I am doing my first Tele build right now - and I get tons of help just from watching and reading the progress of experienced craftsman like you, so please, bring it!
The body looks like swamp ash...is it? The grain patter on the front (the V near the bottom especially) makes it appear to be a 2 piece body, but if it is I surely cannot see the seam. Does either the front or the back have a veneer of any kind one it, or is that a one piece body?
I thought the control cavity looked unfinished a bit, but I've never had a tele apart so I don't know what to look for.
Yeah, looks like somebody tried to eat the wood, not rout it. I have a couple of home-made bodies with these scoops, its due to ineptitude with the tools. The router digs in and you get the 'teeth-marks' effect
actually not done with a router, but a drill bit. could be smoothed out a bit but it is very functional. Jeff, it is a two piece swamp ash body. the seam is more pronounced on the back.
no pine necks, they are cut into body blanks right now. it will have an old maple neck though. I have some maple thats around 110 years old, used to frame a house. makes great necks.
thought i would update this a little with a mostly finished body, I will be working a little more on the finish and getting it back to some black guard specs. i just realized I didn't upload any picks of the new black bakelite guard. Since this is just based off the Springsteen tele I have pictured up there I decided that I will just be using blackguard style parts and no others like his lp style jack plate.
I also decided to not change the route from the forester bits, I do feel like it adds character to the guitar. I also had a couple dings in the body and left the black nitro in those dings. I think you guys might actually like them (they are all on the back).