Jump to content

Komodo's Metal Tele


Recommended Posts

I've been awful about finishing planned builds, mostly because I see so many possibilities with other woods, hardware, etc I have and get sidetracked. This build WAS going to be a relic korina LP Jr with P90s, a real fast and rude thing. But I realized that I was building another guitar that I functionally already have. After a good long think, and a heavy dose of GAS for an LP, some unruly PAFs, a blasphemous Tele, and a tremolo - here we are. I'm salvaging everything from the LP Jr build, except I found a homely Carvin neck for $50 that I repaired and will use that. I'm also making it a bolt on so I'll be able to change that out if it doesn't make muster.

-Korina body (I've also got some LIGHT swamp ash as a candidate)
-Tonepro Kluson tuners
-some rude humbuckers
-Gotoh 510T (after hearing John Suhr wax on about these, I was sold)
-LP-like 3-way switching
-lots of relicing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Somebody had routed a shelf for a locking nut on the Carving neck. But they did it on the wrong side of the nut? IU cleaned the whole mess off, added a piece of ebony and tried to make it as hidden as possible but the filler (ebony dust and CA) didn't cooperate. I had to make the joint into a slot that was larger to fill and sand. Because it's perpendicular and reflects differently from the FB it sticks out way more than an inlay gap would. Still, I did it OK and made the neck usable. It's really thin and fast, feels a lot like a Wizard neck. Cut a new nut slot and have a Graphtech rough placed for now.

Pup covers and rings are raw nickel, which will make them really fun to relic. The rest of the hardware is in different states of relic, I'm not going for a forgery type level, just make stuff match-ish. This build has one soul purpose, and that's to be built for speed. A real hellcat of a player. Something to learn the first four VH albums on, then turn around and do 4 hours of effects laden psychedelic blues. Or country I guess.

Neck pup is a Duncan APH-2n, Slash version of the Alnico II Pro. People said it sounded a touch better than the original. Bridge pickup is a vintage original, see if anyone can guess what it is. I'd had it for YEARS and never really used it. It's hot.

Gotoh looks amazing, I'm not sure if I have the cojones to relic it. Chrome doesn't relic well. Maybe if I take the shine off and give it some rough edges, it will be enough. They aren't insanely expensive, so I'm not worried. Same for the Klusons. They are satiny. but need some grit. Also ignore the stud posts, they won't be used anymore.

IMG_5718.JPG

IMG_5719.JPG

IMG_5720.JPG

IMG_5721.JPG

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hear you on that. Being an ideas man, I outpace my ability to see things through with my ability to churn out new ideas at a prodigious pace. Aspergers doesn't help either.

There's a guy on YouTube - Dr Nitro - who does amazing relicing and isn't shy with his process. I noticed that he uses a few art supply patina fluids which I'm super interested in. These might be useful to yourself also. Let me see if I can find them later, or even remember....you know me 😉

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Raw parts, some scuff sanding, dents and nicks. Then into a muratic acid fuming station, and we get trashed parts. Relicing is funny because you can sort of decide "how old" to make it. You can go for forgery level accuracy, which is a subtle relic. What I did was far more extreme, what I'm calling a "barncaster" look, like it was dug up from a barn after 50 years. It's easier to get different parts to match and has more of a fantasy patina than anything a real guitar would look like with age.

I used raw nickel covers which take the fuming really hard and give a consistent look. The chrome parts are FAR more difficult as you have to break the top layer of the chrome, and different parts have different quality and depth of chroming. The Gotoh tremolo bar worked beautifully, the saddles and bottom plate were good but slightly different, I''' get pics up when I reassemble that. The pickup cover with the double row holes for the mystery pickup was the hardest, and came out very scratchy and patchy(tm). I'm thinking I might drill a new row of holes in the extra raw nickel cover I have and they will match better. I hope I can get those drilled even!

I know this is downright blasphemous for some, I'm having FUN with it. It's very free and liberating compared to some of the fusswork in a pristine build. Don't forget the end goal here is a monster of a player. My bar is Suhr level of action and playability.

IMG_5751.jpg

IMG_5755.JPG

IMG_5770.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Prostheta said:

Suhr is clearly a big influence on you, if at least in terms of craftsmanship and end result.

I think more in the playability. Stripped down, streamlined no nonsense. 

For real aesthetic influence, I've been looking at a lot of builders on Instagram. Echopark, Vik, Dantzig, Knaggs. Really cool stuff,

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ya know what's funny? This is my hamfisted attempt at NOT using figured woods, trying to make something simple. It's hard, especially sitting here looking at stacks of nice woods, and even then i just tip to the other side of the scale and make it all crusty. It's all good. The korina is very resonant and screams like a banshee, it reminds me of a cross between swamp ash and mahogany. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

A little more heavy relicing. The shiny new Gotoh is sufficiently crustified. I’ve drilled out a vintage oxblood Daka-ware Tele knob, glued in a threaded brass insert to use on a 3-way switch. The two row nickel pup cover looks like it was dug up from a barn. No guesses on the bridge pup this will fit over?

Lastly, the homely mandolin that followed me home for a neck reset and full overhaul. As if I needed something else in my way. Cameo by the lovely Mrs Komodo.

5E0741FD-1BC2-4C23-A4CB-02BB93080142.jpeg

C3D5BE04-4147-46BD-9B87-D18C4DDF6C6A.jpeg

818153D5-ED95-4D83-BABD-67379EC04FBD.jpeg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Metal bits done, on to the woody bits.

Template traced to glued up blank of white limba. Also roughed out the german carve that I’ll do with the 1/2” cove bit if a test piece looks good. I’m still planning on using the Carvin neck, but am seriously debating making another rosewood neck. Then it will be 100% scratch build.

Last is a sweet little clamp I built for the mandolin repair. It pulls a cleat up on the inside of the body. You make the cleat, drill a hole in it and string a thin guitar string through it and up through a tiny hole. Glue and tighten. I didn’t invent this.

4790BBC6-FB3A-4213-BC2B-8A863772B640.jpeg

0BF8082E-4592-4507-9EE6-DB749CC0DCDC.jpeg

F1D3A44C-46D3-4367-A14C-5E0A80507F9E.jpeg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm working on that. 🤨

According to my modus operandi, I needed another project to sidestep the project getting in the way of my main project. So, I started building the RS trem from scratch while I fix the mandolin as I build the tele. Boom. 

  • Like 3
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Prostheta said:

Of course, a fourth project to pore over and distract whilst you balance your life around the demands of other three is just as expected.

I'm also planning my first brew in long time, as I'm getting to the bottom of the 50+ gallons I brewed a ways back. Another Belgian golden is in order, and then we will literally "pour over".

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I usually make templates, but for the trem routes I decided to grab the Stewmac offerings. Everything is measured, and ready for routing. Also have the curved neckplate which needs relicing. Or I could do inset bezels? What say you folks?

 

6EA16F8C-ED01-42B9-A8BF-78A81A1D2FE0.jpeg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

if korina is anything like black limba with respects to its insane ability to split-I would go with the plate if only for that reason alone to spread the (not sure of the word here) "contact force points" where the neck is connected-the plate would spread that force- where as I image without the plate- you have those screws lined up and could split easier- regardless of how thick the body is. I would almost go as far as to say regardless of plate or bezels- I would (after pre-drilling the holes) go as far as say for insurance purposes- you might consider seeping in some water thin CA into the screw holes, let it dry to strengthen the wood around the holes and then be careful not to over tighten when you connect the neck. 

maybe its just me- and maybe the blk limba I had was over dry or something- but I have worked 3 different pieces from 3 different sources and they all split. (full disclosure- they were set necks- and the neck pockets were snug- and fitting them in caused the splits.) but I used the same templates I have on other woods and not have that problem. YMMV

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 Router day. Tip if you don’t know it: Make your neck pocket template, and then line it with a strip or two of tape (binding tape here). The router bearing rides on it and makes your neck pocket very tight indeed. I probably should have only used one strip here as the tape is a bit thicker.

As much as I love my big Bosch plunge router, this little $10 garage sale Skil is a real trooper and real easy to handle.

I’m going to wait a day to finish the German carve, so I can consider where it stops and starts. 

 

E845A8F6-A6DB-4EE9-B913-31552D28234A.jpeg

168B4800-F1BE-4696-92E4-572C0BBE0777.jpeg

C0DCF79D-6F10-43CF-B63D-E7BACB18F74E.jpeg

79FA99FC-EA79-4368-B3AD-1CBD9897D79D.jpeg

242E020B-465C-4701-9B3A-D39127291D6C.jpeg

95F73C45-AD1F-414B-AE07-564CB605971D.jpeg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...