My final hat trick! Telebird 12 string!

[skullservant]

Ah, interesting! I'll have to try to give that a shot if I can.

The friend of mine said he was sending out that repair kit today with some fresh maple plugs, so I have that too

[rot gut]

just make sure the left hand drill is smaller than the screw dia.

[skullservant]

Sooooo I fixed everything. Just drilled holes next to where the screws were driven in, and it worked perfectly. Used Fender pickguard screws instead of the cheap screws. A little larger gauge, still fit, and better quality. Also did a tooth pick plug on the front of the headstock. Got the size drill bit I needed and it worked like charm.

Now I'm just waiting on the pickguard. It's the final piece. And then I can finally start assembly!

[Chankgeez]

Very nice, skully.

[skullservant]

Thanks man. Im now contemplating putting the neck on and seeing how it strings up with a spare set of strings before the pickguard comes, so I can make adjustments

[AxAxSxS]

that string tree is killer! Where did you get it? The only 12 I have that needs something like that is my strat, I used a neck that came as a paddle but it still hass the fender style break angle. I rigged some stuff up but that looks trick as hell.

[skullservant]

I got it from Angela Instruments, right here in Maryland. It's apparently an authentic Fender XII tree.

Just spent the last 40 minutes putting the neck on and stringing it up for the mock up to see how it would do. action is nice, not sure I will have to tweak the truss rod.
I WILL absolutely have to get threaded saddles for the bridge. The strings slide around right now on the standard saddles which is not good.

Drilled the strap holders, and I think I'm going to end up adding a 3rd peg, closer to the neck joint to take some of the neck dive off. It's kind of a really awkwardly large guitar in shape from what I'm used to and you have to hold up the neck a bit, but I kind of expected it with the amount of weight in the headstock.

Anyways, the checklist:

Pickguard
Threaded saddles

That's it for now, I think.

[AxAxSxS]

just measure carefully and have at it with some needle files.
I've found I greatly prefer having the individual string intonation option, but if that's not a big deal to you, you should be able to make that bridge work.

[skullservant]

Yeah my thought was if I got threaded saddles I wouldn't have to worry about filing as much ahaha
I've kind of mastered the art of Telecaster intonation over the past year, I'm hoping I can put those skills to good use with this! Only time will tell I suppose.
Come on pickguard.....

[skullservant]

Pictures after test stringing:

Case in point about needing threaded saddles-



And strung at the headstock!

[odontophobia]

This thing looks so fucking cool.

[AxAxSxS]

I still think you should find a way to use these.



Not the best pic and the strings are slack as I was changing pups, but you can see how the octave strings dont line up with the regular ones for intonation.

[skullservant]

Do you think I could mod a telecaster plate to use those saddles? I guess I could. I'd just take the specs from that bridge and transplant them to the telecaster plate. My biggest question would be is it the top loading holes that are offset, or the through body holes that are offset. My gut tells me that it's the first.

If I did go with those saddles, I'd have to save up or sell something. Pretty broke at the moment unfortunately

[AxAxSxS]

Looks like you could, would need to measure. The 12 style saddles are taller than the normal strat style ones.

[skullservant]

Well the other night I found some spare saddles that I had laying around, and slotted them as best I could for the octave strings. The problem that I'm running into still is that the low E, D, and B octave strings run into the height adjustment screws on the saddles, which move them over from where they should be. I suppose I just need to suck it up and save up for the 12 string saddles, because they seem like the only real way to do it right at this point.



Here's the first picture with it strung up: