Saga electric kit--got mine.

**Paul Busman** · Feb-07-2012, 7:21pm

For a few years I had a simply beautiful mini Les Paul styled electric 4 string made for me by Andrew Jerman. I loved it, but at the time I wasn't playing it nearly enough and thought someone ought to be enjoying it, so I sold it.
Still...I still really wanted an electric 4 string. Might even be able to play it in our little Irish band. I've also always had a thing for Telecasters, so I ordered the Saga kit. It arrived today and I quickly slapped it together as a dry run before I apply a finish.
This little thing is sweet! It's missing one or two very small screws, but that's no biggie. I'll also have to tinker with the nut and bridge to get the action right, and ground the tailpiece a bit better in the final build. The instructions seem to describe an adjustable bridge with separate saddles, but the one supplied is a compensated rosewood one with what looks for the world like a real bone saddle.
I think I'm gonna go with a black body using automotive paint, maybe metalflake if I can find it. This is gonna be fun.

Any and all suggestions from people who have built these would be welcome. I've already searched the forum and found some good stuff.

**terzinator** · Feb-07-2012, 11:40pm

I've got a thread in the "electrics" section...

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/sh...yone-build-one

here's mine:

**Paul Busman** · Feb-08-2012, 5:15am

Nice retro paint choice. Fun little bugger, isn't it? For $125 including tax, how can you go wrong?

**Jacob** · Feb-08-2012, 7:00am

Does the peghead come cut to a quasi-Fender shape, or left generic requiring reshaping? Thanks.

**terzinator** · Feb-08-2012, 10:31am

Originally Posted by Paul Busman

Nice retro paint choice. Fun little bugger, isn't it? For $125 including tax, how can you go wrong?

I know, right!

Peghead arrives as a big rectangle. You can cut it however you want.

**Jacob** · Feb-08-2012, 1:50pm

Thanks for the info.

**Paul Busman** · Feb-08-2012, 7:14pm

Just picked up black mica paint and some clearcoat.
I'm getting a nasty humm through my amp when I play this mando, which goes away when I touch the strings. I'm guessing I didn't sufficiently ground the tailpiece, right? I pretty much slapped the whole thing together yesterday as a dry run and wasn't all that careful.

**Pipeous** · Feb-08-2012, 7:25pm

I believe in Chris' thread he talks about the instructions being wrong for where to ground it. or I read it somewhere...

man I want to build one of these things now. getting the bug

**Paul Busman** · Feb-09-2012, 5:17am

Thanks Pipeous-- I'll definitely search for that before I assemble the mando "for real"...

**Paul Busman** · Feb-19-2012, 8:41pm

Finished up the mandolin today and I must say it's a pretty little thing. I'll post some pics soon. I did go with the black mica finish with clearcoat and it came out quite acceptably. It's not totally flawless, but I got a bit nervous about sanding through the clearcoat.I actually did sand through the clear and black ever so slightly in two places on the edge, but they're tiny and in an inconspicuous place. I'm thinking that rather than trying to refinish and blend those little spots, I'll just spray a gob of the remaining black on a piece of cardboard or some such and just touching the spots up with a brush. Or maybe just a black Sharpie.
Bad news-- I still have that humm! The only reference to electronics that I saw on Chris' thread was where he mentioned lining the cavity with copper tape, nothing about grounding in a different location. This assembly, I was careful to make sure that ground wire is in firm contact with the tailpiece. Any additional suggestions?

Oh, one finish issue. When wet sanding the finish with 1500 grit wet/dry, some water got into some of the body holes and caused the wood to swell, raising little longitudinal ridges parallel to the wood grain

. Luckily, these are covered by the pickguard and bridge thumbwheels, but they pretty much freaked me out at the time.

I still need to work the nut slots a bit deeper for easier first fret action. All in all, I think this was $125 well spent.

**bigskygirl** · May-27-2012, 11:25am

Nice, I want one now, you guys are a bad influence!! I'm finishing up a Saga LP style today and still playing my Saga AM-10 so this looks like a good next project.

**Paul Busman** · May-27-2012, 9:22pm

I did the LP kit several years ago and it came out quite nice. I painted it Fusion Orange Metallic with automotive paints to match my wife's car at that time, a Grand Am.

**bigskygirl** · May-28-2012, 10:31am

I'm almost done with the LP - some finishing issues with poly over white paint - who knew it turned yellow??!! (just love the "experience" I'm experiencing with these builds) The body spent the night in the trash last night but this AM I seem to be a little calmer so I fished it out and will finish it up - I could always sand it down at some future date.

Back to the subject - did you ever post pics of your completed e-mando? Would love to see the black. Terzinator's looks great too!