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PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 7:56 pm 
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Joined: Fri May 18, 2012 8:35 pm
Posts: 2658
Location: Austin, Texas
First name: Dan
Last Name: Smith
City: Round Rock
State: TX
Zip/Postal Code: 78681
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I decided to try a Tele style build for fun.
I hope the thing sounds like a Tele when it is finished.
I used local trees: Chinaberry body and neck, Pecan fretboard, and a Mesquite neck stringer.
The fretboard is 25.3" scale, 14" radius, and the neck profile is a "D" shape.
I was able to get about a 1 degree neck angle by setting the neck deep into the neck pocket.
The Chinaberry sands very easily. I sanded the neck profile by hand in about two hours.
I used a Martin truss rod and the neck is very stiff. I hope to get some neck relief when the strings are on. I made a fretboard jig and used a cheap Zona saw to cut the frets. I purchased some wide/low fretwire and will hammer them in a few days.
I want to use transtint dye on bare wood, but the Chinaberry will need grain filling, so I'll have to run some experiments to see what will work.
All of the hardware including pickups cost $60 from Guitar Fetish. The tuners will be replaced if I like the guitar.
Here are some progress pictures.
Dan


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PostPosted: Thu Mar 07, 2013 8:13 pm 
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Joined: Mon Feb 25, 2013 4:34 pm
Posts: 223
First name: Kent
Last Name: Wilkinson
City: New Carlisle
State: Ohio
Zip/Postal Code: 45344
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Beautiful!


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PostPosted: Sun Mar 17, 2013 4:44 pm 
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Joined: Fri May 18, 2012 8:35 pm
Posts: 2658
Location: Austin, Texas
First name: Dan
Last Name: Smith
City: Round Rock
State: TX
Zip/Postal Code: 78681
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Strung it up. Plays well and sounds like a Tele should.
I used Stew Mac wide/low frets.
I spent at least 3 hours filing the nut.
The neck is thicker than I wanted, but the transition from the headstck to the neck is a bit limber, so I left it as-is.
I installed 'Lil Buckers from Guitar Fetish. I really like the sound of these pickups. The resistance is about 6K ohms.
Next step will be to tear it down and apply the finish.
Dan


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PostPosted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 12:13 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2008 5:08 am
Posts: 1905
Location: Raleigh, NC
First name: Steve
Last Name: Sollod
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Very Nice! Are you going to show us a photo after it's finished? ...sound clip?

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PostPosted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 6:08 pm 
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Joined: Fri May 18, 2012 8:35 pm
Posts: 2658
Location: Austin, Texas
First name: Dan
Last Name: Smith
City: Round Rock
State: TX
Zip/Postal Code: 78681
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Thanks Kent and Steve!
I'll post photos after finishing: may be a couple of months.
I'll see if my daughter can pu a sound clip on her you-tube account.
Dan

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 12:23 am 
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Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2012 12:10 pm
Posts: 76
First name: Britt
Last Name: Askew
State: North Carolina
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
That is the first time I have seen a bookmatched fretboard , cool


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PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2013 9:33 pm 
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Joined: Fri May 18, 2012 8:35 pm
Posts: 2658
Location: Austin, Texas
First name: Dan
Last Name: Smith
City: Round Rock
State: TX
Zip/Postal Code: 78681
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
I finished my Tele build today.
This was my first spray finish. Many thanks to Brian H. and Mike P. for their advice and help.
I used Behlen Instrument lacquer. I added purple and red transtint to the lacquer for color.
I sprayed the burst with an airbrush. I wet sanded with 600 and 1000 and polished with Mequire's swirl remover.
It plays great and sounds pretty good.
Thanks,
Dan


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PostPosted: Sun May 26, 2013 11:23 pm 
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Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 12:04 am
Posts: 5743
First name: Chris
Last Name: Pile
City: Wichita
State: Kansas
Country: Good old US of A
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
Love that sunburst!
Well done.

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 02, 2013 3:52 pm 
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Joined: Fri May 18, 2012 8:35 pm
Posts: 2658
Location: Austin, Texas
First name: Dan
Last Name: Smith
City: Round Rock
State: TX
Zip/Postal Code: 78681
Country: USA
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Chris Pile wrote:
Love that sunburst!
Well done.

Thanks Chris!
This was my number 5 and the first I am proud to display.
I spent four weekends on the finish: what a pain in the bum!
I bought a bunch of local lumber last weekend - Chinaberry, Pecan, Mesquite, and Sycamore.
Itching to start another.
Dan

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PostPosted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 7:21 am 
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Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2010 9:06 pm
Posts: 2739
Location: Magnolia DE
First name: Brian
Last Name: Howard
City: Magnolia
State: Delaware
Zip/Postal Code: 19962
Country: United States
Focus: Repair
Status: Professional
Simply stunning.

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PostPosted: Sat Jun 08, 2013 11:25 am 
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Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:27 pm
Posts: 313
Location: McKinney, TX
First name: David
Last Name: Morris
City: McKinney
State: TX
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
That's a real gem. I love the native woods.

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 1:11 pm 
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Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2006 8:03 am
Posts: 225
Location: United States
First name: Rich
Last Name: Barbera
City: Bay Area
State: CA
Status: Semi-pro
Very Nice. Breaking Tele tradition w/ a joined fretboard. Looks like a big arrowhead...! Pecan's a fairly hard wood?


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PostPosted: Fri Jun 21, 2013 11:25 pm 
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Joined: Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:27 pm
Posts: 313
Location: McKinney, TX
First name: David
Last Name: Morris
City: McKinney
State: TX
Focus: Build
Status: Amateur
Janka rating is reported to be 1820, so yes. Plenty hard. Pecan is a hickory, by the way,

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