Telecaster Love Thread, No Archtops Allowed

**john_a** · 04-10-2018, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by neatomic

^ ditto skip e...nice!...any further info about that hillbilly french polish would be appreciated!
cheers

Yeah Skip, that looks great!
What's the mahogany back look like?

As for that spec'd out french polish, does that mean the flake shellac gets disolved in moonshine instead of denatured alchohol ?

John

**Skip Ellis** · 04-10-2018, 05:38 PM

Good idea! I use regular canned shellac and thin it with denatured alcohol and rub it on then polish with 3000 and 5000 grit pads. Gives a pretty nice hand rubbed finish. I'm not set up to spray so this works for me. I'll post a pic of the back later.

**neatomic** · 04-10-2018, 05:54 PM

high proof grain alcohol is good way way to go..everclear works well...and no toxic additives like hardware store alcohols

trouble with most canned shellacs is they have wax

zinser sealer shellac is dewaxed...that's the can to use

also french polish enthusiasts..french use walnut oil..not olive..

for padding, walnut oil is a polymerizing oil as well (dries hard)

cheers

**Skip Ellis** · 04-11-2018, 09:54 AM

Originally Posted by john_a

Yeah Skip, that looks great!
What's the mahogany back look like?

As for that spec'd out french polish, does that mean the flake shellac gets disolved in moonshine instead of denatured alchohol ?

John

Here's the back - believe it or not, it's 3 pieces.

That's the shellac I use. A lot of guys I've talked to don't even bother with oil anymore but I plan to try olive oil on my next build just to see if it makes things any easier.

Telecaster Love Thread, No Archtops Allowed-fancy-t-3-jpg

Telecaster Love Thread, No Archtops Allowed-fancy-t-3-jpg

**Hyppolyte Bergamotte** · 04-12-2018, 05:12 AM

This one was the 245/300 of the first production of the Fender custom shop,the 40th Anniversary Telecaster;
The 300 badge of those guitars started in 1988 and ended sometime in the 1990.They do have an ivoroid pickguard..the raw sheet material was difficult to find by the custom Team. The pickups of this one was made by Fred Stuart.
He has a motto : " I'd rather be accused of copying quality than creating mediocrity."

**Greentone** · 04-12-2018, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by jameslovestal

What do you mean by 'confident about the venue'? E.g. does it relate to the acoustics of the place (i.e. you wanted to avoid archtop feedback?) or the type of people that go to this place (i.e. archtop would be perceived as if you're playing 'old folk' music????).

No. Some venues have cramped stages where you will bump your guitar. This one was like that. You can demolish walls with a Stratocaster.

**newsense** · 04-21-2018, 11:45 AM

No jazz content here, but great fun and almost educational.....

**silvertonebetty** · 04-27-2018, 09:16 PM

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**Boston Joe** · 04-27-2018, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by silvertonebetty

That's coming along nicely!

**silvertonebetty** · 04-27-2018, 10:31 PM

Originally Posted by Boston Joe

That's coming along nicely!

Thanks the neck will be like this but with walnut instead of maple

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**Boston Joe** · 04-28-2018, 08:41 AM

Originally Posted by silvertonebetty

Thanks the neck will be like this but with walnut instead of maple

Nice. I'm not really a fan of Bigsbys for playing (or any twang bar for that matter), but they sure look cool, and I love the dark wood / gold hardware color combo.

**silvertonebetty** · 04-28-2018, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by Boston Joe

Nice. I'm not really a fan of Bigsbys for playing (or any twang bar for that matter), but they sure look cool, and I love the dark wood / gold hardware color combo.

Thanks . The best part is if I decide I don’t like the bigsby I can use the string thru option I have with the bridge

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**silvertonebetty** · 05-03-2018, 03:17 PM

Better pictures . I will order the pickups next week.

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**omphalopsychos** · 05-06-2018, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by silvertonebetty

Better pictures . I will order the pickups next week.

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That is gorgeous. Can't wait to see the finished product.

In related news, I decided to pretty up one of my teles. It was originally a Fender 50s classic, but I replaced the neck and I ended up replacing the body too. The only remaining "Fender" part is the bridge plate.

Here is is next to my TK Smith tele. As the picture suggests, there's always room for another tele.

Telecaster Love Thread, No Archtops Allowed-img_7718-jpg

Telecaster Love Thread, No Archtops Allowed-img_7718-jpg

**omphalopsychos** · 05-06-2018, 03:36 PM

As a PSA, I noticed this on Reverb. For any Western Swing fans, this looks like a hell of a guitar. No affiliation.

Fender TK Smith Equipped Telecaster Blonde | Wavin' Wheat | Reverb

**silvertonebetty** · 07-13-2018, 02:40 PM

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**marcwhy** · 07-13-2018, 07:14 PM

This thread keeps goin' and goin' !

Logan with Warmoth neck:

Telecaster Love Thread, No Archtops Allowed-logan-tele-jpg

**patshep** · 07-15-2018, 10:23 AM

i recently got a 52 reissue, for a good price
i put a 6 saddle bridge on, and i got some noiseless pickups from melancon (boutique builder)
i have matt at 30th street guitars fix it up a bit, he put a push pull pot on the tone control, i have no idea exactly what it does, but it makes that tele a jazz machine, sounds like an old archtop with a p90 through my deluxe reverb... really wonderful, i love that guitar
i never had a maple neck before, so snappy, but getting used to the neck has taken a little time, smaller radius, closer string spacing

**lammie200** · 07-16-2018, 06:56 PM

The grain patterns worked out really well on the one with the gold Bigsby. That can be a make or break with these kinds for me, but is really nicely done IMHO. Bravo!

**silvertonebetty** · 07-16-2018, 08:49 PM

Originally Posted by lammie200

The grain patterns worked out really well on the one with the gold Bigsby. That can be a make or break with these kinds for me, but is really nicely done IMHO. Bravo!

Thank you I got lucky with that piece of wood

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**Phil59** · 07-16-2018, 10:29 PM

Originally Posted by marcwhy

This thread keeps goin' and goin' !

Logan with Warmoth neck:

Telecaster Love Thread, No Archtops Allowed-logan-tele-jpg

Are you the original owner? Did he use the Warmoth neck in the original build? Or did you replace the neck? Or something else? Thanks.

**marcwhy** · 07-16-2018, 11:04 PM

Hi,
No, I just scored it from the original owner. I believe he had Rob put it on; he showed me the spec sheet from warmoth; feels nice!

**Phil59** · 07-16-2018, 11:16 PM

Originally Posted by marcwhy

Hi,
No, I just scored it from the original owner. I believe he had Rob put it on; he showed me the spec sheet from warmoth; feels nice!

Thanks. Yours looks great! I also have a Logan tele, bought third hand I believe, at an excellent price. Carbonita, with Duncan p90s.

**Fretplayer** · 07-17-2018, 08:54 PM

I saw Ted Greene play live once. It was at an art gallery in North Hollywood. He played for hours without break. It was an amazing experience to see him and meet him because I used Chord Chemistry in school. He was really nice. I learned later that it would be one of the last times he would ever play live before he died.

He played a Telecaster.

**lammie200** · 07-17-2018, 09:05 PM

Chord Chemistry was one of the first books I ever bought. Still way over my head, but I have gotten a lot out of it over the years.

Ted Greene was great, btw. I have to say that it is hard not to be put off by videos of him playing in his messy bedroom, but if that is the way it is done, I shouldn't criticize.