Personal Tele Update

[jimijames]

Re: Personal Tele Update

I'll have to disagree with you on this one. I've been to the Fender plant in Corona and done the tour just last fall. The parts are all stamped one by one. I even watched the ladies who hand bevel the pickguards on a sander, or drill the screw holes into bridge plates on a hand operated drill press. Bodies are individually sanded (with power sanders in the hands of workers). The only thing they do is send out the parts for chrome plating. And they order in their tuning machines (but even Leo did that). All in all, I was told that from start to finish, about 70 workers lay hands on every guitar coming out of that factory.

Yes, coming out of that factory.

Also, what does that mean? That "Gene" in accounts receivable placed his hands on a 5-piece slab of swamp ash? If I built guitars, I would say that 20 master bait-er's lay their hands on each guitar that comes out of the factory, and that's why our wood is the softest/hardest.

Depending on what the customer wants...

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Personal Tele Update

Yes, coming out of that factory.

Also, what does that mean? That "Gene" in accounts receivable placed his hands on a 5-piece slab of swamp ash? If I built guitars, I would say that 20 master bait-er's lay their hands on each guitar that comes out of the factory, and that's why our wood is the softest/hardest.

Depending on what the customer wants...

It means that's how much labour it takes to produce guitars at that level of production. From the part fabrication to the final inspection, that's how many people were involved in physically making each instrument.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Personal Tele Update

yes teles are simple but just like anything else, a great one is amazing and if you want amazing then nothing else will do

I agree with both sides: yes, "luxury" telecasters are ridiculous, but they're also really great.

Scott, you want this one? It was made in my "Custom Shop," meaning the garage of my old townhouse! Handcrafted by a novice emboldened by TDPRI and Maker's Mark!

It's my best player, but it's too heavy to pick up. Maybe you could figure out a way to permanently affix it to the ground, like they do with statues, or bridges. If you could figure that out, it'd really be worth it to never have to pick it up again. Jazzier than my 335 and nastier than my Les Paul. Heavier than our Volvo.

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Personal Tele Update

Dude, just drill some 'tone holes' in it. Worked for Gibson.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Personal Tele Update

I've always wanted that guitar. Still do.

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Personal Tele Update

Not being a Tele guy (I love my G&L Legacys!), if I buy one it will probably be a Squire Vibe, like the sunburst Custom model--They are cheap but they look nice and they are totally upgradeable. Next step for me would be one of the Road Worn Teles, which I think have a really good feel for the money.

A G&L ASAT Special or Classic would probably be the max I could justify spending--and they have lots of neck and color options--G&L basically is a Custom Shop. (They make a neck similar to the 10/56 neck, BTW.) Or, you could go vintage and find an old G&L Broadcaster--would be fun--as I understand it, all of the Broadcaster's have Leo's actual signature in the neck pocket.

I could actually do this instrument with G&L, but my Warmoth build would be a copy of the 1968 Tele Thinline I had back in the day; with a natural ash body and a Bigsby. But I would opt for a 12"radius neck--it would just fit my old hands and playing style better these days. That was a sweet guitar. It got stolen; I eventually got it back, but the guy had ###### it up, so I sold it.

The high-end production Tele I'd want would be one of those new Fenders with the flame tops and the honeyburst finish and the gold hardware--simply beautiful. I guess if I wanted to go crazy money-wise for a guitar I probably wouldn't play very much there's the Fender Custom Shop, OR...I'd try to choose from one of the small custom builders like Hahn, DiTemple, or Crook. Crook makes a lot of Brad Paisley's guitars--sounds like it would be hard to go wrong there.

But that's just me.

Enjoy the hunt!

Bill

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Personal Tele Update

Ordered from USA.

2 piece ash vintage Tele body
surf Green nitro
Vintage tint neck, satin, nitro
Quartersawn back, AAA Birdseye fretboard
6105's

Will be order Callahan hardware in a bit.

Antiquity pups

Thanks for all that gave the time to give me ideas. I'll do my best to assemble and set up myself. If I can't, I'll send it to one of you to tweak.

Peace & love

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Personal Tele Update

I agree with both sides: yes, "luxury" telecasters are ridiculous, but they're also really great.

Scott, you want this one? It was made in my "Custom Shop," meaning the garage of my old townhouse! Handcrafted by a novice emboldened by TDPRI and Maker's Mark!

It's my best player, but it's too heavy to pick up. Maybe you could figure out a way to permanently affix it to the ground, like they do with statues, or bridges. If you could figure that out, it'd really be worth it to never have to pick it up again. Jazzier than my 335 and nastier than my Les Paul. Heavier than our Volvo.

Bandsaw 1/2" off the back, and hog most of the wood out. Then have the sawed surfaces re-planed and put the back on again. In fact, I might have even suggested something similar when you were in the process of building it.

FWIW, I've taken to building all my Teles at 1-1/2" thick instead of 1-3/4". They sit nicer IMO, and it takes off at least 1/6 of the body's weight. It may not sound like much, but if your Tele has a six pound body (which it sounds like yours must have at the least if you are calling it heavy as hell), that makes it a whole pound lighter.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Personal Tele Update

Ordered from USA.

2 piece ash vintage Tele body
surf Green nitro
Vintage tint neck, satin, nitro
Quartersawn back, AAA Birdseye fretboard
6105's

Will be order Callahan hardware in a bit.

Antiquity pups

Thanks for all that gave the time to give me ideas. I'll do my best to assemble and set up myself. If I can't, I'll send it to one of you to tweak.

Peace & love

Sweet picks!!!

Looking forward to seeing it

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Personal Tele Update

Appreciate the reply. I am 6'4", 250 lb and can bench 300+ easily. The weight won't be a problem. I don't play live which is good as my back is on the mend.


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[Agileguy_101]

Re: Personal Tele Update

Bandsaw 1/2" off the back, and hog most of the wood out. Then have the sawed surfaces re-planed and put the back on again. In fact, I might have even suggested something similar when you were in the process of building it.

FWIW, I've taken to building all my Teles at 1-1/2" thick instead of 1-3/4". They sit nicer IMO, and it takes off at least 1/6 of the body's weight. It may not sound like much, but if your Tele has a six pound body (which it sounds like yours must have at the least if you are calling it heavy as hell), that makes it a whole pound lighter.

IIRC when Hunter built it he said the body was in the 8-10 lb range.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Personal Tele Update

Sounds pretty groovy. I can't wait to see it!

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Personal Tele Update

Really thinking of using callaham's lightly aged hardware to match the pickups. It'll be up to me to play the snot out of it and age the ready of the guitar with my own sweat. I like that Bill doesn't let screws rust and such. Just a light dull to the finish. And I like they he offers it all, every screw, in a kit format.

Can't decide black or parchment pick guard. I'll let it see how it develops.


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[ItsaBass]

Re: Personal Tele Update

Black on the wintergreen color you are getting is rare, but extremely beautiful IMHO. A nice Callaham lacquered Bakelite guard would look amazing.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Personal Tele Update

Bandsaw 1/2" off the back, and hog most of the wood out. Then have the sawed surfaces re-planed and put the back on again. In fact, I might have even suggested something similar when you were in the process of building it.

FWIW, I've taken to building all my Teles at 1-1/2" thick instead of 1-3/4". They sit nicer IMO, and it takes off at least 1/6 of the body's weight. It may not sound like much, but if your Tele has a six pound body (which it sounds like yours must have at the least if you are calling it heavy as hell), that makes it a whole pound lighter.

Just weighed it on a "certified" bathroom scale using the old holding it minus not holding it method. Average of 3 weigh-ins:

11.5 pounds!

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Personal Tele Update

Just weighed it on a "certified" bathroom scale using the old holding it minus not holding it method. Average of 3 weigh-ins:

11.5 pounds!

My back hurts just looking at that!

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Personal Tele Update

Just weighed it on a "certified" bathroom scale using the old holding it minus not holding it method. Average of 3 weigh-ins:

11.5 pounds!

Heavy, but not unmanageable. My Music Man B00 bass is heavier, as is my '83 Les Paul. I think many Fender basses are around that. Those things are all noticeably heavy, but fine to play in the end.

Estimating that your neck, hardware, and electronics weigh about 3 lb., that leaves you with an 8.5 lb. body. Simply shaving 1/4" off the back would give you a sub-7-lb. body and a sub-10-lb. guitar You could also hog out under the pickguard, like the old smugglers' Teles of the late '60's, and get that thing close to 9 lb.

 

[Scott_F]

Re: Personal Tele Update

His parchment aren't really green even the aged ones. But black has a certain contrast appeal to the maple neck and light pastel


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[ItsaBass]

Re: Personal Tele Update

IMO, Teles need contrast between guard and body to look their best. The closer in tone the guard and body are to each other, the more "meh" they are.

Are you talking about three-ply guards, though? I was talking about single-ply lacquered black.

 

[Agileguy_101]

Re: Personal Tele Update

Heavy, but not unmanageable. My Music Man B00 bass is heavier, as is my '83 Les Paul. I think many Fender basses are around that. Those things are all noticeably heavy, but fine to play in the end.

Estimating that your neck, hardware, and electronics weigh about 3 lb., that leaves you with an 8.5 lb. body. Simply shaving 1/4" off the back would give you a sub-7-lb. body and a sub-10-lb. guitar You could also hog out under the pickguard, like the old smugglers' Teles of the late '60's, and get that thing close to 9 lb.

You're not taking into account though the difficulty of working with purpleheart.

And on topic, I think that black on surf green would look absolutely awesome. Like this but without the relic job: