Thread update!
After the 1/4" veneer was applied with epoxy, the next step was cutting the excess off, I didn't want to sand the edges much (or at all) to retain the original body dimensions/shape. I also cut off the foream contour excess because it was just sticking out
Some basic filing of the edges for the contour. I ended up shaping the contour back to factory specs with a handheld belt sander (carefully!) followed by a sanding block. I have to say, it's totally satisfying when this contour came back to it's full original shape. You can't feel it at all running a hand across the joint.
As luck would have it, one of my other Jazzmasters is a totally original '62, which made for the perfect reference point for all sorts of specs on the body, from the shape to the route depths to the contour shapes.
I started working on opening up the original factory cavity routes. Aside from the lower control routing, all of the other cavities were intact (both pickups, trem and rhythm circuit). I drilled with a forstner bit to open up the route area, then used a flush-cut bearing bit to follow the original cavity edges for a perfect shape. In the course of doing so, I found that the available aftermarket templates are *slightly* off a 1/16th of an inch here or there. Nothing you would really notice if you weren't trying to use them on an original cavity.
Here I have leveled the body half, preparing to mate it to a piece of fresh alder for the treble side, both planed to the matching correct thickness.
I attached the other side of the body with epoxy - again because I don't want this coming apart in the future.
Continuing to open the factory routes on the bass side of the body, while also routing the control cavity on the new half (before cutting the body to size). Shout-out to Javelina Guitars (who sell templates on Reverb), really high quality stuff that helped with this project quite a bit.
Lastly, it was just a matter of using the template and tracing from my original '62 JM to get the body outline started. Then cut it out to shape on a bandsaw and final shaping with a spindle sander and disc sander.
Starting to look like a Jazzmaster again! The next stop is doing the edge roundover on the body with a 7/16" router bit, and then doing all the fine sanding to prep it for sealer and paint. That'll have to wait a week or two, though.
Finally (and this is subject to change), I have decided on
Sherwood Green w/matching headstock for the final color selection. One of my favorite custom colors and one that you don't see very often on 60s Fenders.
