Jeremy's Mahogany Les Paul: Mock Build?

Today I started looking at getting the mock assembly finished for Jeremy's Mahogany Les Paul so that I can get on with the sanding and finishing. Unfortunately, however, there were a few compatibility issues with the custom hardware that Jeremy supplied.

Firstly, the TonePros bridge posts are US standard while the post holes pre-drilled in the body are metric (import). While the stop-bar posts seem to fit well, we'll have to source a new bridge with import posts before the bridge can be finally fitted. In the meantime, I'll have to use the import-sized bridge supplied with the kit.

We need a bridge with import bridge posts, and a deeper 3-way switch.

Secondly, the nice long switchcraft 3-way switch that Jeremy purchased doesn't have enough clearance for the remaining thickness of the body at the switch cavity. It will have to be replaced with an import sized switch as well. I've already ordered a replacement from Realtone - a switch I've had no problems with on previous Pitbull builds - so that will be here today I hope.

Standard Kluson tuner bushings are too small for the pre-drilled headstock

Lastly, the nice Kluson tuners that Jeremy sent have the wrong diameter bushings for the holes that were pre-drilled in the headstock. Rather than dowel the existing holes and re-drill, a set of adapter bushings have been ordered to fix the issue. It's just more thumb twiddling!

While waiting for the additional parts, I had another look at the neck fit and found something nasty - a large patch of excess glue on the side of the neck heel. This isn't just a glue stain where glue has been dripped and wiped away, this is a huge glob of shite that seems to have all kinds of greebles stuck in it. In places it looks about 1/2 a millimetre thick! It's not a big issue, but I've never seen anything like this on a Pitbull kit before.

A big glob of gunge on the side of the neck heel. That shite's gotta go!

There was nothing to do but get out the 180 grit sand paper and clean that crap off. All it took was 10 minutes sanding it was pretty well gone. Even though it's really not a big issue anyway - the main stay of the neck joint is the underside of the neck heel - it's still good to know that the glue will now be able to adhere to all 3 sides of the heel.

Shite be gone.

As you can imagine the neck fit is a little looser now than when I initially tried it, but it's still good enough. There isn't enough of a gap either side to be noticeable from the top that's for sure, and the back and side edges look good where they contact the outer side of the guitar.

Still a good neck fit from the outside.

For now all I can do is twiddle my thumbs and wait for my new hardware to arrive. It's really only the tuner bushings that I really need to continue with the mock build, so I wish they'd hurry up and get here already!! I really don't expect there to be any issues with the neck angles -  either side to side or the break angle - so as soon as the bushings are here this mock build can be quickly dispensed with and I can get on with some real finishing work!!