Partscaster Facelift - Any Upgrade Recommendations?

It looks pretty clean to me. I would probably just shoot a couple of thin coats of amber clear over it to tidy it up as is.

 

it's Your guitar, Kelly
As pictured, I think it looks pretty good.
If new tuners will hold better, maybe that, and a careful adj for intonation.
Otherwise, keep playing.
Maybe build Another kit!

Peace - Deeve

 

Looking at your bridge and the position of the saddles...and the fact that the neck has 22 frets, I would first sort out the intonation. I actually like the color and treatment of the body. If you REALLY want to be busy for a few days... I would paint the back of the guitar shiny black, maybe even the sides of the body ... but I would leave the top as is..

 

I like the switch tip. I did the same thing once on a pedal somewhere. I think I even used some big acorn nuts for knobs on it.

Teles with 3 saddle bridges will only really intonate properly with compensated saddles.

Maybe it's time to try some cool wiring tricks.

 

I would change the pickguard to something that would lighten it up like a cream color or perhaps aged MOP. Definitely change the tuners to locking. Ditch the 2 string trees. Replace with the vintage circular disk type and only use 1.

 

I believe in looking at the basics first
If you know enough to build a nice guitar I’m sure you know how to tune it, but I’ve had people complain about a guitar not staying in tune and the problem was the way they tune
Rule number one always tune up to pitch.
If the note is to high go down a little extra then come up. This has to do with the gears in the tuner seating properly and removing backlash
As mentioned compensated tuners are a must for good intonation, I use Wilkinson
I like the suggestion to paint the back and maybe sides black

 

Very nice build. I especially like what you did with the finish, using the burned edges. I would be very proud of that as a first build. I love your headstock design too.

I can’t help you out with your nitro questions as I’ve never use that finish.


As for other modifications, I like four-way switching, with the series position all the way forward and the other three following it in traditional order. I also like to reverse the control plates because I like to do volume and tone swells with my pinky.

 

I can't recommend compensated saddles highly enough — I use Glendale saddles on my Tele but have had good results with Callaham too. They'll definitely help you sort out any intonation issues, which might be where the tuning problems are coming from. And if the tuning is wonky on the lower frets, your nut slots might need to be cut deeper, so the string doesn't have to stretch so far to make contact with the fret.

 

Yup, compensated saddles. Tuners and making sure the nut is cut correctly.

 

Personally I would keep what you have, take what you have learned and build another. Staying in tune is a little different than intonation. It looks to me like your nut slots are too deep, possibly grabbing the strings. If your neck is moving that could cause some tuning issues and of course slipping at the tuners itself. I prefer locking tuners and compensated saddles as well but where does it end? If you do invest in some higher end components the money adds up quickly. A new nut will not set you back much and would be a good start. As far as finish, I would color the way you want it and top coat with water borne polyurethane. Once hard you can polish out and it is tough.
Best of luck

 

I wouldn't touch a thing appearance-wise. It's a gorgeous guitar! Just work on the tuning stability. if you always tune a string up to pitch it should stay in tune so maybe you do have the slots in the but a bit too tight.

 

Locking tuners, tusq nut properly cut, new saddles---compensated/stainless on the E/A, brass on the other two. 1 string tree--the reverend one that covers 3 strings. That should cover your holding tune and intonation. Appearance wise, I like it a lot, maybe a clear coat on top to hold down on the premature wear. I realize that this is a shotgun approach to your tuning problem.

 

Compensated saddles are a good suggestion if the intonation is bugging you. I think it looks good like it is. If you can get it playing and staying in tune, I would just play it, and build another one if you want something different too.

Never discount the importance of winding the strings cleanly on the posts and stretching them pretty well as requirements to get a guitar to stay in tune.

 

I LOVE your headstock shape!

New bone nut.

 

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Tuning issues are often nut slots. Check the string Ts for burrs under them. Bridge through body holes are often sharp and grab the strings so file the edges. Graphite dry lube (no grease) at all the contact points.

Rotate the control plate V-T-Switch to the rear. That's the only way I play 'em these days.

4-way switch.

Lately I'm fond of Tort pickguards .... but try a couple of other colors. I have one I put a clear pickguard on and behind it put paisley print cloth (idea being the backer design can be changed at any time just unscrewing the pickguard and putting another down, wrapping paper at the holidays, etc).

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I would suggest a darker and more opaque toner, over the body. That "figured" area next to the bridge, on the left, needs to be obscured.

Take another stab at the pickguard. Another try - get the next one to follow the contour of the body better.

I don't see how your "neck section to heel" transition is playable, up in that range of frets. I would completely reshape that - make it disappear.

 

99.9999999% of tuning issues are due to the nut and that’s where I’d start.

Gotoh tuners are bullet proof but your string spacing of your nut and the high E string slot have started to ring alarm bells for me.

It may be the photograph angle, but are the string distances even?

The low E looks really close to the fingerboard edge.

Tuners are rarely then problem.

Sort the nut. Consider compensating saddles.

Great first effort!

Let us know how it works out.

Peter

 

I just finished a Stew-Mac kit... Threw out all electronics and plasticy gear tuners. First, replace the nut! Graph Tech TUSQ is the way to go. It's a flat slot, so I went with the PQ-5010-00 model. You'll need to sand it down to fit and you will need to deepen the nut slots. Now, be careful pulling out the plastic nut, on my Stew-mac kit, they used so much glue to hold it down, some of the maple came off too... No worries... got the broken piece on the tunner peg side of the headstock glued back down with Tite-Bond. I also put some Hipshot locking tuners on there for easy string changes.