30 June 2016 8 TLAssem Version 1.1
4.0 Assembly
Once your guitar body and neck
have the look you desire and is
COMPLETELY dry, it is time for final
assembly. Waiting is tough, but
fingerprints in that otherwise perfect
finish can be hard to live with. And
please be extra patient. Even after
finishes are dry to the touch, they still
need time to cure. If you mount
hardware, pickguards, tuners, etc.
too early, they will stick to the
uncured finish and potentially and damage the finish. Waiting is hard!
4.1. Warnings
Though we aren’t handling explosives here, there
are places that you can get hurt and we need to
give you a few warnings and suggestions.
• TAKE YOUR TIME!
• As mentioned earlier, you need to protect
your eyes and lungs while doing any of this
work - in particular when doing sanding and
finishing.
• Warning - Follow directions for any finishing products. Some of these materials are toxic, produce
noxious fumes or are flammable. Use in well ventilated areas and away from sources of ignition.
• You should always wear safety glasses while working on your guitar kit. These protective glasses
should meet the appropriate standards of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
• We assume that you have basic skills in working with hand tools - screwdrivers, pliers, Allen wrenches,
drills and the like. We assume that you are familiar with the safe operation and use of the various tools
and techniques described in this document. If you are not qualified to do these operations, then you
need to stop building your guitar kit for your own safety.
4.2. Controls Assembly
If you received a fully wired guitar kit from us, there isn’t any work to do here - the pickups, volume and
tone control, and output jack are wired with snap together connectors. If you received your kit unwired, you
will need to prepare the pickguard, pickups, and controls, including soldering all the connectors. The rest of
this manual assumes that this is all completed.
4.3. Clear All Screw Holes
It is important to clear all the screw holes prior to assembly. It can be difficult to screw through tough and
durable sealants, such as polyurethane. Additionally, it will be difficult to get everything lined up in the
correct locations. The best way to clear screw holes by hand with a very small drill bit (1/16”).
• On the headstock:
• 6 small holes for tuner mounting (very small! don’t make them too big)
• On front of body:
• Pickguard mounting holes
Alloy Pro Tip
“High Scratch Risk Zones!” ahead. The last thing
you want to do is scratch the surface of your
beautiful guitar. You will see “High Scratch Risk
zone!” notations in the remaining instructions. We
recommend placing painters tape on your guitar
in several areas to reduce the chance of damage
caused by screw slips, screwdriver gouges, and
the like. Go slow, be patient!
Alloy Pro Tip
Always think first. Don’t hurt yourself,
or your guitar. Gouges in your wood
grain will not heal. Measure twice, cut
once. If you don’t have experience
using the tools or techniques needed
for assembly, please seek help from
someone who does.