My First Venture...

I just bought an S101 Tele copy at a pawnshop for $60. I wanted a cheap guitar to redo. I've never done anything like this, so this will be my first step into the DIY world :mrgreen:

Here is the guitar, I'm gonna start sanding the finish to rough it up, them I will paint it and finish it. The Hardware has some spots that need fixed and the frets need some polishing, but I'm excited. I plugged it in and as is (with rusty old strings) straight into my cheap amp and it sounded good. No electronic cut out or static. It's just been a poor, li'l neglected guitar :wink:

Here are the pictures, I'll journalize my steps and progress on here. If anyone cares to offer tips or answer questions along the way, I would be very grateful for the help :razz:



I've attached some guitar pictures, next will be the body with the electronics removed

I tool the pickguard off to find a surprise-no big cut out holes for pickups and wires. That means I don't have to use a pickguard! :razz: I LOVE Teles that are solid with no guard. My goal is to not screw up so I can keep it off...

As you can see, the bridge springs are rusty, I'll get new ones.

Big question-
How do I remove the pickups since there is no cavity (just a 'pull through' hole)? Do I snip the wires attaching the pickups and re-solder when that time comes? I've never done any soldering, but that's no problem.

Are you going to use the pup's and switch and pots etc... that came with it?

If so i would just unsolder everything where it is connected but you might make a note of where everything goes or check it out with a schematic online so you'll know where everything goes when you are assembling it.

Are you going to use the pup's and switch and pots etc... that came with it?

If so i would just unsolder everything where it is connected but you might make a note of where everything goes or check it out with a schematic online so you'll know where everything goes when you are assembling it.

For the time being, I think I will. I actually liked the neck pickup tone. I'll probably replace things close to being completed using Guitar Fetish, ebay, Warmoth, etc stuff. I was thinking about, when it comes time for the first spray, to secure the stuff in their cutouts so I wouldn't have to resolder, but that's only because I don't know how to detach the soldering. Do you just pull it off with pliers or something?

Plug in your iron or gun and heat up the solder holding them to where they are soldered is all. You can cut the wires but you will still have to heat up the solder to get the pieces of wire off when you go to wire it back up. Like i said you might want to make your own diagram of where everything goes so when you wire it back up it will work again.

Edit:

If you cut them, don't cut them to short so the wires are to short.

Plug in your iron or gun and heat up the solder holding them to where they are soldered is all. You can cut the wires but you will still have to heat up the solder to get the pieces of wire off when you go to wire it back up. Like i said you might want to make your own diagram of where everything goes so when you wire it back up it will work again.

Edit:

If you cut them, don't cut them to short so the wires are to short.


I don't have a soldering iron, so I searched ebay for a cheapie.
http://cgi.ebay.com/SOLDERING-WELDING-IRON-GUN-TOOL-2-SOLDERING-STRING-/220671853761?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33611144c1
Would that work to solder me 2 small spots? I don't know what a good wattage/ voltage is and I don't plan on many guitar repairs, so would this be a decent one? Even to use twice and throw away? I don't want to spend much for one since I'll only use it a few times on this cheap-o guitar. I can't imagine the Chinese using much better when they made this guitar, but what would you say?

I've got an old Weller soldering iron i've had for 30 years or so now i got at Radio Shack. Only problems with the cheap ones is they burnout quicker. If you have a Radio Shack near you or heck Walmart probably has em too, go see what they have.

There are some threads here on soldering irons and how to's here in the forum.

Edit:

I have an old cheap Lotus strat copy (is a lefty and i play lefty) i'm thinking about doing the same thing with but i think i will change most all of the hardware on it. The tuners suck and the pup's are pretty cheap on it. The switch is crappy and so is the bridge lol

I've got an old Weller soldering iron i've had for 30 years or so now i got at Radio Shack. Only problems with the cheap ones is they burnout quicker. If you have a Radio Shack near you or heck Walmart probably has em too, go see what they have.

There are some threads here on soldering irons and how to's here in the forum.

Edit:

I have an old cheap Lotus strat copy (is a lefty and i play lefty) i'm thinking about doing the same thing with but i think i will change most all of the hardware on it. The tuners suck and the pup's are pretty cheap on it. The switch is crappy and so is the bridge lol

My dad has a soldering gun I'll be able to use next time I see him. I read a few soldering threads, I'll read more when I can. You ought to do a post like this for your Lotus :razz:

I steel wool'd the minor rust on the bridge and it's perfect now. What an amazing product SW is. I did the frets too and the rust is gone. Nothing was severe but now it's nonexistant. I do need bridge saddles and, in generel, new screws


QUESTION #2-
What kind of compound would be good for filling the pickguard screw holes? Bondo perhaps? I've never used this stuff either. I just need a tiny bit, barely enough to partially fill a bottle cap. I assume paint and clear coat sealant won't be enough to fill them?


Here is a picture of the sanded body. I'll probably sand it again, but all the gloss is gone and its smooth but rough (if that makes sense). No gouges or anything, so I'm happy with that.



EDIT-
http://www.shopmania.com/shopping~online-bricolage~buy-rustoleum-12oz-gloss-harbor-blue-stops-rust-spray~p-12931954.html
That is the colr and style of spray paint I bought. The only kind Wal Mart has was this (gloss protective enamel), Krylon, or Textured surfaces for outdoor things. I like the color a lot, but it is enamel. Do you guys suggest I return it? What kind of sealant will work with this since it's an enamel? I'm afraid I bought something I can't use, but I kept the receipt, so no harm no foul I guess. Maybe the awful, empty local hardware will have something, but I'm not holding my breath. Can this work with a certain kind of seal?

I think I might do a stripe thing like this

This is where I am at thus far. The 'white' sections are where I intend on putting white stripes. Daphne-ish blue and 2 offset white bar stripes, I can't get to get painting. Stupid winter :razz:

I'd suggest doing a flat, solid colour for your first build. The first finish I did (on a Les Paul kit) went for bound 2-tone with a metallic top. By the end of the build, I'd learned how to do those things, but my guitar looked terrible. If I'd just sprayed it all bright red I'd have been much happier looking at the thing and I would have still learned the finishing process.

But if you're confident with the painting or you just want to try something bold for the joy of it, I say go for it!

I'd suggest doing a flat, solid colour for your first build. The first finish I did (on a Les Paul kit) went for bound 2-tone with a metallic top. By the end of the build, I'd learned how to do those things, but my guitar looked terrible. If I'd just sprayed it all bright red I'd have been much happier looking at the thing and I would have still learned the finishing process.

But if you're confident with the painting or you just want to try something bold for the joy of it, I say go for it!

You probably will be right :mrgreen: I have done some spray painting before, on semis, semi trailers, and rims, so I can spray decently. It's just never been as intricate as this will be I don't think. I can always sand it back off if it sucks :lol:

You probably will be right :mrgreen: I have done some spray painting before, on semis, semi trailers, and rims, so I can spray decently. It's just never been as intricate as this will be I don't think. I can always sand it back off if it sucks :lol:

In that case, sounds like doing something more intricate should be fun. Have you considered a competition stripe?

In that case, sounds like doing something more intricate should be fun. Have you considered a competition stripe?

I think that's beyond what I'm capable of haha. They do look really cool though. I was talking to one of my friends today as I was buying paint about a stripe and got the idea to do a random one. Nothing parallel, just a ski-jawed one. Maybe a competition stripe in the future :grin:

Can someone tell me how to have the guitar when spraying? Do I lay it flat or have the neck bolted to something and spray it vertically?

check out this jig. easy to make.

http://www.agileguitarforum.com/showthread.php?tid=1557&page=2

A lot of people will hang theirs from the garage ceiling/car port/fire escape/clothes spinner etc. As an alternative (and I'm not sure how secure it is) I've seen people clamp the stick in a workbench too. That way the guitar sticks up with the neck end pointed downwards. I would think you could secure it with a couple of planks to stop gravity from making it pivot... It seems quite precarious.

The other method is to stick some nails in the front side cavities/under the pickguard area, paint that side and flip it over to do the back, so the wet front side is supported on the nails like little legs. It's easier to see it in action than describe it, so look up the "lazy susan" technique. Fender used it in the 50s.

Thanks for the replies. I have a taxidermy stand available to use, so I can figure something out with that. I jsut wanted to make sure it was ok to have the guitar vertical/ horizontal rather than laying flat.

hang it using a "paddle" piece of wood screwed through the neck pocket screw holes.
Cheap guitar projects are my favorite.
I'm working on a $10.00 First Act Strat right now.

hang it using a "paddle" piece of wood screwed through the neck pocket screw holes.
Cheap guitar projects are my favorite.
I'm working on a $10.00 First Act Strat right now.

This is my first and I am ADDICTED :mrgreen: $10 for a guitar... that's so not fair haha

About soldering irons:
What I've read here is that you want one that's about 40 watts. If the power is too low, you end up having to hold the iron against pieces for too long, whereas a hotter iron lets you get on and off the work faster--less chance of damaging stuff.

Mine's 40 watts, and it works well. It was pretty cheap (more than 5 bucks, though!).

BTW, don't be so sure that you won't need it later. These projects have a way of leading from one to the next. :-)

Here is my revised plan
I filled the neck pickup hole and I think I might either get a new blank pickup selector/ knob cover and put one hole in it for a volume knob or cut the pickguard, paint it to match and use that.

QUESTION-Can I use a plastic pickguard section for the knob area? Or does it have to be metal?

QUESTION-Can I use a plastic pickguard section for the knob area? Or does it have to be metal?

cant see a problem, i've used pick guard bit's for control knob plate's,



http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/w124-2door/CIGAR%20BOX%20GUITARS/DSCF0126.jpg

cant see a problem, i've used pick guard bit's for control knob plate's,



http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j236/w124-2door/CIGAR%20BOX%20GUITARS/DSCF0126.jpg

Ok cool. I think I'll just have a volume knob

NEW QUESTION-
I want to put a neck pickup in the bridge (I'm filling in the neck pickup cutout in the body). You can see in the pictures I've posted that the neck cavity is diagonal, I imagine like most Teles?

I want a noiseless Esquire style guitar. The neck pickups only have 2 screw holes, where as Teles have 3 screw holes on the bridge pickup (hence the 3 screws in the bridge plate)
Here is a standard bridge pickup http://www.guitarfetish.com/Alnico-Tele-Bridge-Pickup-Vintage-Voiced_p_91.html

My question is, where can I find a neck (or less 'bridgey sounding") pickup that is constructed like that, with the 2/1 screw holes? I don't want to have to alter the bridge cavity because I'm not all that handy. I can settle for a bridge pickup, but I really want a neck one, but I don't know if they exist in the shape I need

Although neck pickups are created slightly differently to bridge pickups, the main element of the sound that you are associating with the "neck sound" has more to do with its location further from the bridge. If you strum the strings close to the bridge with a pick you'll notice the guitar has a very thin treble sound. If you strum further towards the headstock you will notice the sound becomes more full as the strings are vibrating more further away from the bridge. This is where most of the "neck" sound is coming. I'm not sure you'll notice a massive difference in sound moving a neck pickup closer to the bridge, but I've never tried it myself.

I've emailed GFS in regards to that question, but I'm think I'll have to go with a vintage tone neck pick up.


ANOTHER QUESTION :confused:
I want to paint a script/ cursive "13" or "thirteen" on my headstock. I painted it Glacier Blue to match the rest of the body, and I want the 13 to be in white.
My question-Can I use an acrylic craft paint? I don't want to damage the paint or seal. Right now, the headstock is drying with the first coats of paint. Would I (if I can use acrylic) paint the headstock before or after a clear coat? After it'd flake off, I assume. My paint I am using for the body/ headstock is a Rustoleum enamel, and I will finish it with a Rustoleum clear coat more than likely. Any recomendations? I hate to spend more money on a container of paint for 2 inches of numbers (perhaps model glue will work?)

Here is the acrylic craft paint I have on hand

I've got the second double-coat of paint on right now, how do I finely smooth it out? 100 grit sandpaper seems too rough. Any suggestions?

Here are some pictures. The first is the holding rig-A taxidermy stand, a metal hook, upside down hanger :mrgreen:

The fourth picture is my flaw. I couldn't get a close picture of it. But you still should be able to see an outline of a neck pickup. I put a block of wood in there, then filled it in. I couldn't get it perfectly flush, so I called it good enough. I need a pickguard now, but no biggie I suppose.

#0000 steel wool...and keep it away from any electronics.

30000 steel wool...and keep it away from any electronics.

Will I need more coats of paint after doing so? Or will the steel wool smooth the paint "good"?

I have the first clear coat on, how do I get it to be the super smooth, glossy feeling guitars have? I have glossy Rustoleum Clear enamel on Rustoleum glossy paint enamel. What's the finishing glossy stuff?

I have the first clear coat on, how do I get it to be the super smooth, glossy feeling guitars have? I have glossy Rustoleum Clear enamel on Rustoleum glossy paint enamel. What's the finishing glossy stuff?

You have to wet sand then get some polishing compound.

You have to wet sand then get some polishing compound.

I don't know how to wet sand/ what wet sanding is... :oops:

Its a sand paper with a backing that doesn't fall apart when its exposed to water. Get some 400 grit, 600 grit, 800 grit (some stop there, others go up to 1200 and higher) and sand it flat with a block. Be very careful on the edges its easy to sand through, I'd avoid them if possible and just sand the flat on the sides and not the very edges. Go up through the grits starting with 400 and wet the surface slightly with a small bowl of water with a drop or two of dish washing liquid in it. wet the surface and then using the wet and dry 400 wrapped around a block start sanding lightly on the surface. Continue up through the next grit of sandpaper. What you looking for is for the whole surface to become dull looking. This means its all flat. If you see shiny spots those are low spots and things much be sanded some more until its all dull. I'm not sure how many coats you have on it, but you want enough so that your not going to totally sand through the color coat. After you get it up to 800 or higher grit, wet the surface with just water and wipe it all off.
Then its polish time. If you get through all the sanding let us know and polish instructions can be issued at that time (there are enough threads on polishing on here where if you look around you could find them easily.) Hope that helps, good luck with it.

Regards,

D.