Telecaster Project

**wizard3739** · 02-23-2009, 10:13 PM

I kicked off my Tele project last night with a change of heart. I purchased a cheap (moneysaver) Made-In-Mexico Fender Tele Alder body with a few parts (parts are expensive!!) already mounted on it. Next step is to strip the paint and do a rib and forearm comfort cut. Then I hope to refinish the body in a nice dark stain. I am currently looking at a Warmoth Pau Ferro neck with an Ebony fingerboard (no finish required for this neck). I am also hoping to find a used Joe Barden neck pickup (supposed to be very well-balanced) and a Bill lawrence pickup for the bridge position. After doing a lot of research on Tele projects, I concluded the jazz value of this instrument has more to do with the pickups and a really good neck with good action than anything else. Anyone have any thoughts about the stain to use for Alder? Wish me luck!

wiz

Stringbean · 02-24-2009, 01:49 AM

great project you got there, any chance you can document it with pictures for us?

**wizard3739** · 02-24-2009, 02:39 AM

Will do Stringbean! I bought the body on eBay so it will be a few days before I can actually start. I will start posting pics of progress on our myspace site as soon as the body gets here. This is a labor of love for me so I will be working on it for quite a while.

wiz

The Senior Moments op MySpace Music ? Gratis gestreamde MP3?s, foto?s en Videoclips

**wizard3739** · 02-24-2009, 10:29 AM

anyone have a good source for used tele parts? I want to keep my tele project costs down as much as possible.

wiz

**trtjazz** · 02-24-2009, 10:43 AM

Try here:
Guitar Parts Online - Guitar Parts Online

or

Guitar Parts USA - Guitar Parts at Low Prices

**wizard3739** · 02-24-2009, 12:57 PM

Thanks Terry, Looks like a good site!

wiz

**Squint** · 02-25-2009, 12:25 AM

Hey Wiz, very interesting project you have!

I saw this at my luthiers site...

(see attached)

Hope this gives you inspiration!

Good luck.

**wizard3739** · 02-25-2009, 01:42 AM

thanks for the pic Squint! Very nice looking custom tele. I would be very happy if mine turns out that nice!

wiz

**Squint** · 02-25-2009, 05:33 PM

It's all in the sound, Wiz!

Check out my personalized Agile "TilleyCaster" from www.rondomusic.com with the custom furry cowskin picguard...

It felt like strumming a giant tarantula for a few weeks before I got used to it...

**fep** · 02-25-2009, 07:08 PM

For you tele lovers, really cool though not jazz, this guy playes all the instruments

**wizard3739** · 02-27-2009, 07:22 PM

My MIM Telecaster body arrived today and I may have a change of plans. The body has an excellent paint job so I may not need to strip it! Pics on my myspace page!

The Senior Moments op MySpace Music ? Gratis gestreamde MP3?s, foto?s en Videoclips

wiz

**wizard3739** · 03-02-2009, 06:31 PM

Tele project update:

In keeping with my thoughts of getting a good neck and good pickups with a cheap body, I have ordered the neck from Warmoth with the following specs:

1 piece Indian Rosewood with stainless steel, tall, skinny frets.
1 11/16 " graphite nut installed and matched to the frets.
white Pearl dot inlays, 21 1/2 " scale, Black Schaller mini-tuners. (This neck will require no finish and should be a warm tone for jazz/blues).

I was able to get a bargain (1/2 price eBay auction) on a Joe Barden Humbucker (neck) (supposed to be well-balanced) and a Bill Lawrence "stacked" humbucker bridge pickup. Unless I have made some bad assumptions, the coils for each should be put in series for a standard Tele schematic set up.

Does this project guitar need to be shielded for noise or EMI? Will Aluminum tape work for shielding?

I think most of the other parts should get here by the time the neck gets here. (about two weeks) This probably won't be a real fancy one but it should be tough, sound good and very easy to play (I hope)

I am really getting excited now!!

wiz

**wizard3739** · 03-03-2009, 08:55 PM

Anyone have any thoughts about shielding for my Tele project guitar?

wiz

**mr. beaumont** · 03-04-2009, 12:42 PM

two of my teles have no sheilding other than the bridgeplate and metal neck pickup cover, and while the single coils are not super quiet, they're not a nuisance.

my main tele has sheilding paint in the body cavities. it is quieter.

**wizard3739** · 03-04-2009, 10:25 PM

Thanks Jeff, that is good information for me. A friendly luthier in Payson is going to give me some conductive adhesive copper tape that he uses for repair work. I think I will go ahead and shield the cavities and maybe the pickguard.
Some of the part I have ordered from eBay are starting to come in and the neck I ordered from Warmoth will be shipped tomorrow. Almost everything is either here or in the mail so I'm thinking maybe I'll get my Tele put together in the next couple of weeks. I'll post a couple of pictures when I am finished with it. I'm really looking forward to playing it.

thanks again,
wiz

Thanks again,

wiz

**mr. beaumont** · 03-04-2009, 11:06 PM

i think i'm almost as excited as you. i've never built a tele from scratch, but my main tele is a combination of three guitars, and the process of picking out my favorite things to assemble my favorite guitar was ridiculously fun. one day i'll assemble the ultimate jazz tele, till then, i'l live vicariously through you.

**wizard3739** · 03-05-2009, 12:29 AM

Mr. B, This is something I have always wanted to do. It kind of takes me back to my musical roots. My first electric guitar was the first Stratocaster that came into Tucson, Az. I was working (teaching basic guitar) in a Pawn shop/Music store and the owners always let me tune up the new stuff as it came in. I traded in my Martin Classical guitar on the Fender Strat and a big piggyback Fender amp. That guitar was the easiest playing guitar I have ever had but, like the dumb kid I was, I traded it in on an Es 335 a couple of years later. I was convinced that I needed some kind of hollow body to be able to play jazz.
This Tele project guitar should have a real sweet neck and will definately be used on my jazz gig. I have learned over the years that I always sound like me no matter what instrument I use.

best wishes,
wiz

**wizard3739** · 03-06-2009, 03:50 PM

All parts are either on order or already here. I installed the copper foil shielding and the bridge and bridge pickup (Bill Lawrence "stacked humbucker"). I am anxiously awaiting arrival of the Warmoth neck and the Joe Barden neck pickup. I tested the bridge pickup after installation and sounds pretty good when I tap on it. (no hum or static noise at full volume!) Can't really fully test it without the neck and strings. I have posted some pictures on my myspace page for those of you who are interested. To view the pics, go to The Senior Moments op MySpace Music ? Gratis gestreamde MP3?s, foto?s en Videoclips and click on pics beneath the Senior Moments picture.

best wishes
wiz

The Senior Moments op MySpace Music ? Gratis gestreamde MP3?s, foto?s en Videoclips

**Squint** · 03-06-2009, 05:23 PM

Let us know how the neck goes. I'd like to have an ebony fretboard on my "Tilleycaster" and Warmouth sounds like the place to get one.

Can't wait till you finish it!

**wizard3739** · 03-06-2009, 06:44 PM

Hiya Squint,

I am still looking at that leather pickguard!
I think the guys at Warmoth are really great to deal with. They will answer any question you have on project guitars and they won't let you make a serious error when you are trying to decide what parts to use. They seem to be especially knowledgeable about necks and what type of wood works best for different tone qualities. As you can guess, I am very anxious to get that Rosewood neck and try it out for jazz.

wiz

zz5555 · 03-06-2009, 09:34 PM

Hi,
I'm new around here and have pretty much just played a strat (although I've recently bought a tele and built another tele) and was wondering about the comment:
"After doing a lot of research on Tele projects, I concluded the jazz value of this instrument has more to do with the pickups and a really good neck with good action than anything else."

I'm thinking of either getting a Les Paul or building a tele with humbuckers, but hadn't decided which to do. I was hoping for something warmer for jazz thought the humbuckers might make a nice change. I'd been thinking that I'd have to look for a mahogany body, but you think the neck and pickups are much more important?

Thanks

**wizard3739** · 03-06-2009, 11:44 PM

Yes, my research comes from listening to Ed Bickert, Lennie Breau, Ted Greene, (Mr beaumont and Matt on this site) and a personal preference for a humbucker sound. All of the guys mentioned above were/are good jazz players and none of them use any special woods for the body. Most of them did use a humbucker in the neck. I did read about the different tones emphasized by different types of body wood, but I still think a good, easy to play neck and good balanced pickups make more sense to me. Mr beaumont and Matt both get a good jazz sound from their Telecasters.
Hope this helps you,

wiz
http://www.myspace.com/theseniormoments

**wizard3739** · 03-07-2009, 11:33 AM

I received the Joe Barden Hmbucker neck pickup yesterday. Only thing left now is the neck, the Schaller tuners and the pickguard. The project tele should be ready for strings by next Thursday or Friday, just in time for my jazz gig on Saturday night! I will be putting on Sadowsky flatwounds (12 to 52). I can hardly wait!

wiz
The Senior Moments op MySpace Music ? Gratis gestreamde MP3?s, foto?s en Videoclips

**mr. beaumont** · 03-07-2009, 07:47 PM

this is getting exciting.

**wizard3739** · 03-12-2009, 10:58 AM

I received my Warmoth neck, Schaller tuners and pickguard yesterday and the neck is a perfect fit! It feels really good and I can't wait to string up and try it out. Unfortunately, the pickguard they sent me was a stratocaster pickguard, not the Tele pickguard I ordered. So I have to wait until they send me the right pickguard to finish the project. I will post more pictures on my myspace page later today.

wiz
The Senior Moments op MySpace Music ? Gratis gestreamde MP3?s, foto?s en Videoclips