: 163
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I see you lined the control and pickup cutouts with copper foil, is this a must? I'm assuming this is to help cancel out hum?
Considering the time/effort/money you're going to spend on the rest of the project it's well worth it. A roll of copper shielding tape is only a few quid and you could always try the guitar without shielding first, then add it so you can hear the difference it can make. Try to join all the cavities with an earth wire connected to the bridge and you can eliminate that hum that usually stops when you touch the strings.
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#289447 - 07/11/11 01:17 PM
Re: 1st guitar build project
[Re: Bry]
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Megi
Old Timer
Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 1271
Loc: Lincolnshire
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Just to agree with Bry - the shielding is worth it, especially with single coil pickups like P90's. I did a strat type guitar once, and if you'll believe me, the before-after comparison was quite marked. You still get some noise with single coils, but it can be reduced significantly. I've just ordered some more copper foil from an Ebay seller - I would recommend trying to find a type with conductive adhesive - otherwise you have to add blobs of solder over the edges of the strips to get electrical continuity, which is a bit of a faff!
Or there are some on this forum who prefer to use conductive paint - it's a personal choice I guess. But yes, do shield it, and also use a star-earthing scheme for the circuit (see the guitar Nuts site for details) and it should make for a less noisy, better sounding guitar.
_________________________
Graham, jazz guitar nut!
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#289450 - 07/11/11 03:53 PM
Re: 1st guitar build project
[Re: Megi]
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Craigyboy
Be Nice (I'm New!)
Registered: 05/11/11
Posts: 11
Loc: Fife
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Cheers Bry/Megi, have just ordered a tin of the shielding paint online.
Had a look at the guitar Nuts site, great site, will definitely bookmark that and use it, thanks for the tip. Couldn't see the info on star-earthing but it probably just didn't jump out at me! I'll need to research this a lot more before I jump in.
This might be a daft question...how would I connect an earth wire to the bridge and then join it to all the cavities? It's a standard hard-tail bridge I am using.
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#289456 - 07/11/11 05:40 PM
Re: 1st guitar build project
[Re: Craigyboy]
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Bry
Professional Forumite!
Registered: 21/10/11
Posts: 163
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That body looks like it already has a hole drilled from just ahead of the 6 string holes through to the control cavity, your earth wire would go through there, unless that's going to miss your chosen bridge.
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