The START template is actually a guitar-core blueprint.
For example, on a scale of 1:1, on a hard, 3 mm thick HDF plate. Its purpose is to present the matching individual assemblies and parts clearly, with the possibility of direct gauging of the checkpoints.
In the picture below is a START template for the tele-type. It's worth a beginner to create for the three most used guitar scale length (648, 629; 635 mm), each START template as a exercise, too. This enables for example determine quickly whether a replacement to the existing body and neck of his neck pocket fits.
How - where - what ... to do with it?
On the START template, you see four flags with letters A, C, D and B. The flags are only there to show clearly the positions of the checkpoints. The steel pins, but have an important task:
When making (cutting out part of the templates), needs to be compared between progress with the plan on the START-template. The pins help to lock the same positions to each other, and make the checks more quickly, safely and accurately.
The checkpoint >A< can also be described as "ZERO" and is located exactly at the "crossroads" of the center line with the scale line.
The checkpoint >B< marks the location of the nut, or more precisely the front edge of the nut. The line AB is the scale length (without compensation!)
The point >C< lies on the center line where the neck ends and begins the neck pocket. (The fingerboard can be more!).
The point >D< halved the scale length and corresponds to the 12th Fret (Octave Location)
Neck template (test)
On the white START template mask, the neck template is light brown, fixed in bases >D<and >B<. The C-hole must be covered from the neck edge exactly in half. As the crescent moon.
For a neck with 21 frets cover the fretboard with the contours of the neck. For a 22-fret neck is the fingerboard a few millimeters long (overhang). The neck and the neck pocket in the body are the same for both variants.
The headstock could of course be designed in a different style.
Matching
On the white START template are body with pickguard template and neck template. Top is (partially covered) still see the neck longitudinal stencil. Below is then a neck profile template with three widths, for 1, 7 and 14 fret position.
The two-piece body template is glued after the sawing and finishing and its >A< base is located right at the intersection of the vertical scale line and the bond line (= center line). You can make it, of course, from a single blanks.