codetocontra's guitar build FAIL

[coldbrightsunlight]

Wow this is gorgeous. Excited to see more!

[Faldoe]

That is a really nice body/wood aesthstic.

Can't wait to see the guitar with the EGC neck.

[codetocontra]

Neck and pickup arrived today. Thicker than the usual EGC thin neck but apparently not as thick as the Denison profile. Heavy too. Some people on the FB group have attached theirs to Fenders and noted some neck dive. Maybe their bodies are too light. Hopefully my body is heavy enough.

Bummed that the pickguard isn't fitting quite right. There is a slight enough difference in body styles on the lower horn. Plus the neck gap on the pickguard is barely too small. This guitar was essentially dreamed up around doing something with my spare EGC pickguard so it would be unfortunate not to keep that on here.

I already found out that the bridge pickup pocket needs moved away from the bridge about 1/4". Might be able to cover the hole with a pickup ring. An easy solution to my few problems would be to get a Tele Deluxe pickguard.

Also questioning my sanity for choosing to build this. I know it can be done by people with more skills and tools than me. But I am also sort of depressed about gear at the moment. Selling lots of stuff off. For whatever reason I feel weird about owning too many pedals, or even two guitars. I have a strong argument to make for owning just one guitar.

[Invisible Man]

I like having one guitar, too.

Don't give up, dude, just post your problems here and we'll talk it out.

Or if you do give up I call dibs.

But don't give up.

I love that this insane project started from 'hm, what should I do with this pickguard?'

[Invisible Man]

Also not that it needs to be said but holy fuck it looks beautiful despite the things you're worried about.

[odontophobia]

Additional worse case scenario is that you sell the body and get something new to go with your neck. Because the neck is hngggggg. Can't wait for mine.

[Faldoe]

Seems like ditching the body would be too much. Maybe look and see if there are any local fabrication​ shops around and bring the body and have them trace out a template to what you want/need to accommodate the horn and they can mill you one. Probably cost more - or for sure it will - than a normal pickguard but it is what it is given the body.

[codetocontra]

My options for my pickguard issue:

1) Try a Tele Deluxe pickguard. Could even order another aluminum pickguard from EGC, last I knew they were $100.

2) No pickguard and just use two metal pickup mounting rings. I think Telecasters look a bit funny without a pickguard though. My stainless steel picks will tear an asshole into the body and end up looking Shellacified.

3) Try to make the existing pickguard work. Either live with it or modify the aluminum.

[antennafarm]

Just a thought, but I think it might look cool and a little different: cut the horn off of the pickguard so it's just a contour from the neck down to the right edge of the body (almost teardrop, or reshape it into a little mini-horn inside the tele's horn (like similar to the shape of a Danelectro double cutaway, the little nub). Teles without pickguards are weird.

[codetocontra]

Like you suggested, I was thinking about maybe grinding the lower horn area, similar to a Tele Deluxe. Might not be easy, could fuck it up, but it could work. Also considered chopping it in half like an Esquire model, but I don't love the look of it and can guarantee I wouldn't get a nice straight line.

Emailed Kevin about price and ETA for a TT2 pickguard. Waiting for a response now.

Went to two guitar stores yesterday to buy just one pickup ring so I could mount this humbucker and hear how this guitar sounds. But the fuckstick at the counter at a local mom-and-pop store didn't even look up from his phone, could see he was checking FB as I walked by. It took some restraint to not ask him if he was on break. I can feel the old man rage building inside me, not old enough to unleash it yet. So I made a lap around the store, found what I wanted, took it up to the counter, three other fucksticks not doing their jobs and didn't help me after standing there for a minute, so I left. Went to GC, a place I truly despise, and they didn't have what I wanted anyway. Fuck me.

[sylnau]

Put a black guard. There's already enough chrome in there.

[codetocontra]

Go plastic? Maybe might happen.

Got the guitar strung up for a test run. Pickup mounted directly to the body for now, directly wired to the output jack. Sounds pretty good. The neck is jarringly thicker by comparison, after playing my thin neck EGC exclusively for a long time. It may or may not work out. I am going to give it a few weeks as it is before I make any decisions to move forward with ordering more parts or aborting the whole project. I realized that this is my experimental guitar, so I could tune it to something rather abstract where playing fast isn't needed. Really fumbled around and felt my hand get fatigued after playing a while, which is something I haven't felt in a long time.

[odontophobia]

Neck feels very similar to MIA tele neck. Only problem I have right now is that the nut is slotted pretty close to the end of the fretboard on the high e side. May have to reach out to Kevin to see what my options are.

[codetocontra]

Discovered tonight that the neck dives a bit My left wrist starts to hurt because it is holding up the guitar while I play, which is also slowing me down too. If I cross my legs while I sit then the guitar sits a bit different, and I can sort of hold it down with my right arm on the body as I strum. Then I taped my Bigbsy to the body as a counterweight, surprisingly helped a bit. The dive is still there though. For reference, my other EGC has a slight bit of dive where it is almost balanced on my leg when I sit down but will start to dive when I left go, but hardly noticeable when holding the neck and never been a problem with a strap. So now I may end up just install my strap buttons on the new build. Going to play with the exact location, try to help counteract the neck weight by moving the rear position a bit higher on the body.

[odontophobia]

I use a Couch strap and have the EGC on my Jazzmaster. Just bought an AVRI Trem and have a Staytrem arm incoming. Don't usually use the Trem Arm but going to start. Mastery bridge on the way, too. Hoping to counterweight with the non-imported bridge/tremolo and the UK-imported arm/collet. That being said, I wear my guitar up high and strap as tight as possible. Doesn't seem to dive too badly.

A lot of people just recommend different straps though. Leather, padded, etc.