Introduction: Telecaster Guitar
I kinda felt like building a guitar, so I did that. it was a good time and I reckon a great many people would also enjoy doing so.
Supplies
Here are Amazon links to all materials I used, if you can find a good deal it may be more worth it to buy a kit instead of individual parts. I also used some glued up construction lumbar and particle board for the body, and some clear acrylic for the pick guard.
Neck: $52.00https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BPLPXB61/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?
Step 1: Cutting the Body
The first step to building a guitar is building the body. I started by joining and gluing two 2x8s together, laminating both sides with some medium density particle board. Then I filled all the voids with wood putty and glue. Before cutting into the body you should make sure to measure any parts and compare with the cad I provided, if any thing is different changes may need to be made. The body can be cut in any way you have access to, but I would recommend a CNC router. Making a template is also a good option. After the profile, neck, electronics, and pickup cavity's have been cut, a round over should be cut along the edges. Holes should also be drilled for the wires to go between the pickups and control plate, as well as the hole for the output jack. I choose not to drill holes to l let the guitar be string through but if you prefer that to top loaded you can absolutely do that.
Step 2: Finishing the Body
I painted my body flat with spray paint since I used such visually unappealing materials but if you make the body with nicer wood you could opt to stain. I didn't do a perfect job and it did end up looking slightly weathered which I am alright with because it feels very personal. After the paint I laser cut a custom design under where the pickguard would be. I thought it would look nice to have a little design under the clear pickguard. I then put a thick layer of protective clear coat over top. For any type of primer, paint, or clear coat, lightly sand before and in between coats for the best stick.
Step 3: Assembly
Assembly is the most important step of the process in my opinion. If everything doesn't line up the guitar will have many issues that won't be easy to fix. I recommend starting with a dry fit of all the hardware. Check to see how the neck and bridge should be fastened. My neck slot ended up slightly loser than a tight fit and I opted to glue the neck in place before bolting it on since I couldn't come up with a jig to position it right for bolting. After the neck was attached I Drilled holes and attached the neck pickup to the pickguard and place the pick guard loosely on the body feeding the wires from the pickup into the electronics cavity. I fit the bridge pickup to the bridge, loosely placed the bridge on the body fitting the wires once again, into the . I strung up the lower and higher e-strings so I could align the bridge with the neck accurately. When I was sure it was aligned how I wanted, I screwed the bridge into place. I then drilled and taped holes through the pickguard and body so I could use some spare bolts to fasten them together. I fixed the tuning machines to the headstock of the neck. What I found the most difficult step was the soldering because I don't really understand electricity, but I followed the soldering diagram and with some troubleshooting had a functioning system. Lastly I fastened the electronics plate and the output jack. With everything fastened I strung it up and adjusted the intonation, action, and pickups for the best playability.
