Where would you start ? :o

So the last of my parts are coming in and I'm about to start this thing up. Here are some pics to give an idea and ask, where the heck do we start?

Before

http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb382/MartinEddie1/TPhoto_00001.jpg

Now
http://i1203.photobucket.com/albums/bb382/MartinEddie1/TPhoto_00003.jpg

... Guess I'll start with the shielding then electronics.

Any wise words from the pro's or luthiers out there?

Cheers and keep on rocking!

I'd start by attaching the bridge to the centerline of the body and then align the neck to the bridge. If you don't have a centerline yet, I'd find the centerline before I do those other two things.

Everyone does it differently. I usually assemble the electronics into the body, assemble the neck, and then join them last. I've got limited bench space, and find that the only time the neck doesn't get in the way is when the guitar is being played.

Hard to tell from the pix, but unless you're installing humbuckers and going for ultra-quiet, or wiring your pickups out of phase so they act as humbuckers to cancel noise (and tone :shock:) I'd question the need to shield the cavities on a Tele. You've got two very effective antennas sticking up out of any shielding you do (called the pick ups), which will pick up AC hum, sometimes RF, and other assorted noises. Some Teles just seem to be naturally noisy, some quiet.

Neck/bridge/centerline alignment is very critical, and is a great place to start. Everything else after that depends on that alignment, like pickguard alignment, pickup fit, control plate fit, etc.