Building another darned Tele…

[Drdrumdude3009]

Yep- soft maple with a figured maple top. Quarterpounder pick up with a Guitar Fetish nickel-plated Bigsby-ish bridge. I am thinking a dyed top with Tru Oil finish (love oil finishes).

Here is the body and neck:

 

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I can’t identify the back wood. It acts a bit like mahogany, but definitely isn’t. It is super thirsty for oil. And the end cuts kinda suck. I think I will burst this after finishing the oil to seal and bring out the figure.

Pix to come.

 

[Downbeat]

 

[Drdrumdude3009]

First oiling:

 

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The back wood is VERY thirsty. Loves the Tru Oil. I will do about three more soaking coats on the sides before sanding.

 

[Drdrumdude3009]

The back wood is called white wood, and he says it’s like poplar. This has more grain than poplar, but the ends feel just like poplar (rough). It will be a very cool instrument when finished.

Stay tuned…

 

[Drdrumdude3009]

There is a bit of funkiness with the top. Not a defect, just some natural voids as a result of the figuring. The “white” wood definitely looks a lot like ash in many ways. As more coats of oil get on, it reminds me more and more of the deep, open grain of ash. I am not going for a trapped finish, but it is definitely going to take a bit of work filling this. I will post pix after this coat of oil dries. It’s going to be a pretty cool instrument when completed. It may take me all summer to get the finish dialed in.

 

[Drdrumdude3009]

Grain on back:

 

[Drdrumdude3009]

Sanded back the oil and oil sanding:

 

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Slurry sanding is netting some nice results. Of course some of the slurry is somewhat filling the bridge mounting holes LOL I may not put the trem on this as the wood is gorgeous!

 

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Progress:

 

[Drdrumdude3009]

This finishing style would be great for “natural” finished drum shells, as well.

I did a full sand back with 400 grit paper. I recoated and wiped the oil away. The wood is nominally smoother. This soft maple is a different animal altogether, but I dig it. Something tells me that this demands either a Duncan Antiquity or similar. I think the Quarter Pounder needs to go in the purple metallic body; this soft maple/whitewood is a bit too special for a weird pick up like a Quarter Pounder.

 

[Drdrumdude3009]

As the Tru Oil builds, now I am digging this body even more. I may pop on a few more coats, do a hard sand back, and see where I am after another five coats. I may be able to trap the wood a bit more and make it look more polished. No pick guard; can’t get myself to cover that gorgeous figure.

 

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Control plate:

 

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Sanded the base wood back and am adding more oil:

 

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More oil porn:

 

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Tone for days that will be anchored through the body:

 

[Drdrumdude3009]

I should have glued in the slug for the string anchor prior to finishing, so I am a bit behind on the back. I am wiping on micro coats and wiping back with a pair of jeans and it’s really starting to look great on the front. Definitely no pick guard. I play more like Keef when I play Teles, so it will be the 19th fret that wears, anyway. Pix to come…

 

[Drdrumdude3009]

Spraying amber clear:

 

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Amber before three cans of clear: