Roasted Alder Koa Top Tele build....

[KOABUILD]

For the Record: I did try Gun Bluing the bridge but ended up liking the Bare Brass look better; truth be told my wife bluntly told me that it looked better Brass, in the way wives say things; but you know they're right; even if it is coming out like a gripe... :laughing7:

In the end I chose to sand it back to Pure Brass, along with sanding back the edges and sides of the Brass Volume and Tone controls but leaving some of the Bluing behind to contrast against the color of the Brass, I also misted the Volume and Tone control with Zinsser spray shellac to protect the Bluing as I found it to be fragile and scratch easily and did not look as natural and Pure as the Bare Brass.

 

[KOABUILD]

For added effect I removed the tiny shiny Stainless Steel humbucker mounting ring and control plate screws, and put in some larger Black soft chinese pot metal phillips head screws I had left over from a prior furniture hardware kit,to give the guitar more of an industrial vibe.... I carried it over to the neck using one of the same phillips head screws to mount the Headstock String Tree.

I used a sanding sponge to round the phillips screw edges, and take off a smidgen of the Black paint from the phillips screw heads, so all would still be smooth and worn and comfortable.

I also sponge sand the pickup rings so the edges are rounded and smooth, after rough sanding to shape I applied several coats of oil to the finished plastic, along with later return sandings to smooth and round and abraid the plastic, sanding from many directions, until it looks more natural.

The Humbuckers are mounted direct to wood and solid as a rock, only the strings cause vibration making it a very lively guitar, I can feel the notes ringing through the body into mine, its probably the best guitar Ive ever built sonically, it took some time to get the neck relief, the saddle heighth and intonation set, along with the perfect pickup height to strings ratio, Neck and Bridge respectively.

The Neck itself I sanded rounder and wider, flatter... as the Boat Neck was too pyramid shaped for my liking, however it yeilded an amazingly wide thick slab of a neck after using sanding sponges to tailor the grade of slope more similar to the SRV contours, thinner along the bottom of the neck near the high strings and thicker in the palm when gripping rhythyms in the lower register.

The guitars tone is further enhanced by the Stainless Steel inserts in the Neck, coupling the Neck to the Body so direct and solid I can pluck my guitar like a bass and it rings true.
I also installed Two inserts into each of the Two Bridge mounting holes so that the bridge is anchored deep into the Tele body by Two- One inch long Stainless Steel Machine screws which lock it down like a vise, so everything really is solid as a hammer.

I believe I can honestly say if I never own another guitar other than this one, Im content, the look, the feel, the way it reacts to sound, excellent, I believe I will experiment with pickups as something tells me these are not the be all end all to what I seek, but other than that, I am thankful for every single problem, mistake, error and hasty move I made while building this machine, if not for all those hard road errors this guitar would not look, feel and sound like it does.

 

[rgand]

Those top sanded Tele knobs look great. I may have to do that myself one of these days.

What did you put on the neck to give it that same patina?

 

[KOABUILD]

Those top sanded Tele knobs look great. I may have to do that myself one of these days.

What did you put on the neck to give it that same patina?

All pretty much the same treatment, multiple efforts at refinishing both the neck and body: Minwax Special Walnut Oil based stain over Roasted Maple Neck and KOA Top Roasted Alder Body,along with splotches of Minwax Driftwood Oil based stain , later partially stripped/sanded back and refinished with Minwax English Chestnut Oil based Stain.
Then Black Artist Charcoals and Chalks were used to Color in the edges of the Guitar Body and Neck, which was then sanded back to taste and then a mist of Zinsser spray shellac was applied to seal and protect the effect....

Up close you can see the Black imbedded in the very fine, Roasted Maple grains of the Headstock,and around the Pickup cavities and String Ferrules of the Tele Body which helped to create depth and character, the scratches and dings that happened while wrestleing this guitar into shape just started adding to the character as I went along, I would also apply stain liberally if I felt I sanded back too far, multiple efforts at trying to achieve a certain look, eventually aided in creating the Old Worn Hammer look I ended up with.
Mainly the Woods on the Neck and Body revealed themselves as I didnt do much in the way of changing their appearance other than color and shading.

I read a luthier who said some of the best finishes are the ones you have the hardest time with, No truer words can sum up my frustration and disappoint at the thoughts of when I realized the only thing for me to do was strip and start again, but in the end it was exactly what the guitar needed, who'ld have thought.....Thank you Jesus.

In regard to building guitars and all the work on the individual parts, one of the first tools I purchase when building a guitar is a whole variety pack of sanding papers and sanding sponges and steel wools and rags and files......I dont even think a guitar is finished until every sharp edge and point is round and smooth.

 

[rgand]

Thanks, the result is very cool. It gets a  :icon_thumright:

 

[stratamania]

I think the final result of this looks good.

But then so did the Koa topped body back on page one which now it is hard to distinguish. It is only today I realized it was the same guitar. So I am wondering why use Koa for this rather than something else?

Just trying to understand the idea behind the approach.

 

[KOABUILD]

I think the final result of this looks good.

But then so did the Koa topped body back on page one which now it is hard to distinguish. It is only today I realized it was the same guitar. So I am wondering why use Koa for this rather than something else?

Just trying to understand the idea behind the approach.

Thats just it, it was never intended to look like this, thats the beauty of it, I was struggling with color to get the Koa to match the neck better...etc etc I wanted all the pieces to seem like they belonged together or had been for along time, and thats how the guitar turned out to look and feel like, so a Win for me, when at one point early on I was very frustrated trying to figure out a way to tie all the pieces together to make one interesting but plain guitar.

But in the End the guitar just turned into its own creation, thats why I love it so much, but yep could have saved money and just bought Roasted Alder no Top, probably will when I build the Strat to match this Tele.

No actually Im going to duplicate this process and use Flame Koa on the next one, a Strat to Match this Tele, completely custom.

 

[stratamania]

Ah gotcha, it took on a life of its own. That can happen and lead to unexpected but welcome results.

 

[fdesalvo]

This has been an amazing read. Great work!

 

[pirate]

Just incredible. That is one gorgeous guitar!

 

[Cagey]

Very nice job! I like the results a lot!

Interesting technique, using artists's chalk as a dig-in kind of pigment, then shellac as a binder. Opens up other possibilities.

 

[KOABUILD]

Very nice job! I like the results a lot!

Interesting technique, using artists's chalk as a dig-in kind of pigment, then shellac as a binder. Opens up other possibilities.

Thank you Cagey, to be honest I can hardly take credit for what really turned out to be the result of multiple botches along the way that ultimately led to the overall pleasent results.

Dig in;  would be the Key phrase there..... literally... :laughing7:

The truth of the matter is that I didnt have any shoe polish at home and could find no viable alternative, I was so impatient that I didnt want to wait until Amazon delivered or I drove to a hardware store, so I used what was on hand, which was my daughters high end Charcoal and Chalk kit which I had purchased for her over the holidays.

My first attempts were laughable in the stupidity of my thinking and process, for instance ...along the way I had initially applied the Charcoal and Chalk but hadnt used the shellac to seal it in, and then got the bone headed idea that I should apply some New Minwax English Chestnut Oil Stain for a richer nicer color closer to what I was shooting for ( which really was the simple goal of tying the neck and body together so they looked like they belonged as a unit).

Well it had not occured to me at the time, that the Strong, Highly toxic chemicals in the Minwax Oil based stain would simply flood the Charcoal right off the body, and yep, thats what happened, a complete waste of time initially......of course all that dirty slurry did assist in achieveing the overall effect, which was to basically look like the guitar had been worn hard and refinished multiple times, (which technically was very true) but the stress at realizing I had to start again, along with the uncertainty of the unknown end results, had me very frustrated and angry (at myself for sucking at finishing..lol) ...and depressed, and wanting to trash it and buy a new body, etc. etc. as I had just learned, that once the neck or body is oil stained; expecting a "New" Oil stain color to change things dramatically is Not a happening goal.....really.... :laughing7:

But;
Eventually I figured out a way to tie it all together................and that was to simply refinish and redo everything multiple times, making the cumulative effect a warm, worn, broken in vibe...and for good reason.....but it was NOT enjoyable...lol  but then again when is redoing a finish for the second or third time enjoyable ?

For example and the record: take the "Callaham 52 Heavy Brass Dome knobs which had arrived Chrome plated, I aged them multiples times with Ammonia concentrate, then I painted them Black with Valspar Gloss Black spray paint, then I sanded the sides and edges back, then I aged them in Ammonia again, removing some of the Black Spray paint but leaving some in the grooves of the heavy knurl............later on I decided to Gun Blue them..... then sanded back the excess and rounded the edges and brought the Brass out more, ......then I Gun blued them again and repeated the sanding sponge treatment to bring out the Brass, once again, and then I sprayed them with Zinsser Spay can Shellac,  I then abused, used and roughly handled them for about 4 weeks...and thats skipping some of the sh*t I tried..... so as you can see, none of that was part of a Grand Plan, it just happened over time, thru botched experimentation and "Walla" you have what you see.

Dont even get me started on the Bridge, I dont have enough space to go into that whole SNAFU....but I will say that it did keep me awake at night, and it wasnt out of joy either...lol  :laughing7:

I felt it important to accurately describe the process to show that ultimately it was destined to look this way.... :laughing7:
The bottom line is the multiple layers give a very 3D quality to ther overall build, even though it was a pain in the Ar*e.

  However it did yield an Incredible guitar. :headbanging:
  Lemonaide for everyone. Cheers!  ccasion14:

 

[Cagey]

Indeed, the work paid off handsomely!

 

[KOABUILD]

Broke in my new Hipshot Ibby high mass hardtail; much much nicer than when I recieved it, Rounded the sharp corners and sharp edges so resting my hand against the bridge is as comfortable as an old pair of sneakers..... now playing my guitar will be fun and enjoyable.

I have found that when I go through a guitar piece by piece and smooth and soften as many rough areas as possible, it changes the guitar from being a really good guitar to being a really great guitar, of course I have the time to work on just one part at a time as I get them, I know some guys are building for a living and it may not be productive time wise, but you'll never convince me of that, once you've picked up a guitar that feels smooth as butter in everyway you'll find yourself going back to it over and over, which to me would be the whole point (or should I say "NON-Point-y", yeah I just said that ...) of building guitars for other people to buy; as a reflection of superior craftsmanship.

I smoothed the string thru holes to prevent string breakage where the strings pass thru the bridge, as well as, the two mounting holes in preperation of the 8/32" Stainless Steel machine screws and inserts I'm going to sink into the body for mounting purposes, the inserts and machine screws hadn't arrived yet so I used Neck screws in the pics to show compatibility.
I know wearing the parts isn't everyones cup of tea, but it makes every guitar I build special to me, I try to spend as much time and intimate attention to detail in every area and at every stage of the build that I can, so that in the end the guitar truly is an old friend.

The tools for the job:

Flat files, needle files and sanding sponges.

Making sure the 8/32" machine screws for the threaded inserts Im using to mount the bridge to the body will slide through the mounting holes, I used Neck screws for reference until the machine screws and inserts arrive. just a note: it didnt take much to get these to fit, just smoothing the holes was enough.

Very sharp edges where the strings pass through the bridge plate, yikes! that can't be good.

Rounding all the string through holes so the strings don't get cut or break on the sharp edges on their way from the ferrules to the saddles.
you can see how rounded and smooth the pass through holes are now. Yay!

Very sharp edges and pointy corners all along the top where the adjustment screws pass thru the back of the bridge... flesh shredding, not on my watch...

Very pointy and sharp corners at the sides where the hand slides back and forth... ouch!. Not gonna happen.

The sharp base plate edges already scratched my guitar once just laying it on for reference, not gonna happen again.

This bridge may no longer be Black, but it is a premium functioning piece of hardware maximized for performance now.

Hey Somebody call the guy from Hipshot and tell him this is what his bridges should look like, and tell him I will oversee production and quality control in KOREA, but I want housing included.  :laughing7: :toothy10:

 

[BigSteve22]

Hey Somebody call the guy from Hipshot and tell him this is what his bridges should look like, and tell him I will oversee production and quality control in KOREA, but I want housing included.  :laughing7: :toothy10:

Sorry man, Hipshot parts are made in NY, USA.....

 

[Cagey]

I had to de-anodize an aluminum bridge once. No fun at all, but oven cleaner ended up doing the trick. Works on chrome plating as well.

I'm surprised you had trouble with edges on that part. I've used a couple and thought they were well-done. I understand they're milled vs. cast, which might account for the sharp edges. Still, I didn't feel they needed further attention, and would use again in a flash. Nice parts.

 

[KOABUILD]

No you are right, Hipshot anything is Kick ass gear!

As long as I can have access to any Custom parts supplier I feel Blessed; and now that I have the gumption to alter individual parts, Im looking forward to many others.
I actually find the newest Hipshot Ibby bridge model my favorite for a flat top style bridge mount guitar, and will be buying more in the future, altering ? "YES" but very glad to have the opportunity to buy and Blessed to live in America.  :icon_biggrin:

 

[KOABUILD]

Because I have the means and the time and opportunity to record more of this guitars life, I thought I would show the recent improvements as I get to know the guitar better and fine tune it to my liking, which of course takes time to understand the basic character of the guitar as its built, ie: body neck wood combos, pickup selection, setting the bridge saddle and pickup hieghts for maximum tone and maximum feel, while learning the action and reaction of the volume,tone and coil split controls etc. etc.
This all come in time so here is the latest.

I love the guitar,
but; the Beautiful Boatneck while coming at an attractive price turns out to be THICK as F**K....lol

Now, some guys will argue thats not a problem and their right if you dont get too eager and sand your neck tone away while experimenting.  :laughing7:

Yep, some experience sanding things away...lol  but the value of what I learned is pretty interesting.. as I have found that when you sand wood from the neck it changes the tone and response of the instrument considereably...Yep.
(This is the part where Im suppose to tell you "Doing this Will Void your Warranty!"  :laughing7:  Okay, there it is.

Anyway I found the Very Thick Boatneck too "V" sloped for me, couldnt stand the hump of the "V"; while very round and generous it made the guitar feel like an acoustic neck or baseball bat, depending on how caveman your feeling today.

Having prior experience I also knew I could use this opportunity to tune the neck and contour it asthetically for my hands so I did.

 

[KOABUILD]

So 220 Black Sanding paper and a few old worn sanding sponges helped me to sand out the round "V" shape from the back of the neck, while artfully leaving more wood on the Bass side of the neck; for maximum strength and Low End response, and taking off slightly more on the under side along the treble side of the fret board making ease of access for soloing and chord reach better, something noticed more while standing, .....but while also giving the high notes a little zip by taking off a little wood on the treble side, it seems to enhance the mid range response favorably.......  dont go to far though, I took too much wood off one time and lost the great guitar tone I had achieved as I sanded, had I stopped sooner than later that would have been a good experience. lol
But I did learn from it so:  "Roasted maple=Very Stable, Boatneck= Means room for improvement :laughing7:

Now it fits my hand better,slimmer than before but in all the right places; more room at the thumb, so Im Not fighting the guitar trying to grip a handle thats too thick in the open postion and I made the 12th position a dream to play in, by simply rounding off the corner of the neck that allows higher fret access, which has now become a very comfortable experience, as you can see the slight rounding of the Neck treble side corner near the Neck Pocket, along with the rounding of the Body Neck Pocket Corner I was able to make playing up high very very smooth and open, I got rid of the annoying "V" shaped hump of the Boatneck, and still have a thicker than usual TONE Board to play on...YaY!

Stay Tuned for "Finishing" I will attempt to match or enhance the existing finished wood......or maybe I will sand it all back and redo the whole neck....??? 

 

[rgand]

Looks good. Nice shaping job.