Telerauder Build

[rgand]

Yesterday I made a pattern to cut an additional 3/4" channel for the wiring so the wires don't have to pass through both pickup cavities on the way from the blade switch to the controls.

After I cut the channel roughly the same depth as the pickup cavities, I routed them all to about an inch deep, gaining another 3/8" depth. Since I only needed another 1/8", that will allow room for any wiring I may do. I considered going on down to the depth of the control routes to shave off more weight but decided this was good enough. I learned years ago to quit while you are ahead.

The new channel is just long enough to cut into the hole I previously had drilled between the bridge and the control cavities for the wiring. Everything is good for the wiring, now. Doing all this shaved off almost another 6 ounces so the body now weighs 3 lbs 7 oz. I'm pleased as punch.

 

[Cagey]

Looks great! Very clean and professional. All that room is gonna take the fight right out of it come wiring time.

 

[rgand]

Thanks, Kevin. Coming from a pro, that's a great compliment.

 

[Cagey]

It's refreshing and encouraging to see, unlike some that make you wanna run screaming into the night. Some poor guy on another forum is restoring an old guitar, and upon disassembly was greeted with this...

Kinda makes you wanna just button it back up and put it in hospice care to finish out its days :laughing7:

 

[DangerousR6]

It's refreshing and encouraging to see, unlike some that make you wanna run screaming into the night. Some poor guy on another forum is restoring an old guitar, and upon disassembly was greeted with this...

Kinda makes you wanna just button it back up and put it in hospice care to finish out its days :laughing7:

 

[rgand]

Wow. Yes, what has been seen cannot be un-seen. :tard:

What do you do with something like that? Rout it all out and glue in new wood to start over?

 

[Cagey]

Hehe! I know, right?

To be fair, it's a pretty old instrument, so whoever did that to it probably did it waaay back in the olden days, when railroad spikes served as both hammers and chisels, and there was no internet full of information/experience to draw from.

And yes, routing it out clean and fitting new wood to fill the resulting cavities is precisely what he's doing. Then he'll route new cavities to suit the chosen hardware/electronics, finish it, and call it a love story.

 

[rgand]

All the wiring is done. Provided I did it right, of course. I'll test this next time I get going on it. I'm trying Broadcaster wiring this time. The red jumper on the switch is in place of the normal .15 resistor to cut volume some. If it's too loud, I'll change that out later.

I put one of those grounding washers under both pots (thanks for the link, Kevin) and another one under the switch to ground to. I like that better than soldering to the housing of the pots. I also have connectors to unplug things so I can remove any or all of the stuff without using a soldering iron.

 

[rgand]

The wiring works as expected.

I put the neck on and found that I have one more mod to do. :doh:

 

[Fat Pete]

...I put the neck on and found that I have one more mod to do. :doh:

Leave it as is and call it wabi-sabi. I've just been looking back at this thread and it's a great one - so much attention to detail and good problem solving. You're entitled to a little imperfection I think. The side adjust is far from necessary anyway.

 

[Cagey]

The side adjust is far from necessary anyway.

I agree. Modern construction necks are freakishly stable. You'll probably never have occasion to use that side adjust feature.

 

[rgand]

Thanks, Pete, Kevin. It may as well be a heel adjust if I don't correct that, though. I think a quick swipe or two with a right angle grinder on high should do it.  :icon_biggrin:

Seriously, I should be able to notch it slightly with a fine round file and sand it smooth. I still have some of the finish color and top coat. It shouldn't be too hard to touch it up to look fine. I won't try to hide it so it won't look like a goober. Just a round notch to match up with the neck adjust. If I build another one of these, though, it'll get a vintage/modern neck.

 

[Cagey]

You're probably right. The notch won't be obtrusive. And I wouldn't avoid modern construction necks because of it. Their stability is a Good Thing.

 

[stratamania]

Nice work. I agree you probably need to just do that extra adjustment as you know its there.

 

[rgand]

You're probably right. The notch won't be obtrusive. And I wouldn't avoid modern construction necks because of it. Their stability is a Good Thing.

Nice work. I agree you probably need to just do that extra adjustment as you know its there.

Thanks, that's kind of what I think. Done right, it would look like fine. I'll have to cut the end off a round file to get in there around the lower horn. That's OK, I have many, many tools modified for special purposes. I'll probably find a use for it in another 15 years or so.  :laughing11:

I wouldn't want to trust the job to a power tool. It could get away from me too easily.

 

[rgand]

I got the notch filed with the cut off end of a round file and sanded it with 400 grit. The finish is drying, now. Hopefully, tomorrow I can get this thing assembled and try it out.

 

[Cagey]

Nice job! Looks like it belongs there.

 

[rgand]

Thanks, Kevin. If I had noticed this before applying the finish, I could have just massaged the whole cutout about an eighth of an inch with a spindle sander. Next time I build one from scratch, I'll check that.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Nicely executed!

 

[rgand]

Thank you, VB. It looks like I'm done modifying this thing, now. It's going to good to get it done.