In Lieu of Lurking

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DarwinStrings
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In Lieu of Lurking

Post by DarwinStrings » Mon Oct 17, 2016 7:42 pm

Martin's lurker post has had me realise that I have not posted for quite some time so I thought I would show off the current build.

I do find building electrics a little, well, less challenging than acoustics so I came up with a design that would give me something to think about while building a copy of my favorite electric.

I have seen quite a few telecaster alikes with figured tops but usually there is something covering the figured wood or the neck pup is mounted in the full pocket with gaps around it unlike the close fitting of the pick guard around the pup. The other way I have seen it done is to have control cavity hatches on the back like a Gibson but I did not want that either.

I still wanted that Tele image though and the pick guard is so much a part of that that I wanted to get it in somehow without covering expensive figured wood, the other more simple demand I put on the build was Australian native timbers but still keeping that maple necked Tele look as well as a headstock that does not step on Fender's design ownership.

So here is the headstock with what I feel is at least a 25% change
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Silver ash neck with Australian ebony marker dots
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Faraday cage cause once the top is glued on that wouldn't be real easy.
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Rebating the purfling to define the pick guard shape ( the only non Aussie wood)
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Checking to see if I can get all the gear in through the bridge pup cavity before I glue that top down
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Pick guard area masked off and a couple of coat of lacquer on the rest
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The rest masked off and a bit of black tinted lacquer to further define the pickguard
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Close up, I may still take a bit of black off, lighten it a bit maybe.
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The body is a bit of gum tree front and back and Aussie red cedar in the guts.
Life is good when you are amongst the wood.
Jim Schofield

seeaxe
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Re: In Lieu of Lurking

Post by seeaxe » Tue Oct 18, 2016 11:48 am

That's pretty cool, I must say. Love the no-pick-guard pick guard!,
Richard

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needsmorecowbel
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Re: In Lieu of Lurking

Post by needsmorecowbel » Tue Oct 18, 2016 5:28 pm

Real Nice execution!

Stu

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kiwigeo
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Re: In Lieu of Lurking

Post by kiwigeo » Tue Oct 18, 2016 5:37 pm

Nice work as always Jim....
Martin

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Bob Connor
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Re: In Lieu of Lurking

Post by Bob Connor » Tue Oct 18, 2016 7:53 pm

Very clever pickguard Jim
Bob, Geelong
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DarwinStrings
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Re: In Lieu of Lurking

Post by DarwinStrings » Tue Oct 18, 2016 8:05 pm

Cheers guys, I reckon I might be having almost as much fun building this as you did on that intonation jig Martin, after seeing your thread I think I might eventually get on to one.
Life is good when you are amongst the wood.
Jim Schofield

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kiwigeo
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Re: In Lieu of Lurking

Post by kiwigeo » Tue Oct 18, 2016 9:05 pm

DarwinStrings wrote:Cheers guys, I reckon I might be having almost as much fun building this as you did on that intonation jig Martin, after seeing your thread I think I might eventually get on to one.
LOL......the intonation jig is a fiddly piece of kit..Im still trying to fine tune a few aspects of the jig to make to easier to use and more accurate. Hand cutting the fret slots on the jig introduces significant error which Im currently addressing my switching to a set up where theres a single fretboard and the frets are adjustable. The action adjustment screws are also getting some fine tuning...at the moment the screws have a tiny bit of play in them which is affecting the scale length of the jig when I adjust the action.
Martin

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DarwinStrings
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Re: In Lieu of Lurking

Post by DarwinStrings » Wed Oct 19, 2016 3:52 pm

Oh and Stu, I had a guy in the other day who is a retired art teacher he liked your print as much as I do.
Life is good when you are amongst the wood.
Jim Schofield

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needsmorecowbel
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Re: In Lieu of Lurking

Post by needsmorecowbel » Wed Oct 19, 2016 8:48 pm

Hehe Cheers Jim! I've got a few artistic things in the works at the mo will keep you posted

Stu

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DarwinStrings
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Re: In Lieu of Lurking

Post by DarwinStrings » Fri Nov 25, 2016 5:05 pm

Spray time, today I put the first build up of paint on, added a little colour to the neck, gloss on the top all the rest satin.
telecaster figured.JPG
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telecaster figured 2.JPG
telecaster figured 2.JPG (130.99 KiB) Viewed 15618 times
Life is good when you are amongst the wood.
Jim Schofield

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Re: In Lieu of Lurking

Post by Hank » Fri Nov 25, 2016 6:01 pm

loving the look and ideas, how you gonna adjust the neck?
Without deviation progress is not possible.

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kiwigeo
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Re: In Lieu of Lurking

Post by kiwigeo » Fri Nov 25, 2016 6:21 pm

Hank wrote:loving the look and ideas, how you gonna adjust the neck?
Unless you can get a special spanner down to the adjuster you take the neck off and then do the adjustment.
Martin

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Re: In Lieu of Lurking

Post by routout » Fri Nov 25, 2016 7:29 pm

I have had a tele like this for few years fallen over knocked about weighs like 4 bricks neck is thin aint moved yet,just did another the same :D
John ,of way too many things to do.

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DarwinStrings
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Re: In Lieu of Lurking

Post by DarwinStrings » Fri Nov 25, 2016 7:36 pm

Yep Martin, Hank, no special spanner so remove the neck. It is a Mark Blanchard differential rod, so nice fine adjustment(not the "group buy" China made one) He high strength brazes them rather than welds them now and all S.S. parts
Life is good when you are amongst the wood.
Jim Schofield

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