Looking to get a tricked out Tele - help me choose a path

B

BluesGuyJ

New member
So I would really like to get my hands on a Tele with a traditional pickup route or swimming pool route under the guard. I also want one with a flatter board such as 12" with SS frets and locking tuners. I am going back and forth between USA CG and Warmoth. For what I want from USA CG, it'd be $808 and Warmoth would be something like $550. Add in the cost of finishing the pieces and paying someone to assemble/setup the guitar, I think I am looking at another grand.

Part of me wonders if I should get my hands on a used AMerican Deluxe and refret the thing and put in my own desired pickups, or if I should get a parted out American Deluxe or STD body and then get the tricked out neck from either builder and have it all then be assembled and setup. I'd love to spend about $1.5k and definitely no more than $2k. I am also trying to look into Suhr Classic Ts, those go for about $1,900 new, from the Pro series.

If you want to know, here are the specs I am looking for:

Alder with flame maple top, belly/rib contour, swimming pool route, traditional control and jack layout, contoured heel with some sort of translucent burst.

1/4 sawn maple neck with 12 or 14 radius, no inlays needed (visually impaired), 1 11/16 nut width, chunky C profile with medium thickness and 22 6100 SS frets.

A SS refret will probably be about $350 around where I am, so pickup swap and SS refret on a Tele would be another $600 or so ontop of the used price of the guitar.

I just don't know what to do for sure.
 
Re: Looking to get a tricked out Tele - help me choose a path

I wouldn't bother refretting honestly. I would straight up buy what you want spec'd correctly. Suhrs are dope, and I'm a warmoth guy, so +1 to those. FWIW
 
Re: Looking to get a tricked out Tele - help me choose a path

If you're going or wanting to spend that much, I would send our forum brother XSSIVE a private message and see how he could help you out.
 
Re: Looking to get a tricked out Tele - help me choose a path

You are also thinking and spending way too much on a refret for solid steel frets. That is if I am reading that correctly. I mean hell, you can get a Telecaster neck from Warmoth with your stainless steel frets for only like $60 more than the cost of the neck you want from them. Anyways, send XSSIVE a private message and talk with that dude. He knows his stuff, and could probably even build you exactly what you want, and it will be more badass than anything you could have bought and pieced together.
 
Re: Looking to get a tricked out Tele - help me choose a path

hmmmm I am familiar with that user but didn't know that they do builds? I've seen some axes for sale on here, partscasters and what not
 
Re: Looking to get a tricked out Tele - help me choose a path

For what it's worth, I have purchased one Warmoth neck and one from USAGC and fret job on the USAGC neck is unquestionably better.
 
Re: Looking to get a tricked out Tele - help me choose a path

Refretting a Fender Deluxe American neck only makes economic sense on a pre-owned example. Even then, the original wire would need to be seriously worn down and/or already have been dressed away and reprofiled several times.
 
Re: Looking to get a tricked out Tele - help me choose a path

Your specs are actually closer to Ritchie Kotzen tele.
 
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