9380 Members
50 Forums
26839 Topics
293692 Posts
Max Online: 390 @ 10/02/12 01:42 PM
|
|
|
#286437 - 20/07/11 09:59 AM
Custom Telecaster parts build project
|
Megi
Old Timer
Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 1271
Loc: Lincolnshire
|
Hi, seems the right moment to start a thread to document my Telecaster building project. I've already posted a bit about some of the planning involved on the "tele partscaster - neck finishing question" thread (although the neck finishing thing turns out not to be an issue as I've gone for a pre-finished neck. Sorry about that, but cheers to everyone who has already helped, it's been very useful to me). Hopefully this thread may prove useful to others (at least you may avoid some of my inevitable --ooops naughty word-- ups) and I might get some good help/advice from forum members as I progress along the road to (I hope) my dream guitar.
I now have all the bits for the guitar, except for the body. I'm getting this custom made/routed from swamp ash by guitarbuild.co.uk who have sent me some detailed diagrams to approve - we just need to check on some of the part dimensions to be absolutely sure things are perfect. Should have it next week with any luck.
The rest of the parts I'm very pleased with at this stage. Neck is a "True Modern" telecaster type from Axesrus - must say I'm very pleased with the quality, and the fretwork looks very well dressed and finished which is a real bonus. Most of the other bits have come from Axesrus also, including a Wilkinson compensated saddle, vintage style bridge (looks the biz) and nice looking own-brand locking tuners. I've gone for all gold hardware, which is a bit bling, but somehow I like it!
Other parts include Tonerider Hot Classics tele pickups supplied by Dangleberry music - these look nice, hope they sound as good! Plus I am fitting an extra middle strat type pickup (like a Nashville tele model if you've seen one of those) - I have bought a set of 3 Voltage brand pickups (hand-wound in the UK, the price seemed outstanding). A bit of a shot in the dark, but now I've got them they look beautifully made I must say. A shame I only need one for the tele, though I'm sure the other two will come in handy for future projects.
I'll try to get some pictures up of the various parts very soon, but just thought I'd get the thread up and running now. Cheers! 
Edited by Megi (20/07/11 10:05 AM)
_________________________
Graham, jazz guitar nut!
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#286458 - 21/07/11 01:22 AM
Re: Custom Telecaster parts build project
[Re: Megi]
|
Mark P
Professional Forumite!
Registered: 21/10/09
Posts: 455
Loc: Scotland
|
Look forward to seeing the photos and progress reports.
You've researched it very thoroughly and that's half the battle.
Good luck with the project. There may be the odd accident and problem on the way - but it's all fixable, and there'll be plenty of good advice here if you need it.
Some of us have a catalogue of mistakes as well as a few successes that can be learned from! I still have vivid recollections of attaching a string tree onto my "Strat" only to have the head snap of the screw when it was very nearly fully into the headstock. My fault for being heavy handed with the spindly screw you get with a vintage style string tree - I got a lot of on-line advice and managed a work round that eventually worked - though as it was so tightly screwed in the remains of the screw are now still in the headstock and covered up by a larger roller style string tree.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#286490 - 24/07/11 09:21 AM
Re: Custom Telecaster parts build project
[Re: Mark P]
|
Megi
Old Timer
Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 1271
Loc: Lincolnshire
|
Look forward to seeing the photos and progress reports. You've researched it very thoroughly and that's half the battle. Good luck with the project. There may be the odd accident and problem on the way - but it's all fixable, and there'll be plenty of good advice here if you need it. Some of us have a catalogue of mistakes as well as a few successes that can be learned from! I still have vivid recollections of attaching a string tree onto my "Strat" only to have the head snap of the screw when it was very nearly fully into the headstock. My fault for being heavy handed with the spindly screw you get with a vintage style string tree - I got a lot of on-line advice and managed a work round that eventually worked - though as it was so tightly screwed in the remains of the screw are now still in the headstock and covered up by a larger roller style string tree.
It's good to have this forum back on the go though - I will try and have some pics up before too long, but irritatingly, the battery charger for my camera has gone on the blink, so I can't take photos just at the moment! 
I can report that I have been occupying myself with a few small jobs in the meantime: I have fitted the tuning machines to the neck (they look great, very pleased), filed down the supplied bone nut slightly so that it fits snugly in the slot on the neck - it is still way too high at the moment, but I'm leaving any further work on the nut until near the end of the build when I am able to put strings on, and check the action etc.
One other job has been drilling a small hole in the control plate between the volume and tone pot holes, to fit a small mini switch. I've now assembled all the pots and switches onto the plate, and it all clearly fits OK (and looks good also). My ideas for the circuit have evolved a little... being a jazzer at heart, I tend to favor pickup combinations that include the neck pickup. So now I'm thinking to use a 5-way super switch (Axesrus sell them, a bit wide, but hopefully it will fit in the cavity!) to give the following settings:
1. Neck pickup
2. Neck pickup plus middle pickup in parallel (hum-cancelling)
3. Middle pickup
4. Neck pickup plus middle pickup in series (hum-cancelling, and should give a tone more akin to a neck humbucker, if not quite the same)
5. Bridge pickup alone
The mini-switch (3 position) will add the bridge pickup to whatever combination above is selected, either in series, or in parallel (will make no difference if the main switch is set to position 5.) - assuming this can be done! I still have to work out the circuit. An alternative idea would be to have the mini-switch add the bridge pickup, either in or out of phase (again I have to work out how to do it!). But it should all make for a pretty versatile guitar sound-wise either way.
All fun and games anyway - still waiting to get the body, although this is my own fault for stalling while I wait to check the dimensions of some of the parts. Probably won't have it until the end of next week, but worth the wait I think. As others have said, best not to be in a rush on a project like this, although it's hard to wait!
Edited by Megi (24/07/11 09:22 AM)
_________________________
Graham, jazz guitar nut!
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#286860 - 05/08/11 09:38 AM
Re: Custom Telecaster parts build project
[Re: Megi]
|
Megi
Old Timer
Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 1271
Loc: Lincolnshire
|
Just got the body! This was custom-made for me by Phil at guitarbuild.co.uk - I think they really deserve a medal for good service - I have been a bit uncertain about some of the details, pickup rout dimensions for example, and nothing has been too much trouble. I was emailed several technical drawings, until everything was correct. One thing to be aware of with parts building I think, is that everything will not automatically fit together perfectly. Although we all know what we mean by a telecaster, part dimensions do vary - there is no exact standard. Phil was very good at anticipating, and alerting me, to possible issues in this regard. I'm happy to say the results of this care appear to be worth the trouble and extra few days wait, everything fits great - I was unable to resist immediately laying all the bits in place to see what the guitar will look like! And it's going to look rather nice... 
On to the body itself - it is exactly as I hoped, a really nice looking bit of swamp ash, with attractive figuring, and lightweight also, which I specified. Giving it a knock or two with my knuckles, it seems to be pretty resonant and alive sounding also, which bodes well. And a massive bonus - it is clearly a one-piece body, I ordered a 2 piece (funds are limited!) but this is just a terrific freeby.
So I'm feeling pretty good about the build now - I was starting to wonder if I should have just gone out and got a reasonable Squier or something - but now I'm really glad I stuck to my guns. That said, I have a pretty busy weekend ahead, so will not have much chance to get going until next week.
I'm still not up and running with a digital camera - my old one is bust sadly, so I will have a new one shortly, and pictures to follow very soon I promise!
_________________________
Graham, jazz guitar nut!
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#286869 - 05/08/11 01:07 PM
Re: Custom Telecaster parts build project
[Re: Megi]
|
Mark P
Professional Forumite!
Registered: 21/10/09
Posts: 455
Loc: Scotland
|
Looking forward to seeing the pictures in due course - I can understand your anticipation that the one piece body will be a bonus. Hope you get the bonus in the sound too.
My feeling is that you can't beat the apperance of a single piece body if you're able to see the wood grain when a guitar is finished. I know most fancy tops on guitar bodies are two piece and lots of people obviously like them but it just looks slightly wrong to me. My Hagstrom is like that - nice finish, nice colour and subtle wood pattern BUT the join running down the middle just jars on my eyes a bit.
Nice to know that there's a company like the one you've bought it from that's so helpful. There's quite a lot of pitfalls and expert advice is worth it's weight in gold.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#286870 - 05/08/11 01:38 PM
Re: Custom Telecaster parts build project
[Re: Mark P]
|
Megi
Old Timer
Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 1271
Loc: Lincolnshire
|
Looking forward to seeing the pictures in due course - I can understand your anticipation that the one piece body will be a bonus. Hope you get the bonus in the sound too. My feeling is that you can't beat the apperance of a single piece body if you're able to see the wood grain when a guitar is finished. I know most fancy tops on guitar bodies are two piece and lots of people obviously like them but it just looks slightly wrong to me. My Hagstrom is like that - nice finish, nice colour and subtle wood pattern BUT the join running down the middle just jars on my eyes a bit. Nice to know that there's a company like the one you've bought it from that's so helpful. There's quite a lot of pitfalls and expert advice is worth it's weight in gold.
Just got new camera, pictures soon, honest!
_________________________
Graham, jazz guitar nut!
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#286875 - 05/08/11 03:56 PM
Re: Custom Telecaster parts build project
[Re: Mark P]
|
Megi
Old Timer
Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 1271
Loc: Lincolnshire
|
First picci, I hope, if I can get this image hosting malarky worked out: [img]http://postimage.org/image/21fvxwb0k/[/img]
Hope that worked - it's just all the main bits put together to show the overall design and an impression of what the guitar will look like. More to follow soon.
Edited by Megi (05/08/11 04:01 PM)
_________________________
Graham, jazz guitar nut!
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#286876 - 05/08/11 04:00 PM
Re: Custom Telecaster parts build project
[Re: Megi]
|
Megi
Old Timer
Registered: 08/07/11
Posts: 1271
Loc: Lincolnshire
|
Didn't work - I'll get it figured out though!
_________________________
Graham, jazz guitar nut!
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
Moderator: stickyfiddle
|
|
FREE Pre Sale
Personalised Setup worth £55
On every guitar sold (Since
1995)
Click on the Images For Further
Details
Acoustic Guitar Setup
Electric Guitar Setup
I have also created a page to help
explain, in basic terms, why a guitar sold by me will:
Play Better
Sound Better
Feel Better
Look Better
Stay In Tune - Longer Whether buying a guitar or otherwise, I hope you find the
information of value.
|
|
|
|
