2012 TDPRI Tele Build Challenge

For the next two months I will be taking part in the 2012 TDPRI Tele Build Challenge. For me the real challenge will be attempting to complete the Tele.

The guitar will be a three piece maple back, with a book-matched curly maple top. Between each of the three back pieces and the top will be a thin mahogany veneer. The neck will have a maple flame on the back with a curly maple fret board.

I began the project Saturday March 17th.

First I sketched out on the body blanks the Tele shape using a template as a guide. I also sketched the basic shape of the neck with a center line for the truss rod channel.

Before routing the channel for the truss rod. I drilled 1/4 inch holes at either end of the line for the truss rod. The depth of each hole was 7/16th deep.

In the past I had tried a couple different methods for routing the truss rod channel. Including using a router table and a fence and building a jig to hold the router still. I've since discovered that the easiest method is clamp a guide and the neck to the edge of a table with the guide exactly 2 inches away from the center line.

 There is, however, one problem with this method. Because the edge of the neck is so close to end truss rod hole, I was not able to finish all the way to the edge. Instead, I made four passes as far as I could go. Then I re-clamped the neck blank on the completed side. Removed the tow end clamps. And re-measured the distance from the guide to the center line, carefully adjusting the necks so that everything properly lined up.

This is the cleanest truss rod channel I have cut to date. Next up I will glue edges to the headstock and cut y fretboard.