Alder Tele build thread

If anyone read my previous thread, I decided to make some changes on this build. At first I was thinking about making a chambered alder body with a masur birch top, but after some advice and some thinking I decided to keep it simple since it's my first build.

So today I started on the body and I thought I would make a progress thread. I couldn't really do much except glueing today though, so this isn't exactly interesting for you to watch yet :lol: .

I'm afraid this build will probably take some time, since I can't put down as much work on it as I would like. But I'll try to update as soon as I get something done.




First I have the two planks lined up with a plexi template on top (this guitar will not have the "violin hole" of course). The lighting makes it look yellow, which it isn't.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w231/misterister/_DSC0001.jpg


The hide glue is warming up to the right temperature.


http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w231/misterister/_DSC0002.jpg


The planks are glued together.

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w231/misterister/_DSC0003.jpg


Not much to show for now, but hopefully I'll make this into a nice build thread.

Its a non issue for you now since you will build a solid body with no added top, but that f-hole is huge. Don't go with that one - ever. The f-hole on a tele thinline is a graceful thing of beauty. That thing looks like it belongs on a clown car.

Its a non issue for you now since you will build a solid body with no added top, but that f-hole is huge. Don't go with that one - ever. The f-hole on a tele thinline is a graceful thing of beauty. That thing looks like it belongs on a clown car.
Haha, don't worry! That hole was cut for another build (not mine). I like the idea of an f-hole though, so maybe someday in the future...

Slowly I'm making some progress on my first build:smile:. And even though I thought I went slow I managed to chip off some wood when I used a router (is that the right word?) to shape the body after I sawed it.

I glued it back and sanded it some, but you can still see the glue (the pic is not so good though):

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w231/misterister/bygg4skalad.jpg

Then I drilled the pickup holes and control plate hole:

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w231/misterister/bygg5skalad.jpg

Here I am in the middle of chiseling out the holes, I will use a router to tidy them up a bit later:

http://i177.photobucket.com/albums/w231/misterister/bygg6skalad.jpg


I hope to start on the neck in a not too distant future, which will probably be scary and fun.

I'm also trying to decide on a colour. I've been thinking about painting it blue and use a white pickguard (the fretboard will be maple). What do you think? Do you have any other suggestions? Solid colour or should I show some grain?

It wont be a "correct" tele in many aspects I think, since it's my first build I'm trying to just make a playable guitar..

I have bought a pair of Lundgren Vertigo pickups for this build, unpotted and unreversed. Have any of you tried them?

Thanks
/
Ulf