Tele Build

Wizard

Ok. So Manny has convinced me that no-one's life is genuinely complete until you've owned a Tele.
And it's more complete if you've made one yourself.

I have previously acquired a 24 fret neck from Cannon.
I have a bunch of spare wood in my workshop.
I am going to attempt to put the two together.

I got hold of a Tele plan and just got it printed at a local printshop.
Was delighted with careful measurement to discover that it is indeed to scale.

My first design dilemma, which this forum is going to solve for me (hopefully):
Placing the neck over the plan, the extra neck length (due to the 24 frets) goes over where the planned neck pickup is supposed to go.

A google of "24 fret tele" shows that there are indeed a large number of tele's that have been made with 24 fret necks.

Advise please on the type of pickups to be used on a Tele; specifically the neck; and where to place it:
(need to focus a bit to see the printed plan)

My (current) plan for the body is either:
a) Use my last remaining block of one piece Alder, or
b) Glue together many strips of kiaat to create a unique look.

Gearhead

True what Manny says, but a Tele is a Tele if it is made out of swamp Ash - do not bother with Kiaat or Alder.

The neck pup can move over a little if you wish and can be any kinda pup, but the bridge must be a Tele Neck Single Coil - nothing else will get you into the sonic territory of Tele. To mount it, you need a Tele bridge. Again, do not bother with doing it another way since Teles do not sound like they do because of their shape.

Wizard

Gearhead wrote: True what Manny says, but a Tele is a Tele if it is made out of swamp Ash - do not bother with Kiaat or Alder.

Here's my rough end-grain cut of kiaat - to potentially glue into a single block.
Nice to have a thicker piece in the middle which is wide enough for the neck and bridge.

If Gearhead sways me and I revert to Swap Ash then this will be ideal for end-grain cheese cutting boards.
(apparently the dutch like cheese)
Will need to get hold of someone with a jointer & planer though to get the bits square enough to glue.

Gearhead wrote: The neck pup can move over a little if you wish and can be any kinda pup, but the bridge must be a Tele Neck Single Coil - nothing else will get you into the sonic territory of Tele. To mount it, you need a Tele bridge.

Plan on using a Tele bridge with brass saddles.
Need to decide on straight or compensated.
Don't like the look of the slanted ones.

Bridge pup must be a neck pup?

Manny is prodding in me in this direction for a bridge:
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Bridges,_tailpieces/Electric_guitar,_non-trem_bridges/Wilkinson_Adjustable_Compensated_Bridge_for_Tele.html?tab=Pictures#details

AlanRatcliffe

Alder is OK for Teles - especially with a rosewood board. True, I also prefer ash/maple, but alder isn't far off the mark.

How big is that neck's heel? Is there enough to shorten the neck to a standard 21 or overhanging 22? Then you can get the neck pickup in the regular place. Otherwise you'll have to go Esquire (single pickup Tele) or move the neck pickup back a bit.

MikeM

I'd glue the neck in, pull 2 frets and rout the neck pup into place ala LP..

Gearhead

Bridge must obviously be bridge, my mind must have been on the neck you are using - seems it is better suited for your next build. That Wilkinson is nice, but the other two respondents to this thread so far go for Glendale as far as I recall...

Wizard

I have this block of (hard) Ash I got from Manny:

but it's pretty damn heavy ...

I could always just cut the neck shorter.

My main objective here was to try and put together a Tele with stuff I had lying around unused.

MikeM

On the topic of saddles, Rutters makes some top quality ones.. As good as Glendale/Callaham, debatably better. Non-slanted but intonated, available in SS, alu or brass as well.

I personally wouldn't spend too much on the bridge tray, but saddles are worth investing in.

Wizard

I saw today that Marshall's in Cape Town is stocking Graphtec stringsaver saddles ...

MikeM

Ag nee man.

A tele without a 3 saddle bridge is just a hardtail strat.

Wizard

Maybe Alder body with that neck cut down to 21 frets ...

Wizard

Or ... hijack my own thread ... and use that Cannon neck (cut down) on the spare Pacifica body I have lying around.
(I have too many spare parts)

Manfred-Klose

that neck fits nicely to the pacifica look.

a tele looks good with a 21fret tele neck

P.S: so now you have to go build a neck ?

Gearhead

The one big advantage of making a neck is that you can make it fifties paddle size, 1" all the way 8)

Wizard

Ok ... so none of the local wood shops have heard of "Swamp Ash".
What else would it be called locally, if available.
What do people think of building a tele from that block of hard ash previously posted that I got from Manny?

Neon-Gecko

Wizard wrote: Ok ... so none of the local wood shops have heard of "Swamp Ash".
What else would it be called locally, if available.
What do people think of building a tele from that block of hard ash previously posted that I got from Manny?

No timber merchants that I know, apart from one, have ever heard of swamp ash and the 'one' is prepared to order it for us as long as we take a minimum of a cube. ???

We normally use either hard ash or alder in our builds. But please let me know if you do manage to source a supply of swamp ash, as we'd be keen to purchase from anywhere in the country.

Wizard

Neon Gecko wrote: We normally use either hard ash or alder in our builds. But please let me know if you do manage to source a supply of swamp ash, as we'd be keen to purchase from anywhere in the country.

And since I have supply of both alder and hard ash ... which would you prefer to use in a Tele?

Neon-Gecko

IMO both sound pretty similar tonally, with alder perhaps offering more of a Tele "twang".

I'd say that it boils down to the finish you are after. Ash can look pretty plain and is more suited to solid finishes, while alder can offer some good looking grain pattern and would work well with transparent burst finishes.

Manfred-Klose

to me ash looks prettier, something like this always wins ?

http://www.guitarforum.co.za/setup-mods-and-repair/custom-tele-part-2/

AlanRatcliffe

Hard ash is the same species as swamp ash, it's just where it's grown that makes the difference. Hard ash is both heavy and bright, especially in a Tele which is basically a plank with strings on. ? So tonally, I'd go alder, unless you are going with a chambered design. Looks-wise, ash will always win.