Ol' Tex Project: Body Preparation & Upgrades

Welcome back to the workbench! It’s early morning here in Texas, and we are diving deep into the "Ol' Tex" project. This build started as a $102 Fojill Tele-style guitar from Amazon, but we’re turning it into a true rock and roll machine that honors the Lone Star State. In this episode, we tackle the critical body preparation steps for the Fojill body. From testing our double-coat shielding paint for continuity to the "nail-biting" process of routing the bridge cavity for a new pickup, things get a bit "cattywampus" as per usual! We also explore some "on-purpose wear" (light relicing) using a few shop secrets like WD-40 and Scotch-Brite pads. Plus, I introduce a new tool to the shop: the Milescraft DrillMate 1318 (the DrillMate 5000!), as we prep for a string-through-the-body conversion. Grab a Diet Coke and some popcorn—let's get into the shop talk! Fojill Vintage Aged Heavy Relic https://amzn.to/48GqIXO Gotoh In-Tune Brass Compensated Saddles https://amzn.to/4tjpfOw Milescraft 1318 DrillMate Portable Drillling Guide https://amzn.to/3OscXVP Catch up on the series: Ol' Tex - Guitar Project (Fojill FTLR-50) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMhTW3lOIKQ38SuaA17lSoA94i2HcV9Xz Timestamps 0:00 - Intro: Guitars, Life, and the Vision for Ol' Tex 1:10 - Shielding Success: Testing Cavity Continuity 2:06 - Player Preference: Why I'm Upgrading a $102 Fojill 3:52 - Ground Wire Installation: X Marks the Spot 5:08 - Pickup Dilemma: Analyzing the Stock "Waxy" Pickups 6:47 - Bridge Surgery: Why We Need the Router 8:57 - Routing Results: Fitting the New Pickup 9:30 - Brass Upgrades: Swapping Saddles for Better Tone 10:27 - Shop Secret: How to Relic Chrome with WD-40 11:55 - Uniformity in Wear: Sanding and Texturing the Bridge Plate 15:07 - "I'm in the Future": A Note on My Video Timeline 17:34 - The Big Question: Can Ted Master the String-Through Conversion? 19:28 - Creating Pilot Holes: The "Nail & Hammer" Method 21:13 - Tool Unboxing: The Milescraft DrillMate 1318 (DrillMate 5000) ____ Shoutouts: @SmokeEaterGuitars (Jon) @j-mansgearcave (Jay) @TonJager (Brant) @BCG5150GUITARS (Chris) @String_Pickers (Casey) @sparkyguitars971 (Sparky) @AOsAreaofOperations (Aaron) @WickedFesterTR (TR) Checkout our playlist page for more series and journeys https://www.youtube.com/@TedTalksGuitars/playlists Special Thanks to our channel members "The Jacks" Want to support the channel? Feel free to explore Channel membership options: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBr6kaWeOvldTHvntB3tnMg/join Ted Talks Guitars & Life Merch Store: https://tedtalksguitars-shop.fourthwall.com/ Amazon Affiliate Link: https://amzn.to/3W3PZox *If you click on this link to shop at Amazon the channel will receive a modest financial commission from your purchases. Disclaimer: This video is not sponsored. Some links are affiliate links. If you buy something I may make a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Guyker Referral Link: https://www.guyker.com/?ref=tedtalksguitars If you use the link you will save 15% at Guyker Use the coupon code: TEDSMITH #TedTalksGuitars #OlTex #Fojill #GuitarMod #DIYGuitar #Luthier #GuitarRepair #Telecaster #Milescraft #RelicGuitar #GuitarBuild