I am going to put some black binding on the Tele guitar body. I think it will look super cool with the pink body and other black hardware.

To install binding, you need to cut away part of the body in an accurate and clean way. I think big builders use a router and choose a cutter and bearing that cuts the right depth.

I don’t like that, so I will do it by hand. I bought a really cool special tool named a gramil that will help me do this. The gramil comes with a blade and is adjustable to cut pretty much any size rabbet.

I am very happy with the results. This tool was very fun to use!

The next step is to install the binding 😱

Telecaster style bodies are not super comfy to hold and play. Gonna make the heel where the neck meets the body more comfy and accessible.

I bought a neck plate that is curved and then knocked the corner off the body.

I’m not sure if I’m gonna plug that hole or leave it. I’m leaning toward leaving it.

Time to fix the string hole location! Now that the bridge is located, I can drill the string holes in the correct location for this bridge. After the string holes are drilled, I can install the cool brass string ferrule block.

The first step is to plug the old string holes on the back of the body. The new holes will be about 1/4″ away. Some dowel rods and glue will do the trick!

Next is time to mark the location of the new string holes using the actual bridge and then drill through the body as straight as I can. Then mark the location the ferrule block will live.

Now time to remove the wood and make a recess for the ferrule block. I used some forstner bits and chisels to do this. The block fits pretty good!

I’ll polish the ferrule block super nice before it goes on for reals.

So the tele’s name is gonna be Sex Panther. I had a brilliant idea on a headstock logo design..

Write Sex Panther in the style of the Pussy Wagon truck from the Kill Bill movie!

I know, I’m brilliant right? It’s ok to admit it.

So lucky for me, some person (who I definitely want to buy a beer for) created a computer font that mimics the writing on the truck! Also lucky for me, my lovely wife found it! The font is named Action Is and is available here.

I used the awesome open source image manipulation program named GIMP to create a Sex Panther logo like the movie, but also that looks good smaller than the tailgate of a pickup truck.

Now to order some sticker versions of this..

I plan to install a full on humbucker in the bridge. Since this body is routed for a traditional single coil pickup, I need to do some surgery.

In order to mark out the pickup location, I need to fist determine the bridge position. This was a pain in the butt, but I think I got it right.

Then the pickup area is marked on the body, and some forstner bits remove the bulk of the material.

My friend made me a template for the pickup and I’ll use this as a guide to mark out the areas for the pickup screws.

Now it’s time to get busy with the chisels. I made the cavity a little bigger to provide wiggle room for the pickup.

Now the bridge pickup cavity is done 😀

Next I will do some sanding on the edges, locate and drill the new string holes, and install the brass ferrule block on the back of the body.

I want to start routing the Tele body to install the humbucker.  That means placing the bridge in the correct spot and marking the pickup location.

Easy peasy.  Just put the bridge on and line up the string holes with the holes in the body.  Then a quick double check with a correct size neck to make sure the saddles are in the correct spot with some adjustment and all should be good.

Except it’s not

Apparently this guitar body is made for vintage style telecaster bridge, not a modern one like I have.  This means the holes for the strings are in the wrong spot.  Vintage bridges have the string holes farther back from the saddles.

Bummer, but much better to figure this out now than later!

What to do now?  Move the string holes to the right spot (about a 1/4″ toward the neck). No big deal because the bridge will cover this up.

I’ll also have to deal with the ferrule holes on the back of the body. I’ll prolly plug the holes and then install one of these cool brass string ferrule blocks.

The Tele body came with some yellow stain and lacquer as a finish. I need to strip it off so I can fill the grain and some holes around the knots and stuff. The goal of this is to make the wood really smooth so it ends up smooth and shiny at the end.

I used a random orbit sander to remove the bulk of existing. Lucky it was thin and came off quickly.

Next I will do some grain filler.

Change of plans with my Telecaster guitar build. I’m going to do some customizing of the guitar body. I also decided to go for a more smooth finish instead of the “barn” kinda finish.

I also consulted with my wife boss about the color. She is not a fan of the yellow and suggested pink! I’m sold!

I like the look of the wood grain and decided to stick with a transparent color. I found a minwax stain in a cool pink color at Lowes. I think it looks really sweet!

I also get a kick out of naming these guitars. The wife has great suggestions and threw out Pink Panther. I took that name and twisted it a bit and decided on “Sex Panther”. If you need an explanation..

• 60% of the time, it stays in tune every time
• It’s made with bits of real panther so you know it’s good.
• It’s a formidable sound. It stings the ears…in a good way.
• Let’s go see if we can make this kitty purr
• What is that sound?!? It’s the sound of desire m-lady.

I was watching a guitar building video on YouTube and the person used a pine Telecaster body that looked cool. He bought it from an eBay seller named nomoonlaser. On a whim I decided to look them up and bid the minimum on a cool body. I won 😁

Time to build a Telecaster! I’m taking my time on this one.

Here are some photos of the body. It is sprayed with yellow lacquer and I LOVE the look of it. This sucker is gonna get a maple neck with a strat shaped headstock, a humbucker in the bridge, and all black hardware.