Considering a partscaster: Please im-part your knowledge

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Miza
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Re: Considering a partscaster: Please im-part your knowledge

Post by Miza »

sty wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 8:45 am
IMOCD wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 2:34 pm Must be huge relief when you see the e strings lined up like that. Nice.
I'm stressing over doing this on my build, and I'm nowhere near doing this yet.
The approach above using the clamp seemed to work ok. I learnt it from YouTube. Just means it didn't move when I turned it over to mark the holes. Just use a drill bit a similar size as the body holes so that the marks are centered.
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Re: Considering a partscaster: Please im-part your knowledge

Post by IMOCD »

sty wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 8:45 am
IMOCD wrote: Wed Mar 09, 2022 2:34 pm Must be huge relief when you see the e strings lined up like that. Nice.
I'm stressing over doing this on my build, and I'm nowhere near doing this yet.
Yep, I think that's the part that would stress me out the most, too.

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Re: MJT bridge cavity depth

Post by Miza »

Miza wrote: Fri Mar 11, 2022 8:19 am Any other MJT owners struggle to fit the bridge p/u into the cavity?

I had to drill holes to fit the three p/u screws, and now the cable is getting in the way and preventing the bridge from sitting flush. I'll keep hacking away to get it to fit, but just found it a bit odd?
Got this sorted, thanks to a quick phone consult with the big man upstate (My Glyn).

Turns out it was mostly user-error on my behalf. I just had to raise the p/u and run the cable directly underneath to avoid the hitting cavity walls. :roll:

Hey, it's all a learning curve right?!
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Re: Considering a partscaster: Please im-part your knowledge

Post by Miza »

All assembled today.
Still needs a lot of adjusting and set up. The nut has been the trickiest piece of the puzzle. SO much filing. And these Aliexpress nut files are almost completely useless. Its still way too high, so I've been filing the bottom to take some meat off, but I'm not sure if thats the right approach. I guess once I get closer I'll work on each string individually, then take some off the top of the grooves are too deep. Dunno.

I'm not happy with the pickguard (also from Aliexpress, go figure) so I'm not going to commit to screwing it in place in case the screw holes don't line up with an Allparts one, hence the tape.
20220312_174039.jpg
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Re: Considering a partscaster: Please im-part your knowledge

Post by Starfire »

Looking good. Not happy with the pickguard colour?

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Re: Considering a partscaster: Please im-part your knowledge

Post by captainfruitbat »

Miza wrote: Sat Mar 12, 2022 8:36 pm All assembled today.
Still needs a lot of adjusting and set up. The nut has been the trickiest piece of the puzzle. SO much filing. And these Aliexpress nut files are almost completely useless. Its still way too high, so I've been filing the bottom to take some meat off, but I'm not sure if thats the right approach. I guess once I get closer I'll work on each string individually, then take some off the top of the grooves are too deep. Dunno.

I'm not happy with the pickguard (also from Aliexpress, go figure) so I'm not going to commit to screwing it in place in case the screw holes don't line up with an Allparts one, hence the tape.

20220312_174039.jpg
Sanding or filing the bottom of the nut is perfectly valid, as long as you keep it flat so it seats properly in the slot. I usually start off that way to get it roughly to height, then fine tune the slots individually

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Re: Considering a partscaster: Please im-part your knowledge

Post by Miza »

Starfire wrote: Sat Mar 12, 2022 8:50 pm Looking good. Not happy with the pickguard colour?
Nah I like the colour. I just didn't realise when I bought it that the neck p/u screws into the guard. Prefer the look with it screwed into the body. Plus the bottom feels too close to the edge.
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Re: Considering a partscaster: Please im-part your knowledge

Post by Miza »

captainfruitbat wrote: Sat Mar 12, 2022 8:53 pm
Miza wrote: Sat Mar 12, 2022 8:36 pm All assembled today.
Still needs a lot of adjusting and set up. The nut has been the trickiest piece of the puzzle. SO much filing. And these Aliexpress nut files are almost completely useless. Its still way too high, so I've been filing the bottom to take some meat off, but I'm not sure if thats the right approach. I guess once I get closer I'll work on each string individually, then take some off the top of the grooves are too deep. Dunno.

I'm not happy with the pickguard (also from Aliexpress, go figure) so I'm not going to commit to screwing it in place in case the screw holes don't line up with an Allparts one, hence the tape.

20220312_174039.jpg
Sanding or filing the bottom of the nut is perfectly valid, as long as you keep it flat so it seats properly in the slot. I usually start off that way to get it roughly to height, then fine tune the slots individually
Cool. Yeah I stuck a piece of sandpaper over the neck to keep the radius of the bottom correct. Still attached:
20220312_174034.jpg
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Re: Considering a partscaster: Please im-part your knowledge

Post by Starfire »

Miza wrote: Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:33 pm
Starfire wrote: Sat Mar 12, 2022 8:50 pm Looking good. Not happy with the pickguard colour?
Nah I like the colour. I just didn't realise when I bought it that the neck p/u screws into the guard. Prefer the look with it screwed into the body. Plus the bottom feels too close to the edge.
You could try one from here :

https://www.eyguitarmusic.com/Telecaste ... _p_29.html

I’ve heard good things about the fit of their offset guards, so the Tele one might work for you. Cheap too, so not too much lost if it doesn’t work.

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Re: Considering a partscaster: Please im-part your knowledge

Post by Miza »

Starfire wrote: Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:42 pm
Miza wrote: Sat Mar 12, 2022 9:33 pm
Starfire wrote: Sat Mar 12, 2022 8:50 pm Looking good. Not happy with the pickguard colour?
Nah I like the colour. I just didn't realise when I bought it that the neck p/u screws into the guard. Prefer the look with it screwed into the body. Plus the bottom feels too close to the edge.
You could try one from here :

https://www.eyguitarmusic.com/Telecaste ... _p_29.html

I’ve heard good things about the fit of their offset guards, so the Tele one might work for you. Cheap too, so not too much lost if it doesn’t work.
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Re: Considering a partscaster: Please im-part your knowledge

Post by Lostininverness »

Careful pulling that tape off.......

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Re: Considering a partscaster: Please im-part your knowledge

Post by Miza »

Guitar is basically done. Its playable rather than perfect.
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I had to re-wire the switch to flip it around to get a better fit in the control cavity (due to the angled switch control plate) and noticed the Oak Grigsby 4-way switch i bought from Stewmac has a fault.

In position 1 (bridge only) the neck p/u is still on. Upon closer inspection, the mechanism of the switch isn't moving far enough across and is touching both lugs:
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I'm not certain if its fixable as there seems to be a bit of play in the round plastic part holding the piece that sweeps past the lugs.

Any suggestions before I email Stewmac?
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Re: Considering a partscaster: Please im-part your knowledge

Post by Miza »

Oh and I checked it wasn't the slot in the control plate stopping the switch from reaching the furtherst part of its throw (common issue with 3 to 4 way conversions). It wasn't that.
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Re: Considering a partscaster: Please im-part your knowledge

Post by Miza »

20220320_163645.jpg
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You can see here, the third lug from the left is still touching the wiper when its on the fourth.
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Re: Considering a partscaster: Please im-part your knowledge

Post by Bg »

that looks to me very much like the slot in the control plate isn't long enough, it looks like the lever is hitting the end of the slot - take the switch out of the plate and take another pic.

If thats the case, the easiest fix would be to take a small needle file to the switch where it hits the plate.
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