Guitar Build: Part 4 – Tele Style Accessories, Hardware, Electrics and Ageing Chrome & Nickel Parts

Custom Build Telecaster Style to Equal Fender’s Custom Shop at an Affordable Price? (PART 4) - Metallic Nitro Colour & Clear Coats, Headstock Decals & Amber Lacquer.

Over the weeks I’ve been building my own Custom Shop Telecaster Style Guitar – something that I hope will equal the Fender Custom Shop guitars I have in the studio – but, at a much lower cost and produced using fairly basic tools.

In Part 1 - I took a look at the foundation of any guitar project - The Body and Neck – choices available, and the reasons why I made the choices I did.
(    • Guitar Build: Part 1 – Building a Fender T...   )

In Part 2 - This was the preparation, sanding sealing, priming and the first coats of amber lacquer for the neck and headstock, with Danish Oil treatment for the rosewood fretboard, it's taking shape. (    • Guitar Build: Part 2 – Preparation, Sandin...   )

In Part 3 – It was time for the body metallic colour & clear-coats, placing transfer decals on the headstock along with final coats of Amber lacquer. (    • Guitar Build: Part 3 – Metallic Nitro Colo...   )

In part 4 - The custom build project continues as I look into the accessories that will complete the project build. When it comes to hardware and electronics, these can mostly be changed-out if certain parts just don’t meet expectations and of course, the pick-ups are often top of the list for those parts that get replaced. While there are accessories that have a bearing on the quality of tone and how the guitar feels and responds to the touch, where it is unwise to ‘cheap-out’ there are parts that can be easily purchased at far lower costs than branded items which have no bearing on the quality of the overall instrument.

As the guitar will have relic work done to it, there were quite a few parts I could not, or would not (due to price) purchase in an already aged condition. This is where I will use both the Vinegar/Salt method for nickel parts and sulphuric acid for the chrome parts. Warning! great care and attention to correct safety procedures is needed when using any acid based fluids.

In part 5 the build project continues as I await the drying-out of the guitar body… please be sure to subscribe and…. Enjoy!

My other playlists -
Custom Guitar Build Project
Q&As Answering topical questions…
Stu's Guitar Recording Journey
Unboxing Music Equipment Videos
Stu's Guitar Journey! (12 part Video Series)
Guitar Backing Tracks - Blues, Ballads and Cinematic
Stu's Guitar Channel short Trailer

In CGBP 5 Video (Custom Guitar Build Project 5) The project continues into designing the relic look starting with the neck, headstock, fretboard and frets -    • Guitar Build: Part 5 – Relic The Headstock...  

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Backing tracks for Guitar. Free to download but copyright protected.*