Non-warmoth tele project...PARTS UPDATE!

[mark1178]

Due to the banker saying "you already have one custom guitar!" I've resulted to building a budget tele from GFS.

I received the body yesterday, it's in great shape, the blue pearl looks awesome. There are only a couple things wrong with it, which are easily fixable.

If you look at the string through holes, the D and G string holes are not aligned properly, like the guy drilling the holes used a hand drill and fell asleep in the middle of drilling the holes. Not a biggie, for a $75 body I don't expect perfection and can easily fix this by just filing the holes some to the left or right and make sure the strings aren't mooshed up against the body too much.

The second issue is that the holes drilled for the neck screws are a little off, basically if I put a plate on it, it's tilted at an angle some, should I be worried? My head tells me not really.

Also got a neck from them and one question I do have is what is the best way to drill the holes for the bolts? My thought was to clamp it on there, install the both E strings and line them up and then by hand marking the holes with the drill bit and then unclamp and drill. If there is a better way please share.

Thanks folks!

 

[Cagey]

You may not need to fill the holes for the string-throughs. Just open up the ones that are there. The bridge will cover the blemish. The rear ferrules are what hold the strings in place, and they'll be the proper size for that.

As for the neck, mounting hole placement is important. You'll have to decide for yourself, but there again, you may be able to just open up the holes a bit so the neck can move. The mounting screws are held in place by the neck plate, so hole diameter isn't as important as you might think. It's a clearance hole to begin with. But, once you open up those holes, it gets a little more difficult to trust where to drill the neck holes if you need to do that. If it was me, I'd mark 'em, and hit the middle. Getting things aligned so you can mark them is gonna be a bitch, though. Without a solid attachment, it's tough to install strings and find the alignment.

 

[mark1178]

Oh I wasn't going to fill the string through holes, I'll just take a file and widen the spots I need to, I'll probably do the same for the neck screws if it's way off alignment.

 

[stratamania]

Is that top some sort of coloured laminate ?

 

[mark1178]

Is that top some sort of coloured laminate ?

Thought it was but it's pretty much just pick guard material they glued onto the top.

 

[stratamania]

Ok, pick guard material I see. Thanks.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

On mine, I had dowelled the GFS holes on the 2 furthest away from the body, then re-drilled them on a press to align with Warmoth's pre-drilled neck mounting holes, which were in perfect alignment with the neck plate.

Aside from also routing the bridge P/U to accommodate a humbucker, all was well.

Again, for a cheapo body, and in my case free as it was a birthday gift, ya can't expect perfection.

 

[mark1178]

On mine, I had dowelled the GFS holes on the 2 furthest away from the body, then re-drilled them on a press to align with Warmoth's pre-drilled neck mounting holes, which were in perfect alignment with the neck plate.

Aside from also routing the bridge P/U to accommodate a humbucker, all was well.

Again, for a cheapo body, and in my case free as it was a birthday gift, ya can't expect perfection.

Yeah for 75 bucks I'm not really complaining. And it's a build for my wife, since she thinks it's "pretty" and I should have a "pretty" guitar.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

On mine, I had dowelled the GFS holes on the 2 furthest away from the body, then re-drilled them on a press to align with Warmoth's pre-drilled neck mounting holes, which were in perfect alignment with the neck plate.

Aside from also routing the bridge P/U to accommodate a humbucker, all was well.

Again, for a cheapo body, and in my case free as it was a birthday gift, ya can't expect perfection.

Yeah for 75 bucks I'm not really complaining. And it's a build for my wife, since she thinks it's "pretty" and I should have a "pretty" guitar.

And if you're gonna build a pretty guitar, let's face it, "Hello Kitty" has pretty much had its day.

 

[mark1178]

Resurrection begin!

Ok so I've ordered the rest of the parts from gfs, can't wait to get this sucker done!
Can't wait for my first tele!
Can't wait to hear those noiseless single coils!
Can't wait!

Here is the list of the remaining parts:
Telecaster Neck Pickup Chrome Trim Ring
Ultra Thick Chrome Neck Plate with Screws for Strat/Tele
Tele/Hardtail Nickel Vintage Spec. String Ferrules
Full Bag of NICKEL Pickguard Screws- 20 pcs
Rectangular curved output plate chrome FREE jackXtrem Top Mounte Vibrato, Roller Bridge Combo- Chrome Finish
"Power Rock" neovin Noiseless Tele Pickup Pair
USA Spec Telecaster 3-Way Switch
Switch Tip: USA Spec barrel Tip
Polyester "Gum Drop" Tone Caps- .022uf for Humbuckers
Telecaster control plate vintage Chrome

Sometime I will replace the nut on the neck. It's cheap plastic and its smaller than the slot it was in. I'll have photos once I get all the parts in.