Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm building a telecaster for the first time. This one will have two humbuckers. I've completed 7 steel string acoustics but this is my first tele. I'm planning to use a nice figured maple drop top and I don't want to use a pickguard, so my controls will be mounted through the wood and not obstruct the pretty top. I'm wondering if there is enough room in the 1/4" top to allow the typical tele-type switch to operate. You know the type of switch I'm talking about... kind of a slider type. What thickness do I need in the top where the switch is located to allow the "slider type" switch to work? (so that the wood doesn't prevent the switch from moving to it's full extent.) ...or would I be better off to use a toggle type switch? Any thoughts, comments, or guidance is appreciated...
Thanks,
Steve

_________________
Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

You can do what I do. Leave the pickguard off but use the standard control cavity cover. Anyhow, 1/4" is almost certainly too thick. You will probably need to use a small control tip to make it work at all. It's just as well since anything resembling a Tele shape really should at least have the Tele control cover or it just looks off.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread. ... most/page4

Scroll down. You'll see one of my models. Removing the pickguard but leaving the control cavity cover is a sharp look.

Thanks John,
I was considering using a control plate, but I have seen some teles folks have built that had the switch directly mounted to the top without the control plate. They must had thinned the top at the switch location to accomplish that. I'd love to see your build, but I don't have permission to view the photos on that forum. Could you post the picture here?
Steve

_________________
Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

i'd go with a regular old 3-way toggle and forget about the "blade style"....

Steve the first guitar I built, a Strat style, had no pickguard and a 5-way.
I thinned the top from the back to about 1/8" in the area the switch would
be. Most of those switches have very short screws so when those will fit- the switch will throw fine.

I've also built a handful of Tele's and none had/has pickguards and the the control cover is
on the back. With a nice top they look wonderful IMO...the owners think so too. Just finishing up one now.

I'd go with a toggle too, or use a Tele control plate with the "slider type switch".
I find the standard Tele-style switch a pain to switch while playing.
I can switch a toggle with my little finger.

_________________
wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Here's a couple of shots of the "no pickguard w/plate" look.

I'm curious how you make out with this switch mounting issue because I am also working on a Tele build that will have a flame maple top. I was planning on thinning the top down to accept a Strat five way switch. Why a five way switch? Because I plan on putting a humbucker in the bridge position and want to be able to do coil splitting. When I wire up my Tele it will essentially have the capabilities of a Strat but with the middle pickup right beside the bridge pickup. I'm not sure how this will work because I'm new to building but I'm going to try coil splitting and see how it works.

Doug M

Jackson and others have used these switches in just wood. It's usually about 1/8" thick at the switch and a bit trhicker everywhere else if I remember.

_________________
Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

You're all way off except for B howard. Don't waste a bunch of top wood thinning it down to accept your controls. The solution is incredibly simple. You're already going to route the back of the guitar for a control cavity. All you need to do is route it to the thickness that will accept your controls, after your top is glued on. If necessary, you can even use a 1 1/2" forstner bit to drill out isolated pots/switches leaving the area around it thicker.

I hope I wasn't too derogatory, I was simply surprised no one has mentioned this method yet.

_________________
http://www.tinyhouseandland.com

John,
I think your tele with the nice figured maple top looks really nice with the control plate... but some people seem to find the plate clunky and unnecessary... even if that's how teles have always been made.

I think Dan may have a good idea to just use a toggle switch... it's just not as tele-like.

Doug, I considered coil splitting or switching from parallel to series (or vise-versa), but I decided that I would not likely do all that switching and to keep it simple with 2 humbucker and 1 three-way switch.

Thanks for all the replies...
Steve

_________________
Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

I may be one of those "way-off" but....as I said.

Very nice, Michael.
I also like the way the pickups are mounted.

_________________
wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

The inside of your control cavity will look like this.


I leave 1/4" for the bulk of the cavity and rout the switch area to 1/8". I also lengthen the slot by 1/16" to allow for the extra thickness of the top. This allows full travel of the lever without stopping against the wood.

Steve

Thank you Dan.
It was my first build so I have it in a display case. Best pic I
have handy.



I like a clean top Tele. I avoided the switch issue by using a blender on this one.
What a great choice for mixing those P-90s together. ( I wound those and...love 'em.) If
I hadn't built it for a lifelong friend I would have kept it.



I like the cover on the back when the top has nice wood. Painted...it wouldn't matter to me.
Not much at taking pictures...

Michael,
I LOVE that tele! The back of the headstock is fantastic. Good job! What kind of bridge is that?
Steve

_________________
Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Dang sweet Tele, Mike!
A control plate just would not look right on that guitar.
I just got me one of them Schaller bridges for an Explorer build.

_________________
wah
Wah-wah-wah-wah
Wah

Where's this "way-off" coming from? It's just my opinion that Tele's look funny with a small switch knob on it, and I'm not sure that a bug knob works with a wood top because of the thickness. People have been building guitars with switches through the top forever, so it's not a matter of possibility. It's just a matter of selecting the right controls and the aesthetics. Even Les Pauls are counter-bored for the control locations. Every guitar I make, save for that one vaguely Tele model, has controls mounted on wood and they're all counter bored for the controls. This is SOP.

Thank you Steve and Dan.

It was one of those special ones, no doubt. The one I just finished for myself
much like it.

I used the same Schaller bridge but set the fretboard height so I could use the
plate included with them. The little extra string height feels good.

Steve another note of interest about that bridge is that it has roller saddles so the string width
can be adjusted. Somewhat of a hassle when the strings are changed but still a great bridge IMO.

If you noticed- I also used the new "Da Vinci" machines (Schaller). Worth checking out but I'd want
locking with a trem.
If you try them be sure to check the "keeper" pin...not the same as their others. That little bit guide tool Stu sells
for locating/drilling the holes will not work on these.

I rout a recessed channel for the switch-tip with a semi-circular bit before I remove wood from the underside. The switch is still accessible but it sits better and the wood is thin only at the slot.

_________________
I've got a mind like a steel......whatsername!!?

Woops....posted in the wrong thread....LOL.

****SNIP*****