Telecaster Love Thread, No Archtops Allowed

[Hep To The Jive]

Because everyone's a follower.

Sometimes there is good reason for that. Sometimes it's good just to follow the common wisdom, when they say don't piss against the wind it is based on experience, you know But then again, you can always follow your own path and hope it will work.

[docsteve]

To get the thread back on topic - thank you for the useful hints on the Strat middle pickup. I will try to apply this to my modified Tele.


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[Stringswinger]

Roy could sure get around on a Telecaster

[rolijen]

A while back I scavenged some parts together to make what I hoped would be a hot looking, versatile Telecaster. The only part I needed to buy was a neck. So I ordered one from Fender when they had one of their online sales. Upon receiving the neck, I learned that the nut was not at all ready for play—it basically stood about 1/4” proud and had the tiniest of “guide” slots (not sure why they do it this way).

Out came a set of nut slotting files to start on the job. Silly me. I had no idea that I needed to remove about half the height of the nut before slotting. The slot I was cutting for the B-string was so deep and narrow that I split the nut clean there.

Realizing I was in over my head, I took it to my local music shoppe and found that I could have a new, bone nut properly cut, installed and setup for a reasonably small fee. When I got the Tele back, it had a beautifully shaped bone nut nicely installed. However, I was disappointed to find exceedingly tight slots for the plain strings resulting in binding and impossible tuning issues.

With other things to worry about, I put the guitar in its case and figured I would take it back. About that time, a friend mentioned that he too had had a poor repair from the same place so I decided not to go back.

(Side note: I should be whipped for not remembering that our own deacon mark lives but a stone’s throw from me and could have easily done the work or sorted this out).

A year passed and I had read a lot and watched many videos about nut making and got up the courage to try to fix it. Luckily the person who had worked on it previously had left enough material for me to use proper shaping/slotting files to get everything ship shape and Bristol fashion.

The resulting Tele is fantastic sounding and a pleasure to play and provided me an education in yet another area of guitar making. Not sure why pics always end up sideways from my phone.

[Little Jay]

A while back I scavenged some parts together to make what I hoped would be a hot looking, versatile Telecaster. The only part I needed to buy was a neck. So I ordered one from Fender when they had one of their online sales. Upon receiving the neck, I learned that the nut was not at all ready for play—it basically stood about 1/4” proud and had the tiniest of “guide” slots (not sure why they do it this way).

Out came a set of nut slotting files to start on the job. Silly me. I had no idea that I needed to remove about half the height of the nut before slotting. The slot I was cutting for the B-string was so deep and narrow that I split the nut clean there.

Realizing I was in over my head, I took it to my local music shoppe and found that I could have a new, bone nut properly cut, installed and setup for a reasonably small fee. When I got the Tele back, it had a beautifully shaped bone nut nicely installed. However, I was disappointed to find exceedingly tight slots for the plain strings resulting in binding and impossible tuning issues.

With other things to worry about, I put the guitar in its case and figured I would take it back. About that time, a friend mentioned that he too had had a poor repair from the same place so I decided not to go back.

(Side note: I should be whipped for not remembering that our own deacon mark lives but a stone’s throw from me and could have easily done the work or sorted this out).

A year passed and I had read a lot and watched many videos about nut making and got up the courage to try to fix it. Luckily the person who had worked on it previously had left enough material for me to use proper shaping/slotting files to get everything ship shape and Bristol fashion.

The resulting Tele is fantastic sounding and a pleasure to play and provided me an education in yet another area of guitar making. Not sure why pics always end up sideways from my phone.

Glad it worked out! And it’s a very cool looking tele! With the red and the paisley it has a Christmas vibe, so very fitting for the time of year!

[Little Jay]

I’ll put it upright for ya

What pickups and parts did you use?

[rolijen]

I’ll put it upright for ya

What pickups and parts did you use?

Thanks, Little Jay! And Merry Christmas!

I used a MIM Fender body and vintage style bridge I had on hand. For pickups, I had a set of Seymour Duncan La Brea pickups I had tried in another Tele a while back. They suit this guitar really well. I started out with a plain white vintage style pickguard and it looked nice, but plain. So, due to the pickups’ association with Brad Paisley, I decided to put on a paisley pickguard I had on hand. To my surprise, it turned out looking quite good.

With the nut now working properly, this tele will likely get much more playtime!

[Little Jay]

Quality parts! Enjoy it!

[robocoptick]

my 2 favourite fcs bespoke builds.

[jim777]

Wow, those are insane! LOVE those necks!

[Alder Statesman]

After nine years I decided to mod my 2015 American Deluxe Telecaster.

Before:



After:



Seymour Duncan Vintage P-90 and lost the mother-of-toilet-seat pickguard for a cream-black-cream.

[Mick-7]

After nine years I decided to mod my 2015 American Deluxe Telecaster. Seymour Duncan Vintage P-90 and lost the mother-of-toilet-seat pickguard for a cream-black-cream.

Took you long enough! How do you like the Seymour Duncan pickup?

[Alder Statesman]

Took you long enough! How do you like the Seymour Duncan pickup?

So far i am liking it. Like so many say, fuller than a standard Tele neck pup, but more subtle than a full-sized humbucker.

I wanted a black or dark brown pickguard so I hope to swap that out over time.

[markb]

I ve gone through more than a few Teles over the years. A '72 and a '73. Two late model Fender Custom shops. The only "Tele" I've kept is a wonderful Mahogany w/roseboard homebrew I put together years ago. I've wanted good maple board for quite some time and I'm happy to say I found one. IMO, the FCSs I had were good but not in the league of this Suhr. Fit, finish and tone exceeded the Fenders. Great jazz tone from the neck pup. The blend shines and the bridge is by far the best bridge tele pup I've ever played. Not a bit of ice pick or shrill like some tend to have. Gratuitous pics..

[Little Jay]

After nine years I decided to mod my 2015 American Deluxe Telecaster.

Before:



After:



Seymour Duncan Vintage P-90 and lost the mother-of-toilet-seat pickguard for a cream-black-cream.

Very cool! A P90 in the neck is a very nice upgrade fo a Tele if you want a beefier jazz tone, imho. I have two teles with a P90 in the neck.

[Little Jay]

Played a bluesy jam on my DIY tele built with a Lollar underwound P90 and a 24.75” scale neck.

[ruger9]

I recently got my 3rd tele, and this time it's a non-Fender: it's one of the new LSL Era series. Roasted pine body, roasted maple neck, faded shell pink.

I'm not sold on the pickups (Duncan Vintage Stacks: noiseless, and noiseless IS what I wanted, as I'll be using this guitar in my cover band), so I'll have to experiment with pickups until I find the right combo I'm looking for. But it feels good, the neck is either a satin or oil finish, the body has so little paint & lacquer on it you can see and feel the pine grain underneath. VERY light (another prerequisite fore this guitar, since I'll be standing for 3 hours at a time with it)

There's nothing like a brand-new guitar with brand-new frets and PERFECT intonation.

[Little Jay]

I recently got my 3rd tele, and this time it's a non-Fender: it's one of the new LSL Era series. Roasted pine body, roasted maple neck, faded shell pink.

I'm not sold on the pickups (Duncan Vintage Stacks: noiseless, and noiseless IS what I wanted, as I'll be using this guitar in my cover band), so I'll have to experiment with pickups until I find the right combo I'm looking for. But it feels good, the neck is either a satin or oil finish, the body has so little paint & lacquer on it you can see and feel the pine grain underneath. VERY light (another prerequisite fore this guitar, since I'll be standing for 3 hours at a time with it)

There's nothing like a brand-new guitar with brand-new frets and PERFECT intonation.

Very nice! Not really my color, but there’s nothing wrong with a primeval tele like that. All you need, enjoy!

[Alder Statesman]

Saw this today at the WNC Guitar Show. For just $20k, I bought two. (Sarcasm alert)

[Hep To The Jive]

Ready for jazz and rocknroll.

[gvurrdon]

Here's mine. Probably not very exciting, but perhaps the best guitar I've bought:

[jim232777]

my 2 favourite fcs bespoke builds.

Very cool. How does the Tele neck pup sound in the middle location, and in combination with the others?

[[email protected]]

I went and got myself a similar guitar to the Tele. It's a G&L ASAT Classic. It sounds and feels so good I can't foresee myself parting with it.

[Bob_Ross]

I guess this is the appropriate thread to chime in with some of my thoughts, questions, and experiences with Teles?

In no particular order:

- My current Tele (if it can indeed be called one) is a partscaster...which is still in parts. I had Warmoth make me a Padauk Telecaster neck (with ebony fingerboard) and a Padauk Telecaster body, but with elbow and tummy bevels, and routed for three pickups. I have a Schaller fixed roller bridge, Schaller locking tuners, and three Seymour Duncan Vintage Rails pickups all set to install. I'm just lazy; it's been sitting in pieces for a few years now! But soon... :insert gif of horse in 2nd floor window:

- meanwhile, while waiting for the aforementioned partscaster to get completed, I've started to get the inkling that even when it's finally completed, it won't be a "real" Telecaster...not because it's a Warmoth, but because it's all Padauk, it's got the beveled body, its got a Schaller roller bridge, and it's got three pickups. So I'm thinking I want to get a slightly more traditional Tele as well, with the slab body, the big plate bridge that surrounds the bridge pickup (possibly only with three saddles), only two pickups...and maybe even the word "Fender" on the headstock. Maybe. First question: Am I crazy for wanting a traditional Tele if I already have that Warmoth partscaster? Second question: Am I crazy for even considering a three-saddle bridge?

- even if I do proceed with the I-Need-A-Second-Tele idea... is it ludicrous to worry about the "Fender" name on the headstock? I'm well aware that that means spending a lot of time trying to separate the wheat from the chaff. And possibly spending a premium just to get the name. Would I be better off grabbing a Sire T7 just to scratch that itch?

- in hindsight, all of these questions & comments are ironic, given that for the first ~20 or 30 years of my guitar playing I hated Telecasters! I thought their tone was thin and twangy and inappropriate for jazz, or rock, or just about any of the musical styles that appealed to me as a young man. But now, if I could only own two guitars, I would probably own a Gibson Les Paul Custom and a bog-standard Fender Telecaster...and the Tele would get used more often.

[lammie200]

My 2 cents: (Which are definitely colored by the fact that my first electric was a genuine brand new Fender Tele in the early ‘80s.)

The “Fender feel” is a direct result of Fender traditional design features and specs. There is some magic in those. You won’t get that feel from your custom build. But that isn’t to say that it won’t be a great guitar. It may look Tele-ish, but it will be much different guitar to play than a Fender Tele, or one that adheres closer to original Fender features and specs.

I don’t see anything wrong about wanting an actual Fender Tele from Fender if you find one that you like based on playing it. Lots of different models to choose from so I think playing them is important for making an informed choice. I went the route of figuring out what Fender specs I like and assembling partscasters with those and, in part, other features that loosely adhere to Fender designs. Some of those other features are subtle like just changes to the electronics. Some are more dramatic like using a Rickenbacker F-hole design instead of the traditional F-hole design on a thinline build.

Good luck and let’s know how it goes.

P.S. A few things I found over the years that made Teles feel less Tele-like. Body contours, neck heel contours, and neck screw inserts. Just my observations based on things I have actually tried.