Parts Telecaster

[ibanezrocks]

I will be putting together a Telecaster from various parts I will be acquiring and this thread to keep everyone up to date on the progress of the project.

So far I have purchased from MikeS a Warmoth one-piece maple telecaster neck with no inlays and Schaller locking tuners sitting in the UPS depot waiting to be picked up this Monday September 17. Last night I won an eBay auction for a Fender Highway 1 Telecaster body in Wine Red (Nitro Finish). Here are the other parts I plan on getting:

- 3 ply black Tele pickguard
- Wilkinson Compensated Tele bridge
- chrome control plate and neck plate
- Concentric pots to stack the volume and tone knobs of each pickup together (2 volume 2 tone)
- 3 way switch

My remaining questions are about pickups (which I will post in the pickup lounge) and regarding the neck plate: Do I need one those plastic isolator pads to go between the plate and body?

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Parts Telecaster

Heres a picture from the planning stages, keep in mind the knobs will be a little different because of the stacked pots (vol and tone for each pickup is on one hole of the control plate) I'll probably make the lower knob black and the upper one chrome. Also the tuners are satin. Otherwise heres what it should look like.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Parts Telecaster

I love that color combination.

I would seriously re-think the 3-saddle bridge, though. The D and G kids just don't play nice together.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Parts Telecaster

I'm planning on getting a bridge with compensated saddles to aid in the intonation of the guitar but maintain the tone of the guitar.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Parts Telecaster

Here's the bridge I'm getting (not from that site though, I just don't have it bookmarked on this computer).

EDIT: Do you think this would intonate properly and maintain the sound of a traditional tele bridge?

 

[uOpt]

Re: Parts Telecaster

OK, that'll be much better than a normal 3-saddle one for sure.

I'm not sure it can make a huge sound difference. Sure, there's more material under the strings. But there is no sideways locking like the Schaller mount-on-top bridge has, which I think is important. I also don't like that the strings can move sideways.

Of course, stricktly speaking the incorrect intonation is part of the Telecaster sound. But it limits the flexibility of what you can do with it, as many things you can play sound bad with even slightly off intonation.

 

[bbking1021]

Re: Parts Telecaster


I did a project very similar to that about a year ago. I didn't use the Wilkinson compensated bridge that you have but my bridge has tilted brass saddles that help with intonation issues.

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Parts Telecaster

Here's the bridge I'm getting (not from that site though, I just don't have it bookmarked on this computer).

EDIT: Do you think this would intonate properly and maintain the sound of a traditional tele bridge?

That's what I've got on my Tele project. An excellent bridge that improves the intonation no end!!!!

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Parts Telecaster

Anyone have any experience with GuitarFetish? I was thinking about getting the bridge and pickguard from them.

 

[Smilemon]

Re: Parts Telecaster

Anyone have any experience with GuitarFetish? I was thinking about getting the bridge and pickguard from them.

I just ordered a bass pickup, its on 2 day shipping, ill let you know how well they deal when i get it.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Parts Telecaster

Sounds good, I'm also wondering what shipping company they use because I will avoid UPS at all costs after the brokerage fees they charged to bring the body over the border (their fee for doing the appropriate paper work and handing it over to customs is apparently 4 times the actual customs fees and import taxes - HURRAY FOR UPS). Let this be a note of importance to anyone in Canada buying something online from the states, use USPS because even though it costs more upfront you end up paying way more with UPS after they charge the brokerage fee.

I appreciate the help Smilemon, I've already sent an email off to Guitarfetish but I have a feeling I could find out quicker through you.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Parts Telecaster

Pickup suggestion thread

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Parts Telecaster

I just picked up the neck from UPS that I had bought from MikeS and it feels pretty good, its a tad thinner than I had expected but its hard to tell how it feels without putting it on a guitar and stringing it up. I have to hand it to Mike, it was packaged extremely well. I won some more ebay auctions for parts, and will be ordering the bridge, pickguard and control plate from GuitarFetish this week probably. Just have to get the electronics, and decide on pickups (any help in my other thread would be greatly appreciated). Hoping to get this all finished before November, and will start scouting some local stores for other parts like pots, switches and knobs.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Parts Telecaster

Also does anyone know a place where I could order a control plate for a tele that has an extra hole for a pot already drilled?

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Parts Telecaster

Anyone know if the control plate would be too crowded with 3 knobs on it? I'm thinking I wouldn't like the concentric pots idea, would be too cluttered, the pots are expensive and I couldn't find any decent knobs to go on them (I like knobs with numbers). I'm considering just getting an blank control plate and drilling everything myself, to make room for the extra pot I could change the 3 way slide switch with a LP style switch. Any comments? People want to tell me I'm cool now? Come on guys.

 

[ericmeyer4]

Re: Parts Telecaster

I have a bunch of tele parts if you are interested.

 

[Fender_Punk]

Re: Parts Telecaster

It might FIT, but it'd be helluva crowded wiring nightmare. get the blank late, use a toggle switch and use the three pots. I say go for a Muddy Waters look/style and use Fender black skirted amp knobs!! :bigok:

Unless the body isn't Candy Apple Red.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Parts Telecaster

The body is more of a wine red, similar to the color of most SGs only Fenders wine red is a little brighter. I'm not afraid of any crazy wiring job as long as the knob aren't so cluttered that it becomes unusable. If anyone has any suggestions for some other things to include in the wiring I'd like to hear, all I've really come up with is that I want 1 vol pot for each pickup.

I prefer the LP style 3 way switch so the fact that it saves space and allows me to do other things is a definite win. I found a site with undrilled control plates, and it says that to drill them just cover both sides with masking tape and drill at a low speed. Any idea if this would work with a regular power drill since I don't have a drill press?

 

[MikeS]

Re: Parts Telecaster

The neck pads are a nice little touch, but with the thick heel of a tele, it can make the heel unnecessarily thick. It’s certainly not a necessity, but it’s your call.

The control plate would be very crowded with three pots. I’ve seen it done, but there wasn’t much room left to easily turn the knobs. It makes wiring a pain, too. A toggle would clear things up a little, but it’d still be a little cramped, I’m afraid.

Also know that sometimes the Fender does not do a flat bottom rout on in the tele control cavities, meaning to install a pot or switch (or even flip the control plate like some like to do) you have to get out the router.

Also check your PMs. I might have something for you.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: Parts Telecaster

Well I made a mock-up on Kisekae and even with the LP style toggle switch its still way too crowded with 3 knobs, so I think I'm going to scrap the idea of having seperate volume controls for each pickup (concentric pots cost a ton), and just try to get a higher output bridge pickup so I can get a nice balance between the two. Wiring a push-pull pot for tapping the bridge or adding a mini toggle between the two knobs should be easy enough.