Building a lefty tele

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JuniorEnthousiast

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I suddenly realized I still hadn't posted my new project here... I must apologise!

Here goes;

The plan is to end up with a tele that looks like (kinda) this;

leftyfromscratch.jpg

there's no ashtray in the Kisekae software I used so you'll just have to imagine it on there.

Body will be Northern European pine that getting from a table top. A heavy sucker and that pine is tough as nails.

IMG_4231-1.jpg


Neck will be one piece maple, or (... if thicknessing doesn't go according to plan) maple with glued maple fingerboard.

IMG_4230-1.jpg


Here's what I purchased/aquired so far;

IMG_4236-1.jpg
 
IMG_4233-1.jpg


Rough cut and ready to be thicknessed. I'm going for approximately 45mm in thickness like my '84Tokai Breezysound. Just guessing it won't be as heavy as that one is.

IMG_4235-1.jpg


This is what I'll be working with and what I hope to get to that vintagy yellow.

'Thicknessed' the wood for the neck;

IMG_4239-1.jpg


IMG_4241-1.jpg
 
Need a straight, smooth edge and since I don't own a jointer, but do have a routertable (the same handheld B&D router is in that);

IMG_4244-1.jpg


^^^ This is just a known and measured straight piece, doublestick taped to the neck blank to act as a guide to straighten it up with a template following bit.

Anyone has any questions or if you need additional pics, jump right in.

This is what I'm looking for;

IMG_4245-1.jpg


The truss rod channel routing jig;

IMG_4246-1-1.jpg


Drew a line, parallel to the straight edge on the blank, put the template over it and matched up the centre line on it. Marked the outline and nut position off of the template. Put the TR on the blank and marked off where it should go. Set the edge guide on the routerbase so that the bit will follow the line I drew. Set stops in the right locations and... Channel is routed;

IMG_4249-1.jpg


Here's that bit to accomodate the 'bullet end'.

IMG_4250-1.jpg


Trussrod channel is routed, neck is roughed out and ready for template routing.

IMG_4251-1.jpg


Routed the neck pocket;

IMG_4260-1.jpg


After this shot I cleaned up the little ridge on the bottom of the pocket there. Hadn't seen or felt it after routing, glad it showed up in the pic.
back to some neck work; I'm using this TR;

IMG_4264-1.jpg


Coated the threads with some candlewax to prevent it from being glued tight;

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And it's in clamps now;

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Maybe I better get organazized;

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My bud Oigun helped me out big time by letting me use his drumsander to thickness a strip of maple left over from the neck blank to the right size use as a skunk stripe.

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Albino skunk. Too bad that one grain line decided to turn left... true lefty skunk. :roll:

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At least I achieved a tighter fit than I did on the first tele I did.
 
I finally got round to carefully drawing the tuner postions on my neck template and centre punching them even more carefully. Then onto the drillpress table to make IndexHoles;

IMG_4312-1.jpg


Stick-taped the template to the neck and drilled pilotholes;

IMG_4314-1.jpg


6mm for vintage tuners followed shortly after;

IMG_4315-1.jpg


LUV THIS MACHINE!

How'd I ever get by without it?
 
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Layed out the frets for a 25"er. Need a tele that'll let me bend 11s up a whole step on the second fret without ripping my fingertips off. Or stringing up 9s.

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marked the locations for the dots;

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I used a fence on the drillpress table to allow myself to exercise more control over the neck. Straight as an arrow;

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I'll be glueing the dots in and while they dry I might just get started on the stringthru holes.
 
Not very scientific, not even very safe... Recutting fretslots;

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To depth;

IMG_4364-1.jpg


Two or three swipes with a triangle needle file, using little to no pressure;

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Cut a piece of fretwire from a roll and bend it ever so slighty using thumbs and forefingers. I press the ends into the slot to have it seat like so;

IMG_4370-1.jpg


Then lightly tap the ends with a soft hammer and work from the middle of the fret to tap it down;

IMG_4371-1.jpg


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Today I bolted the bridge on the body;

IMG_4404-1.jpg


To allign it I stretched a line from the middle of the nutslot to the butt of the body, centered over the neck. Apparently during neckmounting centreline has shifted somewhat so that's why it looks the bridge isn't positioned right.

Bolted down the bridge and used the holes to centrepunch the locations for stringthrough channels;

IMG_4406-1.jpg


Those aren't absolutely straight, can't rely on this Wilkinson bridge to be straight. I knew that ahead of time, don't worry, it'll be OK.
These 6 locations got drilled halfway through the body. Then used the IndexPin to locate the two outermost holes. Put the bridge on and used two nails (same diameter as the holes in the body) to secure it;

IMG_4408-1.jpg


Again used the holes in the bridge to mark the other 4. I know, I know... they won't be 100% straight, calm down. It'll all be OK in the end (here's to hoping eh?);

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Being stubborn and headstrong I drilled through all the way to the holes on the other side and waddayaknow... they all hit home!;

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I failed to shoot a pic of the light coming through the holes cuz it's a bi-atch holding the body to the light and pointing the camera, but if anyone insists (and I know someone will...) I'll do my best to please you.

Tomorrow I'm 'constructing' the jig I have planned to allow me to drill for ferrules abso-friggin'-lutely straight. I'll be testing that contraption on scraps first. Fingers crossed please...
 
This would be the idea;

Board with a line square to the base rides along the fence;

IMG_4413-1.jpg


On this board I fix the body so that centreline is alligned with the line on the board;

IMG_4412-1.jpg


Now I adjust the fence so the drill is directly over the holes' centreline.

Not before this afternoon though. There's a couple ?? to be made and scraps to be practiced on.

popcorn_jo.gif
 
Got home, took a scrap from the box, drew lines and positions, taped to the 'jig' and went for it;

IMG_4415-1.jpg


Hmm, they're straight, just off the line... wuzzup with that? Oops, didn't clamp the fence right.
OK corrected that;

IMG_4417-1.jpg


straight and on the mark. Well, here goes nothin';

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Worked! here's a close up;

IMG_4418-1.jpg


=phew=
 

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