Custom telecaster build
 

Well I’ve always wanted one. So I’m building one from custom parts. Fishman Electronics set me up with some signature pickups. I am finishing in organic lacquer (nitrocellulose like they used in the fifties. ). I got some amber tinted clear to simulate 50 year old lacquer. Counting the sealer, this guitar will have 12-14 coats total before wet sand and buff.

After sanding with 220 I used a water based grain filler in a darker color. Body is made of swamp ash. First I wiped it down with a damp rag to raise the grain. Then it’s like a thick stain you work into the grain. Then you sand it all off leaving just the dark grain but filled.

And here’s the first coat of vinyl sealer. It has four coats of sealer sanded with 1000 grit in between coats. 2hour drying time. I soak the cans in hot water to heat the lacquer to 80-90 degrees. Goes on like butta

And two coats of tinted clear. Needs 24-48 hours then two more coats but like a really subtle burst. It will show up in about ten years. Then 5-6 coats of clear over 3-4 days.

I’m also sending out all the chrome parts and the black pick guard for laser engraving a paisley pattern. So far I’m $230 in. And I have all the parts except the neck. Need to wait. That’s the expensive part!

I'm showing this to a co-worker; he's a guitar guru.

:thumbs:

I’m using the same lacquer I used for my number one strat 20 years ago. It wasn’t tinted.its pretty yellow which I like. This one is looking darker. Like an end table. Not sure how I feel about that. Most of it will be covered up by the pick guard and bridge. With chrome hardware and black pick guard it should lose that cabinet look. I may get a wild hair and add some gold pearl pigment to the clear coat.

i want to find the demo video of the electronics system. Tomorrow. It’s pretty wild stuff. Gives the early fifties sound and the late fifties sound with ZERO noise and a button that gives a slight clean boost. You can also turn it down without losing highs. This is important. My vintage stuff buzzes and when you turn it down gets mushy.

Fishman tuners as well ?

Nope. Fender locking.

were the holes in the head already drilled for those ?

Going to look good when it's done.:cert:

They will be. I’ll spec it. I spec all the measurements of my necks. I’m going to add a roasted flame maple bad boy. Doesn’t need a finish which is nice. Likely have head stock laser engraved with paisley.

More lacquer today. Put a heavy coat on and decided to lay it flat. The lacquer is heated. I then bumped my reloader and got some gun power in the coat. Gahhh!

I’ll sand that out in a few hours.

Look at that color! I can only imagine when I get 2 more coats of tint on there. It’s super light amber in clear. I’m attempting to make it uneven like it would age in real life but spray cans are not great. Good enough though. I’m so particular about the finish and the first time I play it it will get some big ol dings and shit. Oh well. It’s not a museum piece.

how heavy do you think it will end up being ?

Be sure to release the neck surrogate and reinstall before you spray any more clear! It would suck big time to unscrew that at the end of paint and have it peel a big divot out of the back of the body, or leave a snarly peel line to interfere with the neck install.

Good idea. I have tape under it and in all the cavities and will likely cut around each with a razor before pulling. I should probably remask for the 8 clear coats not that color is finished. Thanks! That kind of screw up is EXACTLY what I would do! I already have enough nits in the finish for an hour of sanding with 1500 grit before clear. :dance: check out the subtle burst!

It sure is pretty! Nits should be handled between coats so they don't show in the finished piece (like the grains of what looks like Bullseye). That will also help get the surface absolutely flat as the build finishes filling whatever grain the filler missed. ALWAYS use a block of some sort as you sand... fingers cut subtle trenches that will show in the final product.

Ordered a flame maple neck unfinished today. $157. Not bad. With frets and nut.

Waiting on lacquer to finish flashing so I can do some wet sanding before clear. It’s got some dust and some gunpowder flakes in it. No runs though surprisingly. I set the cans out in the sun and heat them up. That really seems to get the lacquer flowing without spattering or runs. The last few coats were heavy too.

Next up, eight coats of clear over four days.

You know your stuff! I got more nits than I hoped for. I need to set up a cleaner area for clear coating.

First coat of clear after wet sand with 1000 grit.