Tele build countdown...

[fender3x]

I ordered a Tele neck at the last minute, and got confirmation from the Australian Post that it's wending its way to me. So I ordered a cheap body on eBay. The body says it's made of sycamore. I feel pretty sure it's paulownia from the weight. We shall see.

Meanwhile I am wondering what to do with this particular guitar? Since the body is likely to be light, I was wondering what the lightest tuners might be? What I read is that their used to be some very light tuners from Hipshot and Gotoh, but they have been discontinued. The lightest sealed tuners are likely to be the vintage style Kluson or Kluson clones. Does anyone have a favorite? I have a set of Gotoh SD 91's on a guitar, and I really like them. Easy to turn and stays in tune well. I see that Wilkinson makes them WD-55s? Not sure about the model numbers but, Kluson and Grover seem to make them as well. If I don't get advice to the contrary I'll probably go with the Gotohs or Wilkinsons since they seem to be decent quality and cost less. Any preferences?

I am also wondering about bridges. I am inclined to go with a string through bridge with six individual saddles. I have never understood the reason for getting just three saddles... Also, I am wondering if I should get a bridge with the raised sides, or one that's flat.

I have never had a real Telecaster so I have no preferences of my own yet ;-)

[Trevor Davies]

All great questions. And I cannot help with many of them.

I do have a Wilkinson ashtray (with the raised sides), but have not used it yet!

FWIW, I would go the six individual saddles route. My first tele has one (as that is what was in the kit for some reason) and it is much easier to intonate compared to the barrel type. I have now changed my barrel types to compensated types.

[fender3x]

About the only decision I have made on hardware is to go with a six saddle bridge. Not sure what kind yet.

I have also started to think about pickups. I have built more basses than guitars. So far, I've built just one guitar. My "aquacaster":



It has a set of GFS Li'l Puncher Modern Vintage pickups... I am more of a bass player, and play guitar mostly for my own amazement, but I wanted this to be versatile. So the V and T controls are just like a Tele, and the switch is a 3-way Tele switch. The difference is the center knob, which is actually a rotary switch that allows me to select single coil or double coil modes. 1+1, 1+2, 2+1 and 2+2. I also added a push-pull switch on the tone control so that in 1+1 mode I can switch coils on the bridge pickup to get an "origial" and a humbucking mode. However, I rarely use the push-pull, and I never use the two middle settings on the rotary switch. So I could just as well have used a push-pull switch to put both in 2 coil mode or both in 1 coil mode.

It has occurred to me that maybe I should put these pickups in a Tele body. I could leave the rotary switch intact and just use a stacked V/T... or... I could put in standard Tele V+T and with a push pull to switch from single coil to dual coil modes.

Since the Strat body is routed for SSH or SST pickups...I could do that...or I could do a bathtub route and put anything I want in it.

OR...I could leave the Telestrat alone and just build this one as a real Tele pickups with good quality single coil pups.

In one one of my basses I have a hand wound p-bass pickup from a guy in Michigan who hand winds them (Epic Custom Shop). I liked the pickups so well that I got a set of his Strat pickups for my daughter's guitar. He only lists Strat, P-bass and J-bass pickups on his website, but I asked him if he would consider winding Tele pickups. It sounds like he might. If they are as affordable as his bass and strat pickups THAT is probably what I'll use. But I am not sure yet that he'll want to do it...If not...maybe something else? Sentell? Tonerider?

[Trevor Davies]

My 2cents - I would leave the strat alone! It is unique, and looks great. Build your tele with new bits. Hopefully you get the custom pups.

[fender3x]

I am also probably inclined to the "if it ain't broke..." school of thought...

Meanwhile the body and neck have both arrived. Will need to do some sanding to get the neck to fit. I can't remember if it's better to sand the pocket or the neck to get it to fit, but it certainly looks like that will commence the build. The body has only two dents. Considering that it's cheap, and so had minimal protection in the post, and that it's paulownia, two dents is a minor miracle. Will try the steam trick. I think it will work on at least one of them. Will sand out anywhere it doesn't.

I want to do a belly and arm cut on this, so will have to do a little research on it. Also would be grateful to hear from anyone whose done them.



First executive decision was to get a slightly modified control plate. I have found that the switch placement and the volume control placement on the "Telestrat" above are what bother me most about it. I am getting used to it but it's easy for me change hit the switch while strumming, particularly when it is in the neck pickup position. A lesser issue is that the volume control is so close to the strings that I can accidentally change the volume as well. I am guessing I'll continue to get used to it, but did not want have an issue with the controls on the Tele. I have heard that the switch in in the neck position is so close to the volume control that it can be an issue for some people. This control plate moves the Volume control back a bit, and angles the switch to avoid that problem...at least that's what I have read! Not sure if the OEM control plate would bother me, but an ounce of prevention... (30ml of prevention...?)

[Trevor Davies]

I did a belly cut on my truckster build. Just made up the size and amount and sketched out the plan. I also intent to do an arm cut on my last tele bass. I do enjoy them on strat style builds.

I like the idea of the modified tele' control plate (& I may look into it down the track). The strat volume control is too close to the strings, and the tele switch is a bit close to the volume.

[fender3x]

I did a belly cut on my truckster build. Just made up the size and amount and sketched out the plan. I also intent to do an arm cut on my last tele bass. I do enjoy them on strat style builds.

I like the idea of the modified tele' control plate (& I may look into it down the track). The strat volume control is too close to the strings, and the tele switch is a bit close to the volume.

I am getting used to the Strat knobs and switches, but I am adapting slowly. I have big hands with short fat fingers. Not exactly the hands of an artist ;-)

I'll take a look back at your build diaries...and may be back with questions...

[fender3x]

I must be getting more serious about this build, because parts keep getting ordered.

Just delivered:

- Control plate above.
- Triton 4-way switch

Just ordered:

- A pair of CTS 250K pots
- A Sung Il BT-002 telecaster bridge (no sides, six barrel-type saddles, string-through or top-loading)
- Gotoh vintage style tuning machines (SD-91)


Still some parts to find in my parts inventory or to order... I have at least decided that it will have Tele pickups, but still figuring out which ones. Plenty to do (particularly at the glacial pace I work at) before I need them...

This will be the 4th Sung-Il bridge I have purchased. You may know them better by other names, since they make Wilkinson branded bridges. (As far as I know that's all they make for Wilkinson). They also make Asian Floyd Rose and Tone Pros bridges. I have also seen them on a number of basses from other OEMs. I have had good luck with their locking bass bridges. The BT-002 is a bit of a combination of vintage and modern that I didn't see anywhere else.

I have used a similar set of Gotoh tuning machines on another build and have been impressed with how they look, feel and stay in tune. I have a very similar set on the Telestrat in the pic above. I also have a set of their Res-o-lite tuners on a bass, as well as a set of Fender-branded Gotoh tuners on an acoustic guitar. In every case they have been super precise, stay in tune and look great. I have had the acoustic since 1985 and they look and work as well now as when they were new. Hoping the ones on order will do as well.

[fender3x]

Won't get them for a while, but I pulled the trigger on some custom wound tele pickups from Epic Custom Shop.

https://epiccustomshop.com/

I have one of their P-bass pickups and their Strat set and I have been really happy with both. I asked if they did Tele pickups and they offered to wind me a custom set for $100. Hard to resist...and my resistance was low.

Bridge has not fared as well. I ordered what I thought was a Sung-Il...turns out it was a cheap Chinese "Metallor" bridge. The chrome plating is bubbling up and coming off all over it. To add insult to injury, although I ordered it from eBay, it came from Amazon. I think what the "seller" did was to order a cheaper version of what I had specified from Amazon, and had it sent directly to me. It's in eBays dispute department... Good thing I am not in a hurry.

[fender3x]

Just realized that the ferrules I got with the Gotoh tuning machines are too small for the holes. Anyone know what size ferrules I should be looking for? What size is the hole in a Pitbull headstock? Thanks!