Gav's 12 String Flamed Telecaster Build

[dave.king1]

Very nice bit of work there Gav

[gavinturner]

Thanks Dave!

cheers,
Gav.

[wokkaboy]

looks choice Gav, hard to see the bridge, is it easy to string up and set up ? Looks like you got a bone nut for it ?

lucky you live far enough away from the Telenapper TM haha

EDIT just saw looks like standard gauge strings are string through and lighter gauge strings ontop of the bridge rear fed ?

[gavinturner]

Yeah Wokks it's easy to string as 6 of the strings are through the body and the others from the back of the bridge. No bone nut as yet - i couldn't face filing one out just yet .

cheers,
Gav.

[Zandit75]

Great looking build Gav, spectacular finish! The only critique would be the headstock shape. Is that what it came with, or was it a standard paddle shape? I guess I'm used to seeing the standard Fender shaped headstock on these guitars that this looks slightly out of whack being so symmetrical.

On a different note, have you ever played around with taking some of the octave strings off? When I found my 8-string acoustic, I was actually looking for a nice 12-string, but they were all too jangly, and tinny. Having just the D&G strings doubled up with octave strings has provided such a strong and full chord compared a normal 6 string, but none of the jangly brightness associated with 12 strings.
Having said all that, I wouldn't mind having a crack at a 12 string build, just to fill the hole that I originally wanted!

[gavinturner]

Thanks Zandit. Thing about the headstock was it came as a paddle but with very little room to move at the top. I wanted a "Fenderish" look, but with both sides taken up with tuner pegs I was at a loss. In the end I settles for a simple rounding over because it was as close to the Tele rounded end as I could get. Probably more was possible, but my limited imagination couldn't get there .

Personally I love the full jangle so haven't experimented with losing strings here and there. Definitely something to consider int he future! (probably with the next 12 string kit :P).

cheers,
Gav.

[dave.king1]

Many years ago the guitarist in my band had a Strat that he converted to a 9 string with a second course for G, B & E strings.

Horrible thing to do to a 60s Strat but it did sound both good and unique

[Simon Barden]

Very nice indeed, Gav, very classy. I do like the pickguard - there's more than enough flame showing and it sets it off nicely.

I have a replacement Tele body for a mate's cut-about Mex Tele that will be finished in a very similar colour (once I get round to it). I bought it with a pre-stained black flame top (but no binding). So it will get a black back and sides, with a very slight sunburst around the edge. I need to fit a piezo bridge to it plus the associated electronics and a battery box, but so far have chickened out of routing out the various cavities in case I make a mistake.

[Zandit75]

Thanks Zandit. Thing about the headstock was it came as a paddle but with very little room to move at the top. I wanted a "Fenderish" look, but with both sides taken up with tuner pegs I was at a loss. In the end I settles for a simple rounding over because it was as close to the Tele rounded end as I could get. Probably more was possible, but my limited imagination couldn't get there .

Personally I love the full jangle so haven't experimented with losing strings here and there. Definitely something to consider int he future! (probably with the next 12 string kit :P).

cheers,
Gav.

I see what you mean, it didn't give you a lot to play with! I would have thought you'd get a larger, squarer paddle like a G series head stock.

[Simon Barden]

A shame it wasn't an undrilled headstock. Then it could have been made narrower, with the added benefit of straight string pulls from the nut to the tuners, plus the opportunity to make it a bit more Fendery.