• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

First Commission Build - Is A Super-Tele A Thing?

#43
Remember the adage,
"Good artists create, great artists steal"... Depending on the desired PU arrangement the 4 position Tele switch is pretty popular. Bridge, Both parallel, Neck, Both Series - not sure if that what was referred to by Super Tele. Here's a link to a Tele style with a Whammy bar from Rondo. They do a bunch of one-off styles - you may find some ideas on the Rondo site. Kurt, the owner is pretty cool if you have any questions.

I had a Rondo Tele for a bit, Furrian model to try out a T-style body with a Strat Style belly cut (still a Tele style body) it also had jumbo frets which I wanted to check out. I eventually gave the guitar to a buddy wanting a Tele, but I really liked the contoured body (jumbo frets, meh...).

Good luck with your project it should be fun to watch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TerribleTim68
#44
I am going to watch this with great interest and live vicariously through it. Apart from the Floyd it ticks all my boxes.
I have an ebay 4+2 neck and cheap maple body that I want to fill and rear rout and cover the top, so much less ambitious, but your commission is really really close to what I want. Gotta start somewhere though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TerribleTim68
#46
Well, picked up a deposit for this one last night, so I guess it's a real thing now. :eek:

I have an overall concept in mind, we discussed what he's looking for, what he likes, things like that. It'll be natural finished of some sort, but I'm still undecided on wood species because I want to stand in front of the wood rack at my local hardwood lumber yard and try to visualize with what they have in stock. And I'll be starting to order some things as well, such as templates, a few luthier tools I'd like to have, etc.

I probably couldn't have asked for a better first commission. He's very excited to just let me do my thing and he's really looking forward to what I can create. He understand the price of hand built custom instruments and he has no deadline other than "I'm 50, so try not to take 10 years or something". I'm looking to wrap this one up within the context of GGBO22, which ends October 1st for the hobby categories. Which also means I need to decide exactly how I want to format my videos for the YouTube channel. Yay me.

So hang tight, it's gonna start ramping up over the next few weeks. The Bird goes on hold until this one is done too, so yeah. One thing at a time! :cool:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rôckhewer, Beej, Max Bogosity and 4 others
#52
TerribleTim68 said:
The YouTube channel is "Bad Apple Guitarwerx".
Click to expand...
I'll add you to the subscription list.

TerribleTim68 said:
The wife says scalp tattoos are a hard no.
Click to expand...
Suggested getting a tatt on the head to my friend. She looks down and says "grain of rice might fit".

Matt Liebenau said:
No worries on scalp tattoos. Shave your head, get the tats, let the hair grow back. No one will know…
Click to expand...
My hair abandoned me decades ago. The only bit left covers a birthmark with some numbers.
 
  • Like
Reactions: darthplagis, Mickey666 and Beej
#53
I actually have a friend of mine who has a giant yellow smiley face tattooed on his head. But he has long since let his hair grow out so you can't see it now.
As for me, I've had long hair since I was 16, it's probably not changing. At least, my wife says it's not changing. Luckily, my dad, his dad and my mom all have/had a full head of hair all their life, so I think I'll be okay. It's pretty grey at this point, but it's all still there!
 
  • Like
Reactions: WI Short Scaler
#57
Three pages in and we don't even have drawing yet. :meh:
Let's do something about that! :woot: I've been fiddling around with this a little, I have no real intentions of using it other than just laying things out and probably measuring some things here and there. But, here's a drawing I did in AutoCAD -
Kevins Tele.jpg


So there you go, a basic Telecaster with a Floyd Rose tremolo. I'm going to be changing the headstock shape to better reflect my builds. I'll probably do a scarf joint with tilt-back headstock too, because I prefer it. I plan on rear routing the controls, but maintaining the standard Telecaster control layout and control plate as well, I just haven't drawn it yet.
I ordered a set of templates from "Guitar Building Templates" dot com, complete set -
Classic+Telecaster+Complete.jpeg


So we will wait for those to arrive. I also ordered a Floyd Rose tremolo routing kit with the recess template. Should be enough to get started. The fact that you have to order the recess Floyd template separate is a sham. :meh:
Anyways, next step will be to source some wood. I have some ideas for what I want, but a trip to the lumber store is in order. I'm just kind of waiting for payday and the boss to leave for his business trip next week. :whistle: :whistle: :D
More to come!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Matt Liebenau, NKBassman, ctmullins and 1 other person
#58
The more I think about this, if using the standard Telecaster control plate, there's no need to rear route that. The plate covers it. Maybe I'm just being an idiot. Or maybe I'll ditch the control plate and rear route anyways, who knows at this point. Part of me likes the idea of the standard chrome control plate making a "telecaster" statement, part of me doesn't want it breaking up the wood grain.

Also, I need to really study the pickup mounting and Floyd Rose rear cavity along with body thickness before I run into trouble there. I really don't want to have a hole all the way through at each pickup!
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back