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I had fun today with a local lead guitar player. His band has been touring the US for the past year or so in small venues for barely any cash. He's a young guy, out of college, engineer, worked a year, then went on the road with the band....

He has some nice guitars, a Warrior, a Rickenbacker, and his favorite, a used Japanese Fender Tele, he gave 400 for at a large guitar store. He prizes this guitar due to it's neck and the Noiseless Pickups.

Well, I'd asked him to come by and let me measure out and record that neck for posterity. He is one of the best electric guitar players in these parts.

After cutting off a near new set of strings, I got my measurements. I asked if the broken nut bothered him, "Well some, but it doesn't affect the playing." Mmmmmm hmmmm, you want me to make you a new one? Yeah came his reply. I didn't tell him until well into the project that his new nut came from Petco and a dog chew bone....   

I sanded and polished it, pva'ed it in place and turned to his horrible fret wear. We discussed the major divots and what could be done and ended up fret-levelling and recrowning. The big issue for him though was fret protrusion, just thousandths of an inch but he didn't like it a bit.

After a quick trip with the angled file tool we took the file out of the holder and addressed the tangs, knowing it would probably touch the finish to get to the problem, it did. But I could tell he was happy with the result.

Then we pulled out the 0000 steel wool and went after some lacquer roughness on the back of the neck, it cleaned it right up and made the lacquer very slick indeed. He hated it.   

His other guitars it seems had some type of hand rubbed finish, not lacquer. After feeling the neck and his description, I could feel the lacquer resisting my hand? Hmmmm. He wanted a bare wood feel, and liked the light color of bare maple. There was nothing to do but strip the amber-tint lacquer off the neck. For that I turned to my furniture stripper and we kind of relic-ed the neck out, tracing outlines of where his hand stopped both ends of the neck.

Of course, anyone could tell, this thing was stripped bare, but.... he loved it, especially after again hitting the bare maple with the skunk stripe with 0000 steel wool.

We slapped a set of strings on, I dropped the action to bare minimums and checked his neck relief. Andy tosses it in the ATA case and we turned out the lights. He was beaming from ear to ear.

I was given a Tele Thinline Ash body and was thinking of setting it up with a Mighty Mite neck. I'd want to take the neck down to the Specs of Andy's Tele and since he's so happy with the Noiseless pickups thought of using those too.

Where is the best place to acquire everything I'd need for a bare Tele? Any of you guys like Telecasters?

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Bruce,
I'm finishing up a tele now. Waiting on the finish to cure before wet sand and buff. I did a very white blonde (Mary Kay style)in nitro and am doing tru-oil on the neck (I like satin necks, especially on electrics). So it is pretty traditional not really anything state of the art (except I am trying out the single coil sized active EMG pickups on this). Obviously you could pick up a piece of maple and make a neck from scratch or pick up a neck from Warmoth or WD. You can even get them from AllParts but I think those are already fretted (maybe this is not a bad thing). Good luck!!

I had a 65! Bought a new bridge piece years ago and cut a new opening for a hummer! Way before it was standard! Sounded great! My favorite Fender has to be the Tele!

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)

I've built quite a few Tele inspired guitars (and a few tele-zoukis & telemandos).For guitars I like the Lace Tele set it's the same or nearly the same as the Noiseless. The EMG active set is nice also with the EMG-FT being my favorite active pickup for bouzoukis. Another good and less expensive option is the Razor high output set from Allparts.
There doesn't seem to be much difference among the necks from MIghty-Mite, WD and Allparts. I like to leave the Allparts ones with just the sanding sealer that they come with on the neck shaft and finish only the head stock, feels great and doesn't stick like the lacquer.

GD

[QUOTE=Bruce Dickey] Any of you guys like Telecasters?[/QUOTE]

Do ducks duck? Does the pope wear a funny hat? Does a bear...? I simply love everything about them, nothing like a great tele. I have a beat up '59 that was my main axe for years when I gigged regularly. I bought it, what? 20 years ago; a previous owner had chopped down the bridge tray and routed a big cavity for a bridge humbucker and sprayed an ugly metallic green over the original clear finish on the body. I scraped the green finish off (the clear was intact underneath), put on a standard bridge and a good pickup, the neck pickup is original. The big humbucker cavity is now hidden by the bridge, but this makes the guitar sound a bit different than other teles, I think it gives it a somewhat acoustic quality. The finish is worn off the neck many years ago, and the bare maple is very smooth and delicate to the touch, but looks grey and dirty of course; rosewood fingerboard, the clay fingerboard dots have sunk in… I love it! I have owned other teles too and played many over the years, but this one is special.

I don’t have a good picture of the guitar, but here is a shapshot of me holding it in a backyard practice before a gig with some buddies. Good times!

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Hi Bruce,
for bridge and saddles go with Callaham or Glendale. For pickups I am not a fan of noiseless myself. I would use Fralin's, Lollars, or Duncans. Do yourself a favor and put in an electrosocket jack as it will never come loose. Also the Sperzel open back locking tuners.Hmmmmmm I seem to be describing the tele I built last year

Have fun
Evan

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http://www.NewYorkGuitarRepair.com

A few years ago I built both Tele inspired as well as Strat inspired guitars. I got the neck and bodies from USA Custom Guitars. I bought the hardware from Stewmac and the PUPS from Seymor Duncan. I used McFaddens lacquer and now wish I hadn't sprayed the necks. I should have just applied Danish Oil like I'm now doing on acoustic necks.

Good luck on the project, Bruce...these are fun guitars to build and every bit as demanding of ones attention to detail as acoustics. And while I consider my first efforts as mostly kit assembly, it inspired me to start a few electrics from scratch...2 have been started that I'm now looking for time and inspiration to complete.

BTW...the Tele seems to get a lot more play.

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

If you're going with an already-fretted neck, USA Custom's fretwork is way superior to Warmoth's IMHO.

Cool guys, thanks for the encouragement.

Evan, where do you get Callaham or Glendale bridges? I saw a good-looking Wilkinson with staggered saddle, three pieces with intonation grindings, screw on either side. Are six individual better? I also saw a crooked set, forgot the name. The Japanese Tele had this, the barrels appeared crooked drilled and tapped that way.

On necks now, Andy's tele had the thinnest neck I've ever seen. On allparts site, I was surprised to find four neck shapes for tele, standard, vee shape, C shape and Chunky. There was also an option for a Nitro neck? Which is the sleekest thinnest shape neck? I was planning on reshaping whatever I got to be the dimensions of Andy's neck.

I'm really learning something on this bare wood feel. I think it's possible to put a little finish, say tung oil lightly, to give just a little protection. Andy passed, when I got through with the stripper and 0000 wool, he stopped me right there.

What's funny is this neck was poorly overcoated with amber toned nitro. You could see on the neck where the amber was worn through and a second clear finish was worn through to bare wood between the strings and frets. There was a fair amount of gunk, chicken grease and burger residue. He wanted all that left alone.   

Arnt, that's a great picture. Your tele looks just like Andy's. I think his body is Ash though and it's near the same color tint as the wood grain shows through.

GD, I'm listening and will have a look at lace, emg, and razors (can I call home on that or shave with it?)

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

The neck finish thing is interesting.  My son has been taking the finish off the backs of all his Strat and Tele necks for nearly 20 years.  If it is a vintage and he's gonna play it, he re-necks it with a neck with the finish removed, and only puts the vintage neck back if he sells it.  Which he usually does.  Most of his players are beaters or Tele style gits from James Trussart, which he loves.

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Waddy

Photobucket Build Album Library

Sound Clips of most of my guitars

Bruce,
Callahm guitars is in Winchester VA About 15v minutes from where I live.
He does custom fender copies and boutique amps but has apparently
become known for his superior replacement Fender parts.

Check the site:

www.callahamguitars.com

k

Third recommendation for Callaham hardware. About the same price
point as Fender replacement and very superior.

I like USA Custom Guitars as well. I have one of their bodys and necks. I
like them better than the equivalent Warmoth stuff I also had.

Fralins - for modern rock.

Lollar - for traditional tele sound.

I had Fralin blues specials in my tele, and it wasn't the traditional warm
tele sound you're used to. I have lollars too, and they're the traditional
sound. I'd recommend against the noiseless pickups as well. Chances
are he has't heard the nicer pickups put out by either of the two above.

Okay, I've spent some time on the Callaham site and went through the differences he shows between his bridges and Fenders and the reasons.   Amazing.

Over at AllParts I saw a Callaham type three barrel bridge which helps with intonation of standard tele type barrels.

I kind of feel like I've stepped of into some quicksand here.      There are lots of options and opinions, and I do want to make an informed choice.

The necks at USA Custom are quite expensive, but like anything else, you won't get what you pay for, unless you pay for it. Even Callaham recommends USA Custom.

I must head down to the shop but will check back tonight. Thanks, maybe there are some lurkers too with Tele questions? Toss 'em in here!

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

I know everyone wants all the exotic high dollar pickups. Andy seems quite pleased with these Vintage Noiseless.

Is the sound all that much different from the Fralins, Lollars, and EMGs or Duncans.

The Razors GD mentions are really inexpensive, about half the cost of Noiseless. The Lollars set for Tele run about double the Noiseless Fenders.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

This pair from Callaham is wound by Fralin for a Tele.



This is the Callaham bridge with the compensation built into the brass slug.



This is the Electro-Socket which is preferred. Mmmmm hmmm.

http://www.allparts.com/store/images/fullsize/TB%205129-001. jpg

This is the Wilkinson, looks similar to Callaham above.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Allparts Wilkinson, looks like Callaham with same type brass intonation.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Hey Bruce

I haven't heard the noiseless tele pickups, but I can tell you the Fralins
and Lollars are extremely clear and detailed. When I had the Fralin Blues
Specials in my tele, the sound was wonderful for progressive rock like
Counting Crowes, U2, etc. The Lollars would've been what I would've
purchased for a more traditional tele sound. Try visiting the website for
Acme Guitar Works. They have sound clips of all these pickups. If you
call them, they'll help you pick the right set for you.

Now, with tele bridges, the weight plays a big role in sustain. The heavier
the better.

Good luck making these choices. It be great if you could just hear the
results first, right?   

thanks James, I'm going totally on what others say, believe me. It's just that the gift of a Tele Thinline lying around my shop just begs for completion. Both my son's ears perked up, when they heard I was doing something on it. I'm not sure why the drummer is interested.


This pic is similar to my Tele body. Where the controls are on mine are oriented toward the pickups. I think some call the pickguard type a Seal Pickguard. The tone and volume and pickup selector mount in the pickguard not on the metal as in this body type.

James, I'll have a look at Acme, thanks.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Try making a spruce body with maple plugs glued in wherever you need to put screws.   Killer tone, light weight, snap and sustain and all that you want.   For the most authentic 'vintage' type pickups, it's hard to beat what my pal Seymour Duncan does...and you should hear him play a Tele. He's an absolutely killer player.

If I were to build one now, I'd go with a western red cedar body core and .100" rosewood lams on the top and back...the harder and glassier the rosewood the better...Brazilian, Honduras, Cambodian, Madagascar, or Cocobolo. Then a nice graphite reinforced maple neck and a couple of Seymour's Alnico 2 pickups wired RWRP.   Might throw a dummy humcanceling coil in under the pickguard that could be switched in and out for single coil mode on the pickups.   Switched out for the authentic, though somewhat humming tone; switched in for situations where hum is a real problem but you want just one pickup on.   When using both pickups, they would be reverse wound and reverse poled so you'd get a decent degree of hum canceling.

Rick, that description spun my head around but I actually understood what you were saying. Thanks.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

[QUOTE=James Orr] Hey Bruce

I haven't heard the noiseless tele pickups, but I can tell you the Fralins
and Lollars are extremely clear and detailed. When I had the Fralin Blues
Specials in my tele, the sound was wonderful for progressive rock like
Counting Crowes, U2, etc. The Lollars would've been what I would've
purchased for a more traditional tele sound. Try visiting the website for
Acme Guitar Works. They have sound clips of all these pickups. If you
call them, they'll help you pick the right set for you.

Now, with tele bridges, the weight plays a big role in sustain. The heavier
the better.

Good luck making these choices. It be great if you could just hear the
results first, right?    [/QUOTE]


I have built quite a few teles and I agree. I almost always use Fralins. I think they sound fantastic.

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Brock Poling
Columbus, Ohio
http://www.polingguitars.com

Hey Rick, why cedar over spruce? You use it in the Renaissance series as
well for the center block. What properties are you looking at, and how
can someone start researching them?

James, that's the construction of our "Feather Weight" series of Model 1 electrics...hardwood tops over WRC core. It's basically a stressed skin body construction method using wood instead of honeycomb/CF or whatever.   One of the first FW's I made was Brazilian over cedar, and that guitar just sounded incredible.   I should have kept it.

Research?   Just build some. That's research.

[QUOTE=Rick Turner]   

Research?   Just build some. That's research. snip[/QUOTE]

That's Rick. Makes great sense too.

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http://www.dickeyguitars.com

Ditto on what Rick said about the Duncan pickups. I have switched out
every stock pickup in all my guitars for Duncans (unless the Duncans were
stock) and I love em. If I wasn't experimenting on this current Tele with the
EMGs they would be Duncans.