My eldest grandson was picking up his Tanglewood Evolution tonight, and expressed an interest in learning to work on guitars. We discussed his options. I suggested picking up a cheap Squier, and we would start from there. He, however, is more ambitious, and with my tutorage, wants to build a custom guitar. He fancies a Telecaster style. We are going to sit down and choose what he wants to build, then he can start to purchase the necessary parts. We may go down the Wudtone route, so I will be looking for advice if we do. I will need to read through the earlier build threads here, to refresh my old brain.
I told him I have all the tools we will need and if he wants to inherit them he will need to serve his apprenticeship first!
Looking forward to building again - without the cost!
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I'd go with his ambition. Build a stonker of a guitar as a first project. One to remember !!!
I’m looking forward to hearing more! And happy to answer questions if I can.
It worked fine, as you can see - I was trying to keep the wood as light-looking as possible, but in the end I would say I prefer Tru Oil, although that does tend to add more of a warm/honey kind of hue.
I believe the Wudtone colour kits also involve a stage where you have to vigorously rub in the colour stain into the bare wood, and they tell you to not have the wood finely sanded at this point. I'm not sure, but it may not be possible to get a smooth, grained-filled type of result - I think you have to go with the wood texture showing. Some like that, some don't, but if so, it's not going to be a close replica of a typical smooth factory finish. Perhaps avoiding more textured woods like ash would help for a smoother result though.
I also toyed with the idea of a veneer cap at one time, so I may look into that. We had all the info on the old guitar forum but I will need to search it out now.
Nice axe Megi! Is that wudtone clear coat an oil ?
You don’t want to sand wood super smooth before staining anyhow. Going down to 240 grit is all you need. Beyond that and you’ll just make the wood shiny and I think you risk closing up the grain a bit. The finer grades are for clear or top coats.
If you want an existing design you’d be crazy to try and carve it yourself anyhow. There are lots of places that make tele bodies that would save a ton of time, money and aspirin. Best bet really!
I was also thinking a two colour body may be the way to go.
Getting way ahead of myself though. It is the grandson's guitar and his choices to make.
The Wudtone chap makes much of the fact that it doesn't contain linseed oil, and doesn't soak into the wood much, and cures to a fairly hard, thin coat - he maintains that this improves the acoustic qualities and tone of a guitar as it doesn't damp vibration in the wood very much. Or something like that anyhow... I don't know how much truth there is in this, maybe some, but for my taste I felt that Tru Oil gives a softer kind of sheen - more natural maybe, is easier to use, with less troubling fumes/skin irritation issues (the Wudtone kit came with protective thin gloves) and I've not noticed any issues with the tone being damped using it either.
So the Wudtone worked, and if I was after an easy way to get a coloured finish I might consider it again, but for a clear, easy to apply finish that gets a good result, I would pick Tru Oil every time.
If he wants a natural finish I'll strongly suggest he goes for Tru-oil. If he wants colour we will try the Wudtone. I fancy trying it out anyway.
He has discounted a solid colour, so we won't be spraying it. I hope he sticks to that plan.
But I would say that tele must be a good machine for straight ahead rock, with the single humbucker, and heavy walnut body and string-thru body anchoring - it should have a pretty focused tone and great sustain.
I'll try and post some pictures tomorrow.
The front is Flame Maple laminate.
The main-part of the body is two piece Swamp Ash.
What actually happens once Liam gets properly involved is anyone's guess. He works away all week, and as a young man with a girl on his arm doesn't have a lot of spare time. Hopefully we will make a start to it this afternoon or evenong. Maybe!