Beyond Partscaster. Building a Telecaster from parts. Avoid the pitfalls and mistakes. Part 1.

[@Richard-bg1rz]

I sat down to watch this video and ended up not moving until the finish of episode 7. I challenge anyone to create a finer build series, you are a sheer delight to watch. The information presented, the absolute lack of ego, just every aspect of this series. . . can’t say enough good! Your work is so influential that I may even consider sanding against the grain. . . maybe. Good on you, and thank you, my friend!

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Thank you Richard for your compliments. I’m so glad you enjoyed the series. It’s so nice to hear that you got inspired by it. Everyone should try sanding across the grain if only to discover it’s not damaging. The Les Paul series is underway and there is more to come. Take care mate. C

[@glacierwookie]

About to start my Telecaster "PartsCaster" build, and have been missing your videos, so I figured I'd re-watch this series again! Cheers sir!

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

@@glacierwookie Thanks. Up to my ears in renovation at the moment. There will be more soon ish

[@Zooooman]

This is by far the best partscaster series I've seen. And I've watched a ton of them

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Thanks zooman. I’m very glad you enjoyed it.

[@evans5172]

Thoroughly enjoyable uploads looking forward to the next, I could happily deal with one every day. Well done and well presented. Bravo Sir

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

That is so kind of you to say. I enjoy making these films and I would kick them out faster if I could. I’m getting on a bit and shooting and building at the same time is a big job.

[@rayzberg]

Watched it with pleasure. Good stuff. Please keep it on

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Thanks Yuri. It’s definitely going to happen. I’m planning to carry on with it tomorrow. Fear not. I’m going the whole way.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

I'm just uploading Part 2 Yuri

[@timdowling8902]

Just come across your Vids fantastic thank you very much as This is what I’d like to do as a hobby. Thank you again

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

You can do it! Just take your time and have fun. C

[@andrews6505]

This is such an excellent series, interesting to see the build progress, and all of the tips and advice you shared are gems. Thanks so much for creating this!

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Thanks for you lovely comment. I hopeyou stick with it. I'm filming the fretting process this afternoon. I've seen loads of videos about fretting and they seem a bit tense to me. I'm hoping to just do it the way I do it and pass it on.

[@andrews6505]

@@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking Great to know, I subscribed so you've got me hooked!

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

@@andrews6505 did most of the fretting process today. Just for you of course. C

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Thanks very much, I’m so glad you are finding it informative. I’m no guru I’m just passing on what I have learnt from others. I was very fortunate to be able to go to college and be taught by some very skilled people. I hope you watch my other building videos. There’s much to be learned by building outside your comfort zone. There’s a common core guitar making regardless of your style preference. C

[@philiphurdwell3443]

Pleasure to watch you work......I thought I was bad having 3 x necks kicking about!!

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Ha ha. I have more than that just on the wall!. Get them on something, you can always move them around. I'm glad you're enjoying the vids. I have to go to the workshop and start fretting

[@simontemplar3359]

Aside of the fact that this is a fantastic video, I'd just like to thank you for sharing the tip about the cabinet scraper. That is amazing and in fact the coolest thing I've learnt today!

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Cabinet scrapers rule. They are so useful and in fact you can dump sandpaper mostly in favour of them. Plus you get to save your lungs into the bargain. I’m so glad you are enjoying my stuff. Another decade or two and maybe I’ll be famous. C

[@grahamtutton1987]

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply Chris. Yes pretty much as I thought. I shall order a couple of scrapers and give it a shot. So much fun all this stuff. A vid on how to use scrapers correctly would be awesome. Please keep the content coming.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

No probs. Get a stiff one and a bendy one if you can.

[@loopy7776]

Wow! Someone who actually knows what they're doing.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

My goodness. Kind words indeed. I’m trying very hard not to be crap at this. C

[@hmoen]

Great job man, you inspire me to have my own youtube channel

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

That's wonderful. It's a big lift when someone says I ahave inspired them

[@vk2ktm]

Thanks Chris, it is nice to see a 'back-yarder' approach, especially one that uses little more than a hand-drill. The fret-press is good - but I reckon simple 'long lever' shop-made tool would do. The only special tool I saw was the radius block. keep it up and good luck with the subscriptions n comments algorythm

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Thanks very much. It was either a garden workshop or divorce. This build was to try and keep it all affordable and simple. The big guns come out for the scratch builds. C

[@jpalberthoward9]

I like the way you think, and I like the way you work. Building parts casters is one of my passions. Anyone who cannot spend the price of a brand new car for a Fender from 1950-1970 really doesn't have much choice other than to build it at home. Careful attention to details and quality parts is the key to getting it right. Sweat the small stuff and you'll be happy. Having said all that, I have a question, and I'd like to hear your opinion. David Gilmour said once in the late 80s that he likes to remove all of the finish from the surfaces where the wood actually touches in both the neck pocket and the joining surface of the neck itself. His claim was that in doing so you eliminate all "lacquer gaskets" and the sustain and tuning stability improves immensely. I have tried this about 8 times so far, often adding very thin strips of veneer into the pocket so that you have to very gently tap the neck into place with a rubber mallet. I definitely think there's something to it, at least concerning the tuning stability. Have you ever heard of this "Gilmour neck joint?" Have you ever tried it? What are your thoughts?

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

There is one thing that I am certain of and that is that heavy polyurethane finishes can kill the tonality of an acoustic guitar. I’ve seen the result of somebody spraying a nice sprightly acoustic black. It sounded like a wet cardboard box afterwards and was impossible to remove without peril. The removal of finish from the neck heel and pocket sounds vaguely logical but I suspect the net effect would be hard to detect. I tend to avoid thick finishes and synthetic finishes in particular. I am not at all interested in faultless gloss finishes anyway. So I use the minimum I can to finish guitars. It also is my least favourite part of the process. I’m also wary of tone hunting in general. Good wood handled well with fine assembly and good hardware will all contribute to a good guitar sound. But then a lot of nuance and ‘tone’ is generated by the hands of a good player. I think the best we can do is make good material choices and build as well and intelligently as we can. Oh… and get lucky. Thanks for you support and your fascinating question. C.

[@jpalberthoward9]

@@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking Thanks for taking the time to reply, having been a player since 1973, I can totally agree with your position that the hands and technique are the majority of the sound . My grandpa said "The skill is not in the tool, it's in the mind that guides the hand that holds the tool". I have spent many years and many dollars chasing tone from the gear, only to find no significant change other than a much lighter wallet. Once I liberated myself from the voodoo of the marketing dept. I began to discover the truth. If it's in good working order, it will produce an acceptable sound. There are some very small refinements like the treble bleed circuit, different strings etc. But if a person doesn't have any playing skill, it's all for nothing. I still like to investigate some of these small details because it's fun, and sometimes they make a difference, but never enough to be life or death.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

@@jpalberthoward9 The biggest difference you notice straight off the rack is a maple neck vs mahogany. Single coil vs humbucker. Solid body vs semi hollow. Then it starts to be marginal. I love your grandfather’s tool wisdom. It’s so true.

[@rodmeisterful]

Brilliant and well presented, thanks.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Thanks so much for the nice comment c

[@MrJakigabi]

Hi Chris, after the 1st watch of Your video (dunno which was that :D) I just pushed the subscribe button. So I was watching one by one...(my wife started to worry about my mental health, seeing me sitting in the kitchen, watching Your guitar making videos for hours, and have a strange, mad smile and talking just about this topic). So, today I ordered THE body and THE neck! 😂 During the time it's arriving iam watching the tele series again.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Crikey. I’m not trying to get you locked up! Tell your wife you are fine and that the nice man in the videos doesn’t want you to go crazy. I’m glad you’re inspired but take it steady. I don’t want you to become the subject of Philosophy Corner. Moderation in all things. Have fun with your build and keep Me informed. All the best to you and your wife. C

[@MrJakigabi]

:D actually She is happy for my idea about building my first own monster caster! :D seriously, your work here and personality is very inspiring and gave me huge push to do the thing what I always wanted! Thanks!

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

@@MrJakigabi that’s wonderful to hear C

[@damienalvarez2957]

Given that both the Strat and Tele were built with simplicity and modulation in mind when designing them, you’d think more people would actually embrace partscasters.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Partscaster are great fun and the perfect gateway to guitar building of all kinds. C

[@tmeyer2022]

Thank you for the recommendation of using a Cabinet Scraper to remove the existing neck finish and modifying the neck profile.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

My pleasure Ted. Cabinet scrapers were a revelation to me and were the most used tool for making acoustic guitars. Much misunderstood and few know how to sharpen them. I must cover that in Part 4. 3 is on its way.

[@staleyexplores]

great video. I have a similar project going right now with an ibanez gio, neck replacement. my videos aren't anywhere near as good as yours though. well done both on the guitar work as well as the video. ty for sharing.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Thanks ver much. I’ll check out your videos. C

[@Glasshock]

Hi Chris, great video! Can you please offer us some information on the vice you were using there? 'Super Vice?'

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

It’s called a pattern makers vice. I don’t know a decent luthier that doesn’t have one. It’s utterly indispensable. Like another pair of hands. Stewmac do a red one but you can source them outside the USA too. C

[@GeorgTheGuitar]

Amazing!

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

@@GeorgTheGuitar wow thanks George

[@anthonyroach7974]

Brill it’s great fun building and learning so much how those guitar’s are manufactured.those with out imagination will knock others .how boring they are I could not care less about the idiots .Amazing feeling seeing all those ports going toggle to make a instrument .how you can change things for feel and tone .

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Guitar making is fun. Plus you get a new guitar at the end of it.

[@jimivandebeek]

Great video!

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

I kinda like synthesisers though.

[@jimivandebeek]

@@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking I Love synths! My name has something to do with early Queen Records.

[@geoffpoole483]

Hi Chris, Very informative and entertaining video. Could you list the tools you used? There's the cabinet scraper, but what is the flat saw called, and the perspex tool for measuring neck radius?

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

The flat saw was a gift from my eldest son. It’s a very thin Japanese saw that’s razor sharp and great for cutting things flush. The perplex tool is a 52 Tele neck profile template. Mine is from Guitars and woods in Portugal. Stewmac make the same template. I don’t follow it slavishly but it sets me in the right direction

[@Midwestboltandblade]

You might just order the correct size chucking reamer for those ferrules. They are less aggressive than a tapered reamer.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Thanks Mark. I look forward to your luthier and guitar building channel. Please link me to your channel. C

[@Midwestboltandblade]

@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking Well chris, I thoroughly enjoy your videos and the knowledge that you selflessly pass our way. I thought I would share a bit of my knowledge with you. By all means, disregard.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

@@Midwestboltandblade chucking reamers are made for lathes. They might work in a pillar drill, I’ve never tried. The thing is, you need a very shallow hole for the dot inlays and a wood bit works just fine if you run it backwards first. Sure you may get a bit of tear out but that’s going to happen with poor or dry or simply some rosewood. Repairing what tear out you do get is part of guitar making and in all honesty it’s not visible on the guitar. So buying chucking bits for what is a common but simple task isn’t really on my agenda. It’s an interesting suggestion though. Who knows if I come across one I would certainly give it a try. C

[@SundanceHRTATK]

Great series! I don't recall hearing how the body stripping went on that Squier. How did the cabinet scraper do on all that poly? Or did you do something else? I'm trying to decide how i want to take the finish off my Fender mexi tele body (and neck, but that appears to work well with a cabinet scraper 😀)

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

It was dreadful. Hard work and it was stupid thick. I tried everything and ended up with a thin palette knife and a heat gun.

[@SundanceHRTATK]

@@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking Oh boy! Great to know, thank you!

[@boringoldman]

Cool video man. You’re awesome. I’m curious why you keep saying “52” and then using rosewood fretboard. Did they do rosewood in 52? Anyways great vids!

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

@@boringoldman General stupidity and stage fright coupled with failing faculties peppered with occasional ignorance is at the core of it I guess.

[@boringoldman]

@@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking awwww. Well. Keep it up. Great content

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

@@boringoldman sometimes I forget that rosewood necks didn’t come in till way later. You’re right of course but caught in the headlights of performance sometimes things get lost in your head.

[@ranman58635]

Also, if you want tommake necks, make a jig. Copy your favorites

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

I’ve made so many I simply hold them in my hands and feel them in. But I recommend a template to anyone not so familiar with making necks

[@ruprechtsrubberglove]

Absolute legend cheers

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Why thanks

[@ranman58635]

That neck fretboard looks like pao ferro

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

It’s humble rosewood. They vary in quality but so far they work just fine.

[@ranman58635]

@@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking , engineering now? I guess I'm so used to vintage rosewood. That looks more Grey to me. Cool beans

[@grahamtutton1987]

Bought a Harley Benton TE20 Tele to modify. Chunky neck so cabinet scraping looks like the way to go for me. Using a scraper is there much chance of going through the truss rod cavity? Great channel Chris.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Hi Graham, I really need to do a piece on cabinet scrapers. They rely on a burr on the cutting edge that you make with a burnishing tool. I think its highly unlikely that you could take that much off with a cabinet scraper. Maple is hard and cuts well but slowly. Take it slow and keep touching it. You hands will tell you when to stop.

[@thetoneknob4493]

if you do it right a parts caster is a cooler better guitar than a stock fender. i made my hard tail stratocaster in a way that i new it would be unique and stand out as a high quality unit! i made the body with top quality antique woods. mahogany for the back and curly quilty aaaa maple top.like a les paul. and since the wood was choice its lighter than a standard fender body. the guitar weighs in at just under 7 pounds. the neck is a nice fat 59 reissue with Brazilian rosewood fret board and standard vintage frets. the pickups and hardware was all from my dads old parts bin witch is funny as its the original vintage fender hardware that was upgraded lol score. it turned out fantastic and ive played it alot its now 20 yrs old in its current form. and its a way cooler guitar than i could ever afford to purchase from the custom shop.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Wow. Cool story, that sure sounds like a unique guitar. C

[@jhinoxhehe]

Hi Chris, Would it be possible for you to tell me where you obtained that neck?

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

China via AliExpress. I bought about 40 of them a few years ago.

[@solidus32]

Hey Chris, with that prefabricated neck did you have to do any adjustment with the truss rod?

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Always. Never assume anything is correct. Check it before you radius it and get it perfect before you start radiusing. Check it after fretting. If it’s not flat at every stage you sand in an error that cannot be corrected. I’m pretty sure I covered this as I approached each stage. It’s essential to check straightness before each stage. The act of fretting usually causes a back bow that must be corrected before fret levelling.

[@Kyush4]

i love the telecaster shape, but i dislike so many things about the telecaster body, the pickguard, the bridge, the metal plate, the way the controls are located... is there any seller that doesnt route holes?

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

You can buy body blanks without routing if you want to do your own thing. But it might be easier and certainly cheaper to make your own body using a template

[@nantucket3768]

how can you tell when the neck needs a radius'ing?

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

All neck have a radius. It’s a question of which one suits you. I like a 10” radius. Older fenders can be very rounded like 7.5”. That’s nice but a nightmare to bend strings on as they choke. I prefer a flatter fretboard. Even a 16”. Try some guitars and find out what suits your playing.

[@andrewgrossman6066]

Use a soldering iron to heat your frets as you pull them. They'll come out easier.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

True, but these were easy and I’d prefer to not heat the wood up unnecessarily. The wood could dry out and become brittle.

[@andrewgrossman6066]

@@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking I use that technique on fretboards that cost more than that neck does. You won't hurt anything.

[@johnnyway8667]

Great video series! Where do you recommend buying bodies and necks in the EU?

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

I’m going to tell you a secret. I use a company that is selling its seconds b grade bodies for cheap through a subsidiary. www.boobooguitars.co.uk/?cmp_id=1532124362&adg_id=64009251812&kwd=guitar%20kits&device=m. I find them good for bodies as you can simply fill and sand and holes and errors. Necks can be gotten on eBay and I look for abandoned projects that haven’t damaged the neck or been reshaped.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Please keep boobooguitars a secret. I don’t want all the good stuff disappearing before I can get it. C

[@WS-bk7uu]

Discovered your channel an hour ago and already bingeing :) Are you from the West Country?

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Haha... I am Bristol born n bred. Lived in London for over 40 years. Glad you are enjoying my content. More to come

[@WS-bk7uu]

@@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking Ah thought you might be, I'm also from that neck of the woods. Keep up the great work!

[@tomfoolery2082]

Whats the body wood ? If u said i didnt catch it .

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

It’s an old squier body. Some kind of meranti I would guess.

[@MrSDFD18]

Great video. But I’m lazy. I would have just bought the bridge plate to match the holes, sanded the hell out the body (800+ grit), rub a linseed oil finish on the body and slapped that baby together.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

@@MrSDFD18 Yes. Avoiding rushing at the end game is tempting. But I’ve done that enough to know that doing that leads to another brown guitar. You can have too many of those. It’s best to build a good guitar rather than a fast one. Trust me. C

[@MrSDFD18]

@@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking I don’t care if it’s brown. I want the wood resonating at its best. And a Partscaster should look like a Partscaster. It should be the raw, worn sense of the rustic original. Exposed wiring, no pickguard, vintage tuners.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

@@MrSDFD18 no thanks

[@MrSDFD18]

@@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking we all seek something different.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

@@MrSDFD18 apparently so

[@sunekronback5901]

04:00 - NOOOOOOOO... It's the perfect neck!!!🙂

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

I’m fickle. I have a neck for all seasons. In all seriousness. One man’s neck is another man’s er…. Neck

[@Jeremya74]

"Its about flat and round at the moment"...huh?

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

You are going to have to unpack that for me.

[@wilhelmtheconquerer6214]

The most vintage correct partscaster possible is Warmoth's vintage series strat/tele bodies and vintage construction necks of the same model, professionally finished in nitrocellulose lacquer and put together with original vintage parts, or alternatively top of the line reproductions of the same parts and hardware, depending on your budget. Only reissue MORE accurate would be a masterbuilt Fender Customshop model, and that'd be much more expensive

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Cool. Buy those and have fun. Cx

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

If I could highlight this post and pin it to the masthead of my channel, I would. I don’t think I could more perfectly encapsulate exactly what I am NOT trying to do here. If the solution to making a great guitar was simply to go out and buy perfect parts made to the highest standards in a factory that you could bolt together with just a cross head screwdriver, on your kitchen table then I don’t think I would have bothered to shoot a single frame. I’m try to set people with a love of guitars and a hankering to build, off on the deeply rewarding journey to guitar construction and equip them with the basic knowledge to do that. Think of necks and bodies as wooden blanks, merely parts to be crafted by our personal aspirations. I’m crestfallen that you seem to have completely missed that point and I blame myself for that.

[@mightymikethebear]

I like guitars that have thinner necks too. Say NO to chunky necks.

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

It’s never quite comfortable to play something that feels like a plank. My hands are strong but not big. I’ve got stubby fingers so I’m a slim neck guy. But… with very little hassle you can craft a neck that suits your own needs. That’s the joy of guitar making. C

[@Bobswann6723]

better not to sand across the grain like that

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

It’s fine to sand across the grain assuming you are coming back to the area before sealing. Profiling the neck using the shoeshine motion across the grain was taught to me by my senior luthier at college. Making a guitar requires scraping and sanding repeatedly in every direction conceivable. It’s impossible to avoid and there is no reason on earth to always sand with the grain. I have a ton more to do on the top before it’s fine sanded, sealed, grain filled, primed, top coated and clear glossed. But thanks for your concern. Cx

[@taronhowell2523]

Im lost in your eyes mate

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

Interesting. What do you mean?

[@taronhowell2523]

Being funny complimenting your eyes ..all jokes here

[@chrisreynoldsguitarmaking]

@@taronhowell2523 thanks so much. Being a blued eyed boy got me through school.