Manchester Guitar Tech
I have just refretted this maple board Telecaster. At the request of the customer I left the fretboard lacquer intact as it was virtually undamaged. I had hoped to get away without changing the nut but the 1st string slot was too low. The old nut tapped out easily enough and I cleaned up the …
Note: In this post I refer to “left-handed” and “lefty”. This refers to a guitar which is strung, looking at the guitar face on, with the 1st string on the left and the 6th string on the right. A customer asked me to convert their brand new Epiphone acoustic to left handed. It seems that …
The Stewart MacDonald bushing press is a great tool for safely inserting and removing tuner bushings, avoiding finish damage that may be caused by less elegant methods. Full instructions for using the bushing press are on the Stewmac website. This Gibson Les Paul Classic was in the workshop for repair to a nasty headstock break and …
Fit the string guide String the guitar. Place the string guide over the b and e strings and find a suitable place for its placement on the headstock. Drill a small pilot hole and then screw the string guide down. Cut the nut slots You should lower the nut slots until there is just …
Neck pickup The first job is to find the right postion for the neck pickup. Place the pickup in the cavity and thread the wires through to the control cavity. Place the pickguard on the guitar and position the neck pickup central in the hole. Being careful not to move the pickup, remove the pickguard …
Attaching the switch and controls Attach the 3-position switch using the screws provided. Attach the volume and tone pots with the soldering lugs facing. Use the lower nut to adjust the height of the potentiometer. Place the star washer between this nut and the control plate. use a dress washer beneath the upper nut and …
Attaching the neck to the body At this point you can attach the neck to the body using the four large screws. Use the neck plate to act as a large washer for the screw heads. Tighten the screws firmly. Fitting the tuners If you are using alternative tuners, like our Gotohs you will …
Preparing to paint Unless you have a purpose-built spray booth, paint outdoors. Lacquer fumes are toxic and explosive. Even if you are outdoors you should wear a dust mask to avoid breathing the spray. The Saga kit bodies are already sealed with a coat of polyurethane sealer which gives a good surface for your top coats. …
Shaping the headstock Because the Telecaster headstock shape is a trademark of Fender Musical Instruments Corp. (FMIC) then all modern kits come with a blank or “paddle” headstock from which you can cut your own design. Any similarity to a Fender Telecaster headstock on this page is purely coincidental! The first job is to decide …
Why build a kit? On these pages I explain how to build a Telecaster-style guitar from a kit. The project started when a young friend who is interested in guitar broke his leg and wanted something to occupy a few days of his convalescence. You should only build a kit for fun. You should end up …