My Ash Telecaster Build :)
 

Hey there :) Been a while since I've contributed, college has kept me busy :rolleyes:

I'm doing a course on musical instrument making and my project is an ash telecaster, with maple neck and ebony fretboard :)

I'll be updating every step of the way as the guitar goes from start to finish during the year, hope you enjoy my first build thread :)

First, I designed the neck. I looked at loads of designs but wanted to come up with my own. I think it looks like a lovechild between a stratocaster and a telecaster :)
I then did a fully to scale tech graph drawing of the headstock and neck.
(the scale length is a gibson short-scale 24 3/4 inch.)

i cant tell you how much i want a telecaster. i look forward to the results of your build.... (i realise this post makes me sound like a deranged lunatic..... )

Telecasters are awesome ^^ I used to hate them, and prefer les pauls, but since i've damaged my neck (incapable of taking heavy guitars), I've grown to love the versitile, light and distinctive sound of a tele :)

next i drew a blueprint of the guitar that I wanted to build. A rather typical telecaster I think you can agree, but I'm gunna spice it up a little as we go along ;)

I really like that headstock design I'm really looking forward to the finished product

The tech graph drawing didn't upload :rollseyes:
I have pictures of the template, logo design and the glued ash pieces.
I'm going for a two piece body due to budget constraints.
I'm using AA quality ash, the grain matched very well thankfully :)
Pics will be uploaded in a few hours when I'm home :)
*pretends to listen to my lecturer for the next hour *

I look forward to seeing more pictures. I've always had a soft spot for tele's :D

Sorry about my absence, internet connection went....well....mental :S
All is ok now :)

Body has been glued together since :)
As mentioned previously, it's a two piece AA quality ash body.
I'm rather happy with how the grain matches up :)

finally, here's the tech graph drawing :P
I also drew it out on tracing paper so as to transfer the graphite onto my body blank easily.

just to be completely covered I made a template too :)

After battling with a band saw, cursing to high heaven, and having a little fun along the way, I finally cut out the body :)

This is of course after leaving the body clamped together over 12 hours, using tight bond glue :)

Here's a rough mugshot after first cuts, needs some sanding of course :)

here's a side profile after sanding the edges for what felt like an age :P

those ridges can be a little hard to get out, spent a very long while on getting the blad cuts out of the curves near the horns... :S

Good thing i left a couple of mm's to play with ;)

This is going to be a great build. How are you going to paint it?

Wow, that wood grain is matched so perfectly! Why has it taken you so long just to cut the body out?

I know right ?? I was really really lucky with how it matched considering that it's not bookmatched.
As for why it's taking so long, it's part of a college project, we don't have that many workshop classes in a week. Add this to the fact that the demand for the tools dictates a bit of waiting until they are free......and yeah.....this may take a while...
When I have my own workshop built at my house I will be putting more builds up, and they'll be completed MUCH faster.



Thanks ^^
I'm thinking of just going for a natural finish, treat the wood, clearcoat....might put a vinyl on it with one of my art designs, but overall, I'm thinking of keeping it pretty basic, and natural looking :)

no problem man. i thank either one of those would look great. wish i was artistic enough to make my own vinyls

hey people, haven't forgotten about ye :) Just waiting for the phone to come back from repairs for the second time before i can put up more pictures

and here i was hoping there would be picture updates. cant wait for more updates man