What Pickups and wood for a Tele Thinline type build?

racman

So I was considering an Old Growth Pine Tele built this year but we hit a snag when I decided I wanted a hollow body, sort of Thinline type with an f-hole as the consensus is that Pine is too soft and therefore too risky to build a Thinline type with.

I have an intense dislike for the Thinline type pickguard so it will mor probably be a standard Tele type pickguard and possibly controls etc. After spending much time and money over the years I have just come to realise that I am not a LP, PRS, 335 type of guy - more to do with the body shape of the Tele and Strat that I enjoy than anything else, but I would like to have a HB equipped guitar which leads me to a Thinline type. I need advice on the following please:

1) What pickups and configuration should I go for. I was looking at the possibility of dual HB and am quite intrigued with Jason Lollar's latest El Rayo HB. I was also thinking of possibly a HB in the neck only similar to the Andy Summers Tele - any ideas and suggestions please? Looking for more blues type sounds (my favorit Thinline player is Tab Benoit so that is sort of a benchmark)

2) What wood should I use for the body - I suppose it's really a choice between Mahogany and Ash or is there something else I need to consider?

PS: I have also come to realise that, contrary to some opinion .... there is no cure for GAS!!!! ? ? ? ?

Gearhead

Thinline tone is woodier and less bright than slab tone.
Mahogany tone is darker than Alder is darker than Ash is darker than Maple.
Humbucker tone is darker than single coil.
Considering the balance of your tone, I would definately NOT use Mahogany and go for Ash or even Maple.

Mahogany, Northern Ash, Maple, Walnut and the like are all dense (heavy) woods. A thinline contains less wood than your normal Tele so you can get away with using dense woods.
All semi-hollows tend to have less sustain than their solid counterparts. Maple gives lots of sustain.

My conclusion: all Maple. Like Rickenbackers.

racman

Wow Gearhead - now that's a different conclusion to what I expected. Interesting consideration though...

AlanRatcliffe

Nicest Thinline I ever played was the one with the Wide Range pickups.

An alternative to the full Thinline is a chambered normal tele with an F-hole. Frees you up on wood choice.

You want trad Tele tone in the bridge?

The Andy Summers kind of Tele needs a fairly low-wind on the 'bucker, so a Lollar Imperial low wind or the Kinman Clean Skin. A little more grunt from the bridge wouldn't go amiss either.

Something I have been looking at a lot lately are The TV Jones Classics and TVJ Magnatrons. The single-coil lover's humbuckers. They suit a Tele really well, keeping the twang and spank and love hollowbodies in general. Bright without being harsh and a very unique 'tween tone. A lot of Tele Players are going that route for the neck lately. If you want to go 'Trons for both pickups, TV Jones have a Tele bridge with a 'Tron sized hole (6 saddle though - if you want a 3-saddle, you have to use a Rutters half bridge).

Even Fender's jumping on the bandwagon - take a look at the CS Cabronita II, which comes with TVJ classics:

Here's the Cabronita in action:

=

A Magnatron (slug magnets, rather than the bar magnets of the Classics) in the neck would increase the twang and clarify the neck position even further.

racman

Great idea Alan. I was chatting to Ron Kirn the other day and he also suggested a Hollowbody Tele with f-hole and TV Jones PuPs as a great alternative.

He suggested Mahogany body though, what do you think?

I don't really need Trad Bridge sound on this build if I do it...

AlanRatcliffe

I like Ron - we seem to agree on a lot. ? Mahogany works better for a hollow than alder or ash, particularly if you want larger cavities like a thinline. Ash (at least a good piece 'o swamp ash) doesn't need any cavities, it is resonant enough for me already. Also, while you could use a heavier ash for a Thinline, I'd probably want to bind the F-hole if I did it because of the grain.

I have a friend in the US (The tonehound who, when he wants to try something, buys everything and compares and sells off all but the keeper again. He does it with everything from speakers to amps). Anyway, he built himself a Cabronita recently with a Warmoth alder body (solid), a Baja Tele neck and a single TVJ Classic Plus. He can't stop raving about it.

Complete with a custom laser etched neckplate with a pic of his dog...

racman

Now THAT'S cool!!!!

nicovlogg

My 2 cents on the tele bridge - if you DO combine let's say a humbucker with a tele bridge pickup, it's pretty tricky to set your amp and pedals for both pickups, because of the big difference in tonality. Might be better to go for the dual HB.

AlanRatcliffe

@ Roy - You've started something now dammit! ? I have a Thinline La Cabronita percolating in my brain and it doesn't seem to want to go away. I've been Jonesing ('scuse the pun...) for some 'Trons since reviewing the Reverend Flatroc and a Hollow Tele may just be the perfect platform for me.

@ Nico - Just takes careful selection of the pickups. Sure, if you're gonna put a super distortion in the neck, you're doomed to failure, but a low wind vintage style bucker combines well with a slightly hotter bridge pup. The 'Tween sound can actually be pretty awesome - doesn't have as much "cluck" as a normal Tele but gives you a nice wide range sound with both low end girth and high end articulation. Bridge remains pure country, but neck goes all jazz on ya. Listen to The Police stuff...

nicovlogg

Alan Ratcliffe wrote: @ Nico - Just takes careful selection of the pickups. Sure, if you're gonna put a super distortion in the neck, you're doomed to failure, but a low wind vintage style bucker combines well with a slightly hotter bridge pup. The 'Tween sound can actually be pretty awesome - doesn't have as much "cluck" as a normal Tele but gives you a nice wide range sound with both low end girth and high end articulation. Bridge remains pure country, but neck goes all jazz on ya. Listen to The Police stuff...

I know some guys have made it work.. but even a low wound P90 in the neck is quite hard to balance with a tele bridge. Set your tone for the neck, and the bridge sounds harsh, set it for the bridge, and the neck sounds muddy. Guess if you have a set that was specifically wound to work together it could be nice.. But why not just have a dual HB or a dual high output single coil, for example? Seems like a lot of effort to get a good mix when you could just buy a matched set. ???

Gearhead

If you want ´trons, get yourself a Jupiter Billy-Bo ?

racman

@Alan - Gas is a contagious addiction ? Would you go Mahogany body?

@Gearhead - Thx will check it out

AlanRatcliffe

RoyC wrote: Would you go Mahogany body?

Yup. With a nice figured mahogany top I think (hmmm... beeswing stairstep...) - I've also been itching to do a nice tung oil finish.

However, I've also been looking at the Schaller Hannes Bridge (which suits Teles well) and a couple of builds by Thomas Amberger have caught my eye:

Gearhead

you wouldn't play a Tele with such an open bridge, no place to anchor. Just sayin'.

AlanRatcliffe

Gearhead wrote: you wouldn't play a Tele with such an open bridge, no place to anchor. Just sayin'.

Ashtrays are nice in that they they me anchor in a place I wouldn't usually be able to, but I've learned to anchor on a most bridges, on the pickups or even on the sides of the neck.

nicovlogg

I think the Hannes bridge gives plenty space to anchor either way

rikus

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:

Drooool!

I've been lusting after a La Cabronita for ages, I love that pup combo. My dream tele is either as above or a thinline with broadcasters...