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  #1  
Old 01-08-2017, 03:55 PM
printer2 printer2 is offline
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Default Spruce Telecaster And Other Stuff

Hopefully 2017 will be a productive year, trying to get non-guitar related things out of the way. To get me started again I want to finish a nylon string parlor I am making and build a cheap Telecaster to keep in my workshop for working on amp projects. The Tele will be built out of a piece of 2"X8" I came across that had enough of a clear section in it and was not all flat sawn. The neck I cut out of poplar years ago, should be good enough for this project.







Oh, it is pretty dry in my house. The reason I am working on these and putting off the others till the relative humidity in the place gets closer to normal.

Did a two layer laminate top. Found out why they are normally made in odd number of layers.



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Last edited by printer2; 04-29-2017 at 05:35 AM. Reason: sticking in other stuff
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Old 01-08-2017, 05:00 PM
Steel and wood Steel and wood is offline
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Not used to seeing a chunk of spruce like you've got there.

Good luck!
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Old 01-08-2017, 06:04 PM
mirwa mirwa is offline
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Wow, that's umm definetly "not flat" anymore.

Steve
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Old 01-08-2017, 06:31 PM
printer2 printer2 is offline
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I am guessing it is spruce, pine smells/feels different when I send it through my drum sander. They cut 2"x10" and 2"x12" boards from larger trees (duh) and it is sometimes easier to find clear sections in them. I also look to find the grain in the area I want to be 45 degrees to 90 degrees. Does not matter much on an electric but I am too used to looking for quartered wood for guitar tops. This is not bad for construction wood, I have some wood actually cut for a guitar that is 1" thick meant for carving into an archtop. Those will sit a while as I have too many other guitars to build first.
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Old 01-08-2017, 06:34 PM
TNO TNO is offline
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I have a spruce tele I put together that is my main guitar. Arm cut looks wrong on a tele to me. It would still fit you pretty well if you just did the gut cut. I finished mine with fresh-mixed shellac sprayed through a Preval and it came out looking pretty butterscotch blonde.
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Old 01-08-2017, 07:58 PM
printer2 printer2 is offline
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I know what you mean about the arm bevel. I think part of the charm of the Tele is in it's simplicity. But I have a health issue and the normal edge of a guitar can cause me pain and then I just let the guitar sit in the corner. That is part of the reason for making this one out of spruce and poplar, it should be a fairly light guitar.

I have been waffling back and forth on the color. I do like a butterscotch blond but also have a thing for sunbursts. I picked up some paint last night and will experiment with it while building this one. I really like a simple yellow and red one I saw.
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Old 01-08-2017, 09:56 PM
Otterhound Otterhound is offline
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Looks like Fir to me .
I have 6 or 7 bookmatched 1/4 sawn Norway Spruce blanks sitting here waiting to be rough cut to shape .
I have one completed build here with a 1/4 sawn walnut neck and 1/4 sawn mulberry fretboard .
I harvested all of this wood .
Sadly , photobucket is misbehaving for me right now or you would be seeing pics .
Oh well .
Photobucket can't beat an idiot like me .


Last edited by Otterhound; 01-08-2017 at 10:03 PM.
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Old 01-09-2017, 05:49 PM
printer2 printer2 is offline
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Cool to be able to harvest your own wood.
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Old 01-09-2017, 10:15 PM
printer2 printer2 is offline
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Not used to working with such a soft wood for a neck. For better or worse, truss rod slot and headstock milled. Will be using a piece of maple for the fretboard.

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Old 01-11-2017, 10:43 PM
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Double posts, may as well change the pictures.




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Last edited by printer2; 01-12-2017 at 06:53 PM.
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Old 01-11-2017, 10:44 PM
printer2 printer2 is offline
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Too lazy to make up some templates, just winged it by using a construction square as my guide.



I guess I was too involved with the routing and not wanting to screw up I never took any pictures while making little wood chips. Just drew out a rough guide where to cur and went at her. Still have to drill between areas and do a hole for the output jack. Otherwise coming along well enough. I did not sand the body edge smooth as that only invites dents. I'll do that once I am done with the rough shaping.

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Old 01-11-2017, 11:49 PM
Highway_61 Highway_61 is offline
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That's looking very nice.
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Old 01-12-2017, 08:42 AM
harpspitfire harpspitfire is offline
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i dint even know what to say- great job!
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Old 02-13-2017, 09:57 PM
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I put a number of coats of shellac on the body but for some reason the shellac was not doing it for me. I sanded it down and was going to soak the wood with tea to get some tannins into the wood and use a iron-vinegar solution to give a weathered effect. I liked what the tea was doing and I gave it a few more coats. Then I put some wipe on poly on it. Almost a butterscotch blond effect.





Need to work on the neck now.
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Old 02-14-2017, 08:50 AM
Sam VanLaningham Sam VanLaningham is offline
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Fred, the tele looks great! Nice work.

Sam
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