The Les Paul Jr Kit build thread. Now with video!!!!

[Knox in Box]

This one should be somewhat easy and a lot quicker than the last kit thread I had. I learned a lot and just now decided to forgo any painting. You'll see why.

Got this kit from my wife for Christmas:

Yes,I knew it was coming, and I picked it out myself. What I didn't know is how attractive the natural mahogany would be when I hit it with some water.

Anyone paying attention knows I was asking around for paint options before and had settled on surf green. Even bought a spray machine to do it, but now I can't stand the thought of covering that beautiful wood. Looks like a tru oil finish will be in order, and I might do cherry red. Though that color is cliche as all get out.

Neck is a nice shallow D profile and gets are edged nicely, no sharp edges hanging out.

More to come.

I'll be winding my own P90 for this build as well, stay tuned.

 

[Bob411]

Is it Christmas there already?

HNGD

 

[LeftyTom]

Is it Christmas there already?

HNGD

In Ireland it is 10:46pm DEC24 now (5:46pm EDT DEC24). So in Australia and New Zealand, it is currently DEC25.

 

[jelloman]

Looks like a tru oil finish will be in order, and I might do cherry red. Though that color is cliche as all get out.

Consider forgoing the red stain altogether and just go straight TruOil...you can get a good reading on how it would look by applying some in the pickup rout...

 

[jp_nyc]

Who did this kit come from?

 

[mystixboi1]

Wow

 

[DFB]

Who did this kit come from?

His wife.

 

[Knox in Box]

Is it Christmas there already?

HNGD

Gift exchange on Christmas eve here in Europe, even though my family back home always did it that way. Dad was second generation Czech/Hungarian.

Who did this kit come from?

Www.KITBUILTGUITARS.CO.UK (currently out of stock)

Only 107GBP!!! I figured for 141€ shipped, the neck and body in mahogany would be with it.

 

[Knox in Box]

Consider forgoing the red stain altogether and just go straight TruOil...you can get a good reading on how it would look by applying some in the pickup rout...

That's sort of the plan, though I had grander plans and feel like I'm copping out if I do that...

 

[Bob411]

Gift exchange on Christmas eve here in Europe, even though my family back home always did it that way. Dad was second generation Czech/Hungarian.



Www.KITBUILTGUITARS.CO.UK (currently out of stock)

Only 107GBP!!! I figured for 141€ shipped, the neck and body in mahogany would be with it.

We always did one gift on the eve.

 

[bsman]

As the official Jew of MWGF, I will weigh in on this. My wife’s family always exchanged gifts after dinner on Christmas Eve (after a traditional dinner of steak sandwiches) and on Christmas morning opened one present “from Santa” and the stockings on Christmas morning.

 

[Knox in Box]

The headstock shape I worked out. I also tried the red dye I have and decided that I want neither natural, nor red. I'm back to Surf Green, though that well set me back time wise again.

 

[Knox in Box]

And.... Ready for paint or Tru oil on the neck. I think I'll do the painting of the headstock first this time.

 

[Knox in Box]

One thing I didn't realise when I told my wife about it is that it has a Blackwood fretboard. That is like 1.5 times harder than some forms of ebony. This should be really interesting.

I had been wondering what they were doing about the whole Rosewood thing.

 

[reverend1]

One thing I didn't realise when I told my wife about it is that it has a Blackwood fretboard. That is like 1.5 times harder than some forms of ebony. This should be really interesting.

I had been wondering what they were doing about the whole Rosewood thing.

Reverend is using Blackwood as well. So far the response has been very positive.

 

[Knox in Box]

Reverend is using Blackwood as well. So far the response has been very positive.

I was really surprised to see it, thinking I was getting rosewood I first wondered how they got around the CITES thing, then was amazed at how dark and uniformly grained it was.

I only looked at the website to see if they had restocked (they did) and read the description.

 

[Peen Simmons]

Someone totally needs to build one of these for me.

I’ll pay you in song lyrics.

 

[Knox in Box]

It's only 94£ and some time guy. Okay, finishing tools and your choice of pickup.

Stock pickup was only 5.3k, so, a pickup too. I'm upset Iron Gear stopped making their mini humbucker... :(

 

[Knox in Box]

Did three coats of black RAL lacquer and sanded flat on the headstock.

Found an old logo from the last project where I had covered the paper with tape and cut around the logo. Removed the tape from the paper and used it as a stencil to paint on the gold enamel testors paint. I will be putting a waterside of my logo over top of this hopefully tomorrow.

 

[Knox in Box]

So far, so good. The first one came out rough and I had to take it off after I had lacquered it once. I decided I couldn't live with it and make a compromise. This one "kann Sich sehen lassen" as they say over here.

I stuck with my ultra nerdy "company" brand.

Time to let it dry over night and then lacquer, lacquer, lacquer...