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Just thinking about the possibility of building a tele from parts, and a few questions arise:
Ash versus alder for the body regarding tonal difference, and does the ash have to be the fabled swamp ash to be any good?
Type of bridge - the "ashtray" type is said to add to the twang factor, but does it also have any benefit tonally when used with the neck pickup for a jazz tone? Or for a primarily jazz use instrument, are you better going with the modern, 6-saddle, non-ashtray type?
Gold hardware - does it really work on a tele (I'm thinking maybe a natural finish body, with black pickguard, maple neck), or is it too ostentatious? Maybe chrome is better?
I have figured out I can buy all the bits I need from Axesrus in the UK for around £370 - I've dealt with these people for smaller orders in the past and found them good. Anyone in the UK built a guitar from their stuff, and if so, how did it work out?
Any other thoughts or advice regarding building from parts? Although this is all completely hypothetical
, and I reserve the right to change my mind after a week or so when the initial GAS attack wears off a bit. But we will see I guess! 
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07-03-2011 10:50 AM
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I'm a tele-nut, still, even though my Hofner has become my #1, I will never be without a tele...
Originally Posted by Meggy
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Hi Meggy,
I'll be starting my third parts build very soon.
Here's a couple of pics of what I've done, so far.
It's a very rewarding experience, and you can build to what you really want, as opposed to what a corporation tells you that you want.
Tele is Allparts neck and swamp ash body. Grover tuners and MJS Split-single pickups.
The strat is an old Ibanez Roadstar body, Allparts neck, Grovers, and MJS Texas Pickups.
Both are tung oil finished, but I'll soon be re-doing the Tele with Danish Oil.
Cheers, Ron
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Thanks for the thoughts Mr B! I think I like the ash from what you are saying, given the grain is more striking on a natural finish. The ash bodies do seem to weigh quite a bit more - say 6 plus pounds instead of 4 to 5 ish for typical alder bodies - does this have any bearing on tone in your experience, or is it just extra weight to lift with the ash? Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
As to the gold hardware, I know this is a trivial point in a way, and very subjective at that, but I still think it would be fun to get people's opinions. I was thinking of maybe a maple fingerboard (I've never had a maple board guitar before!) so maybe not the gold stuff - I'll have a think at least! I quite like to mix gold and black parts also (my archtop is like this) so for example a gold control plate with black knobs, that kind of look. My call in the end though I know...
Thanks for the pics Ron, they look terrific. I'm with you on the building exactly what you want aspect, plus I hope I will learn useful skills which will help me further in the future. I'm a little wary of things like drilling holes to the right specs and in the right places, but I think with a careful, considered approach I should come out OK. Like the tung or Danish oil finish by the way. Originally Posted by RonD
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Found an image pretty close to the look I envisage:
Just out of interest!
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here's mine again,
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Nice! I must have missed this the first time you posted, but cheers for putting it up again. Is that a spalted wood body? You have achieved one thing I hope for though, which is to have the guitar look basically like a classic tele, but also recognisably individual. Originally Posted by amhabz
Any more nice tele pictures anyone?
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hand made by a guy in wisconsin. Cedar body, capped with spalted maple, vintage pu's, maple neck. mellow when you want mellow, twangy when you want twangy.
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That sounds really good. I like to have a mellow jazz tone there when I want it, but also quite like a bit of county tinged jazz in the Scotty Anderson vein, so a bit of twang is also desired! Cheers for the added detail though. Originally Posted by amhabz
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My advice would be, you can end up with a very nice guitar that is just the way you like it, but don't expect a good resale value if you decide to sell it.
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Cheers for that point Bill, and I hear you on that - I had already figured out the resale value would be lowish without "Fender" (or other respected name) on the headstock. So it will be a case of getting things right, and the guitar being a keeper. Originally Posted by Bill C
Any tele players out there have any views as to the electronics? I want to keep things fairly simple with just volume, tone and a 3-way, but maybe will go for the TBX tone control circuit just to expand things a little. And what about pot values, tone cap value, that sort of stuff?
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Just a few thoughts from my recent Tele project:
Seymour Duncan Alnico 2's for the neck pup are a great way to achieve a nice warm jazzy tone. I have an SD Quarter-pounder at the bridge. With that pickup a modern switching sequence (neck/blended/bridge) works well.
I have a maple Warmoth neck which is really nice. I used to think Rosewood was the best jazz fingerboard, but I like the maple. That said, if I were going to build another, I would do it in Rosewood. I would be tempted to get a Mighty Mite neck, as it is the cheapest authorized Tele replacement neck.
I got a replacement body for my used Tele from Guitar Fetish--Paulownia in a sunburst pattern. It is cheap and VERY light and to my ears does not sound inferior to any other tonewood. (Guitarists are very snobbish about such things as choice of tonewood IMO.) If you don't want the extra weight, I think this is a good way to go.
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I put one together yourself to my own specs from Warmoth parts a couple of years ago. I choose a strat body for comfort, but it cold have been made with a Tele body as well.
Very clean, clear and warm jazzy tone, no shrillness at all. Excellent sustain. Amplified chord notes stand out and blend better than on my 175 and my Benedetto Fratello (with a floating PU).
Solid mahogany body and mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard, 25½" scale, 12" fretboard radius, 1 3/4" neck width, Graphtech nut, smaller frets than usual these days, Vintage Vibe HCC pickup (with Alnico II magnets), Grover Rotomatic locking tuners. The chicken head knobs is a tip I picked up from Barney Kessel - their position is very easy to see and feel even in bad light. The neck is laquered by Warmoth (they don't offer warranty on unlaquered mahogany necks). The body was finished by myself with Birchwood Caseys Gunstock Oil (very easy to apply with a finger). Strung with D'Addario Chromes 12-52.
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Thanks for those thoughts, and the picture! I think for this first build, I too like the maple, though I agree Rosewood has it's plus points for jazz. I can look around and see if I can find a Mighty Mite neck, although it's a bit harder to find these things in the UK. Nothing at all wrong with going for lightness either, although I have been looking at quite a heavy ash body as my likely choice so far (but I may change my mind!). Actually the mention of Guitar Fetish is a good one - I haven't looked there yet, and they probably do ship to the UK for reasonable cost. I was probably not going to spend quite as much as you on the pickups, but will try not to skip too much. Do you feel the ashtray (I notice with 6 individual saddles) bridge you have on yours has much impact on the tone, and if so, what effect? Cheers Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff
Much appreciated, and also I like your honest, straightforward appraisal of it's positive qualities compared to the 175 and Benedetto, two very lovely guitars. What you say is to me one of the great things about a tele (and indeed your own nice guitar) i.e. it is essentially a slab of wood with a bolted on neck, and ;yet it can sound just great. Good tone does not always have to imply complex construction by an expert luthier, not that I'm denigrating them or the great work they do. I've got chicken head knobs on my Ibanez JP20 archtop, also partly as a tribute to Barney, and for his practical reasonsl Plus I think they look cool too. And actually, I'll have a stroll over to Vintage Vibe's site shortly - I know they have very reasonable costs, and can ship to the UK... Originally Posted by oldane
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Well, my partscaster is a very lousy acoustic guitar. Originally Posted by Meggy
Yes, a slab of wood with a bolt on neck works great. It's no coincidence that the Fender Tele and Strat has been two of the most succesful and eduring designs - they are good sounding, very versatile for many types of music (jazz included when strung right) and very rugged. The modular design makes them easy to repair and custom PUs and wiring is also easy to do. Leo Fender really got it right with the Tele and the Strat.
My 175 is one of those 1961 models with a very thin neck, and it's my theory that it is too thin to support the sound optimally. The 1950s samples has a better sound to my ears. But back in 1973 when I bought it, thin "fast" necks was what everybody - me included - raved about. Joe Pass' old 175D was the same year as mine, had the same neck, and it sounded the same (check out the "for Django" album).
The Benedetto is a fine instrument, but it is first of all an acoustic guitar. The floating PU is an add on, and actually it picks up too much of the sounds from the guitar - wanted and unwanted sounds - so the tone is less controllable. It's also prone to feedback. It sounds great with very low amplification for example to help the volume of Freddie Green like comping a little. But with volume turned up for purely amplified playing it is not optimal IMHO.Last edited by oldane; 07-04-2011 at 03:48 AM.
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I like the tele design not just because it sounds good, and nice for jazz, but also to me it is a wonderful example of typical innovative American thinking "outside the box". I think it was the first bolt-on neck design, and I love that idea - Leo Fender must have thought why not just bolt the neck on? at some point. It seems simple, but actually a mental leap in a way. On a wider scale, I suppose the whole solid electric guitar idea is another example - and even the archtop guitar would have been an innovation at one time, though it seems traditional now. No coincidence these great designs originate in the US I think! Originally Posted by oldane
Well, my partscaster is a very lousy acoustic guitar.
Yes, a slab of wood with a bolt on neck works great. It's no coincidence that the Fender Tele and Strat has been two of the most succesful and eduring designs - they are good sounding, very versatile for many types of music (jazz included when strung right) and very rugged. The modular design makes them easy to repair and custom PUs and wiring is also easy to do. Leo Fender really got it right with the Tele and the Strat.
My 175 is one of those 1961 models with a very thin neck, and it's my theory that it is too thin to support the sound optimally. The 1950s samples has a better sound to my ears. But back in 1973 when I bought it, thin "fast" necks was what everybody - me included - raved about. Joe Pass' old 175D was the same year as mine, had the same neck, and it sounded the same (check out the "for Django" album).
The Benedetto is a fine instrument, but it is first of all an acoustic guitar. The floating PU is an add on, and actually it picks up too much of the sounds from the guitar - wanted and unwanted sounds - so the tone is less controllable. It's also prone to feedback. It sounds great with very low amplification for example to help the volume of Freddie Green like comping a little. But with volume turned up for purely amplified playing it is not optimal IMHO.
As to the thin neck thing, it's interesting. I once had the chance to buy a 1962 blond ES175, but didn't (was I crazy?) because I couldn't get on with the thick, club-like (well it seemed like that to me! ) neck profile. I went for the Ibanez Joe Pass model which I still have, and love, which has a fairly slim neck. The Gibson would certainly be worth a lot more now... I still think the Ibanez gets a great tone amplified, though admittedly maybe not a really massive full on type of sound. So I'm not sure I entirely agree with you about slim necks 
, although in the end it's very subjective of course - and depends on what you want in the first place.
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Meggy. Without wanting to drive up the cost, a couple of other options to maybe consider are a chambered body and your preferred neck scale/radius/profile/nut width.
The Wilkinson Compensated Saddle Tele bridge is nice imo, in that it looks traditional but is fully adjustable. ... and the "Electro Socket" jack socket is a worthwhile upgrade.
Would you build the guitar yourself or have a luthier/tech do it?Last edited by Bill C; 07-04-2011 at 06:57 AM.
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As regards the neck, I'm quite keen on the traditional narrow nut width (I don't have huge hands!) and also the usual 25.5" scale length. Probably something like a 9.5" radius, although I could go to 12". So a lot of the stuff out there already works well for me. I hear what you say on the chambered option - I've seen some like this from ebay sellers in the UK. My only worry is that parts from different suppliers may not fit perfectly. Originally Posted by Bill C
I've seen the Wilkinson compensated bridge, and that one is already quite high on my mental list!
Finally, I would indeed build myself, with guidance from the web, Youtube videos, that sort of thing. Plus I would go slowly and carefully I promise!
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FWIW, I'd stay away from Mighty Mite necks. Long story, but I had one put on my bender some time ago and it was just horrible.
I ended up going with USACG for a flamed maple beauty (53) and had it the headstock shaped and nitro'ed at Stars Guitars in Orlando. Best neck I have ever felt on a tele. The tone and feel is otherworldly.
As for the gold harware, go for it. It seems as if you really want it. Forget the re-sale bs. Have fun.
C
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... yes, something to be look out for. Originally Posted by Meggy
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It's an issue worth considering with any custom guitar imo. Today's perfect guitar built to my exact specs can become an oddity that's hard to sell for a decent price a few years down the road - I'll admit it's happened to me a couple of times ... Originally Posted by teleman3726
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I think the standard neck/neck pocket width at the heel, as used by Fender is 2 3/16 of an inch. Which equates to about 55.5mm in metric. I see plenty of necks and bodies for sale advertised as 55mm and 56mm - are they just rounding up/down, or is there going to be a slight discrepancy? Plus I've see some advertised as 57mm which are presumably not going to match other parts very well. It seems a bit of a minefield! I'll be careful... Originally Posted by Bill C
And a further add on that occurs is that spending more on your parts build, may not add very much more, if at all, to the likely resale value, which as you say can be low anyway! All food for thought... Originally Posted by Bill C
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For my part, I didn't think of resale value when I assembled my partscaster. I knew it would likely be low. But after all, it was not THAT expensive to begin with. We pay more when we go on a vacation, and when we are home again, the money are spent and the trip is only a happy memory. I still play that guitar, some years later. Besides it was great fun putting together and setting it up myself. I learned qute a few things that way. I also like that it is customized to my personal wants and ideosyncracies. I think one has to decide whether one wants a musical instrument to play or an investment object which stays at home in the vault in order to keep up the value. Originally Posted by Meggy
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Well yeah - and I'm not after buying an investment guitar really. I've been playing guitar, off and on, for about 30 years now, never had a tele in that time, have fancied getting one for a while now, and like the idea of getting it just the way I want, plus of course the fun of building it (as you say) and deciding on parts etc. And that way I will have something truly individual at the end, rather than a run of the mill model lots of other people have. Originally Posted by oldane
I've just been looking at the Warmoth website - you really can get just about exactly what you want, even if you didn't realise it was there to want in the first place! And the quality looks impressive. If I went this route, I would be spending somewhat more, and I have to factor in shipping costs to the UK, plus customs would then probably slap on 20% in VAT plus possible import duty. So it would probably add up to a couple of hundred UK pounds more at least, but might be worth it to get a superb instrument. I could still source nice parts in the UK, so would just get the body and neck from Warmoth to achieve the best value.
...so, anyone out there have anything to say about Warmoth, as I'm interested. Anyone in the UK had parts sent over? - how did it work out if so?
Cheers guys!
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USA Custom Guitars (USACG) also do very nice Tele bodies and necks.
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