Just found this forum, and what an awesome resource it is! Thanks for all of the great posts and pictures. This place is a treasure trove of information.
I have the bug to build a guitar from scratch. Lacking the tools and experience, I thought I'd start with a kit, and a few side projects. This seemed cheaper and easier than trying make something scratch built that may or may not turn out. You never know I might lose interest.
I have some experience already. I built Telecaster when I was 17. I bought a Tele body and a Strat neck. I didn't even realize that the neck pocket wouldn't fit until I got the parts. Back in 1982 there was no internet. I had to figure everything out on my own. I made it all work. I made my own nut from a brass blank and some files from the hobby shop. It all worked, and I played the guitar for years, I still have it! (will post pictures later). In retrospect there are plenty of things I could have done better. I think the action was a little stiff at the nut. I suspect the slots could have been filed a little deeper.
Since then I have only dabbled in guitar repair, setting intonation, swapping pickups and modifying electronics. I recently bought a few tools and did fret level on a cheap guitar. it worked out well, though it was no where near the quality of job done at the shop.
Anyhow, I have a couple projects to get me started. I bought a tele kit off ebay for $50. Looks like a bass wood body with a maple neck, though the fretboard looks like the same wood as the body?
At some point I wanted to build guitar from scratch, around 1987, I bought an used Ibanez strat type neck from Gary Brawer in SF. It sat in my closet for 25 years. I got it out and decided replace the frets. If you're going to build a guitar you have know how to put some frets in, and might as well know how to take them out.
To get this party started I had a few questions. Does this neck look like it's worth saving? My uneducated opinion seems to say yes, of course I'm a cheapskate and hate to waste anything.
The neck doesn't seem to have a any cracks or visible damage. The trussrod bullet turns freely. It seems to have a bit of back bow, it curves away from the frets. I tried to show this in the picture below with the ruler.
IMG_4685 by soggybag, on Flickr
IMG_4687 by soggybag, on Flickr
IMG_4690 by soggybag, on Flickr
IMG_4691 by soggybag, on Flickr
IMG_4693 by soggybag, on Flickr
IMG_4694 by soggybag, on Flickr
IMG_4699 by soggybag, on Flickr
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