Indio Tele (de) Construction

[JohnC60GIT]

Getting a bit more serious about this Monoprice Tele project, from shaping the headstock to getting the poly finish off. I understand it's slightly ridiculous to put this much work into a $100 guitar, but... I'm really enjoying it so far. Have to do the work in my spare time, but working from home means I can sneak in work on it more often. The little benchtop spindle sander is remarkably effective on the headstock so far for an inexpensive tool.

I was also happy to see the poly finish is coming off fairly well with a heat gun, though I realize the flat areas are the easy bits. Nice thing about a $100 guitar, short of it catching flames or something else horrible happening, it'll be fine

Also of course, after doing a little fret work the thing actually play very well... when assembled of course!

John

 

[badscrew_projects]

You might still have the sealer intact under the removed paint?

 

[Pops_Caster]

@JohnC60GIT how do you rate the hardware and electronics? I’m thinking of buying one to modify.

 

[crazydave911]

@JohnC60GIT how do you rate the hardware and electronics? I’m thinking of buying one to modify.

Well you didn't ask me but along the lines of the Tele kit from GFS, sufficient but not mind blowing. Think Glarry (although they DO offer upgrades to the popular models )

 

[yegbert]

Looks like a 3-screw STB bridge and ceramic magnet pickups.

Does it seem like basswood?

 

[JohnC60GIT]

You might still have the sealer intact under the removed paint?

You might still have the sealer intact under the removed paint?

You might still have the sealer intact under the removed paint?

It seems like raw wood though I can't be sure just yet. I'm now curious to see what's under the rest of this covering.

 

[JohnC60GIT]

@JohnC60GIT how do you rate the hardware and electronics? I’m thinking of buying one to modify.

There's an earlier version, which is what this is, than the current version which is very different. I bought a total of 4 of these things, a couple to keep and a couple as gifts. The current ones are not string through and one of the fretboards I received (and returned) was really badly repaired at some point... maybe in-shop? The tuners are just ok but the switch and pickups seem ok to me. I don't have a lot to compare it to as these are my fist single coils.

 

[JohnC60GIT]

Looks like a 3-screw STB bridge and ceramic magnet pickups.

Does it seem like basswood?

 

[JohnC60GIT]

Wish I was more wood-knowledgeable as I'm not sure... they do have somne heft to them, not overly light.

 

[Monoprice99]

Jimmy Stewart convinced me to buy the 1st one in 2021 for Father's day sale. 3 months later I get an online coupon code for one that's on sale around my birthday. No brainer really to get the 2nd one for even less than the 1st one. Last of the string thru bodied Indio Retro Classic TL's. The top loaders are probably pretty good & even a candidate to become string thru mods. In the right hands.

 

[Pops_Caster]

Jimmy Stewart convinced me to buy the 1st one in 2021 for Father's day sale. 3 months later I get an online coupon code for one that's on sale around my birthday. No brainer really to get the 2nd one for even less than the 1st one. Last of the string thru bodied Indio Retro Classic TL's. The top loaders are probably pretty good & even a candidate to become string thru mods. In the right hands.

I've seen several of his videos. He really likes the Monoprice 15W tube amp as well.

 

[Steve Holt]

I stripped down a similar guitar (Fender Starcaster - the cheapie strats not the 70s masterpieces) and it looks very similar to what you have there. The paint was really thin and flaked off pretty easily with the heat gun. It seems as though before painting them they spray them with some kind of hard shell and that stuff was dang near impenetrable It came off easily with the enough heat and a chisel to coax it a little further, and then I ran it through the drum sander and it also came off pretty easily. However, I tried using my rasp on the contours and it wouldn't budge. I had to get the right angle grinder out to remove the shell and then reform the contours with my rasps.

My advice...if you do have that same shell I had (and the picture with the stripped off paint makes it look that way) and you can get the paint off without damaging the shell...leave it alone. The wood underneath was incredibly soft and prone to chipping out. Probably Basswood, but since I've never worked basswood I can't be certain.

 

[JohnC60GIT]

Jimmy Stewart convinced me to buy the 1st one in 2021 for Father's day sale. 3 months later I get an online coupon code for one that's on sale around my birthday. No brainer really to get the 2nd one for even less than the 1st one. Last of the string thru bodied Indio Retro Classic TL's. The top loaders are probably pretty good & even a candidate to become string thru mods. In the right hands.

I like his approach, Jimmy Stewart, very low key and probably around the right age to remember what "real" beginner guitars used to be... brutal little high action monsters with banana wood necks. One of those extra Tele's I bought went to a friend who plays Gibsons and recently a 10-Top PRS. Now he's not confusing this $100 Indio for his PRS, but he really likes it and plays it often with no major complaints. Cool that you got a pair of them yourself.

 

[JohnC60GIT]

I stripped down a similar guitar (Fender Starcaster - the cheapie strats not the 70s masterpieces) and it looks very similar to what you have there. The paint was really thin and flaked off pretty easily with the heat gun. It seems as though before painting them they spray them with some kind of hard shell and that stuff was dang near impenetrable It came off easily with the enough heat and a chisel to coax it a little further, and then I ran it through the drum sander and it also came off pretty easily. However, I tried using my rasp on the contours and it wouldn't budge. I had to get the right angle grinder out to remove the shell and then reform the contours with my rasps.

My advice...if you do have that same shell I had (and the picture with the stripped off paint makes it look that way) and you can get the paint off without damaging the shell...leave it alone. The wood underneath was incredibly soft and prone to chipping out. Probably Basswood, but since I've never worked basswood I can't be certain.

The wood does seem soft, though it's kind of early to tell for sure. I still have no idea what the overall goal for the look is here. I figure I'll continue along with the finish stripping and see where it takes me.

 

[badscrew_projects]

I stripped down a similar guitar (Fender Starcaster - the cheapie strats not the 70s masterpieces) and it looks very similar to what you have there. The paint was really thin and flaked off pretty easily with the heat gun. It seems as though before painting them they spray them with some kind of hard shell and that stuff was dang near impenetrable It came off easily with the enough heat and a chisel to coax it a little further, and then I ran it through the drum sander and it also came off pretty easily. However, I tried using my rasp on the contours and it wouldn't budge. I had to get the right angle grinder out to remove the shell and then reform the contours with my rasps.

My advice...if you do have that same shell I had (and the picture with the stripped off paint makes it look that way) and you can get the paint off without damaging the shell...leave it alone. The wood underneath was incredibly soft and prone to chipping out. Probably Basswood, but since I've never worked basswood I can't be certain.

Yeah, that's a catalyzed urethane (more probable) or epoxy sealer (less probable put possible still). Very tough and difficult to remove. Even with a heat gun sometimes you even start burning the wood under it before it flakes out.

 

[Monoprice99]

I like his approach, Jimmy Stewart, very low key and probably around the right age to remember what "real" beginner guitars used to be... brutal little high action monsters with banana wood necks. One of those extra Tele's I bought went to a friend who plays Gibsons and recently a 10-Top PRS. Now he's not confusing this $100 Indio for his PRS, but he really likes it and plays it often with no major complaints. Cool that you got a pair of them yourself.

I have several amps, what I've found is the Indio has a different voice with each of them, they're all good sounds out of the box. The Fender Mustang I V2 has so many amp sims and there really isn't a single option that the Indio doesn't sound good playing thru. Other amps, a Pyle PVAMP60, an Orange Crush 12 PiX, a Pulse PM15H head & 1x12 cab for tube amp.These aren't iconic amps beyond a sim that was designed into them to be. To me the guitar plays a note as in tune & intonated or it doesn't. Even feel of the neck really doesn't much matter to me. As long as the frets haven't sprouted, the neck profile, fretboard radius & finish is what it is. I can play gloss poly or matte satin finish and that's just the feel that neck is going to have. One thing with the Indio TL, if neck dive is a deal killer, the Indio TL won't ever be hated for that issue, the 2 I have are a lb difference from each other, they both are nicely balanced. If any the Squier Bullet & Affinity are +/- 7 lbs by a few ounces and would have any neck dive thing going on, the Indio's are high 7-8 lb & ounces guitars, closer to 8 & 9 lb'ers.

 

[JohnC60GIT]

As time has allowed I have made a little progress on my Monoprice Tele. The heat gun worked out well getting the poly finish off but as was mentioned here, there was a coating underneath. The way it'll scrape off with a razor it almost looks like a clear poly finish right on the wood, though not sure.

The wood is funky, as I'd expect, along with a few filled voids in the wood. I've played a tiny bit more with the headstock though still more work to be done of course. Instead of new paint, I really am tempted to go rustic barncaster and rough it up a bit or just sand with a high grit to smooth it out and leave it looking as is.

Just placed the neck in place here for the photo and I know it's rough of course, but I'm both liking it and having a lot of fun with this project!

 

[Monoprice99]

Wow, definitely looks like a basswood knotty pine Telecaster if a translucent or natural finish were to be it's fate. I can see why they paint them. Headstock for a bird/beak reshape looks pretty good.

 

[JohnC60GIT]

The raw wood is growing on me. Thanks on the headstock, I'm getting there!

 

[JohnC60GIT]

Progress (slow, but it's there!) on my Monoprice. Took the random orbital sander with a 220 grit disc to the headstock top to lose the decal. It still needs more shaping, I think a bit more of a curve as it gets nearer the fingerboard. Also 220 on the body to sort of knock off that finish they added under the paint and poly.

A question... how to sand the inside of the horn section smooth, is there a tool or specific foam pad that will allow this? The photo here of the horn is just the result of the heat gun and putty knife.

A second question / opinion seeking... I'm now getting to the point that I can really think about the finish. This is never going to be a "finished" look with paint, but do I go full rustic barncaster or just a wood finish with some kind of oil / sealer? Plus there are so many good ways to play with aging, even if it's "just" the Earl Slick line of guitars where they go decidedly low-tech, which I think is great.

I'm sort of leaning towards making it a beater but the funny thing... the more time I spend messing around with this project I can almost NOT want to beat the thing up BUT... that was my original point with a $100 tele, make it a beater and get back into playing. Ah, the divided mindset of guitar players