IPA or death

Is there a "good" kit you would recommend?

http://grizzly.com/products/category.aspx?key=235040

Seriously? I figured they were junk just like every other kit. Which one(s) did you do? The Tele kit is cheaper than the body or neck would be by themselves, so a complete kit sounds like a real bargain.

the search function here? my god! its completely random and lacks any structure - learning from that would be like bailing out the titanic with a teaspoon

Ain't that the truth! I thought I was the only one that found it fairly useless.

I would give one more piece of advice to a beginner, and that would be to buy pre made templates for the first build (and it wouldn't hurt for subsequent builds either if you're not doing an original design). But after you've built one or ten with good templates, you can design and make your own. Templates make a world of difference.

So that long route on top that runs below the pickups coincides with the control cavity route to give you more than just a drilled hole to run wires through? Genius.

I like telecasters a lot myself but usually keep it pretty basic. You've given me some good ideas thanks to your thinking outside the box. Which reminded me of this cat:

It's a great concept and the paint job is impressive to be sure. The guitar is very Uli Jon Roth-worthy.

I've always wanted to try one of those ZR bridges with the adjustable stability wheel or whatever it's called. And I like the input jack too. I have enough trouble getting mine straight when it's in the typical place . Nice build.

It's a good start Fool .

Seriously, looks good. Just keep us posted on the progress.

Here is a comprehensive, step by step build that will help. guitar build

I also recommend the Hiscock book, and I like Martin Koch's book too Martin Koch

I would read all that more than once before I bought the first tool or piece of wood.

Nice to know I'm not the only one to spray on "binding". It's just so hard to bend binding for a headstock. Nice looking guitar btw .

Here's one using an Ikea shelf.

TDPRI

Nice N4 dude. Looks like an ESA body? Ive had a few of those factory blem bodies, built out 3 so far. I also got myself a walnut/wenge N4 from a US dealer this year. Really nice LP jr aswell.

Sam, you've seen that N4 before on the Washburn forum. I had some correspondence with you about cutting a good radius on the neck heel and you were very helpful. I also recently inquired about your double neck progress.

To answer your question, no it's just an alder body I got from Ebay a few years ago. It was a blem (a router boo boo at the trem spring cavity). Finished it with Minwax Tung Oil finish. It has a Dimarzio Andy Timmons is the bridge now and the 59 still in the neck. Sounds awesome and I play that one more than any of the others.

I've seen your walnut/wenge version and I have to say it's even tastier than the korina/koa. I've been tempted to do a walnut bodied N4 myself since I have so much of it, but I'm probably going to do some other guitars first.

You should post some of your builds over here (I've seen the N8 one recently). I've seen them on the N4rum and I think there are a lot of guys here who would enjoy a look.

Man, I bet that thing is a delight to play standing up (I'm assuming it's really light, it sure looks light). I always love your guitars though, they're just my kind of guitars style-wise. Love the padded floor too .

I need to weigh it officially but the only guitar I have that is lighter is my Parker Fly.

I play standing up all the time so it is great!

Padded floor is for the kid to do gymnastics on (safety first)... i was in a rush to get pics this morning

Yeah, we had the same floor down when my kid was toddling. I actually miss walking on that cushy floor.

Seriously, I like the simplicity of the bridge and volume, I love the body and headstock shape, I love the magnets under the truss rod cover, I love the countersunk straplocks, it's giving me ideas and inspiration for a future build.

Thanks for the kind words guys, it means a lot.

I'll get some pics of the Les Paul as soon as I can. It was my first carved top guitar and that was fun to do. Got a couple of those little Ibex curved-bottom planes and some curved scrapers and went to it--no power tools. It was like whittling with a purpose . And going slow meant less likeliness of mistakes for me.

The Junior is a really nice sounding guitar. I put a slight neck angle on it (for reasons I can't recall now) and it has a thick neck. It stays in tune better than any electric I've ever owned and the Gibson P-90 sounds so aggressive and punchy. Love that pickup. And an original Badass bridge on there too.

Man, I bet that thing is a delight to play standing up (I'm assuming it's really light, it sure looks light). I always love your guitars though, they're just my kind of guitars style-wise. Love the padded floor too .

Just noticed there were some pics of the N4 on my photobucket account. Body was a factory blem but I made the neck.

Body is mahogany (the lightest I've ever used) with black walnut neck and wenge fretboard. I did use the N4 to trace the body outline on that one, but it has a more traditional neck heel than the N4.

Recently another forum member inquired about my builds. (Actually, I think his words were: "Who are YOU and what have you built?" )

So after doing some testing with posting pics, here are my builds, long since completed. All are complete builds by your truly except for the Teles, which both have Warmoth necks.

From L to R: Les Paul Jr. My first total build (circa 2000)

Sonic Blue Telecaster, my first construction of any kind (circa 1997)

Les Paul (circa 2007)

Andy Summers B-bender tele (made the bender too)

Red stratish guitar (circa 2009)

center: Chiquita-ish mini (circa October 2010)

What's missing is the Washburn N4 copy I put together which was not available for photos at this time.

Never made one (I'm going to make a 12 string thinline tele soon though) but it's been done.

Dream Guitars

And God be with you during and after your surgery.

A leaf would do it but I realize at this time of year that ain't happening. Can't think of any other way right off hand. But being a maple, it will be useful in some capacity for a guitar.

I got a wild hair to build one of these, having never seen one in person. Got the measurements and particulars from web searches and photos. This is a scrap wood build, and the hardware is mainly what I had lying around from past builds. The HB is a Chinese made Ebay find that was $12 IIRC, the nut was bone and was the first one I've ever slotted (I don't think I'll be doing that again) and I bought a bridge from Ebay as well but due to faulty measuring on my part, I was unable to use it. Total cost including the bridge I didn't use was less than $40 easy.

-black walnut neck and body midsection

-maple sandwich body wings

-jatoba fretboard

-maple backstrap on headstock

-Grover tuners

-Chinese humbucker

-bridge from Tele, cut to fit

-Tru-oil finish

full front view

full back

front body

bridge

being picked on

Not sure how to post the pic rather than the link .

Looks like "old gold" rather than shiny gold brick. Would look good on a glossy black walnut telecaster.

I don't think it looks too bad, but think about it for a while and see if you can live with it. I definitely think you were on the right track with the burst color but without spraying, I don't think you'll get a satisfying burst result. If you do, please divulge your methods 'cause I would love to be able to burst without spraying. Good luck with the remainder of the build.

Awesome inlay work man. This guitar is going to be fantastic, and I hope the owner buys a good kimono to wear when playing it. It just cries out for a kimono-wearing owner.

(man, my kimono is itching)

One of my least favorite things about a Les Paul is the bulky neck heel, and you've done exactly what I did on my LP build to alleviate that problem. Altogether a nice job on this guitar, and all your others too. It's nice to have you on the PG site Osorio.

BTW if anyone is interested in a down to the last detail 1959 Les Paul replica, check out this link: TDPRI

I love Osorio's, Scot French's, Strandberg's, and Avenger's guitars for lots of reasons. I voted for Avenger because the neck is pimped and the guitar looked like something Alex Chilton would have played . Lots of good entries this month.

Go on over to the Telecaster Discussion Page. There is a forum for DIY builders there, which is where I got this discussion which you'll find useful I think: TDPRI

I always thought those were hollow bodies.